its really a vaporwave time rn

no other genre of music is going to fit the many overlapping things that are materializing or pressing into ur life in general, for the foreseeable future, from where im standing. if youre unacquainted or only know the hits u can start here:

i know people feel like its “played out” or that “it happened” already but really its the opposite. vaporwave was premonitory. it was seeing into an aspect of the future (now present) that is never going away. it illuminates this in a unique way, honestly, as only it can
people talk about how vaporwave is like a critique of consumerism or has XYZ view on capitalism but thats really not it imo. overall it is metapolitical and i think trying to shoehorn a political position into it is kind of missing what it points to, which is now everywhere
imo vaporwave in general (visual, music, the vibe in general) is about being [spiritually in exile] from [the reality of the future], that reality being opposed to [the idea or former idea of the future]. i try and not go full word salad but thats the most simple way to phrase it
physically, youre here, youre in this time and place. but spiritually, you, are in some form of exile or at least altered state. theres all this tech, and new modes of life, but somewhere along the way the path forked, + physically, ur here, but spiritually, ur on the other path
that is at least how i experience it. most aesthetics are in some way about being together, they contain at least in some ways modes of social interaction within them, even if its subtextual. vaporwave is the aesthetic of being alone in a post future stage. thats just what it is
this is very “class in modernity 101” so some people are like “i know, i read liquid modernity” but some people dont know about that stuff or havent played out the full ramifications of it. the future happened, and its kind of lame, thats what vaporwave is about to me.
i think that although in some ways this has “been covered” by certain academics i actually think that was all theoretical and now we’re seeing how it actually is manifesting for the average person in real time. the unique thing from my view is that it is a spiritual phenomena.
imo we have also just very recently crossed over another threshold in terms of the internet-ization of society. i have posted a lot about how the internet is more real than real life, but now that the internet has become social media theres a second “wave” of that happening.
does everyone need a reminder that if you have any remembrance of pre-internet life OR if you have any metacognition about how the internet affects you, you are basically another “type” of person, distinct from those who still think we’re in “real life”, when clearly, we’re not
could go on but i have some stuff to do (that means sitting at my computer, because, u know). anyway its all just worth keeping in mind because making things cliche is part of how theyre assumed into the general consensus + then no one “really” thinks about it, that happens often
rerun
(the theological and spiritual implications of all this have not been well explored)

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The common understanding of propaganda is that it is intended to brainwash the masses. Supposedly, people get exposed to the same message repeatedly and over time come to believe in whatever nonsense authoritarians want them to believe /1

And yet authoritarians often broadcast silly, unpersuasive propaganda.

Political scientist Haifeng Huang writes that the purpose of propaganda is not to brainwash people, but to instill fear in them /2


When people are bombarded with propaganda everywhere they look, they are reminded of the strength of the regime.

The vast amount of resources authoritarians spend to display their message in every corner of the public square is a costly demonstration of their power /3

In fact, the overt silliness of authoritarian propaganda is part of the point. Propaganda is designed to be silly so that people can instantly recognize it when they see it


Propaganda is intended to instill fear in people, not brainwash them.

The message is: You might not believe in pro-regime values or attitudes. But we will make sure you are too frightened to do anything about it.
the whole point of Dunks was you could go cop them at VIM whenever you wanted for $65. this shit is like having to enter a raffle to buy milk.


like seriously why not make a ton more of them if they're gonna be so sought-after? they land at outlets? so? nike still makes money off that.

the only reason to keep making them so limited is that they KNOW all that matters is the profit on the flip and if they were readily available FEWER people would want them, not more

the whole system is super broken, but it's just gonna go the way it goes, because at this point it all caters to the secondary market. the only reason Nike can sell Jordan 1s for $200 is because the people buying them can flip them for $500

adjusted for inflation, a $65 AJ1 in 1985 is like $160—and modern-day AJ1s are made from cheaper materials in factories staffed by cheaper workers. they don't HAVE to be $200 retail. but the secondary market nuked the whole concept of what sneakers are "worth"

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