Thanks! The Pale King and Infinite Jest are 100% worth the effort, in my opinion.
I don't come out and say it directly, but the idea is that the demand for luxury cruises will only increase, as that demand is downstream from a consistent tendency for all wealthy societies to gravitate towards ultra-low-risk, self-indulgent forms of organized recreation.
What about the rise of rock-climbing and other "adventurous vacations?" You don't think there will be an inflection point ever, when societies get rich or status-conscious enough to ditch things like cruising?
I guess I'd argue that the amount of people pursuing serious, outdoor rock-climbing as a form of vacation is extremely small, whereas those going after cruise-like experiences is absolutely massive, and so more tempting to evaluate as a social phenomenon. It seems like just about every middle-to-upper-class American adult (and a great many in Asia and Europe as well) aspires to visit Disney, or a cruise destination, or a Vegas-like pleasure palace as their primary form of extended vacation.
This encouraged me to go and read the whole thing. "White as communion wafers" might be the best line I've read in a while. Hated IJ, but you've convinced me to read more of his essays. Thanks!
Glad to hear it! Pale King is fascinating as well, and for some reason I feel like it would appeal more to ACX readers as it's a book as much about abstract systems as anything else.
>DFW admits that he’d hardly left the country before at time of writing, and it shows both in his tendency to label things like the bovine herds of tourists and love of lowbrow mass-market entertainment as uniquely American, and his inability to discern that travel and enjoyment of exotic locals is a skill much like other skills, one that most tourists simply don’t possess.
This stuck out at me. In my experience, it's become easier than ever to *not* do a Standard Tourism Package - the internet will let you find offbeat experiences in any city on the planet. You can find a bike tour of Bangkok, or a Japanese cooking class, or a walking tour of Chicago, or anything that suits your fancy. It's so simple (once you're aware of your options) that you wonder why anyone would do something as boring as a cruise.
Sure, going on AirBnB and finding an Offbeat Adventure Experience for sale is still in some ways a mass-market touristy thing to do, but at least it's a touristy experience that you chose because you thought it was unique and interesting rather than an undifferentiated mass of pampering. You can get pampered anywhere, why bother traveling if that's your only goal?
(If I had to make this into some broader point about the Problems of Modernity, I would say that the modern era is one where you can do so many things that you can't simply Do A Leisure, you have to actually figure out what you like and do it intentionally, and that's surprisingly difficult.)
That struck me as well. I think at DFW's time of writing, this kind of vaguely depressing mass-market tourism was at a peak, as there were more people than ever who could afford it (at least in the US) but there was not yet any of the online infrastructure that now allows us to plan our own trips, and find 'hidden' experiences in a way that isn't dangerous, and doesn't demand proficiency in another language.
That said, I currently live in southeast Asia, and it's been a bit shocking to see how many apparently rugged, non-cruiserish travelers spend most of their time bouncing from massage to bar to buffet, behaving basically as if they were trapped on a cruise.
After our workplace switched to 95% remote due to COVID, the managers imposed on us some "remote social" events. One of them is a weekly Zoom meeting for our department -- not the local office, one level of hierarchy above it -- and consequently it includes a lot of people I never had met in person. Every week, someone (I resist saying good old someone) is supposed to talk about little about themselves and present a couple of slides about their professional interests and most importantly, projects and tasks they are working on.
Now here is the interesting thing. Before the actually important work stuff, people usually tell a little bit about their hobbies. What are their hobbies? Practically everyone loves traveling, exotic foods and wines.
Yes, traveling. We are all members of PMC. Nobody ever would confess to enjoying the cruises.
Nearly everyone seems to love *adventurous* traveling, "rock climbing lite": walking to the top of impressive mountain (yes, walking, not too difficult that one would need to climb) in a foreign location, or vising an exotic quaint village in a foreign location or buzzing exotic vibrant city in a foreign location, or lovely beach sunset in a ... . Occasionally someone has a sporty sports hobby -- not always rock climbing but usually not unlike rock climbing either -- that looks cool. And most importantly at all, take good selfies one can present in an occasion like this.
By of course, I am the sophisticated rebel who has read DFW and the cruise essay and sneer at this. But reading DFW is also super stereotypical and depressing, too.
Naturally, people who work for this company is a heavily selected sample. But seeing so many of these selected individuals together makes it difficult to believe their adventures are anything but another kind of mass tourism experience.
OTOH I don't think it is just the company but applies to "urbanite professional managerial class young adult". When I was swiping Tinder, 80% of the ladies (under 30 yr) said they loved wines and traveling in their profiles. I find it much more likely that for vast majority, their preferred kind of travel was "get a Airbnb in exotic location" than "a cruise".
