Comments on: At the Parking Lot This Morning or The Perfect God http://anthropik.com/2005/12/at-the-parking-lot-this-morning-or-the-perfect-god/ se wo were fi na wosan kofa a yenki Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:08:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Jason Godesky http://anthropik.com/2005/12/at-the-parking-lot-this-morning-or-the-perfect-god/#comment-3725 Jason Godesky Wed, 14 Dec 2005 14:30:14 +0000 http://anthropik.com/2005/12/at-the-parking-lot-this-morning-or-the-perfect-god/#comment-3725 Don't know, but it would probably be close. The U.S. average is creeping up to 10 hours a day, which is long even for an agrarian life. Still, there's more to quality of life than simply how long you toil for it. There's creature comforts, and whether or not you're dying of plague. Don't get me wrong, the average American's life sucks big, hairy donkey balls, but it's still worlds better than what a medieval serf had to endure. I can see the whole picture of history as progress--if you conveniently forget that the majority of human history is pre-Neolithic. Then you'd see that we spent most of our existence living a lot better than we do now. Don’t know, but it would probably be close. The U.S. average is creeping up to 10 hours a day, which is long even for an agrarian life. Still, there’s more to quality of life than simply how long you toil for it. There’s creature comforts, and whether or not you’re dying of plague. Don’t get me wrong, the average American’s life sucks big, hairy donkey balls, but it’s still worlds better than what a medieval serf had to endure. I can see the whole picture of history as progress–if you conveniently forget that the majority of human history is pre-Neolithic. Then you’d see that we spent most of our existence living a lot better than we do now.

]]> By: Eric http://anthropik.com/2005/12/at-the-parking-lot-this-morning-or-the-perfect-god/#comment-3720 Eric Wed, 14 Dec 2005 05:03:43 +0000 http://anthropik.com/2005/12/at-the-parking-lot-this-morning-or-the-perfect-god/#comment-3720 Actually I remember reading somewhere that medieval peasants worked fewer hours per year than modern US residents. That's right, I think it was on a site 'Take Back Your Time' or something. I don't post this as any sort of correction (it's unwise to attempt to correct a Trivia God), but conversationally, in the hope that you can confirm it, deny it, expand on it, whatever. Excellent site, by the way. Actually I remember reading somewhere that medieval peasants worked fewer hours per year than modern US residents. That’s right, I think it was on a site ‘Take Back Your Time’ or something. I don’t post this as any sort of correction (it’s unwise to attempt to correct a Trivia God), but conversationally, in the hope that you can confirm it, deny it, expand on it, whatever.

Excellent site, by the way.

]]> By: Jason Godesky http://anthropik.com/2005/12/at-the-parking-lot-this-morning-or-the-perfect-god/#comment-3690 Jason Godesky Tue, 13 Dec 2005 16:57:31 +0000 http://anthropik.com/2005/12/at-the-parking-lot-this-morning-or-the-perfect-god/#comment-3690 Either way, the icon remains sacred, and sanctified to our deepest hopes. It is only those hopes that have changed. Just like Maslow predicted--you always have problems, but as your life improves, your problems become increasingly petty. It's no longer survival, now it's materialism. How far we've come! Yes, even agricultural life gets better. It's taken us 10,000 years to recover from the catastrophe of the Neolithic, but we've finally reached the ceiling of "the best agricultural life possible," which is still not as good as the average forager, but it's far, far beyond the toil of a medieval peasant. Santa represents that progress. Either way, the icon remains sacred, and sanctified to our deepest hopes. It is only those hopes that have changed. Just like Maslow predicted–you always have problems, but as your life improves, your problems become increasingly petty. It’s no longer survival, now it’s materialism. How far we’ve come!

Yes, even agricultural life gets better. It’s taken us 10,000 years to recover from the catastrophe of the Neolithic, but we’ve finally reached the ceiling of “the best agricultural life possible,” which is still not as good as the average forager, but it’s far, far beyond the toil of a medieval peasant. Santa represents that progress.

]]> By: Paul Rivera http://anthropik.com/2005/12/at-the-parking-lot-this-morning-or-the-perfect-god/#comment-3687 Paul Rivera Tue, 13 Dec 2005 16:19:14 +0000 http://anthropik.com/2005/12/at-the-parking-lot-this-morning-or-the-perfect-god/#comment-3687 Know your history. The Santa mythos came out of folk tales from a time when winter meant possible death. Getting "things" from those who had them, celebrating that you had enough "bounty" to maybe get through the winter alive, was no trivial matter, and had nothing to do with simple consumerism. So, again, the icon is not the issue. It's what the icon is becoming representative of because of who is appropriating the image. Which goes back to what Benjamin was saying, though I would say that it's not so much the "de-sanctifying" of the holiday, as it is the fact that the holiday has come to celebrate what we really hold sacred: the idealized American lifestyle, and ourselves as hopeful inheritors of that lifestyle. Know your history. The Santa mythos came out of folk tales from a time when winter meant possible death. Getting “things” from those who had them, celebrating that you had enough “bounty” to maybe get through the winter alive, was no trivial matter, and had nothing to do with simple consumerism.
So, again, the icon is not the issue. It’s what the icon is becoming representative of because of who is appropriating the image. Which goes back to what Benjamin was saying, though I would say that it’s not so much the “de-sanctifying” of the holiday, as it is the fact that the holiday has come to celebrate what we really hold sacred: the idealized American lifestyle, and ourselves as hopeful inheritors of that lifestyle.

