"... or perhaps a climax, depending on how prone you are to Schadenfreude. The majority of discourse on the platform focussed on the platform itself and its theoretically impending doom. The situation called to my mind Théodore Géricault’s 1819 painting 'The Raft of the Medusa' which pictures the aftermath of an infamous shipwreck with the few living sailors struggling to climb up a mound of corpses on a decaying raft. In this case, no one was coming to the rescue, especially given that Twitter’s content moderation and safety staffs had been decimated by layoffs."
Writes Kyle Chayka in "The Year in Apps I Gave Up On/In 2022, the entire Internet began to feel something like a dying mall populated only by stores we don’t want to visit" (The New Yorker).
How does the Twitter situation look in your head? Please express yourself metaphorically, citing a work of art — e.g. "The Raft of Medusa":
Background story (from Wikipedia):
On 2 July, [1816, the French frigate Méduse] ran aground on a sandbank off the West African coast, near today's Mauritania. The collision was widely blamed on the incompetence of [Captain Hugues Duroy] De Chaumereys... Efforts to free the ship failed, so, on 5 July, the frightened passengers and crew started an attempt to travel the 100 km (60 mi) to the African coast in the frigate's six boats.
Although the Méduse was carrying 400 people, including 160 crew, there was space for only about 250 in the boats. The remainder of the ship's complement and half of a contingent of marine infantrymen intended to garrison Senegal—at least 146 men and one woman—were piled onto a hastily built raft, that partially submerged once it was loaded.
Seventeen crew members opted to stay aboard the grounded Méduse. The captain and crew aboard the other boats intended to tow the raft, but after only a few miles the raft was turned loose.
For sustenance the crew of the raft had only a bag of ship's biscuit (consumed on the first day), two casks of water (lost overboard during fighting) and six casks of wine.
According to critic Jonathan Miles, the raft carried the survivors "to the frontiers of human experience. Crazed, parched and starved, they slaughtered mutineers, ate their dead companions and killed the weakest."
After 13 days, on 17 July 1816, the raft was rescued by the Argus by chance—no particular search effort was made by the French for the raft. By this time only 15 men were still alive; the others had been killed or thrown overboard by their comrades, died of starvation, or had thrown themselves into the sea in despair.
The incident became a huge public embarrassment for the French monarchy, only recently restored to power after Napoleon's defeat in 1815.
90 comments:
As usual Munch’s The Scream is the most apt capture of Progressive reaction to sunlight and truth.
Delacroix's Liberty Leading The People, of course!
Metaphorically?
Your great sunrise pictures. Dawning. New beginning. Yesterday is done. Fresh Start.
The Storming of the Bastille.
10 years into the future...
The Coronation of Napoleon.
R. Crumb's cartoon depicting a Jewish family seeing it raining swastikas, saying, "Mien Gott! Swastikas falling from outten da sky."
https://www.lambiek.net/artists/image/r/rockwell_norman/rockwell_thegossips.jpg
Hey Althouse, that's also the cover art from one of the 1980s most interesting pop albums: The Pogues "Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rum_Sodomy_%26_the_Lash
The old Twitter must be likened to Bosch's hell panel from "The Garden of Earthly Delights." There was way, way, way too much despair, smoke-and-mirrors, broken promises, porn, and anarchy for other comparisons.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hieronymus_Bosch
St. Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland
Fake distress. Twitter looks much the same as before and brings nothing much to mind. The rending of garments in some quarters does add a fillip of entertainment.
After 13 days, on 17 July 1816, the raft was rescued by the Argus by chance—no particular search effort was made by the French for the raft.
The painting seems to depict the moment the castaways saw their rescue ship on the horizon.
So, yeah, the painting reminds me of the "hell site" Twitter at the moment of rescue by Elon Musk.
Elon Musk Contemplating a Bust of Jack Dorsey
Dogs Playing Poker
The Last Day of Pompeii by Karl Bryullov.
Last stand if the 44th Foot at Gandamak
He stole my "Dead Mall" metaphor.
Hieronymus Bosch comes to mind. Maybe James Ensor as a lesser, Belgian Munch. Dali.
But isn't that playing their game and accepting the terms of the article?
Jesus walking on water to the rescue.
link to a “Jesus art” search
It is fascinating that Democrats react to sunlight exactly like vampires do.
Piet Mondrian's "Broadway Boogie Woogie".
"How does the Twitter situation look in your head?"
Better.
Metaphorically, compare the city of Pittsburgh in 1978 to the city today.
There must be a painting somewhere of Jesus driving the moneychangers out of the Temple.
Anyway, something like that.
He stole my "Dead Mall" metaphor.
