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#833 - Eric Weinstein - Are We On The Brink Of A Revolution?
Modern Wisdom
Manipulating Continuity: The Art of Retconning
Understanding retroactive continuity, or retconning, reveals how fictional narratives can be reshaped post-factum to align with newer developments or context. This device highlights a dichotomy between the established narrative and subsequent content that can adjust or contradict previous facts. The concept extends beyond literature into other domains, like screenwriting, where structures such as the 'beats' of a story support the narrative’s coherence. Techniques like 'spackle' allow for quick fixes in storytelling, acknowledging the audience's willing complicity in the narrative deception. The comparison to professional wrestling shows a humorous yet poignant view of consumer complicity, where audiences recognize the fiction yet remain invested. This notion applies to the digital age, wherein the permanence of online content contrasts with the fluidity of retconned narratives, exemplified by changing public records or historical references, raising questions about managed reality and collective memory.
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