FUNK !T | Mindful Media & Communication

Sascha Funk
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Join Sascha H. Funk, the current head of media studies at Thammasat University, as he explores the impact of media on our lives. Dive into thought-provoking discussions on mindful media consumption, digital trends, and effective communication strategies. Discover how to navigate the digital landscape with intention, cultivate a healthy relationship with media, and stay ahead in the ever-changing media landscape. Tune in for insights, strategies, and real-world examples on Mindful Media and Communications by FUNK !T.

  1. Davos 2026: Where Power Talks and Nothing Decides

    JAN 23

    Davos 2026: Where Power Talks and Nothing Decides

    Every January, global power gathers in a Swiss village to talk about fixing the world. Panels, speeches, statements. And yet, the crises remain. In this episode of FUNK !T, we break down what the World Economic Forum really is: not a place where decisions are made, but where power performs legitimacy. From Trump dominating the narrative (again), to Europe sounding morally right but strategically weak, to Ukraine using visibility as pressure — this is Davos as theater. Media theory, psychopolitics, and why permission matters more than truth in 2026.

    23 min
  2. Psychopolitics & the Art of the Feint

    JAN 15

    Psychopolitics & the Art of the Feint

    This week feels overwhelming on purpose. Venezuela. Iran. Greenland. ICE. Everything at once, no time to think.That’s not chaos. That’s a media feint. In this episode of FUNK !T, I break down how power today works through attention overload, spectacle, and exhaustion. From Trump’s Venezuela theatrics to Iran’s internet blackouts and the sudden obsession with Greenland, we’re looking at geopolitics as psychopolitics: not controlling what you think, but how tired you are while thinking. Media theory, martial arts logic, and just enough sarcasm to keep your guard up.

    22 min
  3. The Death of Reality - How the US Weaponized "Cringe" and what that tells us about political communication

    JAN 6

    The Death of Reality - How the US Weaponized "Cringe" and what that tells us about political communication

    It is January 6, 2026. Three days ago, the US captured a head of state. This should be the most serious news story of the decade. But if you look at your phone, you aren't seeing history. You're seeing a roast. You're seeing deepfakes of Nicolás Maduro crying in a puddle of baby oil. You're seeing his propaganda cartoon, "Super Bigote," getting beat up by a Fortnite character. You are seeing a geopolitical earthquake filtered through a Snapchat lens. Welcome to The Meme Coup. In this episode, we break down the media theory behind the chaos. The US didn't just execute a regime change; they executed a Vibe Shift. We explore how they are using "Memetic Warfare" to strip a dictator of his dignity, turn a war into content, and distract the world with absurd spectacles like buying Greenland. The Syllabus: The Death of the Real (Baudrillard): Why the AI deepfakes feel "truer" than the official news photos. Context Collapse (Danah Boyd): How linking Maduro to the Diddy memes turned a political prisoner into a tabloid joke. The Society of the Spectacle (Debord): Why the "Greenland Purchase" is the ultimate distraction. The revolution will not be televised. It will be shitposted.

    16 min
  4. 2026: The Year We Stopped Trusting the Glitch

    JAN 3

    2026: The Year We Stopped Trusting the Glitch

    If you use AI to write an email, and I use AI to summarize it... did communication actually happen? Or did two piles of code just perform a handshake while we both stared at a screen, hallucinating productivity? In this episode, we argue that the Dead Internet Theory isn't just about bots on Twitter anymore. It has come for your inbox. We are witnessing the industrialization of communication, where human interaction is replaced by a "Zero-Human Feedback Loop." We break down the sociology of 2026 using three critical frameworks: Goodhart’s Law & The Zombie Loop: How optimizing for "responsiveness" turned us into biological API keys for our own tools. The Hyperreal (Jean Baudrillard): Why AI-generated empathy feels so repulsive. We explore the "Uncanny Valley of Vulnerability" and why we are starting to crave friction over flow. Costly Signaling Theory: Why the elite are going back to analog. In a world of infinite digital content, "face-to-face" is the new luxury good. The glitch isn't the problem. Believing the glitch is meaning is.

