For those not familiar, BloggingHeads.tv is a video blog discussion site about political, philosophical, world, and academic events.
Started by Robert Wright and Mickey Kaus in 2005, a primary goal of the site was “in one sense an unusual expression of the Internet. Almost all blogs have a dominant ideology and a fairly homogenous comments section to match. We pride ourselves on having a diversity of views in our diavlogs an an accordingly diverse comments section, where thoughtful disagreement is expressed in civil terms”
Wright operates the website through the Nonzero Foundation, and it claims to emphasize helping others to see perspectives not-their-own. In subtle terms, this organization is set up to better dialogue, making it clear that compromise and discourse serve a positive value in society.
I for one think that at the very least, this is a very good idea, even if this sometimes struggles to push people outside their echo chambers.
Many of the comment sections on their videos showcase a willingness to engage non-confrontationally which could be either the result of the audience interested in the first place, or the way dialogue ensues. Especially now, as college students are increasingly less comfortable engaging in civic discourse, bloggingheads provides an opportunity to understand other perspectives.
In my spare time, I’ve run Braver Angels debates, and I know how it is no small task getting those with divergent viewpoints to have empathetic and substantive conversations. It’s no small achievement putting together a platform that encourages goodwill and I’m impressed.
Bloggingheads’ organizational structure is well-planned. Their diavlogs (now I’m saying it) are splitscreen, making it feel as though one is privy to a conversation among friends. As a longtime watcher of the Glenn show, I often feel as if I know the man. This structure is easily accessible, and I’ve wasted many hours of my life watching the various conversations as I work on my academics.
The other aspect I particularly enjoy about bloggingheads is the timestamps offered, which suggests to me that the hosts often prepare extensively for the interviews in question. Though the preparation is palpable, conversations flow naturally, and one gets the sense that those producing the content are comfortable and happy with the others, even as hosts vigorously disagree.
If one’s looking to get started listening, I’d recommend starting with the Glenn Show, followed by the Wright Show, followed by Feminine Chaos, and Culturally Determined.
I find Kaus and McWhorter particularly interesting as interlocuters. Both seem wickedly smart, have a penchant for being contrarians, but are surprisingly measured in their criticisms of what they see as wrong and right with America.
Isadore Johnson's Website 