Using Technology to Deepen Democracy, Using Democracy to Ensure Technology Benefits Us All

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Futurologist Blurs Line Between Parody and Self-Parody

A brief piece entitled Coca Cola Blurs Line Between Virtual and Real was just posted over the World Future Society. It has to be seen to be believed.

My comment on the post itself (probably to be moderated away as merely insulting):
Are you being ironic? An "uplifting" ad? Actually followed by an exhortation to "click here"? You declare a soda vending machine "smart"? The real and virtual are "blending" somehow through purchasing? Mass consumption will end sectarian violence and war? "Techno-optimists" for Coca-Cola! Denialism and apathy isn't really the same thing as "optimism" for those of us who need a little substance with our hope! Either this piece is parody or it is an illustration of reactionary futurological ideology I criticize so condensed it makes my head explode. I mean, I'm glad you enjoyed the commercial and all, but honestly do you see how flabbergastingly uncritical and promotional this is? I know I'm the resident "unfuturist" and all, but surely those who affirm a substantial role for futurological discourse in understanding technoscientific change and policy analysis would want to pressure literally every assumption on which this little burst of enthusiasm is premised -- even if they happen to come to sunnier conclusions than I would myself after doing so.


1 comment:

Chad Lott said...

"Two Minutes of Love" is the new "Two Minutes of Hate".