It is like the difference between McDonalds and Subway: Big Mac is the same for anyone. Sandwich artisan will make you a sub with your preferred choice of toppings, but it is hard to argue there is anything unique about it.
DFW's essay is primarily focused on the 'pampering' nature of the cruise, so I think it'd be a mistake to force all forms of luxury recreation into his framework. The simplest explanation is that the desire for effortless fun and indulgence of the kind provided on a cruise comes around middle-age, once the average person begins to struggle with vigorous physical activity. I believe DFW was in his mid thirties when he wrote the piece, and indicated he was basically the youngest non-child, non-employee there.
A bit disappointing - the review of the title essay is quite good, but you neglect entirely the other essays which make up this collection, and I definitely would have liked to get your thoughts on those.
Thanks for reading. I love all of the essays, but to cover them all properly would take a book length post at the very least. Figuring that E Unibus Pluram alone might take weeks to unpack, I decided to focus on the title essay.
Thanks, I've been a bit inactive of late as I work on fiction projects. I also find it hard to find books that are both important and idiosyncratic enough to demand long form reviews.
I own the book in German, liked what I read, but stopped early: Shall pick it up again. - Also picked up Carnival-cruises-shares when the Corona-crash looked over. My parents loved their cruises! - Still waiting for this stocks to go up ... - well, most others I have disappoint, too. Hope dies last. - Kinda sad, you did not make it to the finals this year. It is a good review, no doubt. Your two other reviews I know were "better suited" for that competition.
I agree, in retrospect I should have submitted the 'Columbine' review, but oh well. Wanted to try something a little different, and much shorter than most of the other contest entries.
I've noticed that in general, the ACX audience's tastes trend away from literary fiction --generally Scott and the other Rationalists are more likely to read and research on urban planning or the history of the Castrati(my favorite review) than Dostoyevsky.
Yep, just one fiction review and one poetry got admitted - it is a non fiction contest, really. So there was only one free slot. - And most Scott-readers like it looong, if filled with ideas. My vote also went to Hoel. - Glad I am back and did not forget to subscribe this time. Now, vamos Columbine!
Great essay, thanks for the writing. I too am a fan of DFW although oddly I've only read his shorter non-fiction stuff.
I do still have a question though, why/how did this lead to stock purchases?
Thanks! The Pale King and Infinite Jest are 100% worth the effort, in my opinion.
I don't come out and say it directly, but the idea is that the demand for luxury cruises will only increase, as that demand is downstream from a consistent tendency for all wealthy societies to gravitate towards ultra-low-risk, self-indulgent forms of organized recreation.
What about the rise of rock-climbing and other "adventurous vacations?" You don't think there will be an inflection point ever, when societies get rich or status-conscious enough to ditch things like cruising?
Great essay, btw.
I guess I'd argue that the amount of people pursuing serious, outdoor rock-climbing as a form of vacation is extremely small, whereas those going after cruise-like experiences is absolutely massive, and so more tempting to evaluate as a social phenomenon. It seems like just about every middle-to-upper-class American adult (and a great many in Asia and Europe as well) aspires to visit Disney, or a cruise destination, or a Vegas-like pleasure palace as their primary form of extended vacation.
Thanks for the reply.
I have Infinite Jest on my to be read pile and will get to it eventually
This encouraged me to go and read the whole thing. "White as communion wafers" might be the best line I've read in a while. Hated IJ, but you've convinced me to read more of his essays. Thanks!
Glad to hear it! Pale King is fascinating as well, and for some reason I feel like it would appeal more to ACX readers as it's a book as much about abstract systems as anything else.
>DFW admits that he’d hardly left the country before at time of writing, and it shows both in his tendency to label things like the bovine herds of tourists and love of lowbrow mass-market entertainment as uniquely American, and his inability to discern that travel and enjoyment of exotic locals is a skill much like other skills, one that most tourists simply don’t possess.
This stuck out at me. In my experience, it's become easier than ever to *not* do a Standard Tourism Package - the internet will let you find offbeat experiences in any city on the planet. You can find a bike tour of Bangkok, or a Japanese cooking class, or a walking tour of Chicago, or anything that suits your fancy. It's so simple (once you're aware of your options) that you wonder why anyone would do something as boring as a cruise.
Sure, going on AirBnB and finding an Offbeat Adventure Experience for sale is still in some ways a mass-market touristy thing to do, but at least it's a touristy experience that you chose because you thought it was unique and interesting rather than an undifferentiated mass of pampering. You can get pampered anywhere, why bother traveling if that's your only goal?
(If I had to make this into some broader point about the Problems of Modernity, I would say that the modern era is one where you can do so many things that you can't simply Do A Leisure, you have to actually figure out what you like and do it intentionally, and that's surprisingly difficult.)
