review of Zizek ideas in NY review of books

Keith Davis kbob42 at gmail.com
Sat Jun 23 13:30:17 CDT 2012 

Though, if you could get Sofia Vergara and Kat Dennings to play mistresses
vying for poor old in-tel-eck-chew-al Matthew's  attention with some
intelekchewally appealing, breast-revealing,....well, you got the idea.

On Sat, Jun 23, 2012 at 11:20 AM, Paul Mackin <mackin.paul at verizon.net>wrote:

>  On 6/23/2012 10:24 AM, Keith Davis wrote:
>
> On a show no one would watch? (That's a cultural crit. not a personal
> attack!)
>
>
> No attack taken :-)
>
>
> P
>
>
> On Sat, Jun 23, 2012 at 9:20 AM, Paul Mackin <mackin.paul at verizon.net>wrote:
>
>>  On 6/23/2012 5:06 AM, Matthew Cissell wrote:
>>
>>  Me? Intellectual class? Nah, mediocre grades kept me out. I might fit
>> in with the church of the subgenius, but ahm not shur 'bout the dawgma. Ah
>> always figured the dawgma was a bitch.
>>
>>  Yeh, i guess Z gettin the Rob treatment does seem fitting.
>>
>>
>>  Einstein had mediocre grades I think I might possibly had read somewhere.
>>
>> The intellectual class would be people who think deep thoughts about
>> things that don't necessariy relate to defense budgets. America doesn't
>> have such people anymore.  Back when it did they went to CCNY and then on
>> to Columbia, Harvard or U. of Chicago. As for grades, their mothers had
>> told them don't bother to bring your report card home if it has anything
>> less than A pluses on it. Today, good grades get you into computer science
>> or biz school.  Europe still has intellectuals.  They go to places like
>> Ecole Normale Superieure .  Do they even bother to have grades in such
>> exulted climes  (you have to pass tests to get in I suppose).  If you're
>> brilliant, everyone picks up on it quickly and thereafter you can write
>> your own ticket--in that small but arguably important world at least.
>>
>> Anyway, Matthew, if you're NOT one, you could play one on television.
>>
>>
>>
>> P
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>  cheers
>> mc
>>
>>    ------------------------------
>> *From:* Paul Mackin <mackin.paul at verizon.net> <mackin.paul at verizon.net>
>> *To:* pynchon-l at waste.org
>> *Sent:* Friday, June 22, 2012 6:48 PM
>> *Subject:* Re: review of Zizek ideas in NY review of books
>>
>> On 6/22/2012 12:01 PM, Matthew Cissell wrote:
>> > Let me follow on your analogy but with a twist. Diseases do not create
>> vaccines, people do in response to disease. In the same way criminals do
>> not produce criminal law (except maybe in the IL state legislature and some
>> other failing nation states), people produce laws to deal with criminal
>> behaviour. So I agree that Z not only produces confusion and disbelief
>> (there agreement ends), he produces a comfortable life for himself.
>> "...must be profoundly shocking to the Intellectual Class", I don't know. I
>> suspect I don't belong to that group. Read the bit in Lingua Franca and you
>> will find something shocking, but mabye that has something to do with my
>> work ethic.
>> >
>> > Go back to square one? The earth has been reset a couple of times but
>> that is the type of hard boot that we don't want. Year one? That's been
>> tried. The Kmer Rouge is somehow admirable for Zizek (proof the guy has his
>> head too far up his own intellectual ass)? The kind of radical
>> quasi-messianic break that Z wants is not for me, those things always go
>> wrong. He should study more history. Rapid radical change brings bad
>> consequences from the French Revolution to Iraq regime change. When will we
>> learn? This big boat that we are all in takes a long time to change course.
>> You can free slaves, and get rid of Jim Crow laws, and that's a good start,
>> but it will not solve racism suddenly. Zizek wants a quick fix written in
>> blood on the books of history (having the picture of Stalin above the bed
>> is idiotic for being a childish shock factor or for sincere belief). the
>> irony is that in some purge Z would probably get the Robespierre treatment.
>> >
>> >
>> > It's not for me to tell people what to think, but when I see the
>> emperor has no clothes I speak up.
>> >
>> > not so radical mc
>> >
>> > p.s. I love that the membership for the Zizek journal is through
>> Facebook. What would Foucault say?
>>
>> Good reply, Matthew.  Are you sure you're not a member of the
>> Intellectual Class?
>>
>> Still, I like it that, in my hyperbolic scenario, Z is the messenger
>> (bearer) of ill tidings who gets killed.
>>
>> Revolutionary justice.
>>
>> P
>>
>>
>> >
>> >
>> > ________________________________
>> > From: Paul Mackin <mackin.paul at verizon.net>
>> > To: pynchon-l at waste.org
>> > Sent: Friday, June 22, 2012 5:24 PM
>> > Subject: Re: review of Zizek ideas in NY review of books
>> >
>> >
>> > On 6/22/2012 5:43 AM, Matthew Cissell wrote:
>> >
