Screening Thought: Slavoj Zizek and Paul Taylor

[filmsnoirs]

As soon as the guy does his intro I'm gone. What is this debate about? Sweet FA. Why does Zizek do it? Not even he can know

[IStehSHIT]

90 % of the film he is red all over his face :(

[AlwaysWithMeaning]

I wish Zizek wouldn't constantly repeat the same things in every talk he gives. He reminds me of a stand up comedian on tour.

[klarekerry]

zizek are you mad?? all arab-spring was a hoax middle-east regime-change was made in USA!!for oil control prices!!

[janvc]

this Paul Taylor is so self-satisfied. how can he even have a carreer?

[videoppressor]

Dear comrade Slavoj, Paul Taylor is definitely right about the Spartacus TV series. A highly-cultivated cinema expert like yourself, could get so many deep insights with this masterpiece, not to mention lots of fun!!!

[sqccccccccc]

Paul Taylor is great!



[abnerj88]

slavoj most comment statement: "and so on and so on"

[hexnyc]

Funny; I just imagined that Slavoj had been on earth before, in another body in another time. He is from the past but he is here now. I thought of Socrates. Slavoj is the person that socrates would have been had he been here now.

[gigel2006]

Fast 5 in the tags! hahaaha Brilliant! I'm sure all the racers will enjoy reading some philosophy during their quarter mile run.

[ICALondon]

@gigel2006 They should do - Slavoj gives Fast 5 the thumbs up in his talk!

[TheodorAdornoable]

The question was from a member of the audience in the adjoining cinema to which the event had been streamed live to cater for the over-flow. Because of this 2 key things happened, the audience in the actual room in which the talk took place was blacked out (making it very difficult to engage with it), we had to finish the discussion immediately after the only question because the cinema needed to be used ... so, the discussion was already "screened" by being screened!

[blueingreentrain]

remember when he went on hard talk. steven sackur was a twat!

[StritarD]

LOL @ 1:34:50

[wisemanandfool]

"Haha how ironic. You poke at Zizek for his apparent lack of substance yet you yourself commit the exact same error" This, I think, would be the deliberate withdrawal of substance...

I would appreciate it if you spent some more time framing your actual question in a more comprehensible style.. I don't understand what you mean by "he has the hero of the pseudo intellectuals"..

Recall that I only mentioned his "talks" which I thought referred to his lectures and not his published work..

[UndrState]

@ivana7981 Nope, just OCD

[ivana7981]

is he on cocaine?

[ButherLi55ett]

The question at the end is pretty depressing and amazing...clearly 'the media' isn't the only problem. But then it's never been a place for anything radical and can't be for good reason, who are these dickheads kidding? As Zizek himself might say: "this is ideology at its finest".

[manuelvargasmx]

Zizek is probably one of the most inspiring man of a generation. I'm greatly grateful and amazed for being able to hear his point of view of the now while is still happening.

[ButherLi55ett]

@manuelvargasmx What does he inpsire?

[TheodorAdornoable]

@ButherLi55ett I agree with you about the final question. It encapsulated a deeply uncritical aspect of some of the audience who were there to enjoy the "Zizek experience" rather than actually think - doubly depressing given the talk's theme. However, knee-jerk critics of Zizek just present the flipside response. E.g. demanding a "radical" media was not the theme of the event - it was how thought is screened - whether that is by unaccountable talking heads, or ... people typing insults.

[ButherLi55ett]

@TheodorAdornoable You're right the insult was unecessary though pretty harmless. And more out of frustration than anything else with the fact that the question from the audience wasn't challenged at the time given the context which we've both mentioned. Or was it? The video ended, maybe there was more discussion? Did either of the people giving the talks recognise the irony of the question at the time? If they did, surely it was important to reply.

[TheodorAdornoable]

@ButherLi55ett I think Slavoj was too polite to be scornful of the question, but I did get a strong sense from him that he finds "fans" sometimes as bad as his critics and I think that's the bind he constantly finds himself in. The popularity gives him opportunities to convey serious ideas but also risks turning the whole process into a circus. I aim to write an article about my experience of the event that will go up on the IJZS site soon.

[manuelvargasmx]

@ButherLi55ett To dig Hegel I guess...

[wisemanandfool]

Being ruthlessly critical among other things..?

[ButherLi55ett]

@wisemanandfool ...So what have you been "ruthlessly critical" of lately? And what are the "other things"? I'm not being snide, just interested.

[wisemanandfool]

@ButherLi55ett Of course, as you know, to suggest that he has inspired me to be ruthlessly critical does not necessarily entail that I act on this inspiration.

However, this is not such a case. I've recently re-read Kant on Suicide (I'll spare you the actual critique).. I also have critical problems with Zizek that deal with both his style and his content. His style strikes me as deliberately lacking any sense of "flow" (and this may be his intention given his thoughts on pause). .

[wisemanandfool]

@wisemanandfool To avoid a long-winded discussion regarding his content, I think the "matter" of his talks avoids depth in any serious sense. This is also why I think Zizek is the favorite philosopher of the pseudo-intellectual, spout a few lines of Hegel or Marx through Zizek and be done with any meaningful understanding.

[wisemanandfool]

@wisemanandfool Lastly, this "other things" is of course a representation of the abyss. I have no real idea of what the "other things" might be, although I thought it appropriate given that "inspiration" has such vague origins. In this sense, I might even say that the Holocaust inspired me to become a veterinarian.

[warcax23]

@wisemanandfool

Haha how ironic. You poke at Zizek for his apparent lack of substance yet you yourself commit the exact same error. " To avoid a long-winded discussion regarding his content, I think the "matter" of his talks avoids depth in any serious sense." No please, give me citations and more detailed criticism that illustrate Zizek's lack of substance and intricacy to reinforce your claim that he has the hero of the pseudo intellectuals.

[wisemanandfool]

@warcax23

Of course, I don't think you would argue with the statement I've made in this light. He announces that he will lack time to develop the theory in his talks prior to beginning.. This was the intent of my criticism.. If you are interested in sources you can look at "The Ticklish Subject: The Absent Centre of Political Ontology" (specifically his outline and criticism of Foucault)

[kuruption87]

can any 1 tell me which indian friend he was talking abut @1:03:05 ...thanks

[TheodorAdornoable]

Yes, from memory it was a pint of Peroni. Controlling Slavoj is thirsty work!!

best wishes,

Paul.

[Gabovanegas]

@TheodorAdornoable , sweet :)

cheers,

[Gabovanegas]

I am so so sorry for asking this (stupid question) but... is he drinking beer?

[mahyarmohaghegh]

paul is so jokes

hahhahahaha

i love this guy.

[BigVic405g]

I love Spartacus as well

[Rmahda]

Thank you for uploading, very insightful i especially enjoyed the triad of stupidty by sz at the very end

[borisjohnson2008]

@MassiveJungle it always is, everytime he says it, ie. at least 427 times a day

[MassiveJungle]

on the whole really good but his coffee without cream explanation was really awkward

[BalkanibalX]

0:44:30 the top sportsman he speaks of is Ivica Kostelić from Croatia not Slovenia. Best Croatian athlete (a skier) at the moment.

Ivica Kostelić had this slip of a tounge and it was a huge scandal here and the region. He is a bit politically naive but not a Nazi. I've met him, he likes to play WW2 videogames A LOT but he's a nice guy, really high spirited person and we're very proud of him here.

[jorgisdenaam]

Thanks!