Comments on: commodified thinking

By: David Miller

David Miller — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:37:00 +0000

‘social autism.’

i like that way of describing it.

i agree too that sometimes commodified thinking / speaking can elicit a laugh, but for me that usually comes through irony, through subverting these kinds of statements.

[although i could also see a scene of two ppl riding in a car through Cordele, passing some 100 acre watermelon patch, and one saying to the other, unironically, 'this is the watermelon capital of the world,' as pretty funny.]

it’s all a question of context.

i feel like talking about the weather or sports is something different though.

talking about these things is often a kind of ceremony.

i think commodified thinking isn’t ceremonial, but more a kind of neurosis.

which again, can be funny, as long as you’re cognizant of it, i guess.

not 100% sure.

By: Brian Dennison

Brian Dennison — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:44:27 +0000

“Cordele, Georgia is the Watermelon capital of the world.” The reification of fun facts….. It is interesting that his is what Rainman (both the real Rainman and Dustin Hoffman Rainman) would do. I think it is definitely a form of social autism. I myself am guilty. It is like talking about weather or sports. It is allows us to have a conversation with no real substance or emotional exchange. It is a form of scoring in a conversation. It shows you are listening and that you know something about the speaker no matter how superficial that knowledge might be. It can also elicit a laugh which is enough to validate a conversation as a worthy social interaction.

By: David Miller

David Miller — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:59:24 +0000

thanks hal.

always wanted to visit austin. never been there.

By: Hal Amen

Hal Amen — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 21:07:26 +0000

I like the epistemological slant to your posts lately, David.

I’m gearing up to move to Austin. I should be excited about this, because Austin is “an island of leftist culture in the middle of Texas’ redneck sea.”