Introduction to the Nacirema
Introduction to the Nacirema
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Major rituals known as “strecnoc”
Often involve drug-induced ecstatic experiences
(from “anaujiram” and other mind-altering
substances)
Ritual platforms called “egats”
What are young Americans cultural values?
Independence, “freedom,” self-centered, apathetic,
unshockable, desensitized, rebellious
How do these beliefs exist within a social and political
context?
*Disconnected (video games v. baseball games, texting v.
face-to-face)
*More time alone (2 working parents, trend since 1960s)
*TV joins the family
*Politics of the Cold War (communism = sharing,
capitalism = individuality)
What components of American culture facilitate this?
*TV, computers encourage little social interaction
*suburbanization
*Cold War – Capitalism = consumerism
*rising socio-economic status
1984
A.D.
Media Ecology
Media are not just tools.
Media are not just means of communication.
Media mediate our conversations
Media
change
Media
change
our conversations
change
“We shape our tools,
and thereafter our tools shape us.”
- Marshall McLuhan
the conversations
of our culture
happen here
the conversations
are controlled by few
the conversations
are controlled by few
and designed
for the masses
the conversations
are always entertaining
the conversations
are always entertaining
(even the serious ones)
the conversations
are punctuated by
30 second commercials
the conversations
create our culture
the conversations
create our culture
of irrelevance
incoherence
and impotence
“What steps do you plan to take
to reduce the conflict in the
Middle East?”
“Or the rates of inflation,
crime, or unemployment?”
“What do you plan to do about
NATO, OPEC, the CIA, etc.?”
“I shall take the liberty of
answering for you: ...
“You plan to do nothing.”
“You plan to do nothing.”
- Neil Postman 1984
“The public has adjusted to incoherence
and been amused into indifference.”
- Neil Postman 1984
“What we are encountering is a
panicky, an almost hysterical,
attempt to escape from the
deadly anonymity of modern
life ... and the prime cause is
not vanity ... but the craving of
people who feel their
personality sinking lower and
lower into the whirl of
indistinguishable atoms to be
lost in a mass civilization."
“What we are encountering is a
panicky, an almost hysterical,
attempt to escape from the
deadly anonymity of modern
life ... and the prime cause is
not vanity ... but the craving of
people who feel their
personality sinking lower and
lower into the whirl of
indistinguishable atoms to be
lost in a mass civilization."
- Henry Seidel Canby
1926
Assembly line
It's a one-way
conversation
You have to be on TV
to have a voice
You have to be on TV
to be significant
The MTV Generation
Short attention spans
 Materialistic
 Narcissistic
 Not easily impressed
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“in the midst of a fabulous array of
historically unprecedented and
utterly mind-boggling stimuli ...
“in the midst of a fabulous array of
historically unprecedented and
utterly mind-boggling stimuli ...
whatever.”
“in the midst of a fabulous array of
historically unprecedented and
utterly mind-boggling stimuli ...
whatever.”
- Thomas de Zengotita
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r1CZTLk-Gk
A brief history of “Whatever”
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pre-1960s: "Whatever. That's what I meant."
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Late 60s: "I don't care. Whatever."
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1990s: MTV Generation – the indifferent "Meh."
“I find it hard.
It's hard to find,
oh well, whatever,
nevermind.”
“I feel stupid,
and contagious.
Here we are now.
Entertain us.”
A brief history of “Whatever”

pre-1960s: "Whatever. That's what I meant."

Late 60s: "I don't care. Whatever."

1990s: MTV Generation – the indifferent "Meh."
A brief history of “Whatever”

pre-1960s: "Whatever. That's what I meant."

Late 60s: "I don't care. Whatever."

1990s: MTV Generation – the indifferent "Meh."

Late 90s - present: "Whatever. I'll do what I want."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz7_3n7xyDg
the search for identity and recognition
the search for the authentic self
the search for the authentic self
Charles Taylor's “Ethics of Authenticity” (1991)
Two Slides:
Charles Taylor's “Ethics of Authenticity” (1991)
Two Slides: towards ...
Charles Taylor's “Ethics of Authenticity” (1991)
Two Slides: towards ...
1. “self-centered modes of self-fulfilment”
Charles Taylor's “Ethics of Authenticity” (1991)
Two Slides: towards ...
1. “self-centered modes of self-fulfilment”
2. “negation of all horizons of
significance”
Charles Taylor's “Ethics of Authenticity” (1991)
Two Slides: towards ...
1. “self-centered modes of self-fulfilment”
disengagement
2. “negation of all horizons of
significance”
Charles Taylor's “Ethics of Authenticity” (1991)
Two Slides: towards ...
1. “self-centered modes of self-fulfilment”
disengagement
2. “negation of all horizons of
significance”
fragmentation
Charles Taylor's “Ethics of Authenticity” (1991)
If the conversations of our culture
now happen here ...
Why this matters ...
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not controlled by the few
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not one-way
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created by, for, and around networks, not masses
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transform individual pursuits into collective action
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makes “group” formation “ridiculously easy”
(Paquet/Shirky)
Why this might deeply matter ...
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We know ourselves
through our relations with others.
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New media create new ways of relating to others.
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New media create new ways of knowing ourselves.
How did you change the world today?
How did you get here?
How did you become you?