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Taylor Swift singing on stage
John Shearer/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

Taylor Swift: 'It's basically saying don't lose hope'

Daley-Harris is the author of “Reclaiming Our Democracy: Every Citizen’sGuide to Transformational Advocacy” and the founder of RESULTS and Civic Courage. This is part of a series focused on better understanding transformational advocacy: citizens awakening to their power.

In my last writing, I discussed how Taylor Swift’s first involvement in politics (during the 2018 midterm election in Tennessee) was prompted, in part, by her harrowing experience in a sexual assault trial. That year Swift endorsed Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s opponent in Tennessee’s U.S. Senate race, Rep. Jim Cooper (D). It wasn’t an easy decision.

“I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions,” she wrote in an Instagram post, “but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now. I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country. I believe in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG. I believe that the systemic racism we still see in this country towards people of color is terrifying, sickening and prevalent.”

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Young woman doing stand-up comedy

Laughter is the embodiment of depolarization.

FG Trade/Getty Images

What role does comedy play in pulling us together?

It’s no secret that pop culture in America has amazing healing and connecting powers. Throughout history, we’ve seen how artists, entertainers, athletes and creators of every kind invite us into a space of transcendence that leads to connectivity. We see that when we join people together their energy can be harnessed for good, and then amplified and scaled.

Certainly comedy fits in perfectly. Laughter is the embodiment of depolarization. Just consider that in order for something to evoke laughter, it has to have the capacity to both hold tension and release tension at the same time. And so we invite you to join Bridge Entertainment Labs tomorrow at 4 pm Eastern for “What’s Making Us Laugh? What Role Does Comedy Play in Pulling Us Together — or Driving Us Apart?”

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Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote

Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote have a lot in common with our presdiential candidates.

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Cartoon rivalries bring levity, and familiarity, to the election

Corbin is professor emeritus of marketing at the University of Northern Iowa.

According to the April 12-16 NBC News survey, 52 percent of voters have somewhat or very negative feelings toward President Joe Biden, while 53 percent of voters have the same notion about former President Donald Trump. To make matters worse, Americans’ interest in the Nov. 5 election is the lowest since 2008.

Maybe it’s time to spark up interest in the election by bringing some comedy to the situation. First — with assistance from Greg Daugherty of Money — let’s review some cartoon characters who, via their creators, have actually announced a presidential candidacy. Then we’ll examine a few fictitious cartoon rivalries. One or more of the following may remind you of Biden or Trump. If a cartoon-related Biden-Trump 2024 rivalry doesn’t seem to develop, then the following is a jog through memory lane, good for any soul to do from time to time.

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Amanda Gorman

Amanda Gorman recites a poem during President Biden's inauguration.

Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

April is National Poetry Month, and our democracy needs her poets

Nevins is co-publisher of The Fulcrum and co-founder and board chairman of the Bridge Alliance Education Fund.

Poetry runs strong through the veins of our American heritage, and what better time to celebrate the connection between democracy and poetry than in the month of April, National Poetry Month.

Our democracy needs her poets from the past and the present.

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Kirsten Dunst in "Civil War"

Kirsten Dunst, one of the stars of the new movie "Civil War," says the film carrries an anti-war message, urging viewers to contemplate the consequences of unchecked division and to reconsider the direction in which we are heading.

A24

‘Civil War’ and its place in civil discourse

Becvar is co-publisher of The Fulcrum and executive director of the Bridge Alliance Education Fund.

In an election year where the air crackles with political tension, the arrival of Alex Garland's film "Civil War" has sparked a broad spectrum of reactions. The movie presents a dystopian vision of a fragmented United States where various factions are at war. This narrative, while unsettling, offers us a valuable lens through which to examine our current political climate and the essential work ahead for those committed to reinforcing the bedrock of our democracy.

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