So surely you’ve heard that 2001: A Space Odyssey‘s evil A.I. super-computer HAL is a thinly veiled reference to IBM, right? You know, change each letter in “HAL” to the next one in the alphabet?

Well, what do you get when you change each letter in the word “MOB” to the next one in the alphabet. That’s right: NPC.

And with that, I should be able to drop the metaphorical microphone and call it a day. But since few in the crowd will know what “NPC” means, and fewer still will see the deeper significance of this latest internet meme, I suppose I have to roll up my sleeves and get to work. So class, pull up a chair and tuck in your shirt, because we’re about to get philosophical. . . .

So what is this “NPC” meme that’s sweeping the web? Why is it enraging people and starting a new wave of social media censorship? And what does it tell us about dehumanization, description, and programmed political discourse? Join James for this week’s very philosophical edition of The Corbett Report Subscriber to find out more. For full access to the subscriber newsletter, and to support this website, please become a member.

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