In the crisis of global capitalism even Zizek makes sense
Francis Sedgemore, Friday 29 January 2010
I was minded to cap this idle blog post with the above title and a link to a clip of Newsnight‘s residually trottish economics editor Paul Mason being covered with Slavoj Žižek‘s spittle during an interview for The Culture Show, first broadcast yesterday. Be warned that while watching the interview you may find yourself reaching reflexively for the tissues. It’s pretty gross stuff.
Žižek is bonkers. Stark, staring, and certifiable. We all know that, even, or especially, Žižek’s wives. But the popular and dysfunctional Slovenian cultural critic come philosopher and sociologist retains a masochistic entertainment value, despite his holding some objectionable views. How much contrarianism can we cope with? Quite a lot, it would seem.
In the crisis of global capitalism any old crap will make sense. One can understand why Žižek is considered suitable material by broadcast media organisations looking for a tabloid quote, but he’s hardly original, is he? In my view Žižek is on much firmer ground when discussing the semiotics of excretory appliances. Just don’t get him started on the subject of love.
Feed the writer! 
Friday 29 January 2010 at 08:04 UTC
The greatest ‘masochistic entertainment value’ he offers is surely the challenge of coaxing those zeds out of your keyboard.
I wonder whether you saw him on that good recent BBC documentary about the French Revolution (I think it was excitingly titled ‘Terror’). Truly and amusingly bonkers. Isn’t it great we can laugh at such nasties though?
Friday 29 January 2010 at 10:19 UTC
Copy and paste are wonderful thingž.
I did see “Terror”, and was suitably terrified.
Friday 29 January 2010 at 11:42 UTC
Never mind Žižek’s parting words to Mason, “See you in hell … or communism.”, during which I thought his head would explode, perhaps the most terrifyingly amusing thing in the interview is the scatty Slovenian pointing to a picture of Stalin, and saying words to the effect of: “He was just this guy, you know.”.
Next up, Žižek on how “Pol Pot only ever wanted to be a train driver.”.
Friday 29 January 2010 at 14:31 UTC
Yeah, a philosophically-minded standupist, the thing we have been craving for for years…
Anyways, he also has something on vegetarians, but I am in a charitable mood today, and will only mention Marx in this regards ;-)
Friday 29 January 2010 at 14:35 UTC
He doesn’t approve of dope smokers either. If it’s a choice between Žižekian communism and hades, I’ll take the latter, any day.
Friday 29 January 2010 at 18:44 UTC
Damn it – the interview is “not available in your area”! That is, “our area”.
Friday 29 January 2010 at 19:02 UTC
Watching Zizek interviews, Francis? Are you short of pseudo-intellectual snake oil?
Friday 29 January 2010 at 19:15 UTC
My trick with the haceks in “Zizek” (here without hacek) is to type of whole line of hacecked zeds and then fill in whatever else I want to write in-between. That way, you save the unnerving business of copying and pasting single characters. Believe me: I speak from experience!
Actually, forcing people to come up with ploys like that could well be the adaptive function of this diacritical mark (and might just help to explain its prevalence in former communist countries).
Friday 29 January 2010 at 19:45 UTC
Sadly Anja, some of us don’t have enough haceks in our life to justify your ploy. But thanks for educating me as to what they’re called: I look forward to doing my next hacek job.
Friday 29 January 2010 at 21:24 UTC
For all his love for Uncle Joe, I fear that your average Stalinist would happily bury a hacek in Žižek’s skull.
As for the vid, Anja, have you tried searching YouTube?
Mike – I don’t make a point of watching interviews with wibbling Slovenian marxists, but being a culcha vulcha I do make a point of watching The Culture Show. Lauren Laverne – hot!; Mark Kermode – steamin’!
Saturday 30 January 2010 at 20:48 UTC
Didn’t Mark Kermode used to present Buzzcocks before Simon Amstell? Fifties throwback?
Saturday 30 January 2010 at 21:34 UTC
Yes; plays double bass in a skiffle group. Hair like a duck’s arse.