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It's not a function of capitalism or imperialism - it's a function of what normal, everyday people find interesting and newsworthy.
% Riiiight Todd, and pornography is nothing to do with capitalism or sexism, it's just what normal, everyday hetrosexual men find a turn on. After all, the personal has never been political, no, not ever. %
to confuse the unfortunate opportunistic jingoization of the tragedy with the tragedy itself is just plain lazy.
But is it really a "tragedy"? If so, why? You almost claim to have some kinda privilaged, epistemologically superior view of 'the thing-itself'. Is there a 'thing-itself'? Rilly? .... Even if there is, then it's not a "tragedy"... it's simply an example of seven people stupid enough to strap themselves to a giant firework and - well whaddya know - fry in the sky. "Tragedy" is a value-judgement, and such value judgements are precisely what I'm currently suggesting we reconsider.
This value-judgement is courtesy of an individual who's nick I've changed, to 'Warchild'; I won't post a direct link, but here's what ze thinx:
about the best thing i can tell you to describe how i'm feeling right now is that i haven't felt this since september 11th. [...] NASA has never been about anything practical. but throughout its existence, it has served as the most visible symbol of our technological might, intrepid spirit, and national pride. it is one of the few worthless government programs that no one minds seeing the billions pour into because everything that we like to believe is good about ourselves rides up with those brave young men and women in a burst of sound and fury, signifying everything. whenever something like this happens i always wonder how we could ever let a spectacle as glorious as the most routine night launch become commonplace--a thunderous maelstrom that must make the angels riding shotgun with our boys quake in their boots. part of america dies with every NASA tragedy, a part not told in the numbers or the dollars.
Warchild knows we'll pull through.
Let's hope so, eh kids? 
Sorry Todd, I know you are sensitive to what you see as Anti-Americanism but we will have to agree to differ on this one.
As an aside, IIRC Constance Penley's book NASA/Trek has a lot about the sexist bent of the Challenger jokes, which is interesting.
Chol, would you care to elaborate on that? (Would this be the stuff about a woman 'driving' it?)
'Nesh says:
It would seem to follow, therefore, that the appearance of 'sick jokes' shortly after a disaster represents an important societal coping mechanism, culture's way of healing itself, scabbing over a collective psychic wound.
Generally yes indeed, but I found this article when searching and think that one of its points, i.e. that no one makes 'direct' 9.11 jokes (not even sick, twisted anti-Americans like me) is very interesting, psychosocially speaking, re: invariance (or not) in sick humourous japery.
Gentleman Loser:
Then I hope you don't get too upset when I tell you to go fuck yourself with a chainsaw, jerk off.
Thanks GL - nothing I could have posted could have better illustrated my point than that line. |
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