Slavoj Žižek on toilets and ideology
Es interesante observar cómo las cosas más comunes y ordinarias de nuestra vida diaria nos pasan de largo. Nuestras rutinas y hábitos tienen serias implicaciones en la ideología que portamos o en las conclusiones que hacemos, así como en las proyecciones que arrojamos a otros. Todo esto funciona también de manera inversa: lo que hacemos, pensamos y decimos es la consecuencia de posturas dominantes que provienen de una historia que, casi siempre, desconocemos.
No estamos del todo seguros si el hecho de vernos al espejo es solo la representación milenaria de un narcisismo trágico, condenado a la decadencia, o si la manera en la que comemos responde a un fascismo sutilmente establecido por medio de una política cultural muy sospechosa, o si la forma en la que hablamos sobre la belleza y la fealdad no es más que una mera actitud renacentista, arbitraria y retrógada, o si la forma en la que defecamos no es más que el reflejo de un criterio, simbólico, impuesto de manera inconsciente y con ánimos de dominación.
Zizek y Douglas Coupland abordan la defecación, cada uno con su muy personal estilo, como un posible análisis sobre los estados inconscientes de ideologización. Peter Greenaway también ha concebido proyectos visuales al respecto y últimamente he podido localizar a varios artistas conceptuales que se muestran inquietos y ansiosos de participar en la deconstrucción de este acto tan humano y ordinario.
+++
Tetris Challenge
Tonight, 7:00
Folders
vs.
Crumplers
***
John Doe asked, "What's a folder or a crumpler?"
"Both are technical terms used by the pulp and paper industry", said Kaitlin.
"Meaning?"
"Toilet tissue manufacturers divide end users into two categories: people who crumple their paper and people who fold it. Each is fifty percent of the market."
Mark said, "What about you, Bree -crumpler? Folder?"
Bree said, "This is like the white vs. black 'Spy vs. Spy' thing."
"You're changing the subject."
"I'm a folder...obviously."
"No! I would have had you down as a crumpler."
"Surprise."
"Do geeks skew in any particular direction?" I asked.
Kaitlin said, "I suspect they're more likely to be folders."
A quick and highly viral email campaign throughout the building revealed that game builders are eighty percent folders, but the few crumplers took pride in their stance. Dylan form server maintenance said, "When I crumple my paper, in my head it feels like a particle-based onscreen effect, like an explosion. That's not just a wad of paper in my left hand -it's a non-dimensional pyrotechnical event."
I read that one out loud. Bree looked at me and said,
"Did he really have to specify which hand? I mean, nobody's left-handed when it comes to toilet paper. That's just plain wrong."
That's how everybody in the office found out that Bree had set her sights on a brand new conquest. Dylan, beware.
John Doe asked, "What's a folder or a crumpler?"
"Both are technical terms used by the pulp and paper industry", said Kaitlin.
"Meaning?"
"Toilet tissue manufacturers divide end users into two categories: people who crumple their paper and people who fold it. Each is fifty percent of the market."
Mark said, "What about you, Bree -crumpler? Folder?"
Bree said, "This is like the white vs. black 'Spy vs. Spy' thing."
"You're changing the subject."
"I'm a folder...obviously."
"No! I would have had you down as a crumpler."
"Surprise."
"Do geeks skew in any particular direction?" I asked.
Kaitlin said, "I suspect they're more likely to be folders."
A quick and highly viral email campaign throughout the building revealed that game builders are eighty percent folders, but the few crumplers took pride in their stance. Dylan form server maintenance said, "When I crumple my paper, in my head it feels like a particle-based onscreen effect, like an explosion. That's not just a wad of paper in my left hand -it's a non-dimensional pyrotechnical event."
I read that one out loud. Bree looked at me and said,
"Did he really have to specify which hand? I mean, nobody's left-handed when it comes to toilet paper. That's just plain wrong."
That's how everybody in the office found out that Bree had set her sights on a brand new conquest. Dylan, beware.
-Extracto de JPod, escrito por Douglas Coupland.