]]> By: Somebody http://anthropik.com/2005/12/at-the-parking-lot-this-morning-or-the-perfect-god/#comment-3671 Somebody Tue, 13 Dec 2005 03:30:50 +0000 http://anthropik.com/2005/12/at-the-parking-lot-this-morning-or-the-perfect-god/#comment-3671 Santa is the iconization of consumer society, where "kindness/goodness" is demonstrated through material goods. Santa is the iconization of consumer society, where “kindness/goodness” is demonstrated through material goods.

]]> By: Paul Rivera http://anthropik.com/2005/12/at-the-parking-lot-this-morning-or-the-perfect-god/#comment-3664 Paul Rivera Tue, 13 Dec 2005 01:18:26 +0000 http://anthropik.com/2005/12/at-the-parking-lot-this-morning-or-the-perfect-god/#comment-3664 I saw a commercial last night with Santa and his elves going out to buy gifts, and I just went off. And I got angry because Santa was once the embodiment of kindness and giving, and his one criteria as to whether or not you got anything really was being good. Were you nice, did you try a little harder, were a decent person? Now, giving comes from desire and consumption, and Santa is reduced to being another piece in the machine that doesn't give a goddamn if you're trying to be a good person, just so long as you buy something. So let's not say that it has gone from being about Jesus to being about Santa. Santa was always a Jesus stand-in anyway (as most saints are). Let's say that people forgot what the names and the deeds stood for, regardless of how they are used now. I saw a commercial last night with Santa and his elves going out to buy gifts, and I just went off. And I got angry because Santa was once the embodiment of kindness and giving, and his one criteria as to whether or not you got anything really was being good. Were you nice, did you try a little harder, were a decent person?
Now, giving comes from desire and consumption, and Santa is reduced to being another piece in the machine that doesn’t give a goddamn if you’re trying to be a good person, just so long as you buy something.
So let’s not say that it has gone from being about Jesus to being about Santa. Santa was always a Jesus stand-in anyway (as most saints are). Let’s say that people forgot what the names and the deeds stood for, regardless of how they are used now.

]]> By: Benjamin Shender http://anthropik.com/2005/12/at-the-parking-lot-this-morning-or-the-perfect-god/#comment-3656 Benjamin Shender Mon, 12 Dec 2005 20:49:09 +0000 http://anthropik.com/2005/12/at-the-parking-lot-this-morning-or-the-perfect-god/#comment-3656 Blast. I know that. I try to keep an eye on that one because it's one of my most common mistakes. Right next to its and it's and there and their. Blast. I know that. I try to keep an eye on that one because it’s one of my most common mistakes. Right next to its and it’s and there and their.

]]> By: Rick http://anthropik.com/2005/12/at-the-parking-lot-this-morning-or-the-perfect-god/#comment-3652 Rick Mon, 12 Dec 2005 20:25:18 +0000 http://anthropik.com/2005/12/at-the-parking-lot-this-morning-or-the-perfect-god/#comment-3652 Ben, Rev. Billy (www.revbilly.com) of the Church of Stop Shopping, and the folks over at Adbusters (.org), of Buy Nothing Day fame, agree with your observations. Jerry Mander (In the Absence of the Sacred...Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television) also explores these themes. And if Jason is the trivia dump, I'm the bitchy grammarian: affect is a verb; effect is a noun. Sorry for being peevish and thanks for the good post. Rick Ben,

Rev. Billy (www.revbilly.com) of the Church of Stop Shopping, and the folks over at Adbusters (.org), of Buy Nothing Day fame, agree with your observations.

Jerry Mander (In the Absence of the Sacred…Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television) also explores these themes.

And if Jason is the trivia dump, I’m the bitchy grammarian: affect is a verb; effect is a noun. Sorry for being peevish and thanks for the good post.

Rick

]]> By: Jason Godesky http://anthropik.com/2005/12/at-the-parking-lot-this-morning-or-the-perfect-god/#comment-3649 Jason Godesky Mon, 12 Dec 2005 18:29:42 +0000 http://anthropik.com/2005/12/at-the-parking-lot-this-morning-or-the-perfect-god/#comment-3649 De nada. :) De nada. :)

]]> By: Benjamin Shender http://anthropik.com/2005/12/at-the-parking-lot-this-morning-or-the-perfect-god/#comment-3647 Benjamin Shender Mon, 12 Dec 2005 17:29:53 +0000 http://anthropik.com/2005/12/at-the-parking-lot-this-morning-or-the-perfect-god/#comment-3647 Ok, doesn't really effect the article. But thanks. If I use that again it'll be reference correctly. I feel smarter already. :D Ok, doesn’t really effect the article. But thanks. If I use that again it’ll be reference correctly. I feel smarter already. :D

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