Posthuman Blues

I drove to my parents' this evening. They live in the suburbs, which, for the uninitiated, are vast tracts of land devoted to ugly housing where minds can rot unmolested. Campaign signage everywhere, like thatches of red, white and blue weeds; I yearned for a machete.





While there, I watched some TV. "The Matrix" was showing on a cable channel as part of an extended Army recruitment infomercial. I kept seeing a black-clad Keanu Reeves juxtaposed with machine-gun-wielding soldiers and commercials for Sony PlayStation. Has all television become this surreal or did I just stumble upon a particularly postmodern moment?

I've watched all of 12 hours of TV in the last five years -- and most of that has been on tape, where at least I can fast-forward through the commercials. It's strange how jarring it is to watch after abstaining for so long. It's like a physical blow to the head -- and not in a good sense, inasmuch as a blow to the head can be a "good" thing.

I am absolutely convinced from personal experience that television viewing dampens cognitive ability. Want your IQ to go up 10 points? Stop watching TV. I'm serious. You won't necessarily be any happier, but you'll be more receptive, with a heightened immunity to bullshit.