Explore capitalist realism and its pervasive impact on our lives. Discuss the commodification of everything, including healthcare and cultural experiences. Examine the co-option of rebellion and anti-establishment movements by capitalism. Delve into the concept of inter-passivity and its influence on our desires and decision-making. Reflect on the portrayal of the real versus reality in various mediums. Explore the relationship between capitalism and mental illness, advocating for a collective understanding. Analyze distorted time perception and the hyper-mediated existence of the youth generation. Discern the centralistness of capitalism and its failure in the neoliberal world. Examine the impersonal and individualizing nature of capitalism and the importance of collective responses.
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Quick takeaways
The phenomenon of capitalist realism, characterized by the belief that there is no alternative to capitalism, has deeply permeated our world, flattening institutions, interactions, emotions, and traumas.
Inter-passivity, seen in film and media, exhausts revolutionary impulses by creating works that appear anti-capitalist but ultimately uphold the system, contributing to the maintenance of capitalist realism.
The oversaturation of history, evident in the obsession with 80s and 90s culture, capitalizes on nostalgia for comfort and familiarity, perpetuating capitalist realism through endless sequels, reboots, and franchises that discourage genuine engagement.
Capitalism seamlessly absorbs and profits from its own opposition, co-opting resistance in the music industry and commodifying rebellion, further reinforcing the idea that there is no alternative, solidifying the grip of capitalist realism.
Deep dives
The commodification of nostalgia in film and media
There is a current trend of 80s and 90s revivalism in film and media, characterized by reboots, sequels, and franchises. This phenomenon can be seen as a response to the futurelessness and material decline of late capitalism. As things get worse, people seek comfort and familiarity in the past. This nostalgia-led market is a guaranteed profit-making venture, as it sells products that have already been bought and caters to a market with a preexisting desire. This recursive obsession with the past exposes our acceptance of capitalist realism, the belief that there is no alternative to capitalism. By capitalizing on our love for childhood artifacts and marketing them to adults, the industry creates an environment where looking back is prioritized over looking forward.
The impact of inter-passivity on film and media
Inter-passivity is a concept that describes the exhaustion and sublimation of our revolutionary impulses through consumption. In the context of film and media, this phenomenon is seen in the creation of works that perform anti-capitalist messages for us, allowing us to consume without taking action. Films like 'Don't Look Up' and 'WALL-E' exemplify this by highlighting the contradictions and problems of capitalism, while ultimately upholding the system through their marketability. This cycle of consuming ideas that seem revolutionary, but are embedded within the market framework, contributes to the maintenance of capitalist realism.
The oversaturation of history and the dangers of revivalism
The oversaturation of history, also known as revivalism, refers to the excessive focus on past eras or cultural artifacts. This trend, seen in the current obsession with 80s and 90s culture, stems from a desire for comfort and familiarity amidst the futurelessness of capitalism. The film and media industry capitalizes on this nostalgia, creating endless sequels, reboots, and franchises that appeal to consumers' longing for the past. By recycling familiar characters and stories, these works perpetuate a mood of irony and spectatorism, discouraging genuine engagement and involvement. This phenomenon ultimately reinforces the grip of capitalist realism, perpetuating the belief that there is no alternative to the current system.
The co-option of opposition and the commodification of rebellion
In the late 21st century, capitalist realism has thrived by absorbing and co-opting its own opposition. Examples like the co-option of hip-hop or the exploitation of anti-establishment sentiment in grunge music showcase how capitalism effortlessly assimilates and profits from resistance. The market recognizes that there is capital to be made in commodifying rebellion and dissent, resulting in the creation of media that performs our anti-capitalism for us, enabling us to consume without challenging the system. This interconnectedness between capitalism and its opposition perpetuates the notion that there is no alternative, further entrenching the hold of capitalist realism.
The Power of Media and Culture in Building Alternatives
Media and culture can play a significant role in challenging capitalist realism and building alternatives. By seeking out cultural output that goes against the mainstream narrative and exposes the flaws of capitalism, we can expose ourselves to different ideas and ideologies. Engaging with media that challenges the system is a radical act that can help break out of the cycle of passive consumption. Additionally, reestablishing connections with the sensorial, engaging with others on a human level, and confronting the discomfort of the real world are crucial steps in building solidarity and achieving a revolutionary consciousness.
Recognizing Individual and Collective Desires Shaped by Capitalism
Understanding that our desires and thoughts are shaped by capitalism is crucial in dismantling its hold over us. We must acknowledge our complicity in the system and accept our role in it. From there, we can establish critical distance and connect with others in ways that are not dependent on capitalist structures. By embracing an alternative cultural perspective and creating art that imagines a world beyond capitalism, we can challenge the dominant narrative and create opportunities for true community and solidarity.
Escaping the Recursion and Finding the Center in Capitalism
Capitalism's centralness is a complex and elusive concept. The call center serves as a powerful symbol of the centralistness of capitalism, a realm where frustration and rage are met by inefficiency and apathy. Recognizing that capitalism lacks a functional center and that the system relies on our cooperation is a crucial step in unmasking its destructive nature. To break free from the cycle of capitalist realism, media makers must challenge the status quo and break out of the recursive patterns that pacify and deceive. By doing so, they can help expose capitalism's hollowness and open up space for transformative change.
Living Rightly in a Wrong World
Living rightly in a wrong world begins with realizing our insertion into the capitalist system and acknowledging our own desires and complicity within it. It is essential to reject the false promises of capitalism and seek alternatives beyond the individualized and commodified understanding of mental health and identity. By accepting our place in the system, we can pave the way for true community and connection by engaging with others on a human level and confronting the discomfort and challenges of the real world. It is through these collective efforts that we can begin to build class consciousness and challenge the dominant narrative.
“It's easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism.” Those words have been attributed to both the philosophers Fredric Jameson and Slavoj Žižek decades ago, but they couldn’t feel more true today. As we continue to stare down the double barrels of climate change and COVID without any meaningful response from those who rule over us, without organized and collective action that has been able to make a transformative material impact, and for many out there without even really fully absorbing the reality staring us in the face…yeah. , it certainly seems like it’s easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of this horrifying social order.
This phenomenon, which was so aptly distilled into a bite-sized quote by Jameson and Žižek, has come to be known as capitalist realism — a concept popularized by the late Mark Fisher in a book of the same name written in 2008. In Capitalist Realism, Fisher, an author and educator, explains in eighty pages, just how deeply capitalism has permeated our worlds, how totalizing its hegemony has become in the 21st century, how broadly it has flattened not just our institutions but our interactions, our experiences, our emotions, our traumas — how the commodification of everything has enveloped us all in this era we know as neoliberal capitalism.
To discuss Capitalist Realism, the book and the concept, we’ve brought on Carlee, co-host of Hit Factory, a podcast about the films and politics of the 1990s. Carlee’s immersion in film and media, and her deep understanding of how capitalist realism exists in the realm of culture, gives this conversation a wide-ranging scope spanning from music to film to labor struggles to mental health — and much more. Carlee is also a friend of the show, both Robert and I have been guests on Hit Factory in the past, so we couldn’t be more excited to be continuing our collaboration with such a good comrade on such an exciting and rich topic.
Thank you to Carolyn Raider for this episode’s cover art and to Chain and The Gang for the intermission music. Upstream theme music was composed by Robert Raymond/Lanterns.
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