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Sometimes I forget that not everyone has spent literal years thinking about the processes by which capitalism must actively isolate and devalue consumers to function as intended
Capitalism in its current iteration can't function without culturing unhappiness. Genuine necessities occupy a sliver of the market, and self-fulfilled people don't feel compelled to buy Stuff.
How do you sell razors to women who are happy with their leg hair? "How unsightly."
How do you sell razors to women who are happy with their leg hair? "How unsightly."
Markets very rarely create products anymore. Markets are created for products.
And the best consumers are individualist, competitive, terminal malcontents. Here's looking at you, Boomers. They did you fucking dirty and that's why your third car will never make you happy. Sorry.
And the best consumers are individualist, competitive, terminal malcontents. Here's looking at you, Boomers. They did you fucking dirty and that's why your third car will never make you happy. Sorry.
Which brings up an interesting question: if millenials really are ruining industries, that suggests we're looking at them and going " ...eh, i don't need that to be happy."
And that's fundamentally incompatible with capitalism. That's why they hate us: we're not buying it.
And that's fundamentally incompatible with capitalism. That's why they hate us: we're not buying it.
Theory: millenials are ruining industries not despite but because we've been flooded with advertising since childhood. We know that robodog rex isn't "just like a real dog!" and we know that the right diamond doesn't make a marriage last forever.
Fuck off. We know better.
Fuck off. We know better.
Consider streaming services. Consider adobe products and video games that require a subscription.
They address a problem: once you've sold someone something, you can't sell the same thing to them again.
Or can you? Yeah, if you convince them they don't own what they purchase.
They address a problem: once you've sold someone something, you can't sell the same thing to them again.
Or can you? Yeah, if you convince them they don't own what they purchase.
The most impressive thing is just how well they sold the "I'm doing you a favour" angle.
"Get ongoing access to updates/content!"
Okay, I'll bite. But you forgot to mention how you've removed the option to just have and keep the thing I originally wanted. And paid for. Thanks.
"Get ongoing access to updates/content!"
Okay, I'll bite. But you forgot to mention how you've removed the option to just have and keep the thing I originally wanted. And paid for. Thanks.
In fact, over time I will have, objectively, paid far, far more for the content or utilities I'm accessing than I would've if I'd purchased them, and I'll have less to show for it.
That's the point. That's peak capitalism.
That's the point. That's peak capitalism.
It's a literal version of the dog with frisbee meme: no own!!! Only buy.
If capitalism figured out how to sell us tangible happiness, they'd make sure it was dose-based and impermanent.
Subways and malls and highways would be plastered with sleek billboards: "Do you know joy?" Models would smile down, unattainably joyous.
Happiness: In Stores Now.
Subways and malls and highways would be plastered with sleek billboards: "Do you know joy?" Models would smile down, unattainably joyous.
Happiness: In Stores Now.
Black market imitators would be prosecuted more harshly than people who knowingly deceive or even poison their consumers.
Because only one of those makes money that goes where it should.
Because only one of those makes money that goes where it should.
Millenials are killing industries and making weird memes. Spoiler: those two things are related.
Memes are very dadaist. Dadaism is anarchic art. Anarchic art rejects arbitrary value assignments.
Dadaism points at a toilet. "Art."
Dadaists watch an industry burn. "Art."
Memes are very dadaist. Dadaism is anarchic art. Anarchic art rejects arbitrary value assignments.
Dadaism points at a toilet. "Art."
Dadaists watch an industry burn. "Art."
Consider how that looks from a capitalist perspective: an industry is drowning.
"You must save it!" say capitalists.
To which we reply, "why?"
There isn't a why, and "because you must" isn't good enough.
"Must I?" we ask, and meme the drowning.
We're terrifying to them.
"You must save it!" say capitalists.
To which we reply, "why?"
There isn't a why, and "because you must" isn't good enough.
"Must I?" we ask, and meme the drowning.
We're terrifying to them.
