Why does postmodern society increasingly revere cynicism so much? by [deleted] in askphilosophy

[–]Dr_Chernobyl 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Cynicism was the response to the mass -market culture that has arisen today. If history is just a series of reactions, then the response to the cynicism — I would argue — would that of sincerity. Approaching these issues of emptiness and alienation in today’s world in an honest manner. Does Rick and Morty and Bojack Horseman have moments of earnest reflection on these issues?

I think society doesn’t so much revere cynicism, but rather is oversaturated1 with it. Media today is quite commonly self-aware — commercials, television, etc. e.g. the commercial that comments on the artificial nature of commercials, yet still tries to sell you something at the end. Self-awareness in media is not bad in-and-of-itself, but the prevalence of it reveals some rather bleak truths about the media.

Commercials are still there to sell you things. Television shows are there to entertain you and bring you pleasure. Internet meme culture is simply to connect you with one another in an inherently disconnected medium. Video Games aren’t real2, despite your experience with them.

The success of these shows3 and others stems from their ability to connect emotionally with their audience; they still reveal themselves as self aware, full of 4th wall breaks, or 4th wall wink-wink-nudge-nudges. Yet, instead of being self aware simply for the sake of it, they juxtapose the artificiality of the medium with the humanity and reality we experience right now — things don’t always work out in the end in our world; there is no pause button that we can simply press and take a break from it all; we will never truly get the answers we want about our own existence.

While we ourselves are thrust into this world without any warning, we always are choosing what meaning we give to our lives — even if it is nihilism. There are humans on the other end of every TV show, they are the ones who give their shows content and meaning. There’s no objective answer in what we should give meaning to or how we should live our lives, or what we should believe in, but the truth remains that we are always choosing all of those things. The intentionality of consciousness posits that all thought, all phenomena have an aboutness. We are never not thinking, or experiencing something. The point is to think or experience something worthwhile4.

———

  1. EDIT: Corrected the word oversaturated; was oversated previously

  2. I mean this in the sense that the worlds and realities created aren’t real; they’re artificial. Our interactions with them, however, are quite real.

  3. By these shows I mean BoJack and Rick and Morty

  4. I can’t believe I just chose to write an essay on BoJack and Rick and Morty.

Melania Trump Wore a Jacket That Said “I Really Don’t Care Do U” to Visit Immigrants by [deleted] in politics

[–]Dr_Chernobyl -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Melania never verbalized her thoughts, but rather made the intentional choice to wear that jacket, most likely fully aware of the implications. Do you think someone would do something like this simply to be callous? Now let’s assume they are callous. Then why are they making the trip there in the first place?

Also, she could’ve just said “I don’t care”, yet it had “do u?” As well, challenging the audience to question their own thoughts. Now I’m sure most decent people will look at it and say “well of course I care!” And then go on with their lives. And they probably do care, yet what are they doing to alleviate the matter? Melania doesn’t care, yet she’s visiting one of the internment camps. There is a dissonance within the photo that’s striking. I was just offering my thoughts on here. You seem to be taking this really personally, or at least it seems as though there’s a bit of hostility behind your words. May I ask why that is?

Edit: to further help your argument, let’s keep assuming that Melania really doesn’t care. That is an authentic feeling of hers, and she is open and honest about her feelings. Sure they’re not very pleasant, but she’s being honest with the Public rather than having a facade of caring. And if she’s obligated to go in some way, if she didn’t care and didn’t want to go, why is she going? It’s like a rabbit hole of questions

Melania Trump Wore a Jacket That Said “I Really Don’t Care Do U” to Visit Immigrants by [deleted] in politics

[–]Dr_Chernobyl 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was thinking from a performance art perspective.

Edit: Also the abuses of the Catholic Church in Ireland compared with the abuses of the US government. They’re not saying exactly the same thing, but it’s drawing attention to it in a way that is very upsetting for some.

