Jackman Dramatic Art Centre at the University of Windsor in Windsor, Ont. on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (LINDSAY CHARLTON/ University of Windsor)
From viral posts to public addresses, the way authority figures speak is changing — and the effects are being felt far beyond the podium.
CBC Ideas executive producer Greg Kelly will be the next speaker in the Humanities Research Group’s (HRG) talk series, delivering a public lecture Thursday on language, authority and public discourse.
The free event, Quiet, Piggy: Private Codes as Public Discourse, will examine the rise of authoritarianism alongside a deepening crisis of institutional authority, as statements and gestures once off-limits in public life gain currency as a form of “authenticity.”
Kelly will speak in Windsor about the changes he has witnessed in public discourse, exploring how authority figures’ words — and the way they’re delivered — affect the public.
“Across the region, the country and the globe, people are grappling with the radical shift in public rhetoric wrought by technological and geopolitical transformation,” said HRG director Kim Nelson.
“As an expert in public outreach and discourse, Kelly is perfectly placed to analyze and comment on the radical shifts and effects of changes in topics and language in the public square.”
Kelly, who holds a PhD in English from Oxford University, will explore these dynamics and consider how authoritative discourse can be separated from authoritative bombast.
Describing Kelly as “thoughtful, energetic and charismatic,” Nelson said he inserts depth and humour into his thoughts and that his talk will be both entertaining and enlightening.
“The HRG has forged a relationship with CBC Ideas over the last two years, with prestigious events recorded at the University of Windsor that have been broadcast and streamed nationally and internationally to audiences of the CBC’s longest-running, most revered and popular shows,” she added.
“It’s been a wonderful opportunity for the HRG and the university to raise our profile and work with the esteemed partners at Ideas.”
The talk takes place Thursday, Jan. 29, at 5 p.m. in the Hatch Theatre at the Jackman Dramatic Art Centre.
