It's not real!
It’s Not Real is the podcast that takes a scalpel to the stories we tell ourselves. Hosted by Dr Paul Harrison, consumer psychologist, academic, and media commentator, each episode unpacks the real evidence behind why we do what we do, how the world actually works, and the myths we cling to in order to make life a little easier. From marketing spin to social norms, from economic fictions to psychological blind spots, It’s Not Real cuts through the noise with sharp analysis, candid conversations, and a healthy dose of skepticism. Because sometimes, the things we believe… just aren’t real.
It's not real!
24: Moral Peacocking and the Tragedy of Social Media
Whether you use it to stay connected or as part of your marketing strategy, social media is integral for communication. But what happens when everything goes horribly wrong, like it did for Justine Sacco when sent her one-hundred-and-seventy twitter followers the following tweet: “Going to Africa. Hope I don’t get AIDS. Just kidding. I’m white!” By the time she landed in Africa, Twitter users around the world had blasted Justine’s tweet as racist, callous and uncaring. Critics demanded that she be fired from her job and some even called for her death.
In this episode of The Marketing Lab at Deakin, I talk to Jeff Rottman and Gini Weber, two of my colleagues in the marketing department at Deakin University about their research into public condemnation, or what they have neatly called, "moral peacocking". On the way, we explore virtue signalling, morals violations and subjective sensitivities.
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The Marketing Lab is recorded and produced on the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation. We pay our respects to elders past, present, and emerging. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the land where we live, work, and learn.