the intellectual as a parasite

 

original image

“the journalistic policy of the new paper…be that of advocate and special pleader of the poor classes as against the whole plutocratic and aristocratic combinations, political, economic, and social.” (Spokane press 1909 spokane press)

The parasitic in the 1909 cartoon in the Spokane Press (by Johnny Gruelle?) is represented by the smooth talking intellectual who is an uninvited guest cheating himself into a seat at the table of the privileged, while the poor and the working class are the victimized guests, positioned behind  the table to fight for the leftovers.

Is the parasite taking a position at the expense of the excluded? Will its removal open up the table for all? What responsibilities come with this parasitic position? What choices does such a position offer? Does it require a special kind of ethical code?

In the Dutch cultural system, where only a very limited number of artists are able to live of their work, many full-time artists, if not already positioned with the mistreated guests behind the table, will inevitably find themselves in one or other parasitic position at the table.

Part of this parasite project entails thinking about what it would mean to state that the responsibility of the parasite at the table, in regard to its cultural heritage, is not to impose as a master, but instead to be transparent about its parasitism while maintaining its position at the table.

What parasitic strategies are used, and what are the affective constellations necessary to deal with the cognitive dissonance that comes with maintaining this position whilst having knowledge about the injustice. (without cognitive dissonance this position, that cannot be blind to the proces of exclusion (by the very nature of its para/inbetweenness), would also be a sociopathic position)

The ambiguity of a transparent parasitic position at the table would bring with it a necessity for an active and ongoing questioning and shaping of a parasite ethics. As well as a continuous effort to weaken the paranoia associated with the parasitic, so neither master nor guests fall into the trap of thinking that -instead of identifying with the parasite- the permanent removal of parasites will bring some kind of final resolution.

 

 

 

Parazit tv

PARAZIT tv

(Persian: پارازیت‎, pārāzit, meaning "static"/noise))\
Parazit was a weekly newscast that uses comedy and satire to deliver Iranian political news in all its glorious conceit.
 

Although funded by the United States and circulated via an integrated globalcommunication infrastructure to the dismay of the Iranian government,
Parazit became a popularprogram in Iran.
The hosts of Parazit  Kambiz Hosseini and Saman Arbabi have been accused of anti-Iranian activities, and Iranian officials claim that Parazit is a CIA operation that is stirring a “soft cultural war” amongst Iranians.  The regime fought back with an “anti-Parazit” ((I believe the correct term here would be "anti-Parazit parazit")) show to compete with it.  “The guys talks just like Parazit,” said Arbabi.  “But their jokes are really lame,” Hosseini added.  “I’m being really fair here.”

http://www.academia.edu/11132100/The_Geopolitics_of_Parazit_the_Iranian_Televisual_Sphere_and_Political_Humor.pdf
https://www.care2.com/causes/jon-stewarts-persian-counterpart.html

Parasite Fighters

"The idea of using an aircraft to launch another aircraft has been around since at least the First World War. Such "composite" aircraft became nothing particularly unusual, with experimental aircraft like the Bell X-1 and drones being launched off carrier aircraft platforms on a routine basis. However, the notion of actually launching and then recovering an aircraft in mid-air -- for example, a heavy bomber carrying its own "parasite" fighters for escort -- was more ambitious, and in fact nobody's ever really made a go of it, if not for lack of effort."

http://www.airvectors.net/avparsit.html