sardine 8/22

The concept of Postmodernism I have encountered in dinner parties. I think I tried to hide in the corner. Or I sat with babies in my lap. Now I am stuck with here with Postmodernism. I think it is following me. It is interesting collection of theories, none of which I understand yet. I understand I few vague terms. But at those dinner parties, maybe I wasn't alone. But I am far from comfortable with bantering about concepts I barely comprehend. Some people are not. If anything, at the end of this course, maybe I will progress in my understanding enough not to hide behind the potted palm, and join in the soap boxing.

Yet I have a very low threshold for the religiosity people apply to theories. It seems to me so many of those people at those dinner parties needed a theory to apply to themselves to create an identity. They are afraid of the not knowing. They are afraid of the void.

The void is what people disappear into without an identity. I don’t know if Postmodernism will explain, or decipher this void? People are comfortable with labels. We want to say, “I am __________! We fill this void by buying crap. We watch the commercials that say dress this way and you will be in the know, cool, young, beautiful and loved. And those dinner party Intellectuals were applying the latest theory to define themselves. Maybe, they are me? We bought the book. We attended the lecture. We bought the movie about Chomksy or Derrida. Voila! A new identity. Gee wiz, I am a CHOMPER!