Catherine Heiner
@cateheiner.bsky.social
Theatre scholar, dramaturg.
Agent of chaos and manager of expectations.
Opinions are my own.
Agent of chaos and manager of expectations.
Opinions are my own.
Reposted by Catherine Heiner
The levels of grift in the hate-your-body economy continue to reach for new levels of creative destruction with the onset of GLP-1s. I’m watching them spin up a “loose skin” panic in real time.
I’m not sure America can exist without the idea that bodies must be punished.
I’m not sure America can exist without the idea that bodies must be punished.
January 6, 2026 at 5:05 PM
The levels of grift in the hate-your-body economy continue to reach for new levels of creative destruction with the onset of GLP-1s. I’m watching them spin up a “loose skin” panic in real time.
I’m not sure America can exist without the idea that bodies must be punished.
I’m not sure America can exist without the idea that bodies must be punished.
Reposted by Catherine Heiner
January 4, 2026 at 12:32 PM
Reposted by Catherine Heiner
Remember: If we allow ourselves to fall into fatalism, or wallow in disappointment, or become resigned to what is rather than what should be, we will lose the long game.
The greatest enemy of positive social change is cynicism about what can be changed.
The greatest enemy of positive social change is cynicism about what can be changed.
January 1, 2026 at 11:30 PM
Remember: If we allow ourselves to fall into fatalism, or wallow in disappointment, or become resigned to what is rather than what should be, we will lose the long game.
The greatest enemy of positive social change is cynicism about what can be changed.
The greatest enemy of positive social change is cynicism about what can be changed.
And for my first act of 2026, I kicked ass in Hades II and got *this close* to beating the major boss. But hey, everybody needs a resolution, right?
January 1, 2026 at 7:09 AM
And for my first act of 2026, I kicked ass in Hades II and got *this close* to beating the major boss. But hey, everybody needs a resolution, right?
Reposted by Catherine Heiner
Someone remake “It’s a Wonderful Life” but Mr. Potter believes that hoarding is morally required so he can devote resources to delivering a far future with trillions of humans while George Bailey is like, “Gosh Darnit! What if taking care of people today is what takes care of people in the future?!”
December 25, 2025 at 2:35 AM
Someone remake “It’s a Wonderful Life” but Mr. Potter believes that hoarding is morally required so he can devote resources to delivering a far future with trillions of humans while George Bailey is like, “Gosh Darnit! What if taking care of people today is what takes care of people in the future?!”
Reposted by Catherine Heiner
Only a matter of time until a UC Berkeley law professor writes a memo justifying torture, a brave Vanity Fair writer gets tortured to say whether it hurts, and we have a national discussion about whether certain people should be tortured for our safety.
December 23, 2025 at 12:10 AM
Only a matter of time until a UC Berkeley law professor writes a memo justifying torture, a brave Vanity Fair writer gets tortured to say whether it hurts, and we have a national discussion about whether certain people should be tortured for our safety.
Reposted by Catherine Heiner
It's your birthday, Duane.
December 20, 2025 at 3:21 PM
It's your birthday, Duane.
Reposted by Catherine Heiner
December 19, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Reposted by Catherine Heiner
The anti-Semitic mass shooting in Australia will cause a national conversation and policy change. We know this because the 1996 Port Arthur massacre led to significant restrictions on guns.
The shooting at Brown will do nothing. We know this because it occurred on the anniversary of Sandy Hook.
The shooting at Brown will do nothing. We know this because it occurred on the anniversary of Sandy Hook.
‘I heard 40, 50 shots’: Witnesses fled Bondi Beach as gunmen targeted Jewish event
‘I heard 40, 50 shots’: Witnesses fled Bondi Beach as gunmen targeted Jewish event
Gunshots ripped through a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, killing at least 12 people
www.irishtimes.com
December 14, 2025 at 1:48 PM
The anti-Semitic mass shooting in Australia will cause a national conversation and policy change. We know this because the 1996 Port Arthur massacre led to significant restrictions on guns.
The shooting at Brown will do nothing. We know this because it occurred on the anniversary of Sandy Hook.
The shooting at Brown will do nothing. We know this because it occurred on the anniversary of Sandy Hook.
Reposted by Catherine Heiner
The Mormon lives of secret wives RT if you AGREE
December 8, 2025 at 3:05 AM
The Mormon lives of secret wives RT if you AGREE
Movie you’ve watched more than six times with a gif. Hard mode: no Stars (Wars nor Trek), LOTR, or Marvel, Disney Animated or Pixar.
December 8, 2025 at 3:06 AM
Movie you’ve watched more than six times with a gif. Hard mode: no Stars (Wars nor Trek), LOTR, or Marvel, Disney Animated or Pixar.
Reposted by Catherine Heiner
“This is economic devastation, to be sure, but it is also psychological and moral devastation," writes Utah professor Maximilian Werner in an op-ed.
Voices: A new higher education policy will be devastating for Utah educators like me
“This is economic devastation, to be sure, but it is also psychological and moral devastation," writes Utah professor Maximilian Werner in an op-ed.
www.sltrib.com
December 4, 2025 at 5:59 AM
“This is economic devastation, to be sure, but it is also psychological and moral devastation," writes Utah professor Maximilian Werner in an op-ed.
