Vineland/Prop.

[MASCARO at humnet.ucla.edu]

Knowing that I possess the True Panoptickon, Andrew tosses me an aside in the midst of
 a dense discussion of propaganda:
>
>Pynchon may have been making a joke when he had Hector humming the
>Flintstones theme on the run from tubal detox but it was also a
>palpable hit at TV. You may consider the use of TV images all the way
>through to be nothing more than a riff on the kute kliches of TV
>plotting, character and setting. Ditto for the film borrowings in
>GR. But to me such a deliberate pastiche (yes, I do mean pastiche,
>John) suggests that there is a critical comment wrapped up in this
>(re)presentation.

Well, Andy, we may fight like cats at the drop of a hat, but I ain't above agreein' with ya 
now and then (just wish I could say the same for you).  Here you make a good bit of sense
 to me.  I also agree w/ your general theme that US propaganda is notable because it
 doesn't require much of the brutal apparatus of repression.  The case you make has been
 researched thoroughly and argued  incisively for years by Noam Chomsky, and is
 conveyed repeatedly by Gore Vidal (one of the list's favorite teddy bears.  BTW, Vidal was
 on the Jerry Brown radio show last week or so and I missed it.  Does anyone know how I
 can get a copy of the show?)

Anyone interested in Chomsky on US Propaganda can consult the usual sources like 
MANUFACTURING CONSENT or NECESSARY ILLUSIONS (really good book). There's
 also an excellent, concise history and overview as Chomsky sees it in a pamphlet of a 1991
 talk:

Noam Chomsky
*Media Control: The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda*
Open Magazine Pamphlet Series
P.O. Box 2726
Westfield, NJ 07091
908 789 9608

Amsterdam & Europe
C/O Postbus 2126 1000 CC Amsterdam
Netherlands Tele: (010) 618 63 14

john (notice I'm even trying to hit that *return* key?) m