Illusions of Control: Aesthetics, Nostalgia, and Meme Culture w/ Grafton Tanner

How can nostalgia inspire memes that motivate and mobilize communities?Last week, Jamie and Josh discussed how the term “meme culture” is in jeopardy of being co-opted by extremists. This week, they welcome back Grafton Tanner to take a deeper dive into the topic.What is vaporwave, and what characteristics of its aesthetic that afford itself to be used by these communities? How do aesthetics and fandoms intertwine? How can corporations grapple with feelings of nostalgia in intensely devoted fandoms?About Grafton Tanner:Grafton Tanner is the author of The Hours Have Lost Their Clock: The Politics of Nostalgia (Repeater Books, 2021), The Circle of the Snake: Nostalgia and Utopia in the Age of Big Tech (Zer0 Books, 2020), and Babbling Corpse: Vaporwave and the Commodification of Ghosts (Zer0 Books, 2016).Follow Grafton Tanner:Twitter | WebsiteShow Notes:Babbling Corpse - Vaporwave and the Commodification of Ghosts - Grafton TannerMuzakSynthwaveDawnFMChord Progression of Boys of SummerPersistent Storytelling