Oct
17
Why It's Hard to Argue about “Cultural Stasis”
Without agreeing on what "culture" is, it's really difficult to understand whether we're at
4 min read
W. David Marx
Oct
03
Forget Gladwell
Society should withhold all esteem and attention to a nonfiction author whose entire oeuvre spitballs explanatory social theory under the
6 min read
Jul
29
Cultural Stasis Produces Fewer Cheesy Relics like Rocky IV
The much-maligned 1985 boxing film provides a few hints about the causes of 21st century artistic stagnation: namely, popular artists
7 min read
Jun
11
Culture is an Ecosystem: A Manifesto Towards a New Cultural Criticism (3)
Finally, here is a proposed revision to the ideology of inclusive cultural criticism that builds upon the poptimist critique while
5 min read
Jun
03
Culture is an Ecosystem: A Manifesto Towards a New Cultural Criticism (2)
A healthy cultural ecosystem provides the maximum number of artistic works that are useful and stimulating to the widest range
6 min read
May
28
Culture is an Ecosystem: A Manifesto Towards a New Cultural Criticism (1)
The "culture" of a society isn't a blob of random human activity, but an orderly ecosystem
5 min read
Apr
02
Paris Hilton: Grace through Monetization
In her ghostwritten memoir, Paris Hilton further emblematizes 21st personhood by gushing about fame and business success while blaming her
5 min read
Feb
27
"Luxury beliefs" are not real
Rob Henderson coined the term "luxury beliefs" — views that provide status to the upper classes but are costly
7 min read
Feb
13
No Canon for Old Memes
The Internet culture of the Aughts revolved around lo-fi images and videos. Will they be remembered by coming generations, and
4 min read
Jan
30
Links on Status and Culture - January 2024
Read to the end for a longer essay critiquing Ted Gioia's idea of Macro vs. Micro cultures that
6 min read