“I don’t want realism. I want magic!”
This quote from the play ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ by Tennessee Williams effectively sums up a common theme I identified in the Week 2’s presentation about Technology and Ideology and Week 3’s presentation on German Indianthusiasm and Indigenous Remasterings. Both presentations touched on the human tendency to idealize a culture different from our own, to fantasize about how wonderful another lifestyle must be while also ignoring any ugly implications.
The Technology and Ideology research discussed how the portrayal of living a technology-free or technology-limited lifestyle is often romanticized in an era where digital connection is everything. There’s a sense of nostalgic old-fashioned-ness about the idea that suggests being excluded technologically would pave the way for an more down-to-earth lifestyle with greater genuine human connection and a more hands-on relationship with the natural environment. Social media seems to provide such superficial instant gratification, while a disconnected lifestyle seems to promise a tantalizing sense of fulfillment.
Alternatively, the German Indianthusiasm research showed how there can be an entire following around a unrealistic, rose-tinted portrayal of an indigenous culture. While the German people have been made aware of the fact their stories are not accurate to the reality of Native Indians, they still cling to their romanticized image of Indiana, relishing in the idea of a people so vastly different from themselves living in harmony with the land.
It’s interesting to consider why we construct these magical images of other cultures and place them on pedestals, ignoring the negative real-world aspects. Is because we’re all so ingrained with an uncomfortable sense of dissatisfaction about our own lives, and long for the false fulfillment we see in other mediums? Is our general human mindset one of always viewing the grass as greener on the other side? Or do we just really like investing in fantasy?
