Chapter 2- THE INTERPASSIVE SUBJECT:LACAN  TURNS A PRAYER WHEEL

 

 The main statement made within the Chapter that stood out for mw was the aspect of being PRESENT but NOT PRESENT. Zizek explains how in situations we can become passive and the constructed situation can still exist. The example of canned laughter in TV shows is a great example of what is meant by the term interpassive. Somebody else can laugh at the situation on the TV and I don’t have to, my mind can be else where. I am present within a situation, the social constructions surrounding that situation still remain although I do not have to be the one to fulfil the everyday criteria.

Zizek whilst exploring the act of being interpassive, in a sense, is saying that through using passivity (lets take the example of the TV show) I am deprived of feeling true emotion. The laughter is done for me- suggesting that at that point I should be finding something amusing-what if however at this moment within the show I actually felt anger?! I cannot feel this because I become interpassive and the constructed emotion is met. This is true for everyday life i think, I am told of situations in which I have to behave a certain way/ feel a certain emotion.

We rely on the Big Other to become interpassive. The “thing” that holds the power is the Big Other; what happens when this big other is lost? The individual can no longer perform the act? Zizek also suggests that maybe the Big Other can be faked or have several connotations. For instance you see me with a brand new Mercedes. You assume I am “well off”. Instead I stole the Mercedes. Because of the Big Other: The Mercedes you protray me in a certain. Becasue of the Mercedes I am labelled as a theif. Without the Mercedes I am neither who I am or who you think I am.  The big other as a false connotation can enable me to become interpassive: A wear a genuine fur coat. I wear it so you assume I live a comfortable life- instead a wear it as a distraction so that in fact I can delivery newspapers to make a living.

 

I re-read this chapter this morning and then have been out all day. Whilst I was out where I go every Thursday I decided to be curious about the people and the things around me with refernce to this Chapter and linking to Chapter 1.

Appearance- Why as soon as we wear the “costume” do we act in a certain way- as I sat watching the last 20 mins of a Karate class i thought ‘does this man really talk like this’. The Karate teaching was making very peculiar grunts and noises, that probably only Karate people themselves can make reference to. It made we question how many situations do we put ourselves in where we become a robot. I guess at birth, we are given a name that we are stuck with, an image, a family and a culture. We learn the symbolic order and we conform by it- it is out way of living, but how do we ever know ourself? We become passive still completeing the symbolic order!!

 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASS7xMOM1EE

Above is the link to Marina Abramovic The artist is Present- Marina belives that doing something close to nothing is one of the hardest things to do- Yet an individual can make many insights about themself. The act of silence/ stillness I believe to be the best way to “withdraw”!

 

 (The Videos I have will be added tomorrow as i have been up since 5am and i am soooo tired!! And it won’t let me upload sadhlabfkjasbfvkjas FRUSTRATING- will try tomorrow when I am less tired (They are Britany Spears/ME! Miranda the sitcom and Marina Abramovic, hopefully all will make sense when I have uploaded

 

Question

 

Zizek talks about how we become interpassive in everyday (coffee without cafferine): What is the pleasure of knowing? The calming satisfaction?

How do we withdraw from life?

How do I perform however I wish? Become someone else? Literally be someone else?