effing luddites.

[keryx]

This morning, I've been bombarded by what I'd call luddism if so doing weren't an insult to Luddites and a misappropriation of the term.

First irksome thing: the slow food people. They want to eat only artisanal [read: expensive] foods and have created restaurant guides that allow you to do so. Because mass production of food is eeeeevil. I didn't read very much of their site, so I can't really comment in detail. If they're working to make sure everyone has access to handmade food, they're just kinda tunnelvisiony (handmade food and slowing down is good, but mass produced stuff and speeding up has its uses to, yo); if they're not, though, they're a bunch of wicked yuppsters (an assessment based entirely on their restaurant guide).

Second irksome thing: actually, it's 90% thought-provoking article and only about 10% irksome. The Go Animal newsletter proposes that we think of nutrition beyond edible food. Interesting, right?

Until you get to this quote (from the "Modern American Imbalance" segment): As TV tyrannizes our culture, many Americans show a decreasing interest in the world of ideas; many of us no longer read books or seek out new ideas. That's right. Because TV NEVER CONTAINS A SINGLE NEW IDEA. I hate that smart people can believe stupid things like that; it's a countermedia stereotype of the medium, and it just isn't borne out by the reality of our experience. The media that we curse (TV is always first on the list, but the net follows right behind) are essential to the large-scale distribution of ideas. And seriously, do you think those giant Barnes & Nobles survive just cause people like coffee?

We're entirely too embarrassed by our own technology. Why is that?

Comments

[keryx.livejournal.com]

There's just something about the tone of what little I read on the website - maybe a likeness to the tone of, say, Adbusters - that connotes a sort of classism. It's hard for me to put my finger on. Nor am I saying the Slow Foods folk are eeeevil; it simply bothers me when people don't even give a nod to the usefulness of the technology/processes they reject.

[peregrin8.livejournal.com]

well but I hardly think the mass production folks need their endorsement! :-)

[keryx.livejournal.com]

I'm not talking endorsement but a lack of condemnation, though - for most people above the poverty line (and even many people below it), mass production is a part of our lives that is normal and convenient and cheap. I'd imagine that there's a great deal of usefully mass produced stuff in the lives of most slow foods folk, too.

I'm also easily annoyed by people sending me things that subtlety in the morning. :P

[keryx.livejournal.com]

That'd be "LACK subtlety". ;)

[peregrin8.livejournal.com]

though one could argue that in many cases, the cheapness of the mass-produced stuff causes more problems... stripping the nutrients out of white flour; high fructose corn syrup, etc...

[keryx.livejournal.com]

well, you could argue that, but no! you're wrong! twinkies and white bread for everyone! shut up and drink your diet soda. :D

:-)

[peregrin8.livejournal.com]

[...makes gagging sound, reaches for the brown rice...]

[peregrin8.livejournal.com]

I agree with you about Adbusters, though -- I used to get their mag but they started to annoy me too much. (For one thing, let's mourn the death of the forests on oversized glossy paper!)

[keryx.livejournal.com]

or... reduce your consumption, buy this $250 designer recycling bin! they tend to get a little style-over-substancey. :)