NewYorker 2/12

Lyotard said some interesting things. After going over his article in class, I understand him a lot better now. His use of language is very particular, as when he is talking about about waging a war on totality. He is really serious about getting rid of that notion, because totalities lead to generalizations, and stereotypes, living little or no room for interpretation. He needed to use a harsh adjective to describe how he felt about totality and what we should do.
Also, the fact was pointed out that capitalism derealizes or desensitizes familiar objects. In a capitalistic country, money comes first no matter what. It's always a race to the top, a strive to do better than the next guy. It may cause some detachment, but it leaves opportunity always available, and makes people try to be the best that they can be at what they do.
However, his quote about pornography not being challenged, was challenged in class. We agreed that that medium of mass media had been challenged due to the fact that some people accept it and others reject it. It pushed the envelope and got a mixed reaction from critics. It is definitely not a general model for visual narratives. Even though some art can be considered offensive to some people, where do you draw the line on what's appropriate and what's not? And who is the one that gets to draw that line?
Further, I'm not quite sure I understand his view on classicism and what we spoke about in class in terms of American Idol. Classics remain classics if they withstand time, and different trends. Therefore, it is rarely possible if a "classic" is overused - as in American Idol tryouts. In an audition, you're going to probably pick a classic because you can assume it is generally well known and well liked, and you can then try to put your own talent into that song.