>> > I thought I had better look up the citation for what I wrote. If you
>> want to read for yourself check Lingua Franca Oct 1998 "Enjoy Your Zizek"
>> >> I guess it wasn't so long ago.
>> >>
>> >>
>> > Isn't Zizek a necessary and useful worker in the fields of Late
>> >      Capitalism.  Just as criminals produce not only crime but also
>> >      criminal law, Zizek produces not only confusion and disbelief  but
>> .
>> >      . . . well, something I probably don't really GET exactly, but do
>> >      sense  must be profoundly shocking to the Intellectual Class. (the
>> >      bourgeoisie is beyond shock) Little gems like Marx wasn't radical
>> >      enough and Bush wasn't imperialist enough are only a start. Maybe
>> >      it's time to go back to square one and start all over. Get a new
>> >      paradigm, or something.
>> >
>> > Hopefully
>> >
>> > P
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > mc otis
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> ________________________________
>> >> From: Prashant Kumar <siva.prashant.kumar at gmail.com>
>> >> To: Matthew Cissell <macissell at yahoo.es>
>> >> Cc: "pynchon-l at waste.org" <pynchon-l at waste.org>
>> >> Sent: Friday, June 22, 2012 9:36 AM
>> >> Subject: Re: review of Zizek ideas in NY review of books
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Wow and here I was about to defend him! I can never bring myself to
>> trust people who treat students badly. Such a concerted attempt to quash
>> discussion is shameful, and invites obvious questions.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Prashant
>> >>
>> >> On Friday, 22 June 2012, Matthew Cissell wrote:
>> >>
>> >> Thanks for sending this along, Paul. The piece is more measured than
>> the one that came up not long ago (by one Johann Hari) but it still hits Z
>> hard, which he deserves.
>> >>>
>> >>> I read an article about 2 decades ago about Z. He was very open about
>> being a scoundrel. It was the 90's and he started to be a big name (riding
>> that cool theory wave) so he was in demand. This got him an invitation to
>> teach at I forget which Uni in the US. He demanded a position for his wife
>> as I recall - ok, fair enough. He would only teach one class (i don't think
>> pay was mentioned, but is it necessary?) and they would provide him with
>> accomodation. So far just a tough negotiator. Now the good part.
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>> For the class he told his students that they didn't have to write
>> anything, but if they did want him to evaluate their work, he would
>> (imagine how this appeals to the slothful and intimidates the uncertain -
>> genius). IN the case that someone wanted to talk to him they could only
>> come in certain hours (understandable and standard) but they would have to
>> come with their queries  and talking points written out (this avoids loose
>> rambling students, so i can understand) and they would have to sign up on
>> the list on his door. In the article he admitted to filling the list with
>> false students names so that the others couldn't get in. I was shocked when
>> I read that. It still sounds extremely low, even with  some years of
>> teaching experience. I don't think I could bring myself to do that. It was
>> then that I suspected that the man was running one on people who were ready
>> to get taken in.
>> >>> 200 yrs later we still discuss Hegel, 100 yrs later we still read and
>> talk about Joyce. I think we all know that no one will be studying Dan
>> Brown in 100 yrs. And Zizek? What will be his legacy?
>> >>> That jazzy stuff sure sells to some, but long ago I began to think
>> that the sparks and obfuscation were covering something up.
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>> mc otis - still damn sick
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>> ________________________________
>> >>> From: David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com>
>> >>> To: Paul Mackin <mackin.paul at verizon.net>
>> >>> Cc: "pynchon-l at waste.org" <pynchon-l at waste.org>
>> >>> Sent: Friday, June 22, 2012 5:50 AM
>> >>> Subject: Re: review of Zizek ideas in NY review of books
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>> Don't know Mr Z, but don't think I want to.
>> >>>
>> >>> On Thursday, June 21, 2012, Paul Mackin
>> >                              wrote:
>> >>>
>> http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2012/jul/12/violent-visions-slavoj-zizek/?page=2
>> >>>> I hope this works without a subscription
>> >                                but if not go to their web site
>> nybooks.com
>> >>>
>> >>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> www.innergroovemusic.com
>
>
>
>


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www.innergroovemusic.com
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