Gary 11/7

Whenever I step through the door of postmodernism, I feel like I entered a different zone. As we break down the world and apply various theorists upon today's culture, many ideas make sense. Some are too far out to be applied in my mind, but many theorists hit the nail on the head over twenty years ago.

Unfortunately, when I leave the classroom I enter a world that doesn't care about Derrida, Foucoult or Marx. The world is what it is...get used to it. The web was dominated by Brittany Spears during the height of our political elections, and unfortunately was "hit" more times than any story regarding the elections. Elections? War in Iraq? Nineteen dead in Gaza? That doesn't involve me...I'd rather hear about two Hollywood losers. Do we need a class to tell us what is really wrong in this country?

Back to reality.....final in eighteen days, and that's not simulacra. Its time to make some connections and I'm finding plenty on our current list of theorists. Chomsky's propaganda model can connect with many ideas, but I'll go with the easy one first by Marx: "The Golden Rule"-Whoever has the gold rules...we all experience this one daily. I know I do...I don't have the gold!!

Another connection that I like is Foucault's panopticon connected to Chomsky's propaganda model. We sit in the panopticon waiting for it to happen...we don't know when....we just know it will happen. This connects with filter #5 "Terrorism". It's out there everyday but we just watch the code level to change colors and wait for the inevitable. Don't worry, the powers of the panopticon will let us know.

Inevitable...the blue booklet on the desk in eighteen days...followed by what Foucault called "The Gaze"