The Status Quo Is a Comic-Book Parody
This is Essay #7 in the series Truth Be Told.
The sharpest critique of the status quo--and therefore the one most likely to spark spittle-flecked freakouts--is that stripped of self-important spin, it's a comic-book parody of a functional state of affairs. The key to a solid parody is the most absurd exaggerations are taken with the utmost seriousness, as if the participants are completely unaware of the laughable nature of the caricatures they're playing.
So let's conduct a thought experiment: boil off all the grandiose self-importance ("we're serious people discussing serious things," blah-blah-blah) and hyper-stylized spin ("AI will make everything free, or end the world as we know it!"), and then try to parody what's left.
You can't. Everything in the status quo is already a self-parody and therefore impervious to being parodied. Whatever we come up with as a parody is only a pale shadow of what's passed off as "serious people doing serious things."
Consider The Imperial Project (tm) War Room for playing their live-action game War of Choice (tm). This is the pinnacle of "serious people discussing serious things"--what's our next War of Choice (tm)?
It's not ideal, but it's the only war we got.
War generates inflation which creates an illusory "growth" that impoverishes the bottom 90% as life becomes unaffordable, a tragicomic parody of prosperity: as long as this parody of prosperity enriches Wall Street, the status quo cheers.
Our Billionaire Tech Bros have concentrated enough personal wealth to buy political power in unlimited quantities, generating delusions of grandeur and hubris that are now comic-book parodies:
When those we worship as Tech Gods go mad with power, the parody ceases to be amusing.
By turning the hype machinery to 11, our Billionaire Tech Bros have become parodies of themselves. Each AI Tech Bro is now a thinly cloaked parody of a James Bond villain, a fervent believer in their own private religion of PR and delusions that transmogrify the AI Ponzi Scheme credit bubble into the Savior or the Devil, either one works equally well.
An economy dominated by monopolies, cartels and Billionaire Financier - Tech Bro concentrations of wealth / power is a parody of "democracy" and "prosperity": cue the comic-book caricatures of Private Equity:
The core quasi-religious belief of the status quo--that the profit motive drives technological innovation which drives improvements in the quality of our lives--is now a parody, as the ceaseless mania to increase profits by any means available has led to speeding up product cycles with what correspondent Mike Fasano calls overfeaturing, adding complicated features which are parodies of utility and durability, all designed to improve profits, not the quality, utility, value or durability of products and services. Mike described the resulting parody of "innovation":
"Just like with your experience on getting AI customer support, the endless options are never trimmed or even updated. They are only expanded upon -- often described in names reflecting faddish, incomprehensible computer lingo which itself will become archaic in a month or two."
The other driver of the status quo--that novelty drives profits higher by enticing consumers to buy "what's new" on the much-hyped belief "new" is "better"--is also now a slap-stick parody of "innovation" and novelty. Here is the winning recipe from Trader Joe's recent contest promoting novel uses of hoisin sauce:
Hoisin Sauce Recipe Contest WINNERS! (note the caps--every novelty is a WINNER!)
And the winner is: Hoisin Caramel Apple Sundae with Black Pepper & Pistachios:
Go ahead and try to parody this parody of "novelty"; you can't. It's already a hokey, trying-too-hard parody of novelty.
This hokey, campy, slap-stick caricature quality characterizes the entire status quo apparatus: 'education" is a parody of useful learning, "leadership" is a comic-book parody of authentic leadership, "innovation" is a Rube Goldberg parody of technological advances, and "novelty" has reached such absurd excesses that it's no longer amusing.
Here's a few of Trader Joe's Fall novelty products. Try to identify my attempts to parody these concoctions. Or try to concoct your own parody products. It's fun for all.
Duck with blueberry favoring (dog treats)
Caramel Creme Scented Body Butter
Candy Jar Flavored Lip Butter Balm Set
Crawdaddy-shaped macaroons with caramel and chocolate
Pumpkin Spice Coffee
Pumpkin and Spice Caramel Sauce
Glazed Pumpkin Pie Spice Donut Holes
Pumpkin Spice Espresso Martini
Pumpkin Spice IPA beer
Pumpkin Maple Bacon Flavored Stuffies (dog treats)
Pumpkin Spiced Teeny Tiny Pretzels
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Croissants
Personally, I found the dog treats the most appealing. I hope Fido won't mind sharing.
What's obvious and therefore verboten to state out loud is this status quo parody of a functional economy and society is not just hokey, campy, slap-stick caricature; it's demeaning, delusional and sad. Acting like it's not a demeaning parody only extends the artifice and delusion.
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