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I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it.
All of the ephemera that is far too trivial to be bothered with elsewhere on this site or, depending on your point of view, a meta-commentary on it. This ephemera includes, but is not limited to art, music and literature. Most of the content here will be discussed in terms that are as abstract as possible, reality being a singularly overrated concept.
Thursday, February 10, 2005
I seem to recall commenting sometime ago that the French film Delicatessen had a very European view of a post-apocalyptic future, where the descent into barbarism takes place behind a quite facade of respectability. Of course, in Britain the apocalypse is likely to be quite different; so I think it really would require a heart of stone not to be enthralled at this glimpse of such a future:"Ikea had not predicted that up to 6,000 people would descend on the new store, in Edmonton, with a stampede to get in resulting in a frightening crush... Thousands had been lured by bargains - some of which were only available until 3am even though a 24-hour opening was planned - such as 500 leather sofas for only £45. Cars were abandoned on the roadside as shoppers attempted to reach the store in time to secure the best offers... at around 10pm, the staff disappeared and, slowly but steadily, madness descended on the crowd."
The religious frenzy of the Hajj is replaced with the agonies of conspicuous consumption. I trust that this event will form the basis for JG Ballard's next novel:"Living out in Shepperton gives me a close-up view of the real England – the M25, the world of business parks, industrial estates and executive housing, sports clubs and marinas, cineplexes, CCTV, car-rental forecourts… That's where boredom comes in – a paralysing conformity and boredom that can only be relieved by some sort of violent act; by taking your mail-order Kalashnikov into the nearest supermarket and letting rip."Labels: Dystopia
posted by Richard 6:48 pm
