Virilo's arguably wrong about one thing: "the first global mass media-enabled emotional synchronization event" was the aftermath of John F. Kennedy's assassination. This was my description of it, written in the '80s:
"That day, and the days that followed, television became our tribal bard, weaving an unforgettable visual ballad out of live coverage, news photos, the frames of Abraham Zapruder's home movie. The smiling, waving motorcade. JFK's elbow flying up as his hands clutch at his throat. Jackie crawling over the trunk of the car, reaching out for help in her blood-spattered pink suit and pillbox hat. Lyndon Johnson's stunned swearing-in. And then the drum taps, the riderless horse, "Hail to the Chief" played as a dirge."
Ha ha ha. The signs are in English because the CIA sponsored NGO's want the signs in English. It's not accidental. It's like watching supposedly spontaneous crowds of Latin Americans carrying English signs demanding freedom. Sure.
I thought this was going to be about how a war that we know is going on, and that dominated people for weeks (I still see Ukranian flags -- one hung upside down -- in my neighborhood) has become a weird version of "last year's season." It doesnt' seem to be real anymore, although I know perfectly well that it is. Everything seems to be fake these days.
Virilo's arguably wrong about one thing: "the first global mass media-enabled emotional synchronization event" was the aftermath of John F. Kennedy's assassination. This was my description of it, written in the '80s:
"That day, and the days that followed, television became our tribal bard, weaving an unforgettable visual ballad out of live coverage, news photos, the frames of Abraham Zapruder's home movie. The smiling, waving motorcade. JFK's elbow flying up as his hands clutch at his throat. Jackie crawling over the trunk of the car, reaching out for help in her blood-spattered pink suit and pillbox hat. Lyndon Johnson's stunned swearing-in. And then the drum taps, the riderless horse, "Hail to the Chief" played as a dirge."
Ha ha ha. The signs are in English because the CIA sponsored NGO's want the signs in English. It's not accidental. It's like watching supposedly spontaneous crowds of Latin Americans carrying English signs demanding freedom. Sure.
I thought this was going to be about how a war that we know is going on, and that dominated people for weeks (I still see Ukranian flags -- one hung upside down -- in my neighborhood) has become a weird version of "last year's season." It doesnt' seem to be real anymore, although I know perfectly well that it is. Everything seems to be fake these days.