So I have a teency tiny problem with language, in that I don’t use it proper. Which is fine for doing stand up and other useless musings, but apparently in the Academic community, this shit aint good. So, as an aid to my thought processes, and as an immediate way to attempt a fantasy draft, I will be putting my ideas down here, on this blog.
We shall start with the basic thing – its about Wall-E, yep, that Pixar film with the robot from short Circuit (a miraculous accident apparently). What is of interest for such a menial kids film? WELL, haven’t you just opened a can of worms? or so I think.
It all revolves around a figure called Guy Debord, a writer who penned “Society of the Spectacle”, a key text for this group of blokes called the Situationist International (the SI). In this book, right, Debord goes on about this thing called the spectacle, which is everywhere, everything, you literally cannot get away from it. All to do with mediation through images, capitalist theory. I suppose you could call it nihilist? I will try to write about that more clearly in another post. On with the theory.
For Debord, one of the clearest articulations of the Spectacle is through the urban environment, and he talks about this idea of Psychogeography, an idea he elaborates upon elsewhere. Through this thing called the “Derive” (apologies for lack of accents etc. – also is derive a verb or a noun?) Debord and fellow chums would allow themselves to drift on the natural flow of the city, allowing the urban environment to dictate where they went. Sometimes for weeks, possibly even months. It’s all to do with floating, travelling, trains (one of the key terms refers to this turntable-esque device which moves trains on tracks), people, lost, in, cities.
Might try and hunt out some of the exact definitions from the original texts. Yes, good idea. It occurred to me whilst watching Wall E for the umpteenth time, that this spectacle is articulated, or at least could be suggested is articulated, through the Axiom, the gigantic spaceship on which all the Humans are based. And the spectacle is everywhere, dictating the colour of clothes that is fashionable, the drink/food choices, weather, the whole environment. (There is a weird possible Marxist undertone which I haven’t quite gotten my head round – basically the fact that currency no longer exists and all the children are taught by robots – also where are these children coming from).
Part of the spectacle’s control over the humans, is through their mediation of experience, the tv screens that allow them to communicate, despite being next to each other, the way they ‘exercise’ (again via a robot – e.g. tennis pong) and then importantly for our methods, the way the spectacle controls their movements – floating in and around the city. Reminiscent of the derive wouldn’t you say?
So this has lead me to look at the design of these people movers… and has lead me to the topic of Disneyland/Disneyworld, and so I am currently reading a load of stuff by Baudrillard et al, about ideological critique, and psychological themepark design. May I take this moment to recommend Alan Bryman’s wonderful book “Disney and His Worlds” – very helpful guide to get into all the academic texts there are out there (and by gum there are plenty!).
Enough then, to leave you with. I will have to elaborate on where my thinking goes as I digest more and more reading. Hopefully this was in some way thought provoking, or at least an adequate way to mediate a few moments before death. By the way I’m not really sure how this all fits in with copyright? Will I be infringing myself if I keep on doing this? Who cares. I think this could be good for me. If you have any comments, suggestions or anything, please feel free to email me, fahitch at gmail dot com. (suggestion #1 – don’t mention the death so much…)
Saying Things Out Loud
So I have a teency tiny problem with language, in that I don’t use it proper. Which is fine for doing stand up and other useless musings, but apparently in the Academic community, this shit aint good. So, as an aid to my thought processes, and as an immediate way to attempt a fantasy draft, I will be putting my ideas down here, on this blog.
It all revolves around a figure called Guy Debord, a writer who penned “Society of the Spectacle”, a key text for this group of blokes called the Situationist International (the SI). In this book, right, Debord goes on about this thing called the spectacle, which is everywhere, everything, you literally cannot get away from it. All to do with mediation through images, capitalist theory. I suppose you could call it nihilist? I will try to write about that more clearly in another post. On with the theory.
For Debord, one of the clearest articulations of the Spectacle is through the urban environment, and he talks about this idea of Psychogeography, an idea he elaborates upon elsewhere. Through this thing called the “Derive” (apologies for lack of accents etc. – also is derive a verb or a noun?) Debord and fellow chums would allow themselves to drift on the natural flow of the city, allowing the urban environment to dictate where they went. Sometimes for weeks, possibly even months. It’s all to do with floating, travelling, trains (one of the key terms refers to this turntable-esque device which moves trains on tracks), people, lost, in, cities.
Might try and hunt out some of the exact definitions from the original texts. Yes, good idea. It occurred to me whilst watching Wall E for the umpteenth time, that this spectacle is articulated, or at least could be suggested is articulated, through the Axiom, the gigantic spaceship on which all the Humans are based. And the spectacle is everywhere, dictating the colour of clothes that is fashionable, the drink/food choices, weather, the whole environment. (There is a weird possible Marxist undertone which I haven’t quite gotten my head round – basically the fact that currency no longer exists and all the children are taught by robots – also where are these children coming from).
So this has lead me to look at the design of these people movers… and has lead me to the topic of Disneyland/Disneyworld, and so I am currently reading a load of stuff by Baudrillard et al, about ideological critique, and psychological themepark design. May I take this moment to recommend Alan Bryman’s wonderful book “Disney and His Worlds” – very helpful guide to get into all the academic texts there are out there (and by gum there are plenty!).
Enough then, to leave you with. I will have to elaborate on where my thinking goes as I digest more and more reading. Hopefully this was in some way thought provoking, or at least an adequate way to mediate a few moments before death. By the way I’m not really sure how this all fits in with copyright? Will I be infringing myself if I keep on doing this? Who cares. I think this could be good for me. If you have any comments, suggestions or anything, please feel free to email me, fahitch at gmail dot com. (suggestion #1 – don’t mention the death so much…)