Cute Accelerationism - Amy Ireland & Maya B. Kronic (Part 3)

Summary

The transcript discusses Amy Ireland's work on accelerationism, focusing on the concepts of 'cute' and 'epilated' as they relate to Deleuze and Guattari's 'Thousand Plateaus'. It explores themes of smoothness, lines of flight, and the mutation of sexuality through technology. The script delves into the idea of 'cute' as a non-orgasmic, ever-changing state that challenges traditional gender roles and societal norms, leading to a future-oriented, hermaphroditic state of becoming.

Takeaways

• 📚 The concept of 'smooth' in the script refers to a nomadic state, while 'striated' represents something stationary, referencing 'A Thousand Plateaus.'
• ✂️ 'Epilated' means to remove hair, symbolizing smoothness, and it is tied to the idea of a line of escape or becoming something else.
• 🐱 Cuteness is linked to the idea of perpetual becoming and intensity, never reaching a climax or final state.
• 🚀 Technology and machinic desire are pushing traditional sexual roles into mutation, referred to as 'transexualism,' breaking conventional societal norms.
• 💡 'Cuteness' is paradoxical and ambivalent, leading to the squeezing of cute things out of aggression, illustrating confusion between masculine and feminine drives.
• 🐾 Cat boys and 'femboys' in the text represent the collapse of traditional human structures and the embrace of becoming 'other,' linked to inhuman forces and accelerationism.
• 🧠 The concept of the 'body without organs' is explored, emphasizing continuous transformation, becoming, and rejecting a fixed state of being.
• 🔄 The 'war machine' symbolizes nomadic resistance to the state's rigid structure, using fluidity and machinic assemblages to reach the outside or transcendence.
• 🎭 'Eggo' refers to infantile behavior as a form of manipulation, and cuteness operates on a 2D superficial plane without depth or semiotic meaning.
• 🌀 The text continually references fluidity, transformation, and deterritorialization, using metaphors like the 'lobster god' to depict constant becoming and escaping fixed states of being.

Q & A

What is the significance of the term 'epilated' in relation to 'smooth' in this context?

In the script, 'epilated' refers to the removal of hair, symbolizing smoothness. It contrasts with 'striated,' which represents something stationary or rigid. Smoothness here relates to nomadic movements and lines of flight, echoing the themes in Deleuze and Guattari's 'A Thousand Plateaus.'

How does cuteness relate to accelerationism in the context of this script?

Cuteness is seen as a form of ambivalence and paradox that reflects the concept of becoming rather than being. It operates tangentially to sex and personality, destabilizing traditional roles and opening up lines of flight to the outside, which aligns with accelerationism's focus on breaking fixed boundaries and intensifying transformation.

What role does technology play in the transformation of sexual and personal identities as discussed in the transcript?

Technology is seen as a catalyst for the mutation and degeneration of natural sex and personal identity. It facilitates machinic desire, allowing individuals to escape traditional roles and embrace a line of flight, leading to the creation of new, fluid identities that are always in a state of becoming.

What is meant by 'fixed action patterns (faap)' in relation to species detriment or extinction?

Fixed action patterns (faap) refer to repetitive behaviors that can become detrimental to a species. In the script, these patterns are linked to digital libido, where individuals are caught in technological intensities, leading to a disconnection from real relationships and a possible decline in reproduction.

How does the concept of 'hermaphroditism' tie into the discussion of cuteness?

Hermaphroditism is used as a metaphor for the blending of masculine and feminine drives, where individuals transcend traditional gender roles. Cuteness embodies this ambivalence, breaking down barriers and leading to the creation of androgynous or hybrid identities that are constantly becoming something other.

What is the significance of 'squeeing' and 'the eternal squeeze' in the context of cuteness?

'Squeeing' refers to the emotional response to cuteness, which is described as eternal and unending. This represents the perpetual intensification of desire without ever reaching a climax, mirroring the idea that cuteness never fully satisfies but continues to generate intensities and transformations.

How does the 'nomadic war machine' contrast with the state apparatus?

The 'nomadic war machine' is fluid and operates outside the rigid, organized state apparatus. While the state seeks to capture and control territory, the war machine moves nomadically, creating lines of flight to escape the codified structures of the state. However, it can be captured and used by the state if not careful.

What is the 'baby talk' or 'eggo' behavior and its cultural significance?

'Eggo' refers to infantilized behavior used to manipulate or get one's way, often through exaggerated gestures and facial cues like 'puffiness beneath the eyes.' This behavior, previously associated with females, is now seen in males, reflecting the ongoing breakdown of traditional gender roles and the emergence of androgynous, superficial expressions.

How is 'Nom Nom' (or the Vore machine) connected to consumption and capitalism?

'Nom Nom' refers to the act of eating or being eaten, symbolizing consumption. In a capitalist context, this reflects the intertwined nature of consumer and commodity, where individuals both consume and produce themselves as objects of consumption. This process breaks down traditional polarities, leading to further complexity and deterritorialization.

How do femboys (or 'fboys') represent a rejection of traditional structures in this discussion?

Femboys are described as attacking the 'daddy system' and the organized, root-based structures of authority. By embracing desires and submitting to a flow that is beyond control, femboys disrupt the established order, rejecting fixed identities and moving toward a state of becoming, which is central to the accelerationist perspective.