Endnotes

1. Writing in 1951 historian E. R. Dodds claimed there were 25,000 practicing astrologers in the U.S. and that about 100 of the country's newspapers provided daily horoscopes. Wonder what that number is today. Farewell, civilization.

2. Duncombe finds zines, by their form, meet the requirements to fit into what Walter Benjamin would call a "politically progressive culture." I don't really agree that form is the issue, that content is far less important.

He expresses doubts about irony [1a] also. "With criticizing the dominant culture obliquely through irony, the underground reaffirms its dependence on it." This sounds like one of those "Simply by drinking water we are benefiting at the expense of trees and plants that could have benefited from us dumping the glass of water on them instead of drinking it" -type of arguments. But the problem is there's not enough use of irony (as Harold Blume has said too). Especially in zines there is too much "authenticity" -- dumb literalism and sentiment. As long as there is some problem in society, bad behavior, bad government policy, etc., there is opportunity for ironic attack/statement.

He mentions the X Files more than once as a show that's "critical" of things such as govt. conspiracies (though he doubts its "subversive effect.") I still don't understand what's critical bout this show -- it is mystery/fantasy/sci-fi. Space ships coming down to pick us up -- that's real? Critical of, what -- the questionable sterility of the instruments aliens use to probe our dickholes during abduction? The show isn't critical the way the old Star Trek was.

Duncombe delves way, way into the sellout question, identity, the politics of form, and underground politics and culture in what is definitely the best book written "about" zines. Toward the end he gets way too politically obsessed, but the attention to detail, the micro- analysis is good; it's very thorough.

3. It was America with its extreme sexual repression that enabled rock & roll to be born so powerfully -- highly potent and highly stigmatized. Some would say R&R began losing its stigma and was resurrected, re-stigmatized, with punk. A problem in society is that many things that are accepted or respected should be stigmatized and vice versa. Some things shouldn't be acceptable: conspicuous consumption, horrible English, ostentatious "new money" running roughshod over communities, and having anything like an MBA. Saying something like "I'm working on my MBA," should elicit a response similar to if you had said "I'm working on a bestiality porn film with midgets."

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1a: Duncombe is thorough in that he doesn't assume much, which is good, but at one point he actually explains what irony is and it's a little embarrassing; it's kinda like listening to someone describe what a pencil is.

 

References

BAD: Or, The Dumbing of America, Paul Fussell.

Christian Science Monitor, 7/3/98

In Defense of Elitism, William A. Henry III

The Faith of a Heretic, Walter Kaufmann

Notes From the Underground: Zines & the Politics of Alternative Culture, Stephen Duncombe.

Obscure, #43. Ed: Jim Romenesko. 45 Albert St. S. St. Paul, MN. 55105

Prejudices: First Series, H. L. Mencken

Thank God for the Atom Bomb; and other essays, Paul Fussell.

Time, 3/3/97; and 10/4/99

Wall St. Journal, 7/8/98

ZYX #11 Ed: Arnold Skemer. 58-09 205th st. Bayside, NY 11364

 

[For a detailed, anal retentive breakdown of references in the article contact the zine]

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