RE: <nettime> The New "Left" - OR why inequality is politicallyuseful

[Doug Henwood <dhenwood@panix.com>]

McKenzie Wark wrote:

>Which is why i've been writing about soap operas, game shows, pop songs --
>and the Labor party. All expressions of actual popular desire, and as such
>more interesting to me that the abstract theoretical constructs of old
>line leftism. The prolertariat, etc.

Droll spelling of proletariat.

I'm curious, though, just how soap operas and game shows are "expressions
of actual popular desire," since as far as I know they're produced by show
business professionals. They may stoke popular desires, but are you
claiming that the corporate producers of these entertainment products are
themselves authentically down with the people, or have some privileged
access to their desire? And is there only one popular desire? That almost
sounds like one of those abstract theoretical constructs of old line
leftism. 

Doug





#  distributed via <nettime>: no commercial use without permission
#  <nettime> is a moderated mailing list for net criticism,
#  collaborative text filtering and cultural politics of the nets
#  more info: majordomo@bbs.thing.net and "info nettime-l" in the msg body
#  archive: http://www.nettime.org contact: nettime@bbs.thing.net