Commodification of obscenity and the culture of consumerismin books

Mark Manson’s book The Subtle Art of not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life has been quite the sensation among the reading enthusiasts.

One word from the book’s title is not easily mentioned in common discourses, especially in Africa where euphemism takes precedence over obscenities.

Despite being a self-help book, it has attracted mixed reactions on the internet, with some dismissing it as too dirty to display on the shelves while those who have actually read it struggle to clarify that there is nothing obscene in the publication.

In other words, this one word in the book’s title may insinuate obscenity, yet the reality is far from it. The only time that the unmentionable term is used to denote the act of lovemaking is in the third chapter where the imagined character, Jimmy, is said to have slept with any willing woman.

Consumer culture

This raises the question of why the author chose the word despite a guaranteed backlash from conservative readers.

Arguably, the consumer culture has shifting tendencies and as per the look of the international market, commercialisation of obscenity or what looks like it is attracting a lot of demand and acceptance.

Canadian Author Grant McCracken said consumer culturebegan in the eighteenth century when fashion was commercialised as a result of mass change to new taste. It appears that the embrace of what some conservative culturesconsider as dirty is gaining a lot of inevitable demand.

Considerably, the use of the ‘dirty’ word is common in some cultures, especially in the West where in many cases pun is intended. The use of such a word is thus a culture in itself.

The so called American language common in rap music has transcended many cultures throughout the world.

Manson has therefore managed to enjoy the same influence that rap artists have enjoyed over the use of such language, and the sales, some sources claim are rising due to the nature of consumer culture.

It is therefore common to find someone in a matatu or office reading the book albeit hiding its cover for obvious reasons of being scorned.

Critically, the book is full of allusions where real life characters are used as springboards to convey the intended message of ignoring what is irrelevant in life. For the author, you don’t have to give attention to everything in life.

In postmodern terms, the use of the word deconstructs the metanarrative of what is the accepted norm of communication and deviates to construct a local narrative of a modern generation that is fast breaking away from traditions, at least in Africa.

The book echoes the philosophical sentiments in the opening of Hama Tuma’s short story “The Case of the Prison Monger.” The story opens with a catching statement, “Great expectations make frustrated men…when you stretch your arms to reach for greater things, you drop what you already have in your arms.”

It is a theme of contentment and Manson does it well, condemning human fixation on the positive and constant bombardment with messages over small issues and “to give a f*** about everything.”

To achieve his intentions, he uses many allusions, including those of Charles Bukowski, a German novelist and poet who became satisfied with himself by accepting that he was a loser of some sort.

As the book illustrates, the author of Post Office written in three weeks and “dedicated to nobody” had one clear message to people not to strain beyond their means. His epitaph when he died inscription “don’t try.”

Manson writes of Bukowski: “This is the real story of Bukowski’s success - his comfort with himself as a failure. Bukowski didn’t give a fuck about success”.

With a spice of humor, the author also comically alludes to Japanese soldiers led by Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda who, trained not to surrender, continued hiding and fighting post second world war for many years. He ignored several attempts to surrender. By extension, Manson criticizes human beings for spending time on useless and destructive causes.

Further, the book alludes to Rock Star Dave Mustaine, who was rejected in a band, started his own and became a great success but made the mistake of measuring himself with another band that was more successful than his own.

Additionally, the nook makes reference to Buddha, a meditator who discovered himself after walking out of the palace where he was the prince.

In essence, the book, as dirty as the title might be interpreted, makes an ironical praise of pain as good and condemns hedonism-the quest for pleasure. Mason asks readers to expect panda, the metaphor of a disappointment to visit them.

He illustrates the postmodern shifting tendencies, for instance, the absurdity of thinking that you have solved your health problems by enlisting in a gym only to introduce another of waking up early and sweating.

Further, the book condemns social media and how it has created a false appearance of people bragging that they have better lives than others, thus driving others insane while trying to reach for greater things.

Mixed reactions

But Manson does not advocate for indifference, he condemns the philosophy of stoicism.

He says people have to choose what to mind more than the usual adversities like a phone battery getting low.

But it is not only Manson’s book that has elicited mixed reactions. Other writers too have suffered the same with their writings being dismissed and condemned because their appearance, especially with the titles were misunderstood.

The best example is German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche who was criticized for his “God is dead” statement. Although he was using the phrase figuratively, the philosopher was condemned. In essence, he was trying to argue how the era of enlightenment had downgraded the belief in God.

In South Sudan, the book God Grew Tired of Us by John Bul Dau and Michael Sweeney also seems to suggest abandonment by God.  However, the book satirizes the inability of the people and its government to create order and stability.