Reposted by Catherine Heiner
December 2, 2025 at 8:48 AM
Reposted by Catherine Heiner
if this is discrimination, I’m genuinely unsure what you’re supposed to do when a student responds to a prompt with some religious gibberish
OU has put the professor here on administrative leave:
December 1, 2025 at 12:43 AM
if this is discrimination, I’m genuinely unsure what you’re supposed to do when a student responds to a prompt with some religious gibberish
Reposted by Catherine Heiner
Is it a 'masculine value' to melt down about some new fake shit every week?
November 25, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Is it a 'masculine value' to melt down about some new fake shit every week?
Reposted by Catherine Heiner
I think it’s pretty clear at this point that one of the main impacts of LLMs is to disrupt thinking: to make it so that far too many people never properly learn how to do it, and then to control the output so there are thoughts that people never learn how to think.
November 24, 2025 at 5:18 PM
I think it’s pretty clear at this point that one of the main impacts of LLMs is to disrupt thinking: to make it so that far too many people never properly learn how to do it, and then to control the output so there are thoughts that people never learn how to think.
Reposted by Catherine Heiner
I think the shortest version of why LLMs are an anti education technology is that education is fundamentally about making shared context to understand ourselves, each other, and the world
And by design LLMs destroy shared context
And by design LLMs destroy shared context
November 23, 2025 at 12:57 PM
I think the shortest version of why LLMs are an anti education technology is that education is fundamentally about making shared context to understand ourselves, each other, and the world
And by design LLMs destroy shared context
And by design LLMs destroy shared context
Reposted by Catherine Heiner
*people they define as Americans
See: most of American history/Native folks, Black folks, Mexican Americans, Japanese Americans, &etc
See: most of American history/Native folks, Black folks, Mexican Americans, Japanese Americans, &etc
a lot of you are probably too young to remember this but presidents dont normally wage war against americans
November 20, 2025 at 1:39 PM
*people they define as Americans
See: most of American history/Native folks, Black folks, Mexican Americans, Japanese Americans, &etc
See: most of American history/Native folks, Black folks, Mexican Americans, Japanese Americans, &etc
Reposted by Catherine Heiner
Reposted by Catherine Heiner
when I was young, i used to wonder how people like this would fare in life, as they didn't seem suited for gainful employment. it turns out, the internet allowed them to accumulate a massive audience of similar idiots, enriching them and turning them into a presidential advisor
November 20, 2025 at 12:58 AM
when I was young, i used to wonder how people like this would fare in life, as they didn't seem suited for gainful employment. it turns out, the internet allowed them to accumulate a massive audience of similar idiots, enriching them and turning them into a presidential advisor
Reposted by Catherine Heiner
"I want us to tell the truth about our history not because I want to punish America, I want to liberate us but we can’t get to liberation if we don’t acknowledge what we’ve done."
~ Christina Sharpe, Ordinary Notes
🌸
~ Christina Sharpe, Ordinary Notes
🌸
November 19, 2025 at 5:22 PM
"I want us to tell the truth about our history not because I want to punish America, I want to liberate us but we can’t get to liberation if we don’t acknowledge what we’ve done."
~ Christina Sharpe, Ordinary Notes
🌸
~ Christina Sharpe, Ordinary Notes
🌸
Reposted by Catherine Heiner
The part of being a woman in academia where you have to constantly gut-check whether your mentor really thinks your work is good or if he’s just waiting to try something* is EXHAUSTING.
* sometimes it’s both and that’s worse
* sometimes it’s both and that’s worse
Look, I know this weaponization of male academic interest is the oldest story in the book, but it’s just so, so pernicious. It’s awful to the women directly involved, but it’s also awful to *all* women in the academy, who have to live in its shadow all the time.
I mean
November 17, 2025 at 3:09 AM
The part of being a woman in academia where you have to constantly gut-check whether your mentor really thinks your work is good or if he’s just waiting to try something* is EXHAUSTING.
* sometimes it’s both and that’s worse
* sometimes it’s both and that’s worse
Reposted by Catherine Heiner
women are always saying “lord grant me the confidence of a mediocre man.” ok well he did. now what. is the world a better place? look at what you’ve wrought.
Olivia Nuzzi's 'American Canto': Read the Exclusive Excerpt
She flamed out and she faded away. 'Vanity Fair'’s West Coast Editor returns to the written word to survey scorched earth.
www.vanityfair.com
November 17, 2025 at 3:46 PM
women are always saying “lord grant me the confidence of a mediocre man.” ok well he did. now what. is the world a better place? look at what you’ve wrought.
Reposted by Catherine Heiner
This is the guy who said women are underrepresented in STEM because they’re stupid
November 17, 2025 at 4:41 AM
This is the guy who said women are underrepresented in STEM because they’re stupid
Reposted by Catherine Heiner
Alice Wong ask that this be posted after her passing. Honoring that.
November 15, 2025 at 11:52 PM
Alice Wong ask that this be posted after her passing. Honoring that.