Comments on: The Spectacle, the Social Web and You http://jeffersonsnewspaper.org/2009/the-spectacle-and-you/ A blog about information, education, and the (digital) humanities... Sun, 05 Sep 2010 15:07:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Justin Hons http://jeffersonsnewspaper.org/2009/the-spectacle-and-you/comment-page-1/#comment-419 Justin Hons Sat, 03 Oct 2009 23:58:39 +0000 http://jeffersonsnewspaper.org/?p=30#comment-419 Interesting question Erin but isn't detournement (I'm finding a way to put the tilday on the e dude) cultural resistance by it's very nature of subversion? Of course, it goes without saying that some resistance is more effective than others. Nevertheless, I think the idea of the Spectacle is true and absolutely can be applied to web 2.0 and social networking. We know people construct their identities through the use of cultural symbols in order to project a message to others of niche cultural belonging. But how is this any different than, say, an indie rocker buying a fixed gear bike? The hip hop kid wearing a Bape hoodie and white nikes? The 40 year old professional who decides to get in shape by riding his bike and feels the need to wear those tight shirts with the pockets in the back like he's in the Tour de Cleveland Heights? In other words, I don't really think these technologies heighten our lame attempts to create tribal connections through the use of symbols in real, first life. And honestly, there is a certain air of moralizing in favor of the "genuine" by Debord, Focault, etc. All human cultural can be deconstructed and laughed at for its silly insincerity. But that doesn't change that that's what we do man. And we're really good at it. And maybe that's ok. (And maybe I should stop starting sentences with "and.") Maybe the point isn't to wallow in artificalness of the reality (real or 2.0) but simply participate in making both as sincere and meaningful as possible. In some ways, I think this is the real gift given to us by these obnoxious Frenchies: the ability to see past it all while embracing our ability to construct it with our own desires. And without a doubt, I really enjoyed this sentence: "This, of course, would be done as an act of serious-parodic détournement (not to be confused with shallow irony), and thus would not be lame." Provoking and really good read Erin. Interesting question Erin but isn’t detournement (I’m finding a way to put the tilday on the e dude) cultural resistance by it’s very nature of subversion? Of course, it goes without saying that some resistance is more effective than others. Nevertheless, I think the idea of the Spectacle is true and absolutely can be applied to web 2.0 and social networking. We know people construct their identities through the use of cultural symbols in order to project a message to others of niche cultural belonging. But how is this any different than, say, an indie rocker buying a fixed gear bike? The hip hop kid wearing a Bape hoodie and white nikes? The 40 year old professional who decides to get in shape by riding his bike and feels the need to wear those tight shirts with the pockets in the back like he’s in the Tour de Cleveland Heights? In other words, I don’t really think these technologies heighten our lame attempts to create tribal connections through the use of symbols in real, first life.

And honestly, there is a certain air of moralizing in favor of the “genuine” by Debord, Focault, etc. All human cultural can be deconstructed and laughed at for its silly insincerity. But that doesn’t change that that’s what we do man. And we’re really good at it. And maybe that’s ok. (And maybe I should stop starting sentences with “and.”) Maybe the point isn’t to wallow in artificalness of the reality (real or 2.0) but simply participate in making both as sincere and meaningful as possible. In some ways, I think this is the real gift given to us by these obnoxious Frenchies: the ability to see past it all while embracing our ability to construct it with our own desires.

And without a doubt, I really enjoyed this sentence: “This, of course, would be done as an act of serious-parodic détournement (not to be confused with shallow irony), and thus would not be lame.” Provoking and really good read Erin.

]]>