In my socialist utopia there’d be plenty of room for spectacle and lots of it, but yeah no billionaires. No spectacles of giant private spending. There’d be a range of wealth levels, but far far narrower than what we’ve got.
But when I read something like this I pause. Maybe a lot of people really like watching — even just knowing about — super rich and famous people doing their huge parties, wearing their $100K dresses, driving up in their million dollar cars.
Maybe a lot of people want their royalty, their princes and princesses and counts and countesses — as long as the nobility is putting on publicly visible (if private guest list) events.
Personally I hate those things. Loathe celebrities and the culture that surrounds them. Loathe grotesque displays of wealth. Loathe huge hoards of wealth period.
And I’m no Swift fan. Mostly not her fault — she’s horridly overexposed, can’t escape her even when I’m watching a Knicks game fer chrissakes. But I also don’t like her music much.
But ideally my socialist utopia would let everyone have some of what they really loved. Otherwise it’s no kind of utopia!
So maybe I’ve got to revise my vision to include some way of providing celebrity wealth spectacles. Maybe a kind of contest (Hunger Games style?) to select a dozen people who get to be the rich celebrities for the year? (After which they are sacrificed of course in the tradition of all ancient May Queen rituals.)
But seriously. It’s not utopia if a lot of people want this kind of thing and can’t get their fix. I’ll have to take the celebrity lovers into account, figure out how to provide for their tastes (ahem) too.
I think part of it for me and a lot of people is access and fantasy. These people have the ability to spend money like crazy and its fun to see what they do with it. That's why an ugly dress is as exciting as a beautiful one, because you get to think about what you would do differently. but I also think it will be as fun to criticize what people wear in the socialist utopia. I think gossip and shit talking are mainstays of society and the more removed one is from the subject the better it feels. I think there's more of a push and pull when it comes to events and celebrities and leftist ideals than those strictly concerned with economic systems rather than society at large are willing to admit.
Yeah, that’s just utterly different from how I respond to it. But I’m dead serious that any leftist utopia worthy of the name needs to provide for all the various tastes and interests people really have. It can’t just be MY tastes and interests forced upon everyone else!
Socialists — among whom I count myself — have to come to grips with this or they’ll never win. (Or if they do they’ll just create another lousy authoritarian nightmare that discredits the philosophy.)
So pertinent and beyond sage, and just a barnburner of a post as always!!! I often feel a lot of cognitive dissonance/OCD-induced guilt for being a leftist who also worships at the altar of pop culture/movies/ tv/music due to their inextricable role in endorsing or exemplifying capitalist propaganda. But I also know if I tried to abide by the lifestyles of the leftists who disavow all celebrity and culture, I wouldn't have the anchor toward the interconnectedness of humanity-- or the vitality of connection, community love-- that the best of art reaffirms! Like I know my dreams are to be a screenwriter more than anything, and I'd be the most horrid carpenter on the socialist commune, and just hope I'm not a complete sellout/aligning with the billionaire class for knowing that pop culture and art are my fuel, in the way theory is fuel for a lot of leftists!!
I think it’s tacky because a billionaire allegedly served a buffet instead of a sit down meal, I don’t care if having everything plated unrealistic for a thousand people. Have all the food laid out on the table in front of everybody like a medieval feast.
I’m upset that she’s one of the wealthiest and most famous women in the world and instead of spectacle she opted for what was essentially a community centre wedding on steroids… blah.
In my socialist utopia there’d be plenty of room for spectacle and lots of it, but yeah no billionaires. No spectacles of giant private spending. There’d be a range of wealth levels, but far far narrower than what we’ve got.
But when I read something like this I pause. Maybe a lot of people really like watching — even just knowing about — super rich and famous people doing their huge parties, wearing their $100K dresses, driving up in their million dollar cars.
Maybe a lot of people want their royalty, their princes and princesses and counts and countesses — as long as the nobility is putting on publicly visible (if private guest list) events.
Personally I hate those things. Loathe celebrities and the culture that surrounds them. Loathe grotesque displays of wealth. Loathe huge hoards of wealth period.
And I’m no Swift fan. Mostly not her fault — she’s horridly overexposed, can’t escape her even when I’m watching a Knicks game fer chrissakes. But I also don’t like her music much.
But ideally my socialist utopia would let everyone have some of what they really loved. Otherwise it’s no kind of utopia!
So maybe I’ve got to revise my vision to include some way of providing celebrity wealth spectacles. Maybe a kind of contest (Hunger Games style?) to select a dozen people who get to be the rich celebrities for the year? (After which they are sacrificed of course in the tradition of all ancient May Queen rituals.)
But seriously. It’s not utopia if a lot of people want this kind of thing and can’t get their fix. I’ll have to take the celebrity lovers into account, figure out how to provide for their tastes (ahem) too.
I think part of it for me and a lot of people is access and fantasy. These people have the ability to spend money like crazy and its fun to see what they do with it. That's why an ugly dress is as exciting as a beautiful one, because you get to think about what you would do differently. but I also think it will be as fun to criticize what people wear in the socialist utopia. I think gossip and shit talking are mainstays of society and the more removed one is from the subject the better it feels. I think there's more of a push and pull when it comes to events and celebrities and leftist ideals than those strictly concerned with economic systems rather than society at large are willing to admit.
Yeah, that’s just utterly different from how I respond to it. But I’m dead serious that any leftist utopia worthy of the name needs to provide for all the various tastes and interests people really have. It can’t just be MY tastes and interests forced upon everyone else!
Socialists — among whom I count myself — have to come to grips with this or they’ll never win. (Or if they do they’ll just create another lousy authoritarian nightmare that discredits the philosophy.)
So pertinent and beyond sage, and just a barnburner of a post as always!!! I often feel a lot of cognitive dissonance/OCD-induced guilt for being a leftist who also worships at the altar of pop culture/movies/ tv/music due to their inextricable role in endorsing or exemplifying capitalist propaganda. But I also know if I tried to abide by the lifestyles of the leftists who disavow all celebrity and culture, I wouldn't have the anchor toward the interconnectedness of humanity-- or the vitality of connection, community love-- that the best of art reaffirms! Like I know my dreams are to be a screenwriter more than anything, and I'd be the most horrid carpenter on the socialist commune, and just hope I'm not a complete sellout/aligning with the billionaire class for knowing that pop culture and art are my fuel, in the way theory is fuel for a lot of leftists!!
I think it’s tacky because a billionaire allegedly served a buffet instead of a sit down meal, I don’t care if having everything plated unrealistic for a thousand people. Have all the food laid out on the table in front of everybody like a medieval feast.
I’m upset that she’s one of the wealthiest and most famous women in the world and instead of spectacle she opted for what was essentially a community centre wedding on steroids… blah.
Adam Sandler as an officient is gauche.