you... can't actually do hobbies that are comparatively removed from pop culture, though?
Gardening, cooking, biking, hiking, camping, fishing, surfing, exercising in general, woodcarving, knitting, dicking around with Linux, dicking around with microscopes, dicking around with backyard telescopes, tinkering with old appliances, stamp collecting, raising an ant farm, traveling in general, trainspotting, birdwatching, home brewing, and the list goes on. I've listed both low brow and high brow hobbies that don't rely on you being plugged in to pop culture.
If your idea of what a hobby is is restricted to just playing videogames, watching movies, watching TV, watching anime, reading manga, following celebrity gossip, following e-celebrity gossip, listening to podcasts, watching Twitch streams, pretending podcasters are your friends, and dicking around in social media, that's on you. And I think it's no accident that people are groomed into picking up hobbies that are completely at the epicenter of pop culture where ideological reproduction of capitalist realism can do its magic. Gardening will never be sexy, and it'll never be sexy because it's comparatively removed from pop culture on top of requiring your full attention if you want to do it right. You being preoccupied with what should go to your compost pile and how to prevent rats from scavenging your compost pile means less space in your brain for some bullshit CIA-funded propaganda film about how China bad.
No one says you have to seethe every time you see someone play AAA games or watch MCU films. Just find better hobbies.
Gardening, cooking, biking, hiking, camping, fishing, surfing, exercising in general, woodcarving, knitting, dicking around with Linux, dicking around with microscopes, dicking around with backyard telescopes, tinkering with old appliances, stamp collecting, raising an ant farm, traveling in general, trainspotting, birdwatching, home brewing, and the list goes on. I've listed both low brow and high brow hobbies that don't rely on you being plugged in to pop culture.
Most of those are very involved hobbies that take up a lot of time and energy. People occasionally need to wind down with a movie or a book or whatever, and most of those are involved with pop culture.
Sure, but "find ways to divest from pop culture/find hobbies that are less steeped in pop culture" doesn't mean "no mass media ever". Just like, maybe pick something historically interesting instead of Obama's memoir, or some ursula leguin instead of Orson Scott Card (he was the fascist one right not Herbert?).
And yes capitalism leaves us with less time and energy to get into more rewarding activities, but it also produces treats that are specifically designed to be low-friction and high-dopamine, which makes them highly habit forming if not addictive. Many people feel like they couldn't possibly get into cooking or sports or whatever but then spend hours a day on tiktok or watching TV and justify it as needing to wind down. Its not like leftists are immune to the allure of that stuff but it's worthwhile to strive for a more fulfilling life that is less reliant on capitalism and its treats. People aren't worse for liking the treats, or even for being addicted to them, but engaging in higher-friction hobbies isn't about depriving yourself, it's recognizing that there are more rewarding things to do in life than consoom treats.
People occasionally need to wind down with a movie or a book or whatever
I don't. I used to wind down before bed with Lichess against the computer.
Hobbies vary in how much community participation is necessary. Many competitive hobbies require you to keep up with the meta to have a chance. If you want to travel or garden you can just do that and not engage with the community. If you want to watch a TV show you'll get the most enjoyment out of it by discussing it with other people, irl or online. I think this is some element of how "pop culture" a hobby is. Probably need a definition to get any further.
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Gardening, cooking, biking, hiking, camping, fishing, surfing, exercising in general, woodcarving, knitting, dicking around with Linux, dicking around with microscopes, dicking around with backyard telescopes, tinkering with old appliances, stamp collecting, raising an ant farm, traveling in general, trainspotting, birdwatching, home brewing, and the list goes on. I've listed both low brow and high brow hobbies that don't rely on you being plugged in to pop culture.
If your idea of what a hobby is is restricted to just playing videogames, watching movies, watching TV, watching anime, reading manga, following celebrity gossip, following e-celebrity gossip, listening to podcasts, watching Twitch streams, pretending podcasters are your friends, and dicking around in social media, that's on you. And I think it's no accident that people are groomed into picking up hobbies that are completely at the epicenter of pop culture where ideological reproduction of capitalist realism can do its magic. Gardening will never be sexy, and it'll never be sexy because it's comparatively removed from pop culture on top of requiring your full attention if you want to do it right. You being preoccupied with what should go to your compost pile and how to prevent rats from scavenging your compost pile means less space in your brain for some bullshit CIA-funded propaganda film about how China bad.
No one says you have to seethe every time you see someone play AAA games or watch MCU films. Just find better hobbies.
Most of those are very involved hobbies that take up a lot of time and energy. People occasionally need to wind down with a movie or a book or whatever, and most of those are involved with pop culture.
Sure, but "find ways to divest from pop culture/find hobbies that are less steeped in pop culture" doesn't mean "no mass media ever". Just like, maybe pick something historically interesting instead of Obama's memoir, or some ursula leguin instead of Orson Scott Card (he was the fascist one right not Herbert?).
And yes capitalism leaves us with less time and energy to get into more rewarding activities, but it also produces treats that are specifically designed to be low-friction and high-dopamine, which makes them highly habit forming if not addictive. Many people feel like they couldn't possibly get into cooking or sports or whatever but then spend hours a day on tiktok or watching TV and justify it as needing to wind down. Its not like leftists are immune to the allure of that stuff but it's worthwhile to strive for a more fulfilling life that is less reliant on capitalism and its treats. People aren't worse for liking the treats, or even for being addicted to them, but engaging in higher-friction hobbies isn't about depriving yourself, it's recognizing that there are more rewarding things to do in life than consoom treats.
I don't. I used to wind down before bed with Lichess against the computer.
Hobbies vary in how much community participation is necessary. Many competitive hobbies require you to keep up with the meta to have a chance. If you want to travel or garden you can just do that and not engage with the community. If you want to watch a TV show you'll get the most enjoyment out of it by discussing it with other people, irl or online. I think this is some element of how "pop culture" a hobby is. Probably need a definition to get any further.
You also forgot playing any sport
I've played a ton of football and table tennis in my life but never watch any games except for the upper World Cup and Olympic matches
Good catch. I forgot about playing sports as well.
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I would like to hear this, if you don’t mind
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