Steve-O 10/24

Not only did the R.O.G. make Derrida’s text seem comprehendible, I really was ably to connect his theory to more than one of our previous free-thinkers. After the blue book marathon two weeks back, I feel that it is a MUST to incorporate the upcoming authors with “The Trace” of the covered works to that point.
In the explanation of Erasure, we talked about the hegemony making us not see things that are there. This is a great example of dissimulation, which Baudrillard attempts to explain to his reader, “To dissimulate is to pretend not to have what one has” (M 454). I think there is a “visual” or shall I say transparent link from the signifying chain of erasure to dissimulation and further to Foucult and the power of a Panopticon. Foucult states that, “Power should be visible and unverifiable” (C 98). This can be SEEN in the simulacric bank robbery postulated by Baudrillard. The Fake robbery holds greater power due to its indistinguishable characteristic that make it real/visible but unverifiable—real or fake. It would be smart to refresh your memories of Baudrillard’s text, with the mid-term approaching and the difficult reading presenting itself, I found my understanding of The Precession of simulacra to encompass only what was needed for the test. Page 472 (M) starts a discussion entitled End of the panoptic system. “The eye of TV is no longer the source of an absolute gaze, and the ideal of control is no longer that of transparency”….? HMMMMMM. That’s one to read over and over and over again. Crap…Sometimes I get going and I end up confusing myself… “ ‘you no longer watch TV, it is TV that watches you’… a switch from the panoptic mechanism of surveillance…to a system of detterence, in which the distinction between the passive and the active is abolished” (M 472). This is where I think I was going…R.O.G. introduced the idea that even the gaurds could be the ones being controlled in the Panoptic mechanism, so would this reversal of design be the “end of the panoptic system” discussed by Baudrillard? And, this reversal of roles reminds me of the Alterity found within this quasi-“Breakdown of the signifying chain”. There is an ability to experience the “Otherness” which also mimics Poster's concepts that surround the Telephone…the exchangeability of the positions of sender and receiver—inmate and guard—viewer and producer—guard and inmate.


"If the game shakes me or breaks me
I hope it makes me a better man
Take a better stand
Put money in my moms hand
Get my daughter this college plan, so she dont need no man
Stay far from timid
Only make moves when ya hearts in it
And live the phrase skys the limit" The Notorious B.I.G.

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