#Commercial culture

[trailofleaves]

“If love is under siege, it is because it threatens the very essence of commercial civilization. Everything is designed to make us forget that love is our most vivid manifestation and the most common power of life that is in us. Shouldn't we wonder how the lights that glimmer in the eye can blow a fuse for a time, even as barriers of oppression break and jam our passions? Yet despite a life stunted and distorted by mediated Spectacle, nothing has ever managed to strip love of its primal force. Although the heart's music fails to overwhelm the cacophony of profit efficiency, bit by bit it composes our destinies, according to tones, chords, and dissonances which render us happy if only we learn to harmonize the scattered notes that string emotions together.”

— Raoul Vaneigem

[fuckyeahchinesefashion]

cr: 王相予 wang xiangyu

[martyrbat]

theyre trying to dehydrate our beautiful bears and make them have a six pack.... i feel sick.

[barksbog]

weird horses fighting over the zuchini

[ace-culture-is]

Sex-repulsed asexual culture is seeing extremely suggestive fanart of your favourite comfort character and getting trapped in a circle of the five stages of grief

.

[shiftythrifting]

A jar that stops you from opening it by literally electrocuting you!👍

[cinematicwasteland]

[starlene]

I've been seeing a post on my dash where some USAmerican tumblrina feels sorry for the rest of the world because we don't have Halloween, and that we should steal it for ourselves, too.

I just... uuuugggghhh. Dear worried USAmerican tumblrina: please do not feel sorry for us, at least not about that particular issue.

Like. As far as Finland goes (but I'm 100% certain this applies to a bunch of other countries all over the globe too), our supermarkets and our shopping centres are trying their absolute hardest to shove Halloween down our throats. They really, really try. From Halloween themed doughnuts to Halloween balls and Halloween garlands (for our Halloween trees?? I really have no idea), it's all over the place. It may not actually be celebrated to the extent it is in the US, but it certainly cannot be escaped, and as long as there's plastic crap to sell, it's not going away.

If I could, I'd shove all that nonsense into a cargo container and return it to where it came from. But I can't! You'll catch me dead before you'll catch me buying a Halloween themed Runeberg torte, though.

[citizenscreen]

Happy 60th birthday to the pop tart!!

The Kellogg’s Company began selling the Pop-Tart #OnThisDay in 1964.

[popculturebaby]

Jlo and Beyoncé for Pepsi commercial in 2005 🖤

[hag-lad]

The pain, the despair, the unmitigated agony of seeing one of your fave fanfic writers move onto another fandom, seemingly never to return.

[agnesandhilda]

the barbie movie was an extended commercial that existed at an unfortunate midpoint of being feminist enough to infuriate misogynists but too hampered by its need to be inoffensive enough to stay profitable to satisfy people intellectually invested in feminism, but I watched it as a teenage girl who loves the color pink and exaggerated performances of gender while adjusting to living as an independent adult and the terrifying realization of my own mortality, so like. I imprinted on it like a baby bird

[848ellie]

I've been experimenting with different art styles. I love bold colors and thick outlines. Maybe it's too much for the average person, but for me there's no such thing as too big or too loud. 🤩🎉

[loverboyfae]

i looooovvve so much haha how many back to school advertisements are like hey parents do you hate your piece of shit kid? are you ready for that little nothing to be out of your hair again thank god? We Have Sale

[yellowmanula]

I've been commissioned to write 20,000 characters on RAVE for a widely distributed mainstream magazine, basically an introduction for newcomers. Honestly, I don’t even know where to start. The truth is, I’d love to just rant about all the issues that everyone keeps diagnosing but nothing ever changes:

The shift of culture into a strictly business model

The absence of artistic managers in clubs

Competition over collaboration (or collaboration limited to tight-knit interest groups)

Increasing commercialization

The looming shadow of yet another economic crash, closing the cycle

Clubs dumping the responsibility for attendance solely on the collectives throwing the parties (a lazy and crude post-COVID tactic)

A total lack of respect for music in favor of catering to a mediocre audience (by mediocre, I mean those without any musical awareness), so long as the drinks keep flowing

Escalating hedonism and TikTok-ification

The loss of the old-school approach (aspiring DJs used to put in years of work to learn the craft; now it’s all about “average but loyal”)

An obsession with pointless popularity contests and awards

Sectarianism over quality and freshness

Honestly, I had to take a step back because all these factors have really shaken my belief in the value of engaging with the broader rave scene. I’m using this break to reconnect with the original ideals, refresh my knowledge, and seek alternatives.

I think I’ll focus on encouraging readers to maintain high standards, choose their events mindfully, avoid chasing trends, and be guided by their authentic reactions to music—the kind that, for me, used to create incredible experiences at parties, where smoke and strobe lights offered an escape from the toxic world outside.

It’s no surprise that my friends are losing interest in going out when the toxicity they’re trying to escape is staring them down in four walls marked with the empty and overused slogan of PLUR.

[cinematicwasteland]