I was reading up on my Nietzsche and Heidegger, Camus and other nihilists and found an interesting reference to postmodern acceptance of the meaningless of life...
"In The Banalization of Nihilism (1992) Karen Carr discusses the antifoundationalist response to nihilism. Although it still inflames a paralyzing relativism and subverts critical tools, "cheerful nihilism" carries the day, she notes, distinguished by an easy-going acceptance of meaninglessness. Such a development, Carr concludes, is alarming... Worse still, the banalization of nihilism creates an environment where ideas can be imposed forcibly with little resistance, raw power alone determining intellectual and moral hierarchies."
Which leads me to speculate whether Homer could be coopted into accepting mass evil? Could the Homer's of the world allow a Hitler, or would his boob headed, good hearted nature some how foil der Fuhrer?
The question is: Is Homer too brain dead to overcome manipulation, or is he too brain dead to be controlled?
I think of course that the writers of such a script would have Homer see the evil of his ways, with the help of his dear wife Marge, and in an improbable way put a monkey wrench in the works of the IVth Reich, don't you? (replace Hitler with Global Warming and we have last summer's hit, right? ;o)
But the thing that got me thinking about this was the term, 'cheerful nihilism' since frankly folks... I see a lot of that on USENET and in this group in particular. Mea Culpa! Indeed.
And Homer is, afterall, a cheerful hihilist, isn't he?
I mean, to hold those blasphemous (not that I mind, mind you...) visions of god in his head, he is pretty out there, don't you agree? And the bliss with the beer? And his sloth?
Be well people, and for god's sakes consume something!
Ned Goudy Glendora, Ca. USA