Notes on \"Monster Culture (Seven Theses)\" PDF

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Notes on "Monster Culture"...

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Ne a l No t e so n“ Mo ns t e rCul t ur e( Se v e nThe s e s ) ”By :Je ffr e yJe r o meCohe n Thi nkoft heMo ns t e rast hemo r al sorc us t omsofac ul t ur e .  Fi r s tPa r a gr a ph:Do e s n ’ tha v emu c ht od owi t ht her e s to ft h ee s s a y … o Thi se s s a yi sf r om ab ook , a ndt h i sbo oki sac o l l e c t i ono fe s s a y s . Thi sboo ki son mon s t e r s , a n dmon s t r o s i t i e s . o Hi sg o a li nt hi se s s a yi st os k e t c hane wmo dusl e g e ndi :  ame t hodofr e a di n g , a ndr e a di n gc ul t u r e sf r o mt hec r e a t u r e st he ypr od uc e . o Ex pl a i n i n gwh yhei sv i ol a t i n gt h et wos a c r e dd i c t a .  Fi r s tDi c t a :Co mpu l s i o nt oh i s t o r i c a ls p e c i fic i t y .  Whoi sb e i n gc o mp e l l e d? o Thes c h ol a r , t h ep e r s onbe i n gdi c t a t e dt o . Me a ni n g :y o u n e e das pe c i fichi s t or i c a l mo me ntt owr i t ea bo ut .  Se c ondDi c t a:I n s i s t e nc et ha ta l lkno wl e dg ei sl o c a l .  Wha tdo e si tme a nt ha ta l lkno wl e dg ei sl o c a l ? o Pr ob a bl yha st od owi t ht hepr ob l e m ofkn o wl e d g ea ndh o w y o ukn o wt ha ty oukn o ws ome t h i n g . o Ha st odowi t ht hei de at ha twhe ns ome t hi n gi skno wni ti s a l wa y skno wnb yas p e c i ficpe r s oni nas pe c i ficpl a c e . o Sa yi n gs c ho l a r sa r et o ohu n guponhi s t or yi t s e l f , i ti s“ j us ta no t he rp r o c e s s i ono f t e xt s ” o Thi nkst ha th i s t or yi sun i mp or t a n ta ndt h a ti swh yhei svi ol a t i n gt hefir s ts a c r e d d i c t a .  Se c ondPar ag r aph:Heg e t st oh i sa c t u a lt op i ch e r e . o Hi sg e s t u r e sa r et h e s e7t he s e s , a ndhec a l l st he m“ gr a nd ” . I nwha twa ya r et h e y gr a nd ?  The y ’ r es i gni fic a nt , t he y ’ r ei mp or t a n t , t h e y ’ r ec on t r o v e r s i a l( s omeoft he t opi c s/s ub j e c tma t t e r ) o Ep i s t e mol o g i c a l :  Oforp e r t a i ni n gt ot het h e or yo fkn o wl e d g ea safie l dofs t ud y . o Hei ss a yi n gt h a ty o uc a nn o ts e et hee pi s t e mo l o gi c a lwho l eofh i s t or ybe c a us et he y a r ef r a gme nt a r ya ndy o uc a nn ot und e r s t a nda l l oft he ma ton c e . o Si nc epo s t mod e r n i s t shet h i n g sp e op l eh a v egi v e nu pont heu ni f o r mi t yof kno wl e dg e . o “ Mon s t r ou sBo d y ”ma ki n gap un , bo t t omofpa g et hr e e .  Mon s t e r sa r ema deofp a r t s( Fr a nk e ns t e i n ’ smon s t e r , mos tob v i o us l y) o Te r a t ol o gy :  Sc i e nc eo fmon s t e r s .  The s i sI :TheMo ns t e r sBo d yI saCu l t u r a lBo d y o Fi r s tpa r a gr a p h:  Hi ss t y l ei si ns t r u c t i v e . “ Sl obb e r ySt y l e ” , fla mb o y a nt , e nt hu s i a s t i c ,gr o s si n t hes e ns eofwr i t i n gamo ns t e rs t o r yi ns t e a do fa ne s s a y . Het e l l sy o uwha t t odowi t hv a mp i r e sb a s i c a l l y .  Ac omp e l l i n gwa yo fbr i n g i n gy o ui nt ohi sfir s tt he s e s .

