The Century of the Self

[LDAHL]

On the contrary, I would argue that since “we” are slaves to media......we continue to have this President. The media is the Three Ring Circus that transports “us”, for the moment out of our current existence and into an entertainment frenzy. How else could you explain “The Bachelor...or Bachelorette “. There are libraries full of books no one will read because their brains have been conditioned to an attention span of a few seconds ....just long enough to deliver the “message” which will result in a purchase.

Once again, nothing new. There was never a time when high culture was ascendant over low. Shakespeare never had the draw of rat-baiting. There was never a point where the masses tossed aside Faulkner for shiney new electric media. They were never that interested in Faulkner in the first place.

People want stuff and status. Media may have some role in choosing what specific stuff to buy or status to pursue, but the desire was always there. The chattering classes are the tail that thinks it wags the dog.

[Williamsmith]

“The chattering classes are the tail that thinks it wags the dog.”

Ah, true but today’s chattering classes are armed with AR15s with which to get the attention of the dog....if only to enjoy a brief moment of bliss. While nothing is , once again, new....it does seem to be distilled a little stronger day by day.

[catherine]

People want stuff and status. Media may have some role in choosing what specific stuff to buy or status to pursue, but the desire was always there. The chattering classes are the tail that thinks it wags the dog.

a) Agreed, the desire is always there, and that's why marketing people have jobs.
b) The tail that wags the dog is the sophisticated machine that drives us to wanting Joanna Gaines' shiplap vs sticking with your cheap brown paneling, or a cerulean sweater vs a teal (ref. The Devil Wears Prada) or a Titliest golf ball vs the ones you find and pick up in the rough. Haven't you ever noticed how the collective consciousness moves in a certain direction? We ALL have to have a jacuzzi or we ALL want to have granite countertops or we ALL something else.
c) Back in Faulkner's day, and even earlier, back when printing presses were churning out one-pagers to disseminate around the town, there wasn't national TV networks, or social media. There certainly were trends back then, of course, whether it was a type of buggy or bustle, but it wasn't a high speed orchestrated turnover of things to buy and sell. As I've said, I'm part of that orchestrated turnover at work even in the pharmaceutical industry, and you'll never convince me that the billions of dollars that Pharma spends to talk people into thinking they have diseases is all just so much medical waste.

[LDAHL]

“The chattering classes are the tail that thinks it wags the dog.”

Ah, true but today’s chattering classes are armed with AR15s with which to get the attention of the dog....if only to enjoy a brief moment of bliss. While nothing is , once again, new....it does seem to be distilled a little stronger day by day.

When I look down and realize I just purchased a pumpkin spice latte, I will buy your argument against free will. Not until then.

[ToomuchStuff]

Another one that was on PBS some time ago, can be found on Youtube, you might find of interest, The Human Face of Big Data.

[catherine]

Another one that was on PBS some time ago, can be found on Youtube, you might find of interest, The Human Face of Big Data.

Thank you. I'll check it out.

LDAHL, free will is real, but there is a continuum in that area. Some people are highly suggestible and others are not. Some are self-reliant pioneers and others follow the crowd. Just because you don't buy your coffee at Starbucks doesn't mean that a) A disproportionate number of people do, when so many other alternatives exist or b) you don't have SOME evidence of falling prey to the marketing wolves. Maybe not coffee, but probably something else. A shirt perhaps? A razor?

[LDAHL]

Thank you. I'll check it out.

LDAHL, free will is real, but there is a continuum in that area. Some people are highly suggestible and others are not. Some are self-reliant pioneers and others follow the crowd. Just because you don't buy your coffee at Starbucks doesn't mean that a) A disproportionate number of people do, when so many other alternatives exist or b) you don't have SOME evidence of falling prey to the marketing wolves. Maybe not coffee, but probably something else. A shirt perhaps? A razor?

How would you propose protecting us from the wolves? I would certainly agree some of us are dumber than others, but am suspicious of any authority that would keep us "safe".

[catherine]

How would you propose protecting us from the wolves? I would certainly agree some of us are dumber than others, but am suspicious of any authority that would keep us "safe".

I'm in favor of media literacy education. I don't know how, but like you, I don't expect the government or any other authority to control what people can buy, unless the marketing wolves are putting the general welfare at risk (i.e. Phillip Morris). I think awareness is key. So that's why it's important to know that we are most certainly under the influence of our all-consuming culture, and the thousands of people who earn their living swaying us, in one way or another.

[ApatheticNoMore]

media education sounds good but not sure of the details, we're all under sway of a consumer culture, I don't know, I don't own a t.v. and can't believe anyone hasn't heard of ad-blocking software. Though a ban on advertising would make perfect sense to me. Still it's not all media driven, maybe some people just like things now and then. Its' not even necessarily the most toxic aspect of the culture, really not at all in the scheme of things IMO, there are way more toxic aspects to the culture that that! Though there is the environmental impact.

[Williamsmith]

How would you propose protecting us from the wolves? I would certainly agree some of us are dumber than others, but am suspicious of any authority that would keep us "safe".

Like in most things a reasonable amount of government involvement is the key. We need some government. The kind of government that makes airbags mandatory in vehicles as well as seatbelts seems reasonable to me. The kind of government that removes cigarette advertising from television seems reasonable to me. So, to take an example that is most annoying to me lately is the constant barrage of pharmaceuticals ads that have joyous people bouncing around a stage set acting as if a pill has made their diabetes something to envy. It’s not simply a buffet fro choose from, it is the waiter holding open my mouth and jamming it down my throat even if I’m not hungry. A certain amount of suspicion is healthy but not when it allows predatory activity in the name of fair game and free will.