/Cyberpunk/ general
Basically the present, but with better smartphones.
Nothing gives me a harder erection than expressions of cyberpunk fiction in present day reality and critical theory that borders on science fiction.
Below is a collection of stuff, with varying degree of relatedness.
Anime
Ghost in the Shell is the quintessential cyberpunk anime (also Akira, but I like GITS more). It follows the lives of an advanced police force as they solve crime. A main theme in the anime is self-identity in a (late-)late stage capitalist society. Another theme is about the "realness" of things in a Baudrillard kind of way, which tie back to the "realness" of human experiences. This show is about cops, but don't be fooled, it paints a dystopian capitalist world that highlights socialist themes like worker alienation, government and capitalist collusion, corporate greed, refugees, worker exploitation; an uncomfortable picture that mirrors our present reality. The series looks into societal themes, much more than the movie.
Society of the Spectacle, the hyperreal, and Ideology
Fake news, Facebook, hollow/flat earth theorists, QAnon, /r/the_donald, political bots, impeach drumpf, I'm with her; it's hard to keep track of the insanity of propaganda that is fed through all of our sensory organs. I'm just glad I'm doing my part by telling my waiter to not give me a straw.
>Tesla Inc. is offering incentives and tapping an army of brand-loving volunteers in a frantic push to boost sales and deliveries before the end of the quarter…. The volunteers are answering questions from buyers picking up their new vehicles whom Tesla staff are too busy to handle. bloomberg.com
>Amazon Is Forcing Workers To Pee In Bottles, But You Shouldn't Be Surprised digg.com
Mark Fisher
Capitalist realism
Fisher argues that the term "capitalist realism" best describes the current global political situation, which lacks visible alternatives to the capitalist system which became dominant following the fall of the Soviet Union.[10] His argument is a response to, and critique of, neo-liberalism and new forms of government which apply the logic of capitalism and the market to all aspects of governance.
His ideology refers to a perceived "widespread sense that not only is capitalism the only viable political and economic system, but also that it is now impossible even to imagine a coherent alternative to it". [11]
Cybertime Crisis youtube.com
Lost futures, vaporwave, his analysis on hauntology, etc.
Modern day ruins
Dead malls deadmalls.com
Memes, viral media, influencers, and internet communities
Usenet, BBS boards, imageboards, Facebook, WhatsApp, Discord.
relevant: twitch streamers, pewdie pie, alex jones, yoddle walmart kid, korean girls that stream themselves eating.
See this virtual influencer: instagram.com
Baudrillard
Post is too long.