That struck me as well. I think at DFW's time of writing, this kind of vaguely depressing mass-market tourism was at a peak, as there were more people than ever who could afford it (at least in the US) but there was not yet any of the online infrastructure that now allows us to plan our own trips, and find 'hidden' experiences in a way that isn't dangerous, and doesn't demand proficiency in another language.
That said, I currently live in southeast Asia, and it's been a bit shocking to see how many apparently rugged, non-cruiserish travelers spend most of their time bouncing from massage to bar to buffet, behaving basically as if they were trapped on a cruise.
Here is something of interest.
After our workplace switched to 95% remote due to COVID, the managers imposed on us some "remote social" events. One of them is a weekly Zoom meeting for our department -- not the local office, one level of hierarchy above it -- and consequently it includes a lot of people I never had met in person. Every week, someone (I resist saying good old someone) is supposed to talk about little about themselves and present a couple of slides about their professional interests and most importantly, projects and tasks they are working on.
Now here is the interesting thing. Before the actually important work stuff, people usually tell a little bit about their hobbies. What are their hobbies? Practically everyone loves traveling, exotic foods and wines.
Yes, traveling. We are all members of PMC. Nobody ever would confess to enjoying the cruises.
Nearly everyone seems to love *adventurous* traveling, "rock climbing lite": walking to the top of impressive mountain (yes, walking, not too difficult that one would need to climb) in a foreign location, or vising an exotic quaint village in a foreign location or buzzing exotic vibrant city in a foreign location, or lovely beach sunset in a ... . Occasionally someone has a sporty sports hobby -- not always rock climbing but usually not unlike rock climbing either -- that looks cool. And most importantly at all, take good selfies one can present in an occasion like this.
By of course, I am the sophisticated rebel who has read DFW and the cruise essay and sneer at this. But reading DFW is also super stereotypical and depressing, too.
Interesting. I didn't think adventurous hobbies were *that* prevalent, especially considering the average fitness level of Americans.
Naturally, people who work for this company is a heavily selected sample. But seeing so many of these selected individuals together makes it difficult to believe their adventures are anything but another kind of mass tourism experience.
OTOH I don't think it is just the company but applies to "urbanite professional managerial class young adult". When I was swiping Tinder, 80% of the ladies (under 30 yr) said they loved wines and traveling in their profiles. I find it much more likely that for vast majority, their preferred kind of travel was "get a Airbnb in exotic location" than "a cruise".
It is like the difference between McDonalds and Subway: Big Mac is the same for anyone. Sandwich artisan will make you a sub with your preferred choice of toppings, but it is hard to argue there is anything unique about it.
DFW's essay is primarily focused on the 'pampering' nature of the cruise, so I think it'd be a mistake to force all forms of luxury recreation into his framework. The simplest explanation is that the desire for effortless fun and indulgence of the kind provided on a cruise comes around middle-age, once the average person begins to struggle with vigorous physical activity. I believe DFW was in his mid thirties when he wrote the piece, and indicated he was basically the youngest non-child, non-employee there.
A bit disappointing - the review of the title essay is quite good, but you neglect entirely the other essays which make up this collection, and I definitely would have liked to get your thoughts on those.
Thanks for reading. I love all of the essays, but to cover them all properly would take a book length post at the very least. Figuring that E Unibus Pluram alone might take weeks to unpack, I decided to focus on the title essay.
This was an excellent read, thank you.
Just wanted to say I like your writing, and I hope you do more
Thanks, I've been a bit inactive of late as I work on fiction projects. I also find it hard to find books that are both important and idiosyncratic enough to demand long form reviews.
I own the book in German, liked what I read, but stopped early: Shall pick it up again. - Also picked up Carnival-cruises-shares when the Corona-crash looked over. My parents loved their cruises! - Still waiting for this stocks to go up ... - well, most others I have disappoint, too. Hope dies last. - Kinda sad, you did not make it to the finals this year. It is a good review, no doubt. Your two other reviews I know were "better suited" for that competition.
I agree, in retrospect I should have submitted the 'Columbine' review, but oh well. Wanted to try something a little different, and much shorter than most of the other contest entries.
I've noticed that in general, the ACX audience's tastes trend away from literary fiction --generally Scott and the other Rationalists are more likely to read and research on urban planning or the history of the Castrati(my favorite review) than Dostoyevsky.
Yep, just one fiction review and one poetry got admitted - it is a non fiction contest, really. So there was only one free slot. - And most Scott-readers like it looong, if filled with ideas. My vote also went to Hoel. - Glad I am back and did not forget to subscribe this time. Now, vamos Columbine!