I’m looking for reliable information on wether or not people leaving Twitter is outpacing new people signing up. I can’t find any.
Rumors of Twitter dying have a desired narrative bent to them. Wish-casting.
The Scream by Edvard Munch expressing the libtard anguish.
I think of Hercules changing the course of a river in order to clean out the Augean stables.
This is one man's story. A singular man.
https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AA10ieCQ.img
The Peaceable Kingdom, by Edward Hicks. What else?
There'll be bluebirds over / The white cliffs over Dover/ Tomorrow/ Just you wait and see
Song by Vera Lynn /WW II vintage - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovfQjR3iU-A
If Authoritarian leftists cannot feel safe and secure inside leftist Tech Oligarch's narrative hive-mind web-chambers - they will go away mad.
Left wing SNL Joy Behar media: Twitter is dying!
]Reality - Twitter is gains 1.6 million in one week.
“When the contest of the bow begins, none of the suitors are able to string the bow, except [Elon] who wins the contest. Having done so, he proceeds to slaughter the [censors] — beginning with [Gadde] whom he finds [shadow-banning wine] from his cup – with help from [Matt, Bari] and the slaves Eumaeus the swineherd and Philoetius the cowherd. [Elon] has now revealed himself in all his glory (with a little makeover by Athena); yet Penelope [the People of the Light] cannot believe that her husband has really returned – she fears that it is perhaps some god in disguise, as in the story of Alcmene – and tests him by ordering her slave Eurycleia to move the bed in their bridal-chamber. [Elon] protests that this cannot be done, since he made the bed himself and knows that one of its legs is a living olive tree [and vows, “Rather would that I forever lie sleepless alone upon cold hard tile.] Penelope finally accepts that he truly is [Elon], a moment that highlights their homophrosýnē (ὁμοφροσύνη, "like-mindedness"). Homer implies that from then on [Elon] would live a long and happy life together with Penelope and Telemachus, wisely ruling his kingdom, and enjoying wide respect and much success.”
Absolutely fascinating to read the first 20 comments- I had two paintings in mind to post on how it looks to me today, and two for how I expect it to look in the future, and three of the four are mentioned above by Sid and Achilles above. The only one not mentioned was Ruben's "Prometheus Bound".
Washington Crossing the Delaware
Not the greatest work of art but one of the oldest: Hercules cleaning the Augean Stables. Destroying the stables/Twitter is relatively easy. Cleaning-and-restoring is Herculean.
"It is fascinating that Democrats react to sunlight exactly like vampires do."
Nah, more like roaches.
And several other great choices above. You should be proud of your commentariat today, Althouse.
I think of it as Goya's "Saturn Devouring His Son."
Lovely, Meade. Everything in life has already been said by the Greeks.
Also, who in their right mind would name a ship after Medusa?
Great answers! Thanks.
I found that Crumb comic here: https://www.reddit.com/r/comicbooks/comments/2lm35h/mein_gott_swastikles_falling_from_outen_der_sky/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
There must be a painting somewhere of Jesus driving the moneychangers out of the Temple.
https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=BAvs0uYX&id=7D54194036019D42751284D67963EFB1A867792F&thid=OIP.BAvs0uYX71FCzpNbKZ0N3AHaHS&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fi.pinimg.com%2foriginals%2fad%2f33%2fdc%2fad33dc4d12a94a914d0d60755750a867.jpg&cdnurl=https%3a%2f%2fth.bing.com%2fth%2fid%2fR.040becd2e617ef5142ce935b299d0ddc%3frik%3dL3lnqLHvY3nWhA%26pid%3dImgRaw%26r%3d0&exph=599&expw=608&q=%2bjesus+money+lenders+temple+throw+out+caravaggio&simid=608004233911158392&FORM=IRPRST&ck=120AD9EBECA20C3FFD7919E0B02638D2&selectedIndex=15&ajaxhist=0&ajaxserp=0
Remember, whenever someone asks, "What would Jesus do?" throwing over tables and scourging people with a whip is a possibility.
Sheridan posted my answer, "Washington Crossing The Delaware"
Winslow Homer's "To the Rescue"
https://www.cooperhewitt.org/2013/05/22/to-the-rescue/
"its theoretically impending doom"
Progs love their theory.
It would be nice to hear an actual prog defense of pre-Musk shenanigans, other than the mere fact that they served the political cause. What exactly justified the laptop filtering, the Baker interference, the righty shadow banning, etc. etc? Come to think of it, what justified the intelligence officials' laptop disinformation deflection, the MSM silence on the NY Post disclosures, and Hunter's actual business dealings? I mean, if the tables were turned, not that they could be, progs would be screaming, right?
