“This is the postmodern desert inhabited by people who are, in effect, consuming themselves in the form of images and abstractions through which their desires, sense of identity, and memories are replicated and then sold back to them as products”
In this quote by Larry McCaffrey, he describes the phenomenon of living in a postmodern society where individuals are constantly bombarded with images and abstractions that shape their desires, identity, and memories. McCaffrey suggests that people are consuming themselves through these images, as their authentic selves are replaced with constructed versions that are sold back to them as products. This analysis sheds light on the ways in which consumer culture and media can distort our sense of self and perpetuate a cycle of consumption.
In today's digital age, Larry McCaffrey's statement holds even more relevance as we see the impact of social media on how people perceive themselves and others. Social media platforms have become the modern equivalent of the postmodern desert, where individuals consume images and abstractions that shape their desires, sense of identity, and memories. These platforms replicate and sell back these representations to users, influencing their self-perception and understanding of the world around them.
“There is no place for government to prohibit consumers from buying products the effect of which will be to harm themselves”
“Abstract art is a product of the untalented, sold by the unprincipled to the utterly bewildered.”
“An image of thought called philosophy has been formed historically and it effectively stops people from thinking.”
“Computational processes are abstract beings that inhabit computers. As they evolve, processes manipulate other abstract things called data. The evolution of a process is directed by a pattern of rules called a program. People create programs to direct processes. In effect, we conjure the spirits of the computer with our spells.”
“Femininity itself has become a brand, a narrow and shrinking formula of commoditised identity which can be sold back to women who have become alienated from their own power as living, loving, labouring beings.”