My favorite quote from this one: "We can’t stretch ourselves much anymore to test the boundaries, we live in brittle cages." So true.
I grew up on Seinfeld -I still laugh when I think about some of the episodes- but it's sad that such a show couldn't exist in out modern times.
It's interesting and frustrating that with all of the knowledge and connectivity we have available today we are still generally less informed about the true reality of others. In the past, there were still biases, but somethings you didn't/couldn't think about because there was no access to specific information.
Now there's an opinion (or a bunch of information passed off as fact) from everyone at all possible perspectives. That makes it easy to latch onto the narratives of a particular group of people. Anyone that believes or presents evidence contrary to the beliefs of the collective are labeled as enemies or anti-X. Even exploration or too much curiosity about opposing beliefs could be labeled as a threat.
We've lost the ability to recognize our own ridiculous behavior and thinking. In today's Western culture, many prefer moral superiority to any other form rightness or power.
On the one hand, I'm happy we've reached such a state in our cultural evolution that our biggest concern is how what we say or do will make someone feel. But on the other, I fear that should -and when- times change, most won't be able to imagine or cope with cold reality of the world we inhabit.
The loss of satire is another check we have lost preventing us from a cruel reawakening.
The frustrating thing is all the biases, exaggerations, and stereotypes are still there. Even the most "woke" people I know harbor resolute bias or even hatred toward certain classifications of others. All our current culture has done is push those once commonly -and in some cases openly- accepted thoughts underground. For some it has reached their subterranean subconscious, where neither themselves or others understand why they think or even act a certain way. Satire used to act as an acceptable pressure release valve for this, but no more.
In defense of Seinfeld, they never succeed, which is the point. At least one member of the crew is always worse off. Often times, when one member of the crew is succeeding, the other will intentionally go out of their way to sabotage them (Elaine with George's hair), or they self sabotage (George having coitus thereby making him dumb, and with the ancillary effect of bombing Jerry's set). Even when they win it's due to cheating (Kramer's car backfiring for Jerry's head start).
At the end of the show they all end up in jail for being the horrible people they are, after person after person of character witness attest to how cruel and inhumane they were. In the end they don't even feel remorse.
Another brilliant essay... Is there anything at all exempt from being the target of satire? Yes, but they are generally nonliving. Satire seems to originate from, and restrict itself to, Life.
Dec 23, 2022·edited Dec 23, 2022Liked by Rohit Krishnan
An exemplary post is one that feels like it could have flowed from your own consciousness if you had devoted the time and the stroke of inspiration. Connecting together the dots to make explicit something once covert.
That is to say -- your newsletter is always a pleasure to read. Sound arguments and pretty language. What's not to like?
Another example of our post-satirical reality: The Onion submitted a Supreme Court brief. https://www.npr.org/2022/10/04/1126773469/onion-supreme-court-brief-author-interview
My favorite quote from this one: "We can’t stretch ourselves much anymore to test the boundaries, we live in brittle cages." So true.
I grew up on Seinfeld -I still laugh when I think about some of the episodes- but it's sad that such a show couldn't exist in out modern times.
It's interesting and frustrating that with all of the knowledge and connectivity we have available today we are still generally less informed about the true reality of others. In the past, there were still biases, but somethings you didn't/couldn't think about because there was no access to specific information.
Now there's an opinion (or a bunch of information passed off as fact) from everyone at all possible perspectives. That makes it easy to latch onto the narratives of a particular group of people. Anyone that believes or presents evidence contrary to the beliefs of the collective are labeled as enemies or anti-X. Even exploration or too much curiosity about opposing beliefs could be labeled as a threat.
We've lost the ability to recognize our own ridiculous behavior and thinking. In today's Western culture, many prefer moral superiority to any other form rightness or power.
On the one hand, I'm happy we've reached such a state in our cultural evolution that our biggest concern is how what we say or do will make someone feel. But on the other, I fear that should -and when- times change, most won't be able to imagine or cope with cold reality of the world we inhabit.
The loss of satire is another check we have lost preventing us from a cruel reawakening.
The frustrating thing is all the biases, exaggerations, and stereotypes are still there. Even the most "woke" people I know harbor resolute bias or even hatred toward certain classifications of others. All our current culture has done is push those once commonly -and in some cases openly- accepted thoughts underground. For some it has reached their subterranean subconscious, where neither themselves or others understand why they think or even act a certain way. Satire used to act as an acceptable pressure release valve for this, but no more.
In defense of Seinfeld, they never succeed, which is the point. At least one member of the crew is always worse off. Often times, when one member of the crew is succeeding, the other will intentionally go out of their way to sabotage them (Elaine with George's hair), or they self sabotage (George having coitus thereby making him dumb, and with the ancillary effect of bombing Jerry's set). Even when they win it's due to cheating (Kramer's car backfiring for Jerry's head start).
At the end of the show they all end up in jail for being the horrible people they are, after person after person of character witness attest to how cruel and inhumane they were. In the end they don't even feel remorse.
Slow to reply, but:
I think your core point is true but you're missing the cause, which if fuzzy but fuzzy as in cloud, you can point at it, even if not strictly bounded.
Some hints:
- Japan still has satire, (most of) India never had much, going back to ancient times, as far as I can tell
- Satire relies on normative assumptions about ethics, metaphysics or both.
- Satire is heavily dependant on the subject, what is (was) satirical about one person or organization wouldn't be so for all people or organizations
That missile song blew my mind. I just don't know what to say...
Another brilliant essay... Is there anything at all exempt from being the target of satire? Yes, but they are generally nonliving. Satire seems to originate from, and restrict itself to, Life.
An exemplary post is one that feels like it could have flowed from your own consciousness if you had devoted the time and the stroke of inspiration. Connecting together the dots to make explicit something once covert.
That is to say -- your newsletter is always a pleasure to read. Sound arguments and pretty language. What's not to like?
It's just battle fatigue brought on by revelations. We all suffer from the thousand mile stare. Heaven awaits?