In this podcast, Cooper and Taylor discuss various topics including the concept of code, fashion trends and modernity, the relationship between fashion and simulation, the evolution of broguing, selling concepts in businesses, Baudrillard's relationship with postmodernism, the flattening effect of modernity and NFTs, and a preview of the next episode on society against the state.
Fashion exemplifies the lack of reference and floating signifier characteristic of postmodernity through its cyclical pattern and replication of signs.
Baudrillard's analysis of fashion extends to the political economy, highlighting the simulation and fabrication in the business world and the blurring of reality and illusion.
Fashion challenges the stability of reference and representation, redefining boundaries and blurring the lines between originality and simulation, making it a driving force in cultural and economic trends.
Deep dives
The Cyclical Nature of Fashion and Capitalism
Fashion and capitalism are both characterized by cyclical patterns. Fashion trends repeat and re-emerge, while capitalism experiences cyclical crises and economic cycles. This connection between the two illustrates how fashion exemplifies the lack of reference and the floating signifier characteristic of postmodernity. The way fashion reiterates and updates past styles reflects the simulation and copying of signs, creating a constant cycle of repetition and reproduction. This phenomenon is also seen in the rise of fast fashion, where trends are replicated on a mass scale and garment lifespans are intentionally short-lived. This reflects the postmodern condition of functional squandering, where fashion flaunts the futility of utility. Thus, fashion serves as a model for the instability and commutation of all signs, extending beyond the economic realm.
Escalating Decadence and Simulation in the Political Economy
Baudrillard's analysis of fashion and the floating signs extends beyond the economic realm and enters the political economy. This is seen in instances of simulation and fabrication in the business world. Examples include the case of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos, where a fake product and business model were marketed, as well as the phenomenon of fast fashion, where trends are quickly manufactured and worn for a short time before being discarded. These examples highlight the escalation of decadence and the adoption of the logic of the lack of reference in the political economy. The focus shifts from authentic functionality to the simulation of functionality, blurring the lines between reality and illusion.
Criticizing Postmodernism and Analyzing the Unconscious
Baudrillard's analysis of fashion goes beyond postmodernism and challenges its tenants. He offers critiques of the postmodern idea of the lack of stable meaning and references, and the tendency to be cynical and nihilistic in analyzing cultural phenomena. Baudrillard also questions the ethnocentric tendency to criticize contemporary culture while idealizing past cultures. In terms of the unconscious, Baudrillard's examination of fashion and the replication of signs reveals the tension between the floating signifiers of fashion and the heavy signs of politics and economics. This tension between light and heavy signs demonstrates how fashion serves as a model for the instability of all signs, pushing the boundaries of reference and commutation.
The Model Becoming the System of Reference
Baudrillard explores how fashion exemplifies the emergence of a model-centric system of reference. Fashion moves ahead of heavier signs, such as political economy, by continually updating and reiterating trends. As fashion floats between different styles, it challenges the stability of reference and representation. The duplicated and imitated nature of fashion allows it to redefine and reshape the boundaries of what is considered fashionable. This reconfiguration of signs blurs the lines between originality and simulation, making fashion a driving force in the cyclical nature of cultural and economic trends.
Exploring the Influence of Marxism and Psychoanalysis
This podcast episode delves into the crucial re-examination of Marxism and psychoanalysis, emphasizing their significance in shaping postmodern philosophy or post-structuralism. The speaker highlights the influential thinkers such as Cicero, Levi Strauss, and Nietzsche, as well as the impact of structural anthropology and linguistics. The episode emphasizes the connection between Marxism, psychoanalysis, and the development of French philosophy, particularly in relation to anti-anthropocentrism and symbolic exchange in death.
The Fluidity of Meaning and Fashion's Impact on Signification
The podcast explores the concept of fashion and its relationship with signification, identity, and power. It discusses how fashion challenges traditional codes and binaries, leading to a dissolution of meaning. The episode touches upon Baudrillard's critique of fashion's indeterminacy and its impact on power structures. It also considers the tension between dress and fashion, the rise of androgyny, and the flattening of meanings within the art world. Additionally, the podcast offers insights into the role of fashion in destabilizing power structures and the emergence of fundamentalisms as a reactionary response to increased ambiguity.
This week Cooper and Taylor discuss chapter 3 of Jean Baudrillard's Symbolic Exchange and death, titled Fashion, Or The Enchanting Spectacle of the Code.
Symbolic Exchange & Death Playlist:
https://soundcloud.com/podcast-co-coopercherry/sets/symbolic-exchange-and-death
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