Archive for the ‘ theory of consumption ’ Category
The old time rock and roll soothed the soul for one reason at least: we were frustrated. Existence in late capitalism is supremely frustrating. It is frustrating to be young, frustrating to be old, and frustrating to be middle aged, or it used to be. Life meant: the angry young man (Fonzie, James Dean) gave [ READ MORE ]
“In the history of network television, no remake of a previous hit series has ever become a hit itself on network television.” Bill Carter in the New York Times, December 27, 2009 We could learn a lot about the culture of the moment by asking why what attracts viewers to the movies repels them in [ READ MORE ]
The traditional role of the game, once deprived of a pedagogic, let alone sacral, function, has been to waste time. Having to gamble is the fate imposed on those who do not labor: when all time is measured as labor time, then true leisure (rather than the recreation time of the laborer) is possible only [ READ MORE ]
Social and political differences that have installed themselves between the 1970s and today can be ascribed to a transformation in children’s activity. Let us say that toys have been exchanged for games. With this change-over in the object of desire, a shift in the meaning of play has occurred, which, as a consequence, has re-determined [ READ MORE ]
