File spoon-archives/marxism-international.archive/marxism-international_1997/marxism-international.9710, message 265


From: "ricardo" <davidb-AT-ak.planet.gen.nz>
Subject: M-I: Re: Re Butler's polemic at RM
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 1997 16:16:18 +1300


This notion that my enemy is my lover is pure pomo narcissism. Why don't
you credit Ebert with ideas rather than unconscious desires? 
Dave.
----------
> From: Stephen E Philion <philion-AT-hawaii.edu>
> To: marxism-international-AT-jefferson.village.Virginia.EDU
> Subject: M-I: Re Butler's polemic at RM
> Date: Tuesday, October 14, 1997 01:53
> 
> Doug,
> 
> Do you think Butler's polemic at the Rethinking Marxism Conference was
> more delivered at Ebert and the Buffalo gang than Sokal?  As I recall her
> talk, she harped on a "lacanian' (I think) insight that subjects of
> critique are invariably subjects of desire, that the harsher the critique
> that stronger the desire for the object of critique...
> 
> This just didn't make any sense to me until the Buffalo gang (apologies
to
> Paul Zarembka in advance) (especially that Cotter character) started
going
> on about the evils of 'pleasure'-which apparently "postalists' love--and
> its hold over the working class (or "knowledge workers as it were).
>               
> I mean if her polemic were actually directed at the Eberts and Hennessy's
> of the world, now I can only look back and say re: Butler's performance
> that evening, "Encore!"...And then turn to the likes of Yoshie or Carrol
> for a more serious (and illuminating) critique of Ebert and epigones...
> 
> 
> Steve
> 
> 
> On Mon, 13 Oct 1997, Doug Henwood wrote:
> 
> > james m blaut wrote:
> > 
> > >If possible, give me the citation on Judith Butler on neoconservative
> > >Marxists: sounds important. These people are a big problem. They have
> > >access to the Left and mainstream media denied to others; they have
cushy,
> > >well-paid jobs in universities and are in fact the ones who persuade
> > >students that Marxism really is "just a method" and pacifying shit
like
> > >that.
> > 
> > It's from "Merely Cultural," the talk she gave at the Rethinking
Marxism
> > conference at UMass last December. The whole thing is basically a
response
> > to the Sokal affair, and includes a long, strange meditation on the
meaning
> > of parody. Butler sent me a copy of the manuscript, and said it was
> > supposed to be published in Social Text. Don't know if it's appeared
yet. I
> > poo-poohed the notion at the time, but James Heartfield's post made me
> > wonder.
> > 
> > A friend of mine who was taking a course with Butler at Berkeley
> > complained, repeatedly, that her politics were all symbolic - there was
> > nothing about class, institutions, etc. Butler, exasperated, said "If
> > that's what you want, take a class on Marxism!"
> > 
> > Still, I think JB is as sharp as these pomos come, and worth reading
(which
> > I'm doing slowly, since I spend all too much time reading IMF reports
and
> > the like) because she's smart and makes one a better Marxist.
> > 
> > Doug
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> >      --- from list marxism-international-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
> > 
> 
> 
> 
>      --- from list marxism-international-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---


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