Base and Superstructure

Thoughts on production, alienation, and ideology

Category: Culture (Page 15 of 21)

These are posts on culture from the blog Base and Superstructure. Mostly the focus is on American culture. But there might be a few posts on broader, international issues.

rich people anti-social lighting cigar $100 bill

Are Rich People Anti-Social?

April 23, 2020 /

I’m sure you know the stereotype of the rich asshole: wealthy guy, probably a business person, cares little for other people’s needs. The world revolves around him, his ideas and his needs. He’s an anti-social guy. And sometimes he even rides it all the way to the White House.

That’s the pop culture image, but let’s talk about the social science for a bit. Social psychologists study the phenomenon. So, are rich people anti-social? Does it mean working class people are pro-social? If so, why? What does social psychology say about these things?

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cloth masks

Toilet Paper and Cloth Masks

April 9, 2020 /

If you take a trip to your local Target or Walmart, you’ll find distressingly empty rows next to curiously overstocked ones. In the former, it’s toilet paper or hand sanitizer. And in the latter, it’s cosmetics or decorative pillows. I don’t need to remind you about the arbitrariness or silliness of the Toilet Paper Wars of March 2020. Their impact remains. Nor should I need to remind you how people hoard corporate, mass produced goods when they think their family is in danger. But I do hope to show that cloth masks are an important exception.

People behave strangely during times of crisis. Maybe the last few weeks left you scratching your head. Why did people hoard toilet paper before genuinely essential goods like food? Why buy a year’s supply of toilet paper when no clear-thinking person believes you need it?

What’s going on here?

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Killmonger Black Panther rorschach test

The Killmonger Rorschach Test

April 2, 2020 /

It’s the two year anniversary of the Black Panther film, and much remains the same. If you talk to ten people about Erik Killmonger, the (alleged) villain, you’ll walk away with a dozen opinions. Killmonger elicits from us what we’re already thinking about identity, race, and society. He does so whether these views inhabit the surface or the depths of our thoughts. In other words, Killmonger is a Rorschach Test!

I’m assuming readers have already seen Black Panther. And I’ll note right away that I’m discussing only the film, not the comics or any associated stories or media. If you haven’t seen the film, go watch it! If you have seen it, read on.

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Joe Biden Corn Pop most ridiculous campaign photo

Five Ridiculous Campaign Stories

March 23, 2020 /

It’s been a long campaign for the Democratic nomination. Very long. Too long. How many debates did they have? Lord.

News networks and pundits have to fill lots of air time and spill lots of ink to make these long cycles work. They’re on tight deadlines, and they seem allergic to any deeper analysis involving ideology or political methods and goals. The result? They publish a lot of junk! Here are the five silliest campaign stories and narratives I’ve found during the 2020 campaign.

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