People talk about representation, but is it really that? It feels more like people are guilty for consuming slop so they want the slop to have a socially-conscious message. That way they can consume slop and feel like they're making a difference by giving attention to real issues. It's the same kind of ethical consumption thing that businesses have been doing for decades. That, somehow, by buying ethically sourced goods or green products you're helping. But buying can never be helping. You can't change the world through consumer choices.
Then I guess the next thing is that if we're going to have consumerism anyways, why not let it be ethical consumerism? Why not let Disney make a sci-fi, action-comedy about suicide and PTSD? I mean if nothing else it makes people going through those things feel better, right? But does it? Does seeing yourself reflected in media really help you or make you feel better? You deserve to feel better and you deserve help, but it should be real help. Soothing you by offering you a fun-house mirror just seems cruel. Plus, when it comes time to get rid of Disney, the argument will be that they produce so much stuff that makes people feel better that it's actually bad to get rid of them.
Social life has eroded due to many forms of commodification (the self, the commons, relationships, etc), and libs have successfully irradiated all methods of politic besides “vote” and “brief polite protest”. The Disney lib wouldn’t dare imagine actual radical political methods but they still feel the poverty of what is available to them. So, bored with no community and powerless due to political alienation, they invent ways to imagine having agency, importance and community through consumption.
I think all the different types of guys (including us) are grappling with the same poverty of life and those who refuse to see root causes are more prone to bizarre derangements like woke fandom and redpill shit.
Abbie Hoffman wrote about what he calls "Culture Vultures" back in the 60's. Back then, all the poor hippie kids would thrift all their clothes, live communally in big, old houses, and had all sorts of free entertainment put on by local artists. Then, one day, there were ads in magazines about "hippie fashion" and stuff like that. Corporations found out that they could sell people their identities back to them.
The same thing is happening with fandoms of TV shows and movies.
There isn't shit all else to do except work, raise your kids and watch TV. Poor people are priced out of hobbies, and can't get the vacation time to go do fun stuff anyway, that's why they're so invested in these fandoms. You can sell these people t shirts, plastic Funko pops and all kinds of useless trinkets. These people are basically paying the companies to help them advertise. They get $30 of your dollars, and you walk around like a big billboard for whatever movie you identify with.
They recently got turned on to the reality that entire generations are suffering from various mental health issues, and they are now commodifying that. Pretty soon, these people will be duped into behaving like a fandom, and will incur further psychic damage because this isn't ultimately helpful.
The instant gratification of seeing yourself represented isn't a good trade off for the conversation ending there.
"One who collects the funko pops which have been manufactured for collection, accumulates the indulgences of the commodity, a glorious sign of his real presence among the faithful. Reified man advertises the proof of his intimacy with the commodity. The fetishism of commodities reaches moments of fervent exaltation similar to the ecstasies of the convulsions and miracles of the old religious fetishism. The only use which remains here is the fundamental use of submission." -Guy Debord 1967
I've heard the argument from christians that there is a "God shaped hole" in everyone that needs to be filled. Ideally, you would fill it with God and religion. They say that the hole can be filled with drugs, sex or any other manner of "debauchery", but it will never be filled properly.
They're almost there. I think there is this "seeking the other" shaped hole in humans that never really gets filled, and that's how you account for the conquests of old, and the consumerism of these days.
Everyone just wants to belong. They want to find their tribe. Some people have cynically realized the money making potential of exploiting those desires.
Then the conversation enters into vaguely Buddhist territory, and I am not qualified to talk about that.
This is the only level of drama I will accept for Squirrel Girl
She's supposed to be a wholesome joke character, not a fucking drama mine>
