First, I think we all know book spines look like when we’ve read them before vs when we just opened them for the first time.
Second, this is absolutely a PR stunt and it’s a smart move. Her aesthetic before this was subversive and counter cultural and being with Elon did this image no favors. The narrative that she was a secret communist all along is, frankly, on the bleeding edge of what capitalism is currently capable of recuperating. There have been plenty of revolutionary figures recuperated, but there’s a difference between, say, MLK’s socialism being buried and transformed into general pacifism, and Grimes becoming a theory-head Marxist and having that be part of her image. It’s moving in the other direction. MLK’s image kept the aesthetic while losing the principles. Grimes’ image is attempting to create an aesthetic without establishing the principles in the first place. It’s pure aesthetic detached from action, which is exactly what so much communist identity branding seems to push online.
Even if you treat your books very carefully, your first read through will leave creases in the spine of a paperback. In the picture it looks like she opened to a random page once and the rest of the pages remain unopened
First, I think we all know book spines look like when we’ve read them before vs when we just opened them for the first time.
Second, this is absolutely a PR stunt and it’s a smart move. Her aesthetic before this was subversive and counter cultural and being with Elon did this image no favors. The narrative that she was a secret communist all along is, frankly, on the bleeding edge of what capitalism is currently capable of recuperating. There have been plenty of revolutionary figures recuperated, but there’s a difference between, say, MLK’s socialism being buried and transformed into general pacifism, and Grimes becoming a theory-head Marxist and having that be part of her image. It’s moving in the other direction. MLK’s image kept the aesthetic while losing the principles. Grimes’ image is attempting to create an aesthetic without establishing the principles in the first place. It’s pure aesthetic detached from action, which is exactly what so much communist identity branding seems to push online.
Action is the hard part, ngl
It really is. But the doing helps the understanding and vice-versa
Seems harmless and maybe even good if it helps make communism cool and not this scary boogeyman
Fully agreed
Am I the only person in the world who guards my books like an old miser guarding his fortune?
Even if you treat your books very carefully, your first read through will leave creases in the spine of a paperback. In the picture it looks like she opened to a random page once and the rest of the pages remain unopened