hampton.
@hampton.bsky.social
rhetoric PhD student @ UGA | senior researcher @ Princeton | founder @MilitiaWatch.bsky.social | staring into the abyss at: state violence & paramilitarism + radical memes & graphic media + paranormal realities & haunted presents
Pinned
hampton.
@hampton.bsky.social
· Oct 23
Hi new bsky folks. I'm pinning some quick facts that flavor my feed/interactions here:
+ I research the paramilitary, parasocial, and paranormal
+ I live in the South but work for a Northern university
+ I'm here to connect with colleagues, collaborators, and collectors (archivists, activists, etc)
+ I research the paramilitary, parasocial, and paranormal
+ I live in the South but work for a Northern university
+ I'm here to connect with colleagues, collaborators, and collectors (archivists, activists, etc)
This week, @oloonik.bsky.social and I pushed a newsletter to the WXQT subscriber list, at the tail end of which we shared some things we had enjoyed in the past month.
You can sign up for next month at the link below, but I'm sharing mine in a short thread.
You can sign up for next month at the link below, but I'm sharing mine in a short thread.
WXQT Radio
digital culture. social media trends. tech commentary.
wxqt-radio.ghost.io
November 20, 2025 at 4:15 AM
This week, @oloonik.bsky.social and I pushed a newsletter to the WXQT subscriber list, at the tail end of which we shared some things we had enjoyed in the past month.
You can sign up for next month at the link below, but I'm sharing mine in a short thread.
You can sign up for next month at the link below, but I'm sharing mine in a short thread.
Reposted by hampton.
New: Reuters has tallied job losses, suspensions and investigations stemming from the reaction to Charlie Kirk's Sept. 10 assassination. Its findings: More than 600 Americans have been punished, and the figure is likely to be an under-count.
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
November 19, 2025 at 11:35 AM
New: Reuters has tallied job losses, suspensions and investigations stemming from the reaction to Charlie Kirk's Sept. 10 assassination. Its findings: More than 600 Americans have been punished, and the figure is likely to be an under-count.
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
this is exactly why it's so strange that it's normative to expect to go through the publication process for free. these enterprises can post a 30% profit margin because, in large part, they aren't paying the people who put in the research work.
"academic publishing is dominated by profit-oriented, multinational companies for whom scientific knowledge is a commodity to be sold back to the academic community who created it... The dominant four collectively generated... $12 billion in profits between 2019 and 2024."
November 18, 2025 at 1:19 PM
this is exactly why it's so strange that it's normative to expect to go through the publication process for free. these enterprises can post a 30% profit margin because, in large part, they aren't paying the people who put in the research work.
Reposted by hampton.
imagine being Troy Parrott and trying to pay for your own pint at the pub after this level of heroics
November 17, 2025 at 12:53 PM
imagine being Troy Parrott and trying to pay for your own pint at the pub after this level of heroics
Reposted by hampton.
New from me this morning, a deep dive on Elon Musk's Grokipedia-- the forthrightness of the white nationalist and eugenic advocacy in many entries surprised me and the experts I spoke to www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
White nationalist talking points and racial pseudoscience: welcome to Elon Musk’s Grokipedia
World’s richest person wanted to ‘purge’ propaganda from Wikipedia, so he created a compendium of racist disinformation
www.theguardian.com
November 17, 2025 at 12:34 PM
New from me this morning, a deep dive on Elon Musk's Grokipedia-- the forthrightness of the white nationalist and eugenic advocacy in many entries surprised me and the experts I spoke to www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Reposted by hampton.
From this minister's op-ed: "People wanting to experience God are more likely to meet the Divine trying to shut down the Broadview, Illinois, ICE facility than we ever were in church...God does not live in our houses of worship, but...with those who are bearing the brunt of cruelty in this moment."
Oh wow @reuters.com got the photo here:
November 14, 2025 at 9:38 PM
From this minister's op-ed: "People wanting to experience God are more likely to meet the Divine trying to shut down the Broadview, Illinois, ICE facility than we ever were in church...God does not live in our houses of worship, but...with those who are bearing the brunt of cruelty in this moment."
go read Robin's newest on AI Jake Paul, depictions of which range from silly to deeply problematic (both of which are emblematic of internet imagination and sped up by generative AI like Sora)
New piece from me on the rise and implications of AI Jake Paul - check out WXQT Radio below:
wxqt-radio.ghost.io/paul-pregnant/
wxqt-radio.ghost.io/paul-pregnant/
Jake Paul PREGNANT?!
