Ghost of a flea: Hedonic conservatism

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January 30, 2008

Hedonic conservatism

K-punk considers ethics, political-economy and chicken farming. Straight out of P.G. Wodehouse, self described "posh boy with a farm" Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall tries to convince the common people they should eat free run, organic and the like while at least one council house mum has decided it is more important to feed her children when chicken is on two for £5 at Tesco. To K-punk, the aporia of class in Fearnley-Whittingstall's narrative is not only bathetic, it is symptomatic.

The current capturing (and attempted depoliticization) of Green issues by the capitalist Matrix - and the attendant emphasis on lifestyle and health - is an exemplary demonstration of Zizek's Lacanian reversal of Ivan Karamazov's 'if there is no God, everything is permitted': everything is permited, on the grounds that it is deprived that which made it enjoyable. But, as I've argued before, it is imperative to reject Zizek's Oedipal Catholicism (something is enjoyable because it is forbidden), which is only the dialectical complement of today's hedonic conservatism, or ascetic consumerism. Hastily festooned with Green and Fair Trade slogans, the Capitalist Matrix looks like a bad synthesis of the two worlds in Ursula Le Guin's The Dispossessed - the one, earnest, communal-orientated and austere; the other, pleasure-driven, intoxicating and intoxicated, slick but sick. There's something queasily appalling about being sold moralism with your M and S pornfood.

I may have to adopt hedonic conservatism as the pet ideology of the Flea. It seems to me the dialectic K-punk describes - and hopes to supercede - is a(n imperfect) recapitulation of the Roundheads and the Cavaliers. The former, leveling, democratic* and austere with the latter representing tradition, hierarchy and excess. Such a conflict inevitably leaves me torn... there is great pleasure in austerity and tradition alike. But I believe K-punk is mistaken to credit this divide to the matrix of late capital. This distinction (yes, arguably a dialectic) cuts through our culture. Here we have the ancient problem of Catholicism in its tendency toward aristocracy and its more recent complement in Protestantism and its tendency toward rule by the mob.**

It is a problem with a yet more ancient pedigree. The Romans got around it by balancing the two tendencies with an emperor who could act as a guardian of aristocratic government while simultaneously acting as a counterweight against the aristocracy on behalf of the plebs. Our post-industrial solution might be found in American Idol,
one of the few venues of unrestricted meritocracy*** our culture provides against self-esteem and quotas and policies which are "good for you" and rule by committee and the logic of human rights commissions.**** Quibble with this solution if you will; it beats this season's primary process hands down.

* These terms being relative to the time.
** (cough) Mike Huckabee (cough cough)
*** This is to say, an aristocracy of talent but one to which anyone in principle can aspire.
**** Compare with the watered down Canadian Idol. The judges are nicer and the talent is not as good; this inverse relationship is no accident.

Posted by Ghost of a flea at January 30, 2008 07:01 AM

Comments

Cavaliers FTW.

A wise man once said:

"I would also like to point to the end of the Protectorate in England. It is not as though the common people were thrilled by the royal family but they rather liked the idea of once again being able to enjoy the simple, non-Puritan pleasures of Christmas and bear-baiting. I am not saying pop culture is pretty, only that it is a semiotic steamroller."

Title of the piece is pretty apt, too.

Posted by: Chris Taylor at January 30, 2008 12:01 PM