The Ideation Project

Pressing Pause - se.01 tr.13

In an accelerated world consumed in crisis and knee-jerk outrage, it is possible to press pause and refrain before judgment? Jian ponders the chances of gaining perspective when moderation has become an antique, and urging cooler heads is interpreted as inaction. For more ideations check out TheIdeationProject.com. Words, original music, recording and production by Jian Ghomeshi (@JianGhomeshi).

Iran vs. Eye-ran - se.01 tr.12

WH Press Secretary Sean Spicer has been heard to say "Eye-ran" and "Eye-ranians" when speaking of Iran. Is this is just an innocent alternative pronunciation or are there social and political implications to the way names are said? Jian explores how alt-pronunciations like "Eye-talian", "Ay-rab" and "Eye-ran" can been used as pejoratives, and as a way to telegraph alliance with others who want to hear words said a certain way. For more ideations check out TheIdeationProject.com. Words, original music, recording and production by Jian Ghomeshi (@JianGhomeshi).

Attention Span: The Album - se.01 tr.11

How do our dwindling attention spans affect the way we experience music? On its 50th anniversary, the Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is widely considered to be a classic. But would we hear it the same way if it debuted today? Jian explores the impact of attention spans on how we experience art. For more ideations check out TheIdeationProject.com. Words, original music, recording and production by Jian Ghomeshi (@JianGhomeshi).

Muslims, Trump and Metonymy - se.01 tr.10

A metonymy is a word that stands in for another word that it is associated with. But what happens in our current era of shorthand, when a metonymy is used to stand in for the caricatured traits and actions of entire groups of people? Jian explores the way in which words like "Muslims" and "Mexicans" have been used to advance social stereotypes in the Trumpian era. And that, in the end, the word "Trump" may be the metonymy that is undergoing the most severe devolution. For more ideations check out TheIdeationProject.com. Words, original music, recording and production by Jian Ghomeshi (@JianGhomeshi).

Fear Of Missing Out - se.01 tr.09

Can we break our smartphone addiction? And what happens if we don't? On the tenth anniversary of the iPhone, we are a society addicted to social media and our smartphones - and it's messing with our heads. Fear of missing out ("FOMO") has already been a popular discussion point in the last couple of years, but new studies underscore how FOMO is having negative effects on our mental health. For more ideations check out TheIdeationProject.com. Words, original music, recording and production by Jian Ghomeshi (@JianGhomeshi).