Jean Baudrillard (1929-2007)

In 1989 Baudrillard came to Missoula, Montana. He delivered a lecture at the university. Ron Silliman was invited to work up "a response," and after Baudrillard delivered his incomprehensible ideas Ron did a kind of stand-up critique. As I recall, the gist was that Baudrillard was a "transvestite of theory." What did he mean? Perhaps you had to be there.

As was Eugene Chadbourne. Sylvere Lotringer. Rob Smith.

This was the era of Baudrillard's THE ECSTASY OF COMMUNICATION. Other titles in the Autonomedia "Foreign Agents Series." IN THE SHADOW OF THE SILENT MAJORITIES. SIMULATIONS.

" . . . the dissolution of TV into life, the dissolution of life into TV . . ."

Yes, the process has been going on for some time now.

"YOU are news, you are the social, the event is you, you are involved, you can use your voice, etc."

Baudrillard was writing about this form of "objective irony" 30 years ago. Last year Time magazine's person of the year was: YOU.

Baudrillard was born rolling over in his grave.

Now that he's out of the cradle of the earth I'm sure he's endlessly rocking on.