This whole tumblr debacle got me thinking about what it takes to make a community work, which in a roundabout way inspired me to read a bit of Moldbug for the first time, as someone who actually succeeded in getting a following on the basis of their ideas, to figure out what it takes to pull that off, and it turns out the answer is “be obnoxious, stupid, and overconfident.” Which I guess I already knew.
Augh, every page of this is embarrassing. I thought that Moldbug would at least be, like, a Respectable Opponent, but this sucks!
Except for a few unimportant institutions of non-mainstream religious
affiliation, we simply do not see multiple, divergent, competing schools
of thought within the American university system. The whole vast
archipelago, though evenly speckled with a salting of contrarians,
displays no factional structure whatsoever. It seems almost perfectly
synchronized.
Ah yes, academics, so famous for never having turf wars
There are two explanations for this synchronization. One, Harvard and
Stanford are synchronized because they both arrive at the same truth. I
am willing to concede this for, say, chemistry. When it comes to, say,
African-American studies, I am not quite so sure. Are you? Surely it is
arguable that the latter is a legitimate area of inquiry. But surely it
is arguable that it is not. So how is it, exactly, that Harvard,
Stanford, and everyone else gets the same answer?
It is technically arguable that African American culture is not a proper object of study.
I’m afraid the only logical alternative, however awful and unimaginable,
is the conclusion that Harvard and Stanford are synchronized because
both are remoras attached, in some unthinkable way, to some great,
invisible predator of the deep—perhaps even Cthulhu himself.
Every paragraph is like this. You can see how a more thoughtful writer would make somewhat similar, but actually defensible points, but Moldbug whiffs each time. He can’t even argue for the obvious left wing bias of universities properly.
I can’t believe the worst part of Verizon and Apple’s advertising-driven crackdown on pornography was you feeling compelled to close read Moldbug.
No, no, you have no idea. It actually IS the beginning of the whole so-called “kawaii culture”. And it started because girls started using mechanical pencils, which provided fine handwriting. After being banished (more precisely, during the 80s), this kind of writing started being used in products like magazines and make-up. And, during this time, icons we usually associate with the whole kawaii industry (like the characters from Sanrio) came to life too.
And what many people don’t realize is that this subculture was born as a way for young girls to express themselves in their own way. And it was also used as something against the adult life and the traditional culture, often seen as dull and boring and oppressive. By embracing cuteness, these young girls (and adult women, after a while) were showing non-conformation with the current standards.
So yep. Kawaii is important, and it all started with cute, simple handwritting a few hearts and cat faces in some girls’ school notebooks <3
!!!!!
NO OK THIS IS SO IMPORTANT!
This is also how the kawaii fashions started! Girls began dressing in cute and off beat styles for themsleves, they were criticized by adult figures telling them “you’ll never find a husband if you dress that way!” to which they began to reply “Good!”
All the Japanese subcultures and fashions that evolved out of this became a rebellion to tradition and the starch gender roles and expectations the adults were forcing on the younger generations. As early as the 70s and still to this day you’ll see an emphasis on child-like fashion and themes in more kawaii styles and the dismissal of the male gaze with styles like lolita (a lot of western people assume lolita is somehow sexual due to the name of the fashion, but ask any Japanese lolita and they will tell you that men hate the style and find it unattractive which is sometimes a large reason they gravitate towards the style - they can express their femininity and individuality while remaining independent and without the pressure to appeal to men)
Its so so so important to understand the hyper cute and ‘odd’ fashions of Japanese girls carry such a huge message of feminism and reclaiming of their own lives.
so are you telling me that Japan’s punk phase was really the kawaii phase
