02.11.10
Zizek on Avatar
David Fitch wrote (2007)
“For Zizek a “symptom” goes beyond the popular psychological notion of an external sign which points to a disturbance below the surface of one’s psyche. For Zizek, a Symptom .. can work within a culture to expose an unfulfilled drive, the unspoken void around which that culture (its Symbolic order or even ideology) has been formed. An image, an explosion of media activity surrounding an event, a popular movie, a flurry of publishing can expose something hidden and unspoken that drives a culture’s meaning system. What we see and hear on the surface may be compensations for what the culture itself lacks at its core. The good news here is that exposing these kinds of Zizekian symptoms in cultures like America and/or evangelicalism opens them up for change and transformation.”
Judging by the incredible popularity of Avatar, and not just with those under thirty, a “Symptom” has been exposed. What do think it is? What does Avatar expose about our culture’s meaning system?
Weiers Coetser said,
February 11, 2010 at 11:55 am
Any idea about the source of the above discussion? I’ve been meaning to explore Zizek at some stage. This sounds like an area that I would be very interested in. Thanks for the post.
len said,
February 11, 2010 at 12:31 pm
Weiers, link now added
alwyn said,
March 3, 2010 at 5:32 pm
i suspect the ‘symptom’ exposed in Avatar has something to do with extraction.
We can compare the drive/battle to extract that precious metal (buried under the Home Tree) with the ease/smoothness with which Jake and the other humans have their consciousness (and, later, their very beings/nature) ‘extracted’ into their avatars.
am still thinking about this.