Hello There,
Writing hogs up time, but every time I’ve managed to take the time for it, I’m happy I did. It’s part of a campaign I have going on with myself. I have actually put quotas on myself for writing, making music, and some other creative stuff. It’s a bit of an experiment that I might tell more about later.
A month has gone by treading the waters of shallow consumerism and cautious optimism about technology, albeit the ”Brainrot” pieces go against that optimism quite hard.
Here is what I wrote in March:
"Sole Train (sic)": Critiques consumer culture's manufactured desire and artificial scarcity using a sneaker heist example. Argues marketing creates inflated value detached from production realities and labor.
"Give a Man a Fish...": Proposes good technology amplifies individual skills and empowers, while bad technology centralizes power or creates dystopia. Advocates for technology that enhances capability, not technocracy.
"Brainrot, Part 1”: Connects "brainrot" to low-quality online stimuli. Posits the overuse of 'literally' signifies detachment and a grasping for tangibility in an abstract digital world.
"Brainrot, Part 2": Great for Engagement": Contrasts modern superficial information ("empty calories" ) with the deep, practical knowledge of pre-industrial societies. Suggests today's "brainrot" stems from a lack of meaning and connection, ironically noting engagement metrics.
"Ghiblification": Analyzes the AI Ghibli-art trend as potentially expressing a desire for compassion, empathy, and nuanced understanding beyond binaries, despite ethical questions about repurposing art.
Thanks for hanging in there. Let’s see what April brings.
–TL