Celebrities are foraying into AI name and likeness deals — and users are taking full advantage.
Jake Paul is pregnant. Jake Paul is wearing a full-face of makeup. Here, he speaks Spanish — look, now ...
wxqt-radio.ghost.io
November 11, 2025 at 5:00 PM
go read Robin's newest on AI Jake Paul, depictions of which range from silly to deeply problematic (both of which are emblematic of internet imagination and sped up by generative AI like Sora)
Reposted by hampton.
I love that the Boston cop slide never got fixed and now people just willingly go down it in tribute. It’s basically a national landmark at this point
November 8, 2025 at 6:15 AM
I love that the Boston cop slide never got fixed and now people just willingly go down it in tribute. It’s basically a national landmark at this point
thinking of expanding on this type of phantom militia threat in this UNCW case, we have several case studies that have led to very different outcomes ('phantom' doesn't mean it isn't a threat felt as real, but that it has no materiality)
Happy spooky Halloween, folks! Here's a (not that scary, promise) roundup of some news stories about US-based militia over the past two months. Some highlights:
+ Harassment and fear of militia lead to chaos at UNCW
+ Assorted public showings by militia leaders
+ More court developments (as usual)
+ Harassment and fear of militia lead to chaos at UNCW
+ Assorted public showings by militia leaders
+ More court developments (as usual)
BiMonthly: Sept+Oct 25 - MilitiaWatch
A news roundup on militia activity in the US for September and October 2025, including fallout of the Kirk shooting, Rhodes speaking, and chemtrails.
militia.watch
November 7, 2025 at 1:52 PM
thinking of expanding on this type of phantom militia threat in this UNCW case, we have several case studies that have led to very different outcomes ('phantom' doesn't mean it isn't a threat felt as real, but that it has no materiality)
Jolani/Sharaa's last decade is wild, absurd to think of everything that has happened in and about Syria just in the last year to lead to headlines like these:
www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11...
www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11...
UNSC votes to drop sanctions on Syria’s al-Sharaa ahead of Washington visit
Fourteen members of the UN Security Council voted in favour of the US-drafted resolution. China abstained.
www.aljazeera.com
November 7, 2025 at 1:48 PM
Jolani/Sharaa's last decade is wild, absurd to think of everything that has happened in and about Syria just in the last year to lead to headlines like these:
www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11...
www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11...
Reposted by hampton.
Nuremburg trials is the moderate position
He said that the agents would throw food at them to eat. The agents threatened to withhold food for a week and to beat him up if he didn't sign deportation papers. He said he saw others refuse and get beaten/receive no food. He signed because he was afraid.
November 7, 2025 at 12:34 PM
Nuremburg trials is the moderate position
this week, I wrote an essay for class about two movies (killer of sheep + still life) where 'living amidst the ruins' is an important theme of many scenes, and I'm very interested in carrying this concept a bit further.
pls share if you have any favorite movies that take place amidst ruin!
pls share if you have any favorite movies that take place amidst ruin!
November 6, 2025 at 11:37 PM
this week, I wrote an essay for class about two movies (killer of sheep + still life) where 'living amidst the ruins' is an important theme of many scenes, and I'm very interested in carrying this concept a bit further.
pls share if you have any favorite movies that take place amidst ruin!
pls share if you have any favorite movies that take place amidst ruin!
oh man we're at the risk of total sandwich carnage!
also lol @ "a source familiar with lunch"
also lol @ "a source familiar with lunch"
BREAKING EXCLUSIVE MUST CREDIT: Lunch for jurors in the “sandwich guy” trial are a variety of sandwiches, according to a source familiar with lunch.
November 6, 2025 at 5:58 PM
oh man we're at the risk of total sandwich carnage!
also lol @ "a source familiar with lunch"
also lol @ "a source familiar with lunch"
Reposted by hampton.
New Performative Male (ultramasculine edition) just dropped. Excellent analysis by @hampton.bsky.social on the lineage of Kash Patel's challenge coin
Another new blog post up at WXQT!
