High Weirdness (finally) Goes Mainstream
As the astute readers of this weblog are well aware... the topic of High Weirdness has been a recurring theme in describing the strange state of affairs that has, against all odds, invaded and possessed our post-modern world's pop-cultural sensibilities. High Weirdness (also referred to, interchangeably as High Strangeness) has in fact preoccupied much of the Tek-Gnostics Network's editorial perspective... as we have witnessed popular culture getting increasingly stranger.
In fact... High Weirdness is featured prominently in my new book: Brave Noö World - A Guerilla Ethnography of High Strangeness. In the book, I make the argument that what was once an obscure reference, has become the preeminent cultural marker of the strange days we find ourselves in. Readers of this weblog, as well as other great Synchromystic blogs, such as Watching the Wheels, Merovee, Twilight Language, Znore's masterful Groupname for Grapejuice, and Recluse's epic parapolitical site, VISUP ...have all contributed to our understanding of the post-modern manifestation of High Weirdness. As I state in the opening paragraph of Tek-Gnostics' High Strangeness page...
We are experiencing massive cultural change. In the opening decades of the 21st century, these changes feel as if they have been abruptly and bizarrely imposed upon us, driven by forces we do not, as yet, completely understand. This is indicative of a global transformation that is greater than we yet realize. Consequently, the spirit of the times we are living in, eloquently described in the Germanic tongue as: zeitgeist, is getting stranger and stranger...
The above link will deliver you to the High Strangeness page... the outline of which is greatly expanded upon in Brave Noö World.
And so... for us... it comes as no surprise to see modern mass media... driven as it is by the 24/7 news cycle... not only begin to take High Weirdness seriously, but to actually report on it in something other than a belittling, sanctimonious manner. You know that of which I speak. Over the last several news cycles... the legacy press has reported on how the word: WEIRD has taken the political establishment... Right & Left... by storm.
As Kat Tenbarge of NBS news has reported...
This week, the race for president got “weird.” The relatively benign word suddenly seemed to be everywhere in the political discourse, from campaign videos and podcast appearances to X posts and cable news hits. People on the left hurled it at those on the right, seizing on it as a fresh rallying cry amid a broader burst of energy sparked by the ascension of Vice President Kamala Harris as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. People on the right, in turn, sought to reverse the affront by leaning on some of the topics that have most resonated in their social media circles, most notably stigmatizing LGBTQ and gender-nonconforming people.
Tenbarge goes on to report that the Democratic “Won’t PAC Down” super PAC recently released a political ad themed around portraying MAGA conservatives as weird and creepy... that in just a few days had over 12 million views on X and YouTube combined.
Per Tenbarge's article... As the use of “weird” gained traction, Republicans responded, pivoting to use the word against Harris and to describe trans and other LGBTQ people, as well as gender-nonconforming individuals. Anti-LGBTQ efforts, particularly those targeting trans people and drag performers, have been a major pillar of conservative legislation, campaigning and online rhetoric that can spill into real-life conflict.
Again... it is no surprise that the use of the word "weird" not only landed as a viable descriptor of the shady exploits of the political Right, but as a reactionary, "that's you, what am i?" counter-strike of the Right, as well. However... use of the word caught fire, as it resonated within multiple segments of our socially-mediated pop culture. This is because... in our estimation... weirdness has become a major cultural marker of consequence in our post-modern world. In these strange days, increasing numbers of savvy people have come to identify with various aspects of weirdness.
As High Weirdness has gained cultural significance as a societal indicator, larger segments of the pop-population, not only recognized it as such, but additionally became increasingly comfortable with the concept of "Weird." So when those societal laggards, the politicians, began using the term... it naturally resonated... because everyone knows (already knew) that we are living in weird times.
By now, most of us have come to realize the important cultural distinction between being Weird-Good, and Weird-Bad. This implies a value structure of the concept: Weird. The brilliant, collective minds at Urban Dictionary have found an appropriately snarky, working definition for this otherwise nuanced word, defined as... WEIRD (adjective) "A word used by basic, insecure, boring, cookie-cutter ass bitches to describe someone better than them."
Ouch!
However... this does go to the heart of the cultural divide between outsider progressives and MAGA conservatives. These two extreme groups, found at either end of the political spectrum, illustrate the stark reality that partisan polarization remains the dominant, seemingly unalterable condition of American politics. Here, Weird-Good & Weird-Bad manifest in ways that are increasingly discernable to larger segments of the population at large.
This dichotomy is nowhere near that distinct in the fringes of our pop-cultural, memetic, socially-mediated meta-verse... where those of us who identify as Weird... dwell. The fringes of cyberspace still have a wild west feel, where left and right can co-mingle. In this space, we can share and contrast opinions, somewhat insulated in a protective force-field of weirdness. For our shared weirdness is a powerfully inclusive cultural marker. I honor your weirdness... over your socio-political leanings.
And so, what is becoming more evident is a powerful paradigm shift... becoming clearer, yet still obscured from view. A shift where the planet matters... where environmental concerns are a shared consideration. A shift where all walks of life have a seat at the proverbial table... as hinted at in my previous post... a partnership paradigm where refugees & the displaced, ethnic minorities, the poor & impoverished, LGBTQ, women, children, and of course, the Weird… become innovative, working partners in a noö paradigm, rather than being preyed upon, as in the old one.
So keep your eyes on the prize friends and neighbors of the weird fringe... a noö day is coming. Use your synchromystic skills to interpret and ascertain the powerful societal changes taking place. Recognize that all the political banter around the word Weird... points to something deeper. Underlying the political rhetoric... there is a noö sense of enthusiasm... a fresh sense of optimism. Can you feel it? In the words of the grandaddy of gonzo Journalism, Hunter S Thompson... When the going gets weird... the weird turn pro.
As I write there words... I can hear the Eeyores and the skeptics moaning. But hey! ...don't be a downer Mr. skeptic! Keep your doom and gloom forecasting in check for just a moment or two! Have the courage to allow a little optimism to creep into your jaded soul... just for a minute or two. Dare to be naïve! Besides... it's all a simulation anyway... right?
Don't worry about it... As soon as you step outside that door Mr. skeptic, you'll start feeling better. You'll remember you don't believe in any of this synchromystic crap. You're in control of your own life, remember? Here, take a cookie. I promise, by the time you're done eating it, you'll feel right as rain.
Editor's Note: Don't forget to disable all cookies in your yowzer settings! Fnord
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