Anna Kornbluh

Anna Kornbluh, a Professor of English and author, dives into the concept of 'immediacy' as a defining feature of contemporary culture. She explores how self-disclosure in digital media amplifies alienation while critiquing the anti-representation trend in arts and politics. The discussion touches on how shows like Fleabag reflect societal isolation despite seeming intimacy. Kornbluh also questions the impact of privatization on authentic expression and links cultural immediacy to the capitalist framework, emphasizing the struggles of maintaining authenticity in a data-driven world.

Anna Kornbluh discusses her book 'Immediacy Or, The Style of Too Late Capitalism' with the hosts. They talk about mediation, negative aspects, Van Gogh experiences, Sartre, Žižek's film work, and the end of futurity. The conversation explores immediacy in art, society, and literature, as well as societal fragmentation through action and contemplation.

The podcast delves into the impact of late capitalism on art and culture, focusing on the rise of immediacy and anti-style. It explores the evolving landscape of content production, the intersection of psychoanalysis and Marxist theory, and alternative pathways in ideology. The discussion also covers the complexities of part-time labor in the novel 'Help Wanted'.