Two stolen Jeffery Epstein edits were my two most liked tweets in months. Instead of examining the potentially low quality of my other tweets, let's consider why Epstein drip is the algorithmic zeitgeist today.
On the surface, a sort of gallows humor has taken over internet discourse around tragedies, evil people, or dark forces in the world. Charlie Kirk became an AI image motif for mashup jokes shortly after his murder. Epstein conversations post file release this week primarily reference aura and immaculate outfits. One girl I spoke with said he had daddy energy. Nick Fuentes recently quipped that what's very fucking cool about Hitler is "the edits".
This reframes arguments about Hitler from a historical view, or a human view, or based on his actions, toward more of a dream world / impressionist take on Hitler as experienced through a screen. It's much harder to argue that a well produced EDM infused edit is "lame" than it is to argue murdering 6 million people was evil.
Fuentes makes sense as a moral figure in a metaverse, where entertainment is the highest value, and the only ethic is not to be lame or boring. Pearl clutching is just one way to be lame. Governments understand this as well. The official DHS used neon text over a christmas EDM remix to propagandize deportations yesterday.
"New solipsism" or "life through a screen". Zoomers are nihilists falls short as a description. Imagine reframing the trolley problem to include Fortnite characters. 98% of people's answers would reduce to "fuck it kill either group, they're fortnite characters." The medium is the morality.
We experience real people mostly through a screen all day. Now the people are being find-and-replaced in favor of bots. Add ChatGPT to your group chat consensually, or have your replies raped by bots anyway. Liquid glass and AR/VR are hinting that non screen visual experiences of the world may soon be obviated.
"Other person as internet object, maybe human" also reflects in dating, where people are reduced to body count, one of five categories via starter pack, or situationship where we mutually objectify one another. It reflects in gig worker experiences. No one has a personal driver. Everyone has an army of faceless objects behind steering wheels.
Where is the rally point? Where are your human friends? The 21st century Beyond Good and Evil might find Nietzsche campy. The Will to watch passively and laugh in the cage.