Stoneman with his 2003 Ford Taurus Wagon before Carvana towed it away.
Courtesy | Ethan Stoneman

If you were on a deserted island and could only bring three things, what would it be?

My wife, one of my kids, and one of my dogs

What is your favorite horror movie?

“Videodrome” (1983, directed by David Cronenberg)

What is your favorite band?

Killing Joke

What is your go-to nicotine vape flavor?

Sour Gush   

What is your favorite class to teach at Hillsdale? 

Media Theory & Criticism

In your opinion, what is the most underrated place in Hillsdale?

Bryan Springer’s dining room

If you were not teaching at Hillsdale, what would you be doing? 

Teaching at a different school

What’s your go-to coffee order?

Large coffee with room for cream

Who’s your favorite rhetorician? 

Edward Bernays, because he understood that public opinion can be scientifically shaped or “engineered,” society is run by an unseen elite who guide public opinion, symbols are more powerful than arguments, Public Relations creates events designed to be reported — and lots more. 

If your life right now were a movie genre, what would it be?

Family comedy

What do you say to students who don’t see Rhetoric and Media as a real major?

Two answers: Plato and Aristotle would disagree. People should check out my CV or select publications on the faculty website.

Students often refer to you as the “G.O.A.T” — how do you respond to that? 

I would say, see the question above.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

Does Epictetus count? If so, then, “The sure way to win contests is to enter only those in which you are guaranteed to win. The only contest that qualifies is that for becoming a better person. Nothing else.” (Enchiridion 19)            

What’s the most persuasive excuse a student has given you? 

Crying