“While crises do shake people out of their complacency, forcing them to question the fundamentals of their lives, the most spontaneous first reaction is panic, which leads to a “return to the basics”: the basic premises of the ruling ideology, far from being put into doubt, are even more violently reasserted.” – Slavoj Zizek First As Tragedy, Then As Farce
The “Airborne Toxic Event” does not cause the characters in White Noise to angrily criticize the pharmaceutical companies for failing to dispose of their waste in a safe matter or question the the morality of the capitalist system that allows such events to happen. The characters quietly obey orders as they are shuttled from one facility to another. The symptoms of exposure they are given change drastically, indeed almost hourly, but they still heed the warnings and worry about possible contamination.
Instead of fighting the system, the characters sink into pseudoscience and primitive superstition. Babette reads accounts so fantastic in nature, that a five-year-old would doubt their veracity. Despite the inherent ridiculousness of UFOs and the Japaneese purchasing Air Force One, we are assured that “[n]o one seemed amazed by this account”. The most intriguing part of this sequence is the linking of the paranormal with coupons. Coupons are one of the greatest creations of “late capitalism”; allowing consumers to save money by using hunting and gathering techniques on advertisements. The characters manage to embrace the same economic model that landed them in tragedy.
Is this a realistic portrayal of how human beings would act in such a tragic situation? DeLillo certainly engages in hyperbole at a number of points throughout the novel, but this is not one of them. It is only after the immediacy of the crisis has passed, that we can begin to wonder about the cause of the crisis. Panic will not allow us reason.
Fantastic post Alex. Zizek’s book is incredibly relevant/important to not only this moment in the novel, but many of the things we’ve been exploring in class, though I do have to say I’m skeptical of his, for lack of a better name, “Four Theses of the Apocalypse.” How are you liking First as Tragedy so far?
Pleasantly disagreeable. My ideological/political leanings are mostly aligned with the center-left. I believe in a well-regulated form of capitalism, a safety net for the less fortunate that hopefully leads to jobs, and in preserving the environment without harming industry. I’m all for small improvements to the system, while I find the idea of massive social change distasteful, if not repulsive. First as Tragedy is an attack on the contemporary Left written whose author advocates, (a certain kind of), communism as the solution to society’s ills. While I don’t agree with his overall sentiments, I find myself accepting some of his points. His writing style is clear and crisp, at least compared to Deleuze, (not saying Deleuze is bad, just dense and difficult). The book is short and relevant to my paper, so I’ll finish the whole thing and soon. I started reading the book over dinner at McDonald’s. That certainly added to the experience.
(Side note: Do you mind if I leave my phone on vibrate for tomorrow’s class? I’m expecting an important phone call tomorrow morning regarding the approval of a medical procedure. Hopefully, the call won’t occur during class time. I could always call back, of course, but getting my insurance provider to talk is difficult. It would be a huge relief if I could just do it in the moment. Thanks.)