Ne a l o Cr o s s r oa ds :whe r ey o urt e r r i t or ye nd s ,a ndt h et e r r i t o r yoft hemon s t e r s/ u nkno wnbe gi ns .  Wh ydo e shewr i t ei nt hi ss t y l e ? o Se c on dPa r a gr a ph:  Agr o upc a nb el oc a t e di ns pa c e , a ndi tc a na l s ob el oc a t e di nt i me .  I n c or p o r a t e sf e a r s , a nxi e t y ’ s , de s i r e s ,f a nt a s i e s( s t i mul a ntv s . d e pr e s s a nt ) .  Amo ns t r umi sas i g n( awa r n i n gs i g n)t obevi e we d. o Va mp i r e s :  Wha tki nd soff e a r sa n dde s i r e sd ov a mpi r e se mbo d y ?  De s i r et ol i v ef or e v e r/i mmo r t a l i t y .  Wef e a rt heda r kne s s , v a mp i r e sf e a rt h el i gh t/t hes un .  Bl oo ds uc ki n g :as e xu a ls ymbol ofs or t s . o Ma l ev a mp i r e sof t e ns uc kmor t a lf e ma l e sb l oo d, a ndvi c e v e r s a . o Pa r a l l e lt oSTDs( bi tb yav a mpi r eb e c omeav a mp i r e , s e x wi t hapr os t i t ut e , be c o meac a r r i e rofSTD) o Zo mbi e s :  Wha tki ndo ff e a r sa ndde s i r e sdoz ombi e sr e pr e s e n t ?  Zo mbi e sr e pr e s e ntde a t h, b e c a us et h e ya r el i t e r a lde a db od i e s .  Fe a ro fd i s e a s e s/ma s sdi s e a s e .  Fe a ro fa p oc a l yp s ewh e r ea l lh uma nl i f ei sd e s t r o y e d.  Fe a ro fi s ol a t i on( b yt hel i v i n g )b ut a tt h es a met i me o v e r p o pu l a t i o n. o Al i e n:  Wha tki ndo ff e a r sa ndde s i r e sdoa l i e nsr e pr e s e nt ?  Fe a ro ft heun kn o wn.  De s i r eo ft h eunkn o wn, a ndun kn o wnl i f e .  The s e s2 5i nno t e bo ok  The s i sSi x: o Mon s t e r sa r eo wni nn e rd e s i r e sa ndwec r a v et he i rf r e e d om a n dl i be r a t i on o “ Domon s t e r sr e a l l ye xi s t ? ” o Weha v eaf a s c i na t i onwi t ht heun kno wn o Ex a mpl e s :  Compa r e smon s t e r st of or e i gna r e a st ha ta r eun di s c o v e r e di nt e r mst ha t t he yr e pr e s e nt l i be r a t i onorf r e e do m.  Wema k es a f es pa c e sf o rou r s e l v e swhe r ewec a ne x pe r i e nc emo ne t a r i s m o rmon s t e r s( Ha l l o we e n) .Wekn o wHa l l o we e nwi l le nde v e nt ua l l y ,i t ’ s c o olt ot e s twh a ti t ’ sl i k et obeamo ns t e r , i t ’ ss a f et oe n j o ybe c a us ey o u kno wi twi l le n da to nep oi nte v e ni fi te nd sba dl y . The ny o uc a ng os a f e l y b a c kt oy ouro wni nhi bi t e ds t a t e . o Mon s t e r sh a v et oe x i s ts ot ha twec a ne x i s t .  Ont hee dg eofc u l t ur ei smo ns t e r s , a n dbe y o n dt hemon s t e r si st he u nkno wn . Di a gr a mma t i c a l l y ,c ul t ur e sc a n no te x i s t wi t hou tmon s t e r s .

Ne a l 

Weus emon s t e r st os a ywha ti sun a c c e p t a b l e .  Ta l ki n ga bo utmo ns t e r si nt hes e ns eofs oc i a lt a b oo s ....