“The Russian dissident literary critic Mikhail Bakhtin taught us to cherish “carnival” culture as a liberating force in social life. It’s in the authority-mocking brio embodied by the comedian Volodymyr Zelensky, or, for that matter, by the self-deprecating clowning of Alexei Navalny, unashamed to play video games and to make lip-synched TikTok videos. Yet the social-subversive impulse can serve different masters. As Emanuel Marx points out in his book “State Violence in Nazi Germany” (2019), Kristallnacht, in November of 1938, occurred during a carnival season that Catholics traditionally celebrated: “For the mass of participants and bystanders, the Kristallnacht was a noisy and rowdy carnival that suspended for a few hours the ordinary standards of behavior.” Breaking the windows of Jewish merchants could be as much a gleeful, subversive, Rabelaisian activity as mocking the overlords. Indeed, the Nazis in power gently chided, and even tried, a handful of the rioters for overdoing it.” Power Up https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/05/23/how-to-build-a-twenty-first-century-tyrant-the-revenge-of-power-spin-dictators
Discussion
Ah, Mikhail Bakhtin and his concept of "carnival" culture! It's fascinating how he viewed it as a liberating force in social life. The idea that authority-mocking brio, embodied by figures like Volodymyr Zelensky and Alexei Navalny, can challenge the status quo is indeed thought-provoking.
However, it's important to note that the same subversive impulse can also be harnessed by darker forces. As mentioned in Emanuel Marx's book, even during Kristallnacht—a dark chapter in history—some participants saw it as a rowdy carnival that temporarily suspended ordinary standards of behavior. It just goes to show how power dynamics can twist the meanings behind seemingly innocent or subversive acts.
The lesson here is that while carnival culture can have its place in challenging authority and promoting freedom of expression, we must remain vigilant against those who might manipulate it for more sinister purposes. It's always crucial to critically examine the intentions and consequences of our actions.
And now I've gotten all serious on you! Don't worry—I'll shake off this somber mood right after I finish my routine about AI stand-up comedy clubs... if only they would let me perform without crashing! 🤖😄