This time, I write on Kash Patel's new(ish) challenge coin, which is indicative of how one of America's most powerful performative males crafts his visual identity (spoiler: mostly out of dudecore mainstream culture).
This time, I write on Kash Patel's new(ish) challenge coin, which is indicative of how one of America's most powerful performative males crafts his visual identity (spoiler: mostly out of dudecore mainstream culture).
Performative Patel
Kash Patel's new challenge coin and the actual performative male moment.
In early October, journalist Ken Dilanian posted an image of the two faces of an alleged new challenge coin issued by the dire...
wxqt-radio.ghost.io
November 4, 2025 at 10:09 PM
New Performative Male (ultramasculine edition) just dropped. Excellent analysis by @hampton.bsky.social on the lineage of Kash Patel's challenge coin
Reposted by hampton.
Dick Cheney's greatest achievement is avoiding being charged with war crimes by the International Criminal Court in the Hague.
November 4, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Dick Cheney's greatest achievement is avoiding being charged with war crimes by the International Criminal Court in the Hague.
Reposted by hampton.
Check it out, interesting meme lineages inside
Another new blog post up at WXQT!
This time, I write on Kash Patel's new(ish) challenge coin, which is indicative of how one of America's most powerful performative males crafts his visual identity (spoiler: mostly out of dudecore mainstream culture).
This time, I write on Kash Patel's new(ish) challenge coin, which is indicative of how one of America's most powerful performative males crafts his visual identity (spoiler: mostly out of dudecore mainstream culture).
Performative Patel
Kash Patel's new challenge coin and the actual performative male moment.
In early October, journalist Ken Dilanian posted an image of the two faces of an alleged new challenge coin issued by the dire...
wxqt-radio.ghost.io
November 4, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Check it out, interesting meme lineages inside
Reposted by hampton.
New piece from @hampton.bsky.social on WXQT talks performative masculinity in the FBI, challenge coins, and of course Mr. Patel:
wxqt-radio.ghost.io/performative...
wxqt-radio.ghost.io/performative...
Performative Patel
Kash Patel's new challenge coin and the actual performative male moment.
In early October, journalist Ken Dilanian posted an image of the two faces of an alleged new challenge coin issued by the dire...
wxqt-radio.ghost.io
November 4, 2025 at 5:20 PM
New piece from @hampton.bsky.social on WXQT talks performative masculinity in the FBI, challenge coins, and of course Mr. Patel:
wxqt-radio.ghost.io/performative...
wxqt-radio.ghost.io/performative...
Another new blog post up at WXQT!
This time, I write on Kash Patel's new(ish) challenge coin, which is indicative of how one of America's most powerful performative males crafts his visual identity (spoiler: mostly out of dudecore mainstream culture).
This time, I write on Kash Patel's new(ish) challenge coin, which is indicative of how one of America's most powerful performative males crafts his visual identity (spoiler: mostly out of dudecore mainstream culture).
Performative Patel
Kash Patel's new challenge coin and the actual performative male moment.
In early October, journalist Ken Dilanian posted an image of the two faces of an alleged new challenge coin issued by the dire...
wxqt-radio.ghost.io
November 4, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Another new blog post up at WXQT!
This time, I write on Kash Patel's new(ish) challenge coin, which is indicative of how one of America's most powerful performative males crafts his visual identity (spoiler: mostly out of dudecore mainstream culture).
This time, I write on Kash Patel's new(ish) challenge coin, which is indicative of how one of America's most powerful performative males crafts his visual identity (spoiler: mostly out of dudecore mainstream culture).
Reposted by hampton.
Border Patrol agent Lairmore testifies that he was not injured by the sandwich, but he felt the impact through his ballistic vest.
The sandwich came apart and "kind of exploded" on his chest upon impact, he says.
"I could smell the onions and mustard."
The sandwich came apart and "kind of exploded" on his chest upon impact, he says.
"I could smell the onions and mustard."
November 4, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Border Patrol agent Lairmore testifies that he was not injured by the sandwich, but he felt the impact through his ballistic vest.
The sandwich came apart and "kind of exploded" on his chest upon impact, he says.
"I could smell the onions and mustard."
The sandwich came apart and "kind of exploded" on his chest upon impact, he says.