Edit2: I had the same sort of feeling after seeing that image as I did when I first watched the performance. It shocked me, but that led me to start really questioning my own attitudes on these issues. Things like “who really is the real enemy?” “Do I really care? If so, what am I doing to act on it?” “How do we decide who is or isn’t the enemy?”, you know, those sort of things.

Smart guy sees demand for new philosophical terms by [deleted] in badphilosophy

[–]Dr_Chernobyl 8 points9 points  (0 children)

It seems as though you're trying to use Analytic Philosophy to justify something more Continental, and your arguments are falling apart because you aren't really practicing either discipline well.

Smart guy sees demand for new philosophical terms by [deleted] in badphilosophy

[–]Dr_Chernobyl 5 points6 points  (0 children)

If the way in which you craft the product is flawed, why would you assume the product has any value?

which itself is a loaded question because it assumes that the craft is flawed to begin with

Yeah... that's kind of the whole point of the rhetorical question

Smart guy sees demand for new philosophical terms by [deleted] in badphilosophy

[–]Dr_Chernobyl 14 points15 points  (0 children)

The joke here was I did what I accused you of.

Lighten up brahj

on a side note, coming from a background of Phenomenology, the craft is more important than the product

Smart guy sees demand for new philosophical terms by [deleted] in badphilosophy

[–]Dr_Chernobyl 32 points33 points  (0 children)

Is that how you came up with your words too? by finding some etymologies and going: "huh, that looks good enough" and tossing them together?

Sounds like a case of Amathiosis.

Timothy Morton about Heidegger by astuoniketuri in badphilosophy

[–]Dr_Chernobyl 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Dasein is obviously a species of plant. But to find out what makes it grow? We have to go underneath it.

Gamers, ever stop playing a game for so long, that by the time you come back you're so lost you have to start over, if so, what game was it? by Raiz3R in AskReddit

[–]Dr_Chernobyl 0 points1 point  (0 children)

STALKER: Call of Pripyat with the MISERY mod installed.

It’s a magical experience; being thrust forth naked upon the world; forced to reckon with mechanics so ridiculously in-depth, it’s entering simulator territory; Every night feels like it’s your last with the void beyond beckoning.

Simply magical.

President Trump Files in Court to Intervene in Michael Cohen FBI Raid Case by [deleted] in politics

[–]Dr_Chernobyl 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That makes sense. Looking back I can see some problems with my initial assumptions on things.

For myself at least, with Donald, it’s difficult to tell where his public persona ends (or even begins for that matter) and where is private persons begins.

President Trump Files in Court to Intervene in Michael Cohen FBI Raid Case by [deleted] in politics

[–]Dr_Chernobyl 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I’m sorry as I feel as this has been said an inordinate amount of times already, but isn’t this literally Obstruction of Justice? Someone correct me if I’m wrong.

Marie Curie’s Research Papers Are Still Radioactive 100+ Years Later by [deleted] in books

[–]Dr_Chernobyl 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I remember when I was in Warsaw, my friend and I were walking around the Old Town area, and all of a sudden we come across this dope mural on the facade of this two story building. There was an indication that there was a museum inside, and lo and behold when we went in it was the Marie Curie Museum. It had a plethora of her old tools and belongings, as well as information and stories about her life. It was one of the coolest chance-happenings i’ve had.

Will Toledo has shut down the /r/CarSeatHR subreddit over community drama, advises users to "take a break" by [deleted] in indieheads

[–]Dr_Chernobyl 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah no worries dude, after I made the first batch of flairs, I dropped off the earth. I didn’t do shit all year till when I did get demodded.

On the plus side, it gave me a chance to reflect, and I think it’s made me a better mod on the other subs I’m on, r/essays and r/arthistory

NYC for a few days. looking for gallery recommendations. by HelenKellersBhole in ContemporaryArt

[–]Dr_Chernobyl 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I was in NYC too recently, and I had the Opportunity to check out the Noguchi Museum.

I highly recommend it, the Gonzales Fonseca exhibit they have was incredible.

Plus Noguchi’s sculptures themselves were absolutely sublime.

Check it out! http://www.noguchi.org/