Thanks, Kate. Glad you enjoyed it.
American Progress
It is fascinating that Democrats react to sunlight exactly like vampires do.
Unfortunately we live in a world in which most people under 30 will not understand this comment because they think vampires sparkle in the sunlight.
From the perspective of conservative politicians and writers: Harvey Bell's smiley face.
Have a nice day!
Since Twitter is referred to as a hell site maybe something from Dante’s Inferno is appropriate.
href=“www.florenceinferno.com/minos-the-infernal-judge/”Minos Judging Sinners
The Left loved loved loved Twitter until they couldn’t control it.
Twitter just increased its potential market by 50% - not a formula for failure. Then, too, it's very clever to use Taibbi and Bari Weiss to start getting the story out. They are known leftys (but honest about free speech.) A free market can sell to the whole market and selling is the way to profit.
Lyle said...
Piet Mondrian's "Broadway Boogie Woogie".
Hung upside down.
That changes everything.
Gustave Doré's illustrations for Dante's Divine Comedy, also come to mind, though they aren't anywhere near as hellish as Bosch's paintings.
There's also Steve Bell, whose New Statesman covers were disgusting and hellishly repellent.
But I doubt that Twitter resembles anything hellish. Learn to recognize when writers are just indulging in their own fantasies and not taking the trouble to investigate what's happening in the real world.
Without a doubt Mondrian's Composition II in Red, Blue, and Yellow.
The outsized red block is now finding new strength, with the Blue block still present but in the corner, and the yellow representing the former Twitter employees and politicians who are now on the run. Most of Twitter, indeed the part I spend most of my time with, isn't changed, mostly neutral and filling most of the space but without getting into the political positioning.
https://www.piet-mondrian.org/composition-ii-in-red-blue-and-yellow.jsp
Balthus "Guitar Lesson"
Twitter has been a manipulated and manipulative site from its beginning in 2006.
would like to contribute, but I left twitter when (important famous person) left.
I don't notice any difference in twitter, the people I follow still seem to be tweeting and whatnot. Some made reference to mastadon pages or whatever but I don't feel the need to create a profile there since they still post on twitter. The reports of it crashing and going off line in the 'near' future seem to have been overblown and the supply of NAZIs on twitter does not seem to be keeping up with demand.
I choose Bridget Riley’s Blaze 4, which represent the way I feel like twitter a major time suck.
From the prog POV:
Guernica
(especially the guy on the right)
https://tinyurl.com/3fhcurdf
I never used Twitter and the metaphor I would use is "1984."
Mine would have been better if I’d said “Musk walking on water”.
I forgot Kanye fancies himself as (the black?) Jesus.
I see I’m not the only one looking at Musk as “the one”, the savior.
It’ll be chocolate and orgasms as long as we don’t look for the signs of his… crucification 🫣
Let’s try using newscphotos from 1945. Start with the Marines raising flag our on Suribachi in February so B-29s could deliver Little Boy and Fat Man to the Empire of Japan in August so that Empire up and surrendered on the USS Missouri in September, to the dumpy little VP made President since April, and who was also from Missouri. In one year our New Empire replaced two old Empires. That’s also a better human suffering image than this lost at sea hell. That was outdone In 1945 alone by the US Navy many times in WW II from single to 10 man pilots never found to 800 man ship’s crews eaten by the sharks.
Hence Existentialism Philosophy and UN globalists met the baby boomers.
As for Twitter, you ain't seen nothing yet. Citizen Musk has big plans. He will fight back and win.
"Long been referred to as a Hell site"
Did the "journalist" quote anyone from any time, or is this line just thrown out there with no support?
Titian Abraham and Isaac
That's a good one, Michael K. Maybe Apple's 1984 ad, with Elon as the sledgehammer-wielding infiltrator, is appropriate for this thread.
It's wishful thinking but I'd say Pieter Bruegel's "The Fall of Icarus into the Sea", wherein no one seems to notice.
https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/painting-of-the-week-pieter-bruegel-the-elder-landscape-with-the-fall-of-icarus/
Goya’s “Saturn Devouring His Son” with Musk starring as Saturn and Tesla (more precisely, Tesla stockholders) as the son.
Since I don't use Twitter and know 95% of what I know about Twitter from reading comments here, I'll go with something by Magritte.
rastajenk @12:40
Funny how the underdog of 1984 is now the overlord.
Earnest Prole: "Goya’s “Saturn Devouring His Son” with Musk starring as Saturn and Tesla (more precisely, Tesla stockholders) as the son."
How would that reflect stock splits? Shouldn't "the son" suddenly (Tesla stockholders) find itself with a twin, then a triplet?
