We record this on President’s Day to talk about the slop machine we all now inhabit and how all internet culture is an abusive psyop meant to keep us tethered and addicted and pacified.
This was a great episode. I think we are getting further and further away from solutions to societal ills because no one can sustain attention to the bigger issues at hand. Every week there is something demanding attention and responses and people can’t help themselves.
I admire what Adam Curtis does even when I don’t fully agree with his account of events because at least he goes deep, which is built off years of research.
I always go back to something what Toni Morrison said, “Infinity is now, apparently, the domain of the past.” In the sense that capitalist time has fully taken over there is only the present and the past. There doesn’t seem to be a collective project to shape the future of human history in any particular direction.
This is why I think Xi and China are so attractive to people. There seems to be some kind of project that has collective buy in and a clear power structure. Whereas in the US it’s like the elites sprayed everyone with psyop gas but then started inhaling it too. And its all confused. Like everyone is living in a Momento world.
Beauty maxing reminds me of this rat paradise experiment, Universe 25. The rats were provided limitless food, water, and nesting material, and ensured there were no predators and no diseases.
Eventually after severe overpopulation the final stage of collapse was the rats became self-obsessed and stopped procreating. The last generation was very narcissistic and their entire day was spent eating, sleeping, and grooming themselves. (Or beauty maxing)
They lost the ability to navigate the complex social cues required for courtship or defending territory and eventually, the population stopped breeding entirely. Even when the population density dropped back down to normal levels, the survivors were mentally dead.
i mean the logical answer is probably resources on a civilizational level? a lot of different factors at play though. billionaires leaving us behind? i’d have to think about it more.
Isn’t lookmaxxing just a joke? My 16 year old talks like that, mogging and all that and I don’t think it’s serious? I think it’s weird all these guys just look like typical white frat boys though. Honestly I think it’s funny
I’m not sure really but I don’t think it’s as serious as it’s made out to be by Sam Kriss (read his article out of curiosity and it’s a deep dive from all angles!). For me, it’s hard to remember what I was like at that age but I do remember I had aspirations to be one of those girls that dances in a rap video? It was unrealized sadly. I do think the lookmaxxing is mostly a joke but the boys I see are really focused on their appearance. Now it seems they are all following God influencers and trading Bible verses?
Listening to "Exiting the Slop Shop" last night, I was reminded of how over the course of the last 10-15 years an ever increasing proportion of left-wing (sic) "activism" consists of one sectarian group attacking another sectarian group—in virtual space, of course—not so much for following a bad political strategy or employing bad political tactics, but for platforming or linking to the "wrong" online influencer... rather than the "right" one (with whom they invariably identify parasocially).
This was a great episode. I think we are getting further and further away from solutions to societal ills because no one can sustain attention to the bigger issues at hand. Every week there is something demanding attention and responses and people can’t help themselves.
I admire what Adam Curtis does even when I don’t fully agree with his account of events because at least he goes deep, which is built off years of research.
I always go back to something what Toni Morrison said, “Infinity is now, apparently, the domain of the past.” In the sense that capitalist time has fully taken over there is only the present and the past. There doesn’t seem to be a collective project to shape the future of human history in any particular direction.
This is why I think Xi and China are so attractive to people. There seems to be some kind of project that has collective buy in and a clear power structure. Whereas in the US it’s like the elites sprayed everyone with psyop gas but then started inhaling it too. And its all confused. Like everyone is living in a Momento world.
It’s not collective in the slightest, but it nonetheless is certainly a project.
https://biffogram.substack.com/p/its-probably-too-late
Its why MAGA is a thing. People want to go back to a mythical time when America had some sort of unified project and believed in its own future.
but yeah it's probably too late. i agree.
Beauty maxing reminds me of this rat paradise experiment, Universe 25. The rats were provided limitless food, water, and nesting material, and ensured there were no predators and no diseases.
Eventually after severe overpopulation the final stage of collapse was the rats became self-obsessed and stopped procreating. The last generation was very narcissistic and their entire day was spent eating, sleeping, and grooming themselves. (Or beauty maxing)
They lost the ability to navigate the complex social cues required for courtship or defending territory and eventually, the population stopped breeding entirely. Even when the population density dropped back down to normal levels, the survivors were mentally dead.
wonder what the limiting factor is in our society right. it's not necessarily physical space. what do you think it is?
i mean the logical answer is probably resources on a civilizational level? a lot of different factors at play though. billionaires leaving us behind? i’d have to think about it more.
you r doing commentmaxxing right now. bravo!
haha, yeah feeding the feed. (really like that btw)
Isn’t lookmaxxing just a joke? My 16 year old talks like that, mogging and all that and I don’t think it’s serious? I think it’s weird all these guys just look like typical white frat boys though. Honestly I think it’s funny
Don't tell Sam Kris! Lol. IT IS VERY SERIOUS!!!
Oh is it? hahah. I am not keeping up with tiktok trends. from time to time i just think of that experiment and skin it onto shit I hear.
I’m not sure really but I don’t think it’s as serious as it’s made out to be by Sam Kriss (read his article out of curiosity and it’s a deep dive from all angles!). For me, it’s hard to remember what I was like at that age but I do remember I had aspirations to be one of those girls that dances in a rap video? It was unrealized sadly. I do think the lookmaxxing is mostly a joke but the boys I see are really focused on their appearance. Now it seems they are all following God influencers and trading Bible verses?
you can still be a rap video dancer, pray to the G-d influencers
Haha, why not
Listening to "Exiting the Slop Shop" last night, I was reminded of how over the course of the last 10-15 years an ever increasing proportion of left-wing (sic) "activism" consists of one sectarian group attacking another sectarian group—in virtual space, of course—not so much for following a bad political strategy or employing bad political tactics, but for platforming or linking to the "wrong" online influencer... rather than the "right" one (with whom they invariably identify parasocially).
Enjoyed this. I always think of the Jimmy Eat World song https://youtu.be/ZJ_g59unv1c?si=PSM-zdHK2mQB4ZCe