thinking beyond basket weaving and extreme content,
why do we think it's a good idea to communicate with friends and family and local businesses and local events and everything else in real life through these companies and services? do we really need cellphones and the internet and freaking instagram to do basic human actions and interactions, like doing groceries, getting a cab, or hitting up a friend?
answer:
it's because it generates profit and turns these interactions into profitable labor for these companies. we are all just working for free! that's all that is! we are THAT dumb, we fell for THAT.
( it's NOT because it's """practical""". it's practical for these companies' owners (the worlds richest men and participants of the Trump administration). working for free is what you're doing when you upload a picture of your cat on your instagram stories. )
Akin to 4chan wizard memery magick (memes into reality) - see gamergate, NRx (dark enlightment), purple pigeon sticker emote as Nazi symbol, and OK hand gesture turned into white power symbol. Also (among others) rule of internet about No girls *there*, pathologise and exploit gender/see differences...
Much of 4chan and (etc.,) tumblr/reddit lingo, phrases, come from when ingroup thinking about wishful reality and justice...
Looked for fitness videos for trans people. I’m socially transitioning and I noticed there are more videos for trans masc people than there are for femme people. It reinforces this idea that ideal or algorithmic feminine is thin, delicate, and meek. Creators challenging this are Queerbodypilates and Transfitnessbitch
In my book, “Chomsky and Me” about my years managing his MIT office, I recall a fascinating conversation (to me, a non-linguist) about mental representation. This feels similar. As for Chomsky’s view of AI and social media, these are longer stories. A fun post!
Hey, Bev! We’re publishing your craft essay on Cleaver this week— I love this post, too, and seeing your name here confirms my suspicion that there are only about 400 people in this world.
I like the point about both media coexisting and influencing each other!
To me, it also seems important to note that the ways in which out behaviour is different on social media vs reality can characterise us as well.
For example, if I type on here 'I'm a blob', it will not be true to reality, since I'm not (or am I?). However, the fact that I did actually type it says something about my personality as a real human being in ways that are different from the ones we can utilize offline. Also if I keep using this statement and identifying with it, I may adapt in various ways (get clothes with blob depictions, make my personality more blobby or speak unintelligibly), so this statement will eventually kind of bleed into reality. I think all of this is fun!
Thank you for your post and your work as a whole. Have a fun day!
I agree with where you took it by the end of this piece up to a point but there's still a bit of residual naïve realism that there IS a baseline thing-in-itself territory, instead of a massive tangle of co-evolving maps that all conspire together on what each experiences as an elusive "territory". You might dig this piece that tries to "go there all the way", and if you do read it I'd love to pick this up with you in dialogue:
This is a great observational piece, I feel like it motivates me to “touch grass”. I think the more we spend time on social media and the more importance we give to it the less importance and weight is given to reality. We begin to believe what has been given to us algorithmically is a suitable reflection of reality, when it is more of a funhouse mirror. We should reduce our time staring at the warped reflection and turn towards the irreplaceable real world before we think and act on an incorrect basis.
so that's why all the baskets in the stores are dry and I've only been able to weave dry basket, darn
i love what you write!!!
my further thoughts:
thinking beyond basket weaving and extreme content,
why do we think it's a good idea to communicate with friends and family and local businesses and local events and everything else in real life through these companies and services? do we really need cellphones and the internet and freaking instagram to do basic human actions and interactions, like doing groceries, getting a cab, or hitting up a friend?
answer:
it's because it generates profit and turns these interactions into profitable labor for these companies. we are all just working for free! that's all that is! we are THAT dumb, we fell for THAT.
( it's NOT because it's """practical""". it's practical for these companies' owners (the worlds richest men and participants of the Trump administration). working for free is what you're doing when you upload a picture of your cat on your instagram stories. )
Interesting exploration of the blurring lines between Form and Content and the circular nature of means and end.
Did not expect baudrillard in my inbox this morning
Akin to 4chan wizard memery magick (memes into reality) - see gamergate, NRx (dark enlightment), purple pigeon sticker emote as Nazi symbol, and OK hand gesture turned into white power symbol. Also (among others) rule of internet about No girls *there*, pathologise and exploit gender/see differences...
Much of 4chan and (etc.,) tumblr/reddit lingo, phrases, come from when ingroup thinking about wishful reality and justice...
Looked for fitness videos for trans people. I’m socially transitioning and I noticed there are more videos for trans masc people than there are for femme people. It reinforces this idea that ideal or algorithmic feminine is thin, delicate, and meek. Creators challenging this are Queerbodypilates and Transfitnessbitch
I haven’t heard another person use the term ‘underwater basket weaving’ since 1997. I use it all the time!
Then you are not in self-claimed indie clubs!
In my book, “Chomsky and Me” about my years managing his MIT office, I recall a fascinating conversation (to me, a non-linguist) about mental representation. This feels similar. As for Chomsky’s view of AI and social media, these are longer stories. A fun post!
Hey, Bev! We’re publishing your craft essay on Cleaver this week— I love this post, too, and seeing your name here confirms my suspicion that there are only about 400 people in this world.
Hi Karen - I love Cleaver Magazine. Your support of the writings of so many word nerds is crucial, entertaining, and thought provoking.
I like the point about both media coexisting and influencing each other!
To me, it also seems important to note that the ways in which out behaviour is different on social media vs reality can characterise us as well.
For example, if I type on here 'I'm a blob', it will not be true to reality, since I'm not (or am I?). However, the fact that I did actually type it says something about my personality as a real human being in ways that are different from the ones we can utilize offline. Also if I keep using this statement and identifying with it, I may adapt in various ways (get clothes with blob depictions, make my personality more blobby or speak unintelligibly), so this statement will eventually kind of bleed into reality. I think all of this is fun!
Thank you for your post and your work as a whole. Have a fun day!
I agree with where you took it by the end of this piece up to a point but there's still a bit of residual naïve realism that there IS a baseline thing-in-itself territory, instead of a massive tangle of co-evolving maps that all conspire together on what each experiences as an elusive "territory". You might dig this piece that tries to "go there all the way", and if you do read it I'd love to pick this up with you in dialogue:
https://michaelgarfield.substack.com/improv
This is a great observational piece, I feel like it motivates me to “touch grass”. I think the more we spend time on social media and the more importance we give to it the less importance and weight is given to reality. We begin to believe what has been given to us algorithmically is a suitable reflection of reality, when it is more of a funhouse mirror. We should reduce our time staring at the warped reflection and turn towards the irreplaceable real world before we think and act on an incorrect basis.