Banter

Banter: Fun Chats and Serious Talks
Banter is a word we use to describe conversations that can be both fun and friendly or more serious, depending on the context. It's like when you're talking to your friends or family members, and you're having a playful or light-hearted conversation. You might tease each other in a good-natured way, share jokes, or just chat about everyday stuff like movies, sports, or school.

Friendly Banter: Friendly banter is when you and your friends exchange jokes or playful remarks. It's all in good fun, and nobody's trying to hurt anyone's feelings. For example, if you and your friend play on opposing sports teams, you might tease each other about who's going to win the next game. It's a way of bonding and having a good time together.

Serious Talks: Banter can also be used for more serious conversations. Sometimes, people use banter to discuss important topics like politics, current events, or personal issues. In these cases, banter can mean having a thoughtful discussion. It's not about making jokes but rather sharing ideas, opinions, and even debating.

So, whether it's light-hearted and fun or deep and meaningful, banter is a way people communicate and connect with each other. It's like a flexible tool in our conversational toolbox that we can use for different situations, depending on what we want to achieve in our talks.

​Example: Sports & Politics Banter
Some people use Twitter to go back and forth about sports and politics. In the first 90 seconds of this video, Stephen Colbert talks to Jemele Hill about one of her Tweets that got the attention from a POTUS. Keep watching the video to learn how the two arenas of sports and politics intermingle and how, at times, sports are politicized when it shouldn't be the case.

Here's a list of Sports Analysts & Commentators to check out:

Name	Instagram	Twitter
Alanna Rizzo	@alannarizzo	@alannarizzo
Cari Champion ​	@carichampion	@CariChampion
Jamele Hill	@jemelehill	@jemelehill
Jessica Mendoza	@jessmendoza2	@jessmendoza
Lisa Salters ​	-	@saltersl
Maria Taylor ​	@mariataylor ​	@MariaTaylor
Marysol Castro ​	@marysolcastrotv	@marysolcastro
MJ Acosta	@mjacostatv	@MJAcostaTV
Monica McNutt ​	@mcnuttmonica	@McNuttMonica
Sage Steele ​	​@sagesteele	@sagesteele
Sarina Morales	@moralesmorales	@sarina
Siera Santos	@siera.santos	@SieraSantos
Tiffany Green	@tgreene34	@TiffanyAGreene

Leave a comment: What do you go back and forth with others about on social media? What kinds of responses do you receive? What are some great examples of banter that you've come across online?