    15 min
  5. The Blockade: Why Venezuela is a Crime Scene

    12/31/2025

    The Blockade: Why Venezuela is a Crime Scene

    While the internet was busy arguing about domestic politics, the US Navy just went back to the 17th Century. On December 16, 2025, the White House designated the Venezuelan government a "Foreign Terrorist Organization" (FTO). That designation wasn’t a diplomatic move. It was a heist. In this episode, we break down the seizure of the Bella 1 oil tanker and the new "No Entry" zone in the Caribbean. We explain the "magic trick" of international law: once a government is labeled a cartel, their national resources aren't "sovereign property"—they are "terrorist financing." And that means we can legally steal them. This isn't just about oil; it’s a masterclass in modern imperialism. We analyze the strategy through three critical frameworks: 1. Necropolitics (Achille Mbembe): The blockade isn't a military tactic; it’s a biological one. We look at how the US is weaponizing the survival of the Venezuelan population to force a surrender, effectively creating a "death world" where the population’s status is reduced to the living dead. 2. The Großraum (Carl Schmitt): The era of the Global Free Market is over. We are returning to "Great Spaces." We explain Schmitt’s theory of the Großraum—a closed sphere of influence where the dominant power (the US) has the right to evict "spatial strangers" (China) and rewrite the laws of the sea. 3. Accumulation by Dispossession (David Harvey): Why is the US acting like a pirate? Because capitalism has run out of new markets. Harvey’s theory explains that when growth stalls, the system shifts to cannibalism. We aren't trading anymore; we are looting. If you have oil and you aren't our friend, you aren't a country anymore. You're a crime scene.

    16 min
  6. Panem is Here: Inside Trump’s "Hunger Games" (Freedom 250)

    12/30/2025

    Panem is Here: Inside Trump’s "Hunger Games" (Freedom 250)

    The internet laughed when Donald Trump announced the "Patriot Games" for the Freedom 250 Semiquincentennial. "It's the Hunger Games!" everyone tweeted. They were right, but for the wrong reasons. In this episode, we look past the memes at the dark reality of summoning "one young man and one young woman" from every state to compete for the Sovereign in Washington D.C. This isn't a track meet; it's a ritual. We break down the biopolitics of the event, using Giorgio Agamben to explain how the State is asserting ownership over the biological bodies of American youth. We look at how this spectacle replaces civics with athletics, and use René Girard’s theory of mimetic desire to explain why a divided nation needs a ritualized competition to avoid actual civil war. The Games aren't a celebration of freedom. They are the gamification of submission.

    17 min
  7. Mourning as Content: The Semiotics of Slay

    12/27/2025

    Mourning as Content: The Semiotics of Slay

    Did she say "Grift" or "Grit"?In this episode, we break down the viral moment that has the entire Right Wing internet spiraling. But we aren't just looking at a slip of the tongue—we are looking at a slip of the mask.We analyze Erika Kirk’s lightning-fast transformation from "Trad-Wife" to "CEO" following Charlie’s death, comparing her rise to the "Evita Perón" archetype. Is her performance of grief a masterclass in brand succession?We cover: The "Grift" Glitch: Freud, Parapraxis, and why the subconscious always tells the truth.The Evita Strategy: How to weaponize the "Widow" archetype for political immunity.Weaponized Forgiveness: Why she "forgave" the killer before the investigation even started.The Civil War: Is Candace Owens actually.....right???

    15 min
  8. The Santa Simulation: Why The Holidays Feel Fake.

    12/23/2025

    The Santa Simulation: Why The Holidays Feel Fake.

    Does Christmas feel less like a holiday and more like a deadline? In this holiday anti-special, we peel back the wrapping paper on the "most wonderful time of the year" to reveal the capitalist engine underneath. We aren't just being Grinches—we are analyzing how a religious and social tradition was systematically replaced by a financial imperative. If you feel stressed, broke, or empty this December, it’s not you. It’s the simulation. We cover: The Invention of Tradition: How Coca-Cola designed Santa and department stores invented Rudolph. The Elf Myth: Applying Karl Marx’s "Commodity Fetishism" to Santa’s Workshop. The Gift Trap: Why Marcel Mauss’s theory of the "Gift Economy" explains your holiday anxiety. Simulation Theory: Why we care more about the aesthetic of Christmas than the reality. Key Takeaways: Why "nostalgia" is just affection for old marketing campaigns. How to opt out of the "Potlatch" of competitive gifting. Escaping the "Capitalist Realism" of Q4.

    19 min
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About

Join Sascha H. Funk, the current head of media studies at Thammasat University, as he explores the impact of media on our lives. Dive into thought-provoking discussions on mindful media consumption, digital trends, and effective communication strategies. Discover how to navigate the digital landscape with intention, cultivate a healthy relationship with media, and stay ahead in the ever-changing media landscape. Tune in for insights, strategies, and real-world examples on Mindful Media and Communications by FUNK !T.

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