“Name a way in which the treatment of the figure of the Spectator differs in Wilde’s “Soul of Man Under Socialism” from its treatment in Debord’s /Society of the Spectacle/. Make an argument about the key political significance that attaches in your view to this differing treatment of spectatorship in these texts and then substantiate your claim through readings of relevant passages from both texts.”

A 5 pages double-spaced response by May 8th, 2008 would be perfect. Thanks Yasi.

Sincerely,

First of all, I would like to thank you for such an interesting and thought-provoking question. Secondly, I’d like you to know that I answered this in full way before your May 8th deadline but purposely held it back because I think everyone should read Wilde, and because I derive a perverse joy from evil doing.

It had been a while since I had read “The Soul of Man Under Socialism” so I went back and brushed up. (I’ve never read “Society of the Spectacle” and I don’t plan on it, sorry). It’s a bit verbose, yes, but it’s a worthwhile read especially if you consider yourself any sort of liberal. People (well, people who know who Oscar Wilde is) tend to forget that he was actually quite political and wrote a great deal of social criticism. I think that some people mistakenly read this particular essay as satire because some of the things Wilde says seem ridiculous, but in fact they only seem ridiculous because his views were so alien, especially at the time of publication. For example, “When Jesus talks about the poor he simply means personalities, just as when he talks about the rich he simply means people who have not developed their personalities.” (He also goes on to say that Jesus didn’t believe in marriage). There are many other gems like that, but I’ll let you find them yourself.

Wilde’s whole argument in favor of socialism is that it brings about individualism, which seems counter-intuitive. However if socialism is viewed as a socio-political structure that’s sole purpose is to remove structure and create freedom, and if it assumed that freedom is the only condition from which individuality can arise, then Wilde’s argument is somewhat sound. We are hindered by property, hindered by money, hindered by an obsession with control lest we lose these things and become a have-not. Here Wilde is speaking specifically of material wealth but I think the metaphor can easily be extended to anything we think we possess. The constant struggle to remain in possession is at best tedious and at worst crippling. How are we meant to evolve as individuals under such constraints? “What a man really has, is what is in him. What is outside of him should be a matter of no importance.”

Anyway, I could probably ramble on about a lot of different points here (his ideas on rebellion are pretty amazing) but I think I lost most of my audience around the third sentence of this entry. A lot of what he says is absolutely subjective, and a great deal of the essay meanders off into his favorite subject of the inability of the public to understand or appreciate art, but as a whole the essay does force you to look at things differently.

For those of you who are still awake, here’s a little gift (my favorite lines from the essay):

“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.”

Yasi

PS You probably shouldn’t sign your requests for plagiarism with “Berkeley,CA” because it doesn’t really take a genius to figure out which school you go to.

Well, as I have tried to explain time and time again, I am absolutely not cool. But since you think I am (god bless your little heart), I’ll dutifully try to answer your question. I suppose the blog is fairly accurate, we do go to parties and barbecues, and we do wear clothes. And the Hundreds guys are pretty ugly (except for Bert, who is way hot. back off sluts). I can’t really speak for everyone, but since “we” is more comforting to me, I will anyway. I’m not quite sure if we’re cool or if we’re completely and utterly lost (or if there is a difference between those two things). The best way I can explain it is that some nights are kind of like the video for that Smashing Pumpkins song “1979,” and some nights, well, aren’t. Some nights you black out, some nights you wish you had blacked out, some nights the music is amazing, some nights hurt, some nights you find new friends, and some nights you lose your wallet (or phone/camera/keys/heart/will to live). Some nights you wake up with weird things in your purse and you have no idea where they came from. Some nights everyone comes over, some nights you don’t go home, some nights you wish you were home, and some nights you don’t know where home is. Some nights you make snow angels on cars. Some nights you make out, some nights you make up, some nights you fall, and some nights you regret. Some nights you wake up with bruises of questionable origin. But most nights you laugh. And if you’re lucky, once in a while some random hands you a bag of poppers on the street at 2:30 am so you wake up with confetti all over your clothes. And without the advent of digital cameras, we probably wouldn’t remember any of it.

I’m not sure why we do what we do or what we are looking for or what it all means, and if I think about it too long my mind wanders off down the beach in search of an Arab to kill. But in your case, it sounds like you’re searching for people to “chit chat” with (is that what the kids are calling it these days?). My wise (and incredibly sexy) friend Jensrocker always says “you’re not going to meet anyone sitting at home.” So even if some nights are going to suck, they’ll still suck less than staying at home alone with your mind and Bobby’s posts.

Yasi

There is nothing more amusing than having a private conversation on the very public internet. Without incriminating anyone (that means you, my beloved club) I will paint you a picture of this past Friday the 13th evening with a stream of consciousness/word association type thing. Here we go:

masking tape pentagram – otis – blonde – pierced – dollar dollar bills – chest naked – murder dress code – r kels – donna summer – fugazi – tecate – jack daniels with a straw – candle wax – candle show – accidental asian – ear muffs – face time – lesbian conversions – trapeeze videos – night vision – sunglasses – dice – homeless on broadway- did i mention lesbian? – casino pechanga.

Basically PJ, our lives were changed on a level as profound as Buddhist spiritual enlightenment. But I’m sure you felt the same way about the Nikes.

Maybe next time?

First off, I’m very happy that you have discovered that the object of your affections has also objectified you. (Also, I am very familiar with the nickname game. A few that my friends and I have used in the past have been: Take It Easy, Orange Hat Guy, Edgar, Smitty, and The Devil). In any event it all sounds pretty hunky dory, and it seems like nothing will stop you and your little snoring Bullwinkle from being blissfully happy for at least the next 6-8 months. Ah yes, with the exception of you, because it is always we who are the architects of our own misery. And while I generally am perfectly happy to sit back and watch others fail, I feel motivated to help you. Mostly because you sound like a nice enough guy and because it has to be tough to get girls with that name.

However, let us not ask what Yasi would do in this situation (however I do still want Bobby to make WWYD? bracelets). The tragic flaw of this column is that you are all asking for guidance from someone who is almost certainly more inept at life than you are. What I would do is inevitably and creatively fuck it up, then drink an inordinate amount of Maker’s Mark while singing along to Billy Joel songs in my house. But enough about me. Look Rocky, I think this girl probably does actually like you (cartoon squirrel name notwithstanding) and the worst thing you can do is overthink it. You have no reason to be insecure (people can smell insecurity from a mile away, much like Axe Body Spray) so just relax and enjoy her company. Try and do a few nice things for her here and there (like a little note or a small gift, not like erecting a monument in her honor). Take it one day at a time, be yourself, (insert several other cliches here), and just have fun. I think things are usually a lot less complicated than we make them out to be, and the sooner you realize that the better off you are. Or you can borrow my copy of “The Art of Seduction.” It’s done wonders for me.

I just want to start off by stating that I am from Boston and the Celtics are going to give the Lakers a run for their money! Now I am not one to say that the Celts are going to own the Lakers, but it is going to be an unbelievable series!!