Weekly Insónia: Control (Translation)
(This article is a translation of the original Insónia Semanal: Controlo published on May 2nd, 2021)
Last week we reflected on freedom; now we propose the reverse exercise. The social contract is made up of transfers of power and trust. But in the post-truth era, who can we trust?
The emergence of denialism and anti-intellectualism calls into question any place of legitimacy in the social structure, yet they seem to be a revealing form of a misdirected reaction to a sense of control that is instilled in us in a way that we only sense.
QUOTE
There are two meanings of the word ‘subject’: subject to someone else by control and dependence; and tied to his own identity by a conscience or self-knowledge. Both meanings suggest a form of power which subjugate and makes subject to.
Michel Foucault in The Subject and Power
BOOK
The Penultimate Truth — Philip K. Dick (1964)
In this work, which is not among the best known by this master of science fiction, he constructs a future that, unlike others he has drawn, is not underpinned by major scientific innovations that have changed the concept of humanity. In this case, it’s the construction of an illusion that leads to a paradigm shift in social relations on a planetary level.
A particularly interesting detail of the universe described is the fact that when you go to a video library, a form of artificial intelligence defines which film you should watch, depending on your emotional state. How pertinent it is to read this in the age of algorithmic bubbles of Netflix and Youtube recommendations.
Published in 1964, this book deals with themes common to different eras, such as inequalities, the organisation of power, and the construction of narratives, as a way of reproducing a discourse capable of sustaining the inequity of the productive structure.
The more pessimistic may speculate that the model of neo-feudalism based on private armies of robots that exists in this fictional universe doesn’t seem that far away from happening in reality.
MOVIE
Upstream Color — Shane Carruth (2013)
It’s one of those films that we know is very good because we have trouble explaining why it’s so good. This is because it’s not that common to come across a film that seems to inhabit a universe all of its own, both on a narrative and visual level.
This science fiction film explores different elements under the banner of control, such as drugs, parasites, and hypnosis. It is through these that a thief seizes the possessions of two different victims, unconsciously establishing a bond between them.
The script is inspired by the real-life effects of insect parasites (fortunately) that install themselves in their hosts’ brains and cause them to fly erratically or throw themselves from treetops.
Simultaneously director, screenwriter, and actor, Shane Carruth creates a beautiful and disconcerting cinematic object that leaves the viewer without all the answers but with a memorable experience.
RECORD
Return of the Boom Bap — KRS One (1993)
Hip-hop was originally a politicised and subversive cultural phenomenon by definition. Created by young African Americans, one of the most disproportionately incarcerated and stereotyped populations, this urban culture has helped to shine a light on issues such as police violence and institutional racism.
The visceral criticism of the police is a symptom of the reaction to a system of constant surveillance that perpetuates prejudice against the ghettoised neighbourhoods of the United States.
KRS One’s album “Return of the Boom Bap” is a clear example of the demands of hip-hop culture in its ‘pre-absorption’ phase of the early 90s.
Featuring the productions of beatmaking legends who were still very young at the time, such as DJ Premier and Kid Capri, this disc includes tracks that became famous, such as “Outta Here” and “Sound of da Police.”
ARTICLE
André Ventura: a criação da celebridade mediática, por Nuno Palma, Paulo Couraceiro, Inês Narciso, José Moreno e Gustavo Cardoso, for MediaLab ISCTE
It’s impossible to talk about control issues without talking about the media. In this context, the relationship between politics, the media, and social networks has gained particular importance in recent years as a result of the emergence of fake news, the crisis in the traditional media sector, and political polarisation.
In Portugal, André Ventura is the leading exponent of a new form of political communication. This work by ISCTE is very assertive in the way it places the emphasis on the process of mediatization, using television and networks, rather than on the content of what is said or the people to whom this discourse pleases or displeases.
This is a detailed and well-founded analysis of the way in which André Ventura has increased his presence on social networks and how these variations relate to the media and the Portuguese political and sports reality.
Jaime Monteiro
