In Episode 7 of Narrative Machines, "Remembered and Remembered Again," we interrogate the tension between the popular belief in linear societal progress and the inherently cyclical nature of revolution. Using the fall of the Berlin Wall as a symbolic entry point, we explore recurring patterns of upheaval, shifting power dynamics, and enduring social inequalities within revolutionary movements. By examining examples such as Egypt’s Arab Spring and China's Long March, it illustrates how revolutions often ultimately produce outcomes that contradict their original ideals.
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In Episode 7 of Narrative Machines, "Remembered and Remembered Again," we interrogate the tension between the popular belief in linear societal progress and the inherently cyclical nature of revolution. Using the fall of the Berlin Wall as a symbolic entry point, we explore recurring patterns of upheaval, shifting power dynamics, and enduring social inequalities within revolutionary movements. By examining examples such as Egypt’s Arab Spring and China's Long March, it illustrates how revolutions often ultimately produce outcomes that contradict their original ideals.
David Bowie’s career exemplified the interplay of performance, identity, and mythmaking. Through personas like Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane, and the Thin White Duke, Bowie blurred the lines between artifice and reality, crafting an enigmatic, occult-tinged ambiguity that challenged perceptions of authenticity and selfhood.
This episode delves into Bowie’s engagement with symbolism and fascist aesthetics during the mid-1970s, posing tough questions about the ethical limits of art and performance. It also examines the broader political implications of such themes, as addressed in episode four. From the glittering glam rock of the early ’70s, through the cocaine-fueled chaos of his occult fascination, to the introspective and reflective Berlin years that followed, Bowie’s shifting artistry reveals an artist grappling with the volatile forces he summoned.
By comparing Bowie’s calculated use of artifice to the rise of modern performative figures like Donald Trump and phenomena like Reality TV and the kayfabe of pro wrestling, we explore how spectacle, mythmaking, and image construction shape public narratives in both art and politics.
Narrative Machines
In Episode 7 of Narrative Machines, "Remembered and Remembered Again," we interrogate the tension between the popular belief in linear societal progress and the inherently cyclical nature of revolution. Using the fall of the Berlin Wall as a symbolic entry point, we explore recurring patterns of upheaval, shifting power dynamics, and enduring social inequalities within revolutionary movements. By examining examples such as Egypt’s Arab Spring and China's Long March, it illustrates how revolutions often ultimately produce outcomes that contradict their original ideals.