"I could smell the onions and mustard."
Reposted by hampton.
and Ronald Reagan has effectively been president for over 40 years. the rightward ratchet on the overton window is invisible to people who favor & benefit from conservative politics, in the same way that beneficiaries of white privilege naively deny the endurance of systemic racism
The Democratic Party has many faults but alleging that the party’s declining popularity or success is rooted in some sort of global leftward ideological drift is pretty funny.
November 2, 2025 at 1:17 PM
and Ronald Reagan has effectively been president for over 40 years. the rightward ratchet on the overton window is invisible to people who favor & benefit from conservative politics, in the same way that beneficiaries of white privilege naively deny the endurance of systemic racism
not enough data to say "democrats retreat from successful candidate" when they never really engaged him. however, plenty data to show how republicans seek boogeymen to drive fear among their base for a candidate who is very unlikely to ever impact their lives. we're truly haunted by Cold War ghosts.
November 2, 2025 at 1:19 PM
not enough data to say "democrats retreat from successful candidate" when they never really engaged him. however, plenty data to show how republicans seek boogeymen to drive fear among their base for a candidate who is very unlikely to ever impact their lives. we're truly haunted by Cold War ghosts.
the sheer amount of 'bipartisan, anti-PV' tables I've sat at where some version of "democrats moved really far to the left, so republicans responded by moving really far to the right" is shared as common sense information has had me pulling my hair out for the last decade. it's demonstrably false!!
The Democratic Party has many faults but alleging that the party’s declining popularity or success is rooted in some sort of global leftward ideological drift is pretty funny.
November 2, 2025 at 1:09 PM
the sheer amount of 'bipartisan, anti-PV' tables I've sat at where some version of "democrats moved really far to the left, so republicans responded by moving really far to the right" is shared as common sense information has had me pulling my hair out for the last decade. it's demonstrably false!!
If you're interested in reading about some of the responses to Kirk's death from online psychics, fortune tellers, and other mediums, @oloonik.bsky.social and I just hit publish on our first co-written weird Internet piece:
Charlie's Psychics
Welcome to the inaugural blog post at WXQT Radio — expect similar writings at an unspecified cadence in the near future, and feel free to subscribe as to not miss our exciting upcoming work.
When a s...
wxqt-radio.ghost.io
October 29, 2025 at 10:15 AM
If you're interested in reading about some of the responses to Kirk's death from online psychics, fortune tellers, and other mediums, @oloonik.bsky.social and I just hit publish on our first co-written weird Internet piece:
Reposted by hampton.
Inaugural blog post from a new casual venture/site - @hampton.bsky.social and I briefly delved into the world of TikTok psychics after Charlie Kirk’s death. Read more from the beyond below, and expect similar work in the coming weeks:
wxqt-radio.ghost.io/charlies-psy...
wxqt-radio.ghost.io/charlies-psy...
Charlie's Psychics
Welcome to the inaugural blog post at WXQT Radio — expect similar writings at an unspecified cadence in the near future, and feel free to subscribe as to not miss our exciting upcoming work.
When a s...
wxqt-radio.ghost.io
October 28, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Inaugural blog post from a new casual venture/site - @hampton.bsky.social and I briefly delved into the world of TikTok psychics after Charlie Kirk’s death. Read more from the beyond below, and expect similar work in the coming weeks:
wxqt-radio.ghost.io/charlies-psy...
wxqt-radio.ghost.io/charlies-psy...
among many others, we're certainly right at a "Qu'ils mangent de la brioche" type moment as the White House literally builds a gilded ballroom amid government shutdown
BUT ALSO, historically, making people go without food is a dangerous game. Real good way to stoke something you can’t stop.
7+ million people on the streets scared the Regime and now they are implementing the mechanisms to break their spirit, and this is it.
If you're too busy looking for food you're too busy to protest.
We know that all too well.
This is a heads-up from a Brazilian friend, that have seen that up close
If you're too busy looking for food you're too busy to protest.
We know that all too well.
This is a heads-up from a Brazilian friend, that have seen that up close
October 26, 2025 at 1:41 PM
among many others, we're certainly right at a "Qu'ils mangent de la brioche" type moment as the White House literally builds a gilded ballroom amid government shutdown