Into the UpsideDown: Conspiracy Pedagogies, Critique, and the Apocalypse of Exposure

  • Jake Burdick Purdue University
  • Jennifer A. Sandlin Arizona State
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15209/jpp.1243

Abstract

In this article, we explore one phenomenon that was ‘exposed’ by the ongoing multiple apocalypticpandemics of COVID-19, Trumpism, racism, science denialism, and misinformation: QAnon.We examine the limits of the concept and practice of ‘exposure’ by exploring how QAnon adherentsshare many processes and practices with critical theory-oriented academics. We employ themetaphor of the “UpsideDown”—taken from the television show Stranger Things—to analyze howQAnon creates inverse, even perverse, versions of the academic discourses and practices of criticalmedia literacy, critical thinking, feminism, and more. We end by asking “what is to be done”,where we argue that we should look for pedagogies that lie outside of the “critical thinking” mantra,specifically those currently being enacted by artists, activists, and journalists.

Cover Image of Street Art with text Truth is, there is no wonderland and birds are dying.
Published
2022-02-08
How to Cite
Burdick J., & Sandlin J. A. (2022). Into the UpsideDown: Conspiracy Pedagogies, Critique, and the Apocalypse of Exposure. Journal of Public Pedagogies, (6), 9-23. https://doi.org/10.15209/jpp.1243
Issue
No 6 (2021)
Section
Articles
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