- Who is Adrian Chen? And how does his background/areas of expertise help inform you about his perspective as it relates to this article? //
Adrian Chen is an American blogger, writing about internet culture and it’s impact on the general public. At 39, he’s written for a slew of different publications and websites as well as created his own “humor publication” for Reed College. His most written about platforms are 4chan and Reddit, and that says a lot and I believe he knows what he’s talking about.
- Write a brief summary, using your words and direct quotes, of Megan Phelps-Roper’s personal transformation, as described in Chen’s piece. Be sure to include 2-3 direct quotes, framed properly. Choose quotes that help illuminate changes Phelps-Roper experienced along the way. //
Megan Phelps-Roper’s personal transformation really began with the death of actress Brittany Murphy. While other church members reacted with glee, praising God for another worthy smite, Phelps-Roper felt conflicted. She’d loved Murphy’s work and when she continued through her timeline to see others mourning the actress she didn’t post about it like she normally would have. As the church of Westboro started to preach more aggressive stances about God’s opinions on human feelings and emotion, Phelps-Roper felt a conflict within herself that mirrored the public’s concern about the church.
- In your opinion, how did social media embolden Phelps-Roper’s initial message as a spokesperson for Westboro Baptist Church? How did interactions via social media influence her drastic shift in personal belief? Use at least two direct quotes, framed with help from our discussion/slides on Quote/the Quote Sandwich method, to support your claims. //
Social media emboldened Phelps-Roper’s baiting on social media. She “was exhilarated by the response. Since elementary school, she had given hundreds of interviews about Westboro, but the reaction on Twitter seemed more real than a quote in the newspaper.” (Chen pg3) With people reacting and talking directly with her, she felt the need to continue to grab the public’s attention however she could. And with what the church had raised her to believe, it was often hateful.
- “Anybody’s initial response to being confronted with the sort of stuff Westboro Baptist Church says is to tell them to f*** off,” said blogger David Abitbol (Chen 79). But it was less-aggressive communication styles that “got through” to Phelps-Roper, that in part influenced her to reconsider her belief system. What style(s) of conversation (consider message, tone, perspective) had the most impact on Phelps-Roper? What might her story teach us about confronting hate speech? What about redemption? //
As uncomfortable as hate speech is, to put it lightly, the only way the people spouting it will listen to you is if you agree with them. They don’t often want to hear anything other than what they believe in, that’s what makes talking to each other nowadays so hard. It can be very easy to get emotional and frantic when trying to explain hatred to people in person, but online you have the opportunity to be patient and craft a carefully written response. You have the chance to actually talk with another person who otherwise would be at each other’s throats. Unfollow is just one example of a brainwashed individual learning to listen to something that isn’t the dominant personality in their life.
- If you were to meet Phelps-Roper today, what question would you want to ask her, and why? //
After reading Unfollow I’m not sure I have any more questions for her. I would praise her for her bravery in questioning the church and her family- it’s not an easy thing to do.