I go with the Garden of Eartly Delights by Bosch. Its a safe choice. It pretty much covers everything
That Norman Rockwell illustration where the White male stands up and speaks at some political meeting. Free Speech!!
"Kate said...
Lovely, Meade. Everything in life has already been said by the Greeks.
Also, who in their right mind would name a ship after Medusa?
12/9/22, 9:29 AM "
Sorry ~OT but my Uncle served in the USN on the Medusa in WWII
I will appropriate an excerpt for use as an appropriate metaphor.
"Medusa was the first U.S. Navy ship designed as a fleet repair ship for major repairs beyond the fighting ship’s own capabilities"
"Who in their right mind . . .?"
French. Pay attention.
Just kidding, Kate, Scott.
Medusa is a fine name for a ship. I'm sure the RN had some too.
"That Norman Rockwell illustration where the White male stands up and speaks at some political meeting. Free Speech!!"
Yes, at a public hall. Twitter and other social media are not public halls, but privately-owned businesses. The owners of social media that allow completely free speech--if there are any--are to be admired, but it is a mistake to assume they fall under any constitutional requirements of free speech. In short, if you get thrown out of one bar for offending the owners (and/or other barflies), go to another bar to air your opinions
Kate,
No sane person thinks the French were in their right minds in that era.
Scott Patton,
Your uncle's Medusa was not the first USN ship of that name. The Civil War-era coastal monitor USS Nantucket was briefly renamed the Medusa (for a mere 2 months!)
There has got to be a story behind this, but alas the wiki page makes no mention of it beyond the mere fact of the dates of renaming and the re-renaming.
Caravaggio: Judity Beheading Holofernes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judith_Beheading_Holofernes_(Caravaggio)
H. W. G. Hayter, Cleansing the Augean Stable, 1832
https://herculesproject.leeds.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2019/03/AugeanStable_HHno15.jpg
And yes, the particular circumstances of that cartoon are apropos.
This is easy:
Manet's Le Dejeuner sur l'herbe
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_D%C3%A9jeuner_sur_l%27herbe
Elon is cutting through the fusty rules of the past and challenging us with a bright, free future where each of us can choose content for ourselves.
Nighthawks at the diner, but with thought bubbles--each containing a miniature Bosch.
Some interesting suggestions. My first thought was Munch, but that seemed too obvious. My second thought was "American Gothic".
Note in the Wikipedia article about "Le Dejeuner sur l'herbe", Manet said the painting was valued at 25,000 francs in 1871 but later was valued at 1/10th of that, 2,600 francs...just like Twitter!
Also, I misstated my point above. Elon is challenging us with a bright, free future where each of us can evaluate content for ourselves...just like Manet and "Le Dejeuner sur l'herbe".
Elon, though flawed, is a national treasure. Lift a glass to three honest liberals--Musk, Taibbi, and Weiss.
Any of many paintings of John III Sobieski of Poland and his Winged Hussars charging down the Kahlenburg (sp?) in 1683 to smash the Turkish camp, raise the second seige of Vienna, and save our civilization. Musk, of course, is Sobieski.
Robert Cook said...
"That Norman Rockwell illustration where the White male stands up and speaks at some political meeting. Free Speech!!"
Yes, at a public hall. Twitter and other social media are not public halls, but privately-owned businesses. The owners of social media that allow completely free speech--if there are any--are to be admired, but it is a mistake to assume they fall under any constitutional requirements of free speech. In short, if you get thrown out of one bar for offending the owners (and/or other barflies), go to another bar to air your opinions
***************
Count on Cook entirely missing the POINT, which was... ***the government*** was feeding Twitter instructions and misinformation to encourage them to stifle Free Speech.
The government is not allowed to use non-governmental parties to do things forbidden it by the Constitution, including censoring free speech.
btw, Twitter was a publicly - traded business beginning in 2013, until Musk bought it. Meta is also a corporation.
Those companies were also given special dispensation by the federal government (Section 230) , which "protect(s) technology companies and businesses from being held liable for what users publish on their platforms." Thus they held themselves out as public platforms.
So your analogy to conversations in bars is utterly out-of-whack.
And no bullshit, please, about how the forbidden actions happened during the Trump administration. They were done in secret, and with the aid of "deep state" actors, including the "intelligence community", Democrats and their aids in Congress, and the FBI, who were all hostile to Trump. Twitter's and Facebook's CEOs both perjured themselves before Congressional committees when they denied what we know now what they did.
You didn't hear them making analogies to bar conversations.
How about the "This is fine." comic.
Hell everything these days is summarized by that comic panel
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