Tim Rhodes wrote:
>
> N CASHE wrote:
>
> >I like to look at the phenomena of, say, Marilyn
> >Manson. Can't we say that without memes, Marilyn Manson would not exist?
>
> Certianly. Don't forget, even his moniker is a memetic hybrid. He's no
> fool. He's adopted many of the memes of the past--including 90% of David
> Bowie's Ziggy Stardust/Alladdin Sane schtick--updated it and combined it
> with musical elements (memes) from industrial and metal, turned the futurism
> of the glam-rock on its head in true 90's pre-millenium post-1984 form
> (circa NIN), and added generous helpings of <DANGER!> memes in such a way
> that memeticly it is nothing short of pure genious!
>
> Listening to the last album I was struck by how well crafted it was
> sociologically as well. A parent would have to be criminally irresponsible
> to *NOT* be worried about a child listening to Marilyn Manson. And yet the
> <DANGER!> memes are just that; red flags and nothing more. There is the
> "appearance" of danger, but no real substance to it. The music and message
> is not dangerous in the least, in fact its not even all that new. (One
> critic here even said of Mechanical Animals, "Once, people might have hailed
> this as a pretty good Bowie album. Like, 25 years ago.") But even though
> it's truly only about as dangerous as Disney's Space Mountian is, in the
> same way he's cloaked it beautifully all the trappings danger and fear in
> order to generate that impression. It really is a brilliant work!
>
> >(I hope you won't say he is insignificant, because he is--or maybe by
> >now was--a person who has disseminated his ideas to many, many people.)
> >What are the memes which allow "him" to exist, to sell platinum records,
> >to be nominated for a Grammy???
>
> See above.
>
> >I think he is aware of these "memes" and
> >is very much involved in the manipulation of many minds. Do you know he
> >compared himself to Hitler and Mussolini in an interview?
>
> <DANGER!!!>
>
> >He said many
> >others like him have seen the gateway to the end of the world, or
> >something like that. Then he gave these names of historic figures who we
> >associate with horror.
>
> <DANGER!!!> <DANGER!!!>
>
> >I hate to splatter your usually academic
> >discussions with the neon nothingness of popular culture.
>
> In this case, neon seems to be one of the best lights in which to easly view
> memes and their interactions.
>
> -Prof. Tim, creaking himself, more and more these days.
I don't think you're creaky. NC