that god shaped hole, again
Music: Spectrum: Soul Kiss (Glide Divine)
Photos like these help to disclose the abject horror of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town." Proof positive that what Althusser called "interpellation" starts young is this year's "Scared of Santa" contest hosted by the Chicago Tribune. Roughly, the idea of interpellation is that the contents of self-consciousness are brought into being by being "hailed" or called or named by "the Man." The Man, of course, is just a figure or an imaginary locus of coercive authority—the very same figuration that Marx and Engels said the Dictatorship of the Proletariat would banish. Seeing these terrified faces (the full gallery is here) serves as an apt reminder that ideological subjectification is never total. Although most individuals accept their subjectification as "natural" and the way of the world, a limited few openly express their hatred of Big Brother in all his forms. These tots should be hailed for their bravery and unwillingness to be a subject of capitalism!
These courageous kiddies understand the true meaning of the Law of the Father: "Oh, you better watch out, you better not cry" is the voice of a senseless, coercive governemntal rationality of self-surveillance (it's like mindlessly turning on your blinker AFTER you've changed lanes on the highway). The only horror worse than succumbing to the red velvet knee in the ecstasy me-me-gimme-gimme is Virginia's realization that there really isn't a Santa Claus in the first place (surely the second Santa displayed here gives lie to that!). Along with Margaret ("are you there God? it's me . . . ."), Virgina represents the willing subject who sees her subjection as "natural," only to realize later that everyone touches themselves and, no, you're not going to hell, and you still have your eyesight! Either you realize the lie of subjection early (Santa is scary!) or later (Santa doesn't exist!).
Revisit, dear reader, the panoptical lyrics of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" against these traumatic photos and you will see just how abusive the Holiday Apparatus truly is! Christmas is not a time of joy, but terror! Oh, the horror! The Horror!
Oh! You better watch out, You better not cry, You better not pout, I'm telling you why: Santa Claus is coming to town! He's making a list, He's checking it twice, He's gonna find out who's naughty or nice. Santa Claus is coming to town! He sees you when you're sleeping, He knows when you're awake. He knows when you've been bad or good, So be good for goodness sake! So...You better watch out, You better not cry You better not pout, I'm telling you why. Santa Claus is coming to town. Little tin horns, Little toy drums. Rudy-toot-toot and rummy tum tums. Santa Claus is coming to town. Little toy dolls that cuddle and coo, Elephants, boats and Kiddie cars too. Santa Claus is coming to town. The kids in Girl and Boy Land will have a jubilee. They're gonna build a toyland town all around the Christmas tree. Oh....You better watch out, You better not cry. You better not pout, I'm telling you why. Santa Claus is comin' Santa Claus is comin' Santa Claus is comin' To town. . . . . MWWWA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!!!!