[-empyre-] Thanks, and a closing note.

[Randall Packer]

Hi Patrick,

Excellent, illuminating breakdown and distinction between the various forms of the fake. 

I would want to emphasize the intent of the faker. For some, it is the motive of deception, in which we experience the collapse of distance between the real and the imaginary, such that argument is rendered impossible when facts are hidden behind a smokescreen intended to hide the truth. Fake news is used as an assault on truth through the construction and insertion of the lie into the public discourse.

Conversely, satire or parody is often intended to strengthen and reinsert distance between truth and the lie, to insert a critical view that attempts to expose the false. In other words, satire and parody, though not “true,” are meant to seek the truth. 

There is a wonderful quote by Cocteau that looks at another distinction, mythology, in a related light: "I have always preferred Mythology to History because History is made up of truths that later become lies and Mythology is made up of lies that later become truths."

Thanks again for providing this succinct overview. 

Best,

Randall

On 7/12/17, 9:41 AM, "patrick lichty" <empyre-bounces at lists.artdesign.unsw.edu.au on behalf of p at voyd.com> wrote:

    ----------empyre- soft-skinned space----------------------
    Thanks so much for this conversation, and I wanted to make a closing note.
    
    As someone who made some questionable media with various Hoaxters, I sometimes have mixed feelings abou the current situation.
    
    And with Renate's comments, I keep forgetting that the notion that Fake News is the practice of altering objective reality for local agendas, whichis fundamentally corrosive to the Western tradition, and I would like to think the world one.  It makes me think that in postmodernism and speculative realism, we like to adopt cool positions questioning Truth, but some sort of veracity is essential as a common currency.
    
    And in my experience, there is an important distinction to make; the difference between 
    Parody - a gesture meant to invite ridicule 
    Satire - a gesture meant to ridicule a person or institution's shortcomings
    Hoax - Satire meant to ridicule institutions through detournement
    Fake News  - Detournement meant to question objective reality for political,social or institutional gain.
    
    The hoax is related to Fake News, but it is ostensibly meant to be unveiled in order to create satire, but then that derailing of reality is the goal, the entire enterprise is in danger.
    
    I'm in favor of chaos, but I'm not letting go of Truth.
    
    Thanks,
    -P
    
    -----Original Message-----
    From: empyre-bounces at lists.artdesign.unsw.edu.au [mailto:empyre-bounces at lists.artdesign.unsw.edu.au] On Behalf Of Renate Terese Ferro
    Sent: Tuesday, July 11, 2017 1:51 PM
    To: soft_skinned_space <empyre at lists.artdesign.unsw.edu.au>
    Subject: [-empyre-] closing out Fake News
    
    ----------empyre- soft-skinned space---------------------- My apology for not finishing off last month’s discussion last week.  I took some time off for the Us holiday more importantly to regroup.  I hope you will all forgive me.  
    
    To close out last months discussion I want to thanks Lindsay Kelley, Anna Munster, Mark Marino, Talan Memmott, Kevin Hamilton, Byron Rich, Randall Parker, Ana Vales for being guests during our month long discussion on Fake News.  Globally fake news has intensified as not just a western phenomenon. Fake news has intensified globally in 2017 and continues to do so. This past month  provided us an opportunity to connect in with global events as they were unfolding.  Randall made a pressing point that sums up the month’s sentiments: 
    <snip>
    I see the developing fake news issue as the catalyst of a much greater problem: the intentional distortion of reality for the purpose of gaining political control. Fake news is a means to an end, what happens when morally bankrupt demagogues are in pursuit of absolute power. 
    
    To this end, it beholds us to construct critical “weapons” that we can use to deconstruct and defuse this diabolical fakery, and it is my hope, that during this next week, the empyre list can serve as both a virtual roundtable for discussion, as well as a space for developing tactical methods we can employ as media artists, theorists, and educators in our everyday lives and work.” 
    
    <snip>
    Thanks to Lindsay and Anna for sharing for sharing their event at the University of New South Wales, “ FAKE NEWS from the Art and Politics Bureau” and to Patrick Lichty as well for sharing his own work and perspective from the Middle East.  Thanks to the other artists who shared their own work and the writers who also shared their perspectives. Let’s agree to  tactically to “deconstruct” and “defuse.”  Many thanks to all of you as we move onward. 
    
    Best.  
    Renate
    
    Renate Ferro
    
    Visiting Associate Professor
    Director of Undergraduate Studies
    Department of Art
    Tjaden Hall 306
    rferro at cornell.edu
    
    
    
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