Comments on: Rocket Science III http://cultureby.com/2004/05/rocket_science__1.html This Blog Sits At the Intersection of Anthropology and Economics Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:43:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Grant http://cultureby.com/2004/05/rocket_science__1.html/comment-page-1#comment-8058 Grant Thu, 20 May 2004 14:42:52 +0000 http://localhost/wp_culture/?p=1215#comment-8058 Jim. Thanks! I guess I disagree on three points: I think that cultures do not have the universal aspect you believe they do. Second, I think our culture is going places no culture has ever gone before. Third, as to culture wear out. I think this is just what the critics of a commercial culture believe is happening. Certainly the postmodernists believe this to a man and a woman. I don't want to posit a simple "steady state" notion here that says that commerce must replace the meanings it takes from culture. But I wonder whether, for it's own purposes, it shouldn't be getting closer to the action. Thanks, Grant Jim.

Thanks!

I guess I disagree on three points:

I think that cultures do not have the universal aspect you believe they do.

Second, I think our culture is going places no culture has ever gone before.

Third, as to culture wear out. I think this is just what the critics of a commercial culture believe is happening. Certainly the postmodernists believe this to a man and a woman. I don’t want to posit a simple “steady state” notion here that says that commerce must replace the meanings it takes from culture. But I wonder whether, for it’s own purposes, it shouldn’t be getting closer to the action.

Thanks,

Grant

]]> By: Jim http://cultureby.com/2004/05/rocket_science__1.html/comment-page-1#comment-8057 Jim Mon, 17 May 2004 16:34:41 +0000 http://localhost/wp_culture/?p=1215#comment-8057 I question whether there can ever be any more or less "meanings" out there. At turns, marketers have magnified and brought to the front meanings. Yes they/we borrow sometimes; but the best try to reflect an "inner truth". Not to delve too deeply backward, it has been argued, I think persuasively, that there achetypal meanings. (Let's forget whether they come from culture or some other mythical place.) It would seem that there are a fairly limited number of core meanings that repeat across societies and over time. While new ones may be arise, (out of culture), they are likely to be few and far between. We do tend to relive the same meanings, different ones fall in and out of vogue. Nike is the hero archetype and attached itself to fitness in a way that had a huge positive impact making us feel like heros... New meaning was created for Nike, they transformed many joe blows into heroes, they gave something positive to culture, (I believe, shameful marketer that I am); but did not create meaning. "Third space" - wonderful, but the English pubs had it a long time ago. "Refreshment" = re-birth, go visit the spa in Bath, you get my point. If commerce is a net importer of culture, does that mean we will run out of culture soon, that commerce is sucking it up. What we need is for commerce to reflect/magnify the real meanings of culture in a way that supports the positive parts of culture instead of sucking us into our weakness. David's characters are positive reflections of our culture - probably Mr. Regular Guy looking to be a little more cool in a light-hearted not too serious kind of way, (I'd be happy if I could pull that off). Pick your own contrast. I question whether there can ever be any more or less “meanings” out there. At turns, marketers have magnified and brought to the front meanings. Yes they/we borrow sometimes; but the best try to reflect an “inner truth”. Not to delve too deeply backward, it has been argued, I think persuasively, that there achetypal meanings. (Let’s forget whether they come from culture or some other mythical place.) It would seem that there are a fairly limited number of core meanings that repeat across societies and over time. While new ones may be arise, (out of culture), they are likely to be few and far between. We do tend to relive the same meanings, different ones fall in and out of vogue.

Nike is the hero archetype and attached itself to fitness in a way that had a huge positive impact making us feel like heros… New meaning was created for Nike, they transformed many joe blows into heroes, they gave something positive to culture, (I believe, shameful marketer that I am); but did not create meaning.

“Third space” – wonderful, but the English pubs had it a long time ago. “Refreshment” = re-birth, go visit the spa in Bath, you get my point.

If commerce is a net importer of culture, does that mean we will run out of culture soon, that commerce is sucking it up. What we need is for commerce to reflect/magnify the real meanings of culture in a way that supports the positive parts of culture instead of sucking us into our weakness. David’s characters are positive reflections of our culture – probably Mr. Regular Guy looking to be a little more cool in a light-hearted not too serious kind of way, (I’d be happy if I could pull that off). Pick your own contrast.

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