Postmodern Readings

For me, this blog was really difficult in the fact that I have absolutely no idea what to write. Because these writings are written in a postmodern style, everything is already so deconstructed and I feel like there’s nothing left for me to interpret or to rethink other than to rehash what was said. Like always, there were some readings I understood better than others, but even still, I felt like I had no jumping off point or inspiration in which to base a blog. I'll be anxious to here the comments in class.

I’m not sure I understand how the “real” is not in the images of the September 11th attacks that Zizek refers to. Is there no real because it’s symbolic, or are the events so symbolic that they lose the real? I would like to know what the “real” according to Zizek is so I can understand what he is referring to. At first I thought his real were the images of people fleeing from the smoke and debris, or the second plane hitting the WTC, but then he goes on to mention how these images are like those we’ve seen over and over again in Hollywood blockbusters. Does that make them not real? And then my other question is, shouldn’t there be some significance to the real? Zizek for me makes it sound like there’s the real and then there is the significance from the real. One or the other, and the significance experienced from the real is infact not real at all because it is derived from the symbolic of the real. Isn’t the purpose of something being “real” significant, if not significant just for being real?

I did enjoy Baudrillard’s use of semiotics in terms of understanding and deconstructing the War on Terrorism sparred by the events of 9/11 juxtaposed with America and what ideals it claims to withhold and “protect.” America itself is a symbol. It is a symbol for freedom and democracy. However, Baudrillard explains that the War on Terrorism fails to fully signify because it holds the claims that America is good and the “other” is bad, when in fact America is involved in a war at which under other circumstances would probably be opposed to as it is in contrast with its own ideals.