Monsters Inc and Spatiality to Capital

"Monsters, Inc."—a story about monsters harvesting children's screams (and later, laughter) as a source of energy—provides a vivid metaphor for how capital extracts desire and how proximity to these mechanisms of desire extraction (spatiality) affects their intensity and our awareness of them.

Randall’s plan in "Monsters, Inc." to use the scream extractor, which, by its invasive nature, makes the process of scare (or fear) extraction overtly apparent to the child. This provides a great analogy for understanding the spatial closeness of of the desire extraction process and how such proximity can lead to heightened awareness.

Randall’s scream extractor represents a literal close-up encounter with the machinery of extraction. In the context of capital, this represents the shrinking distance between its processes and individuals, making its operations more visible and explicit than ever before.

Just as the child in "Monsters, Inc." becomes acutely aware of the extraction process when confronted with it so directly, individuals in today's society, faced with the unmediated intensities of capitalist extraction (through targeted advertising, social media algorithms, etc.), can become more aware of how their desires and emotions are commodified.

The moment of realization for the child, that their fear is being mechanically extracted, can be paralleled to an individual’s realization of their role within the capitalist system—a system that feeds off their desires and emotions. This awareness can be the first step toward questioning and potentially resisting the system.

Just as Randall's machine represented a technological advancement in the process of scare extraction, the technologies of desire extraction (data analytics, machine learning algorithms, etc.) have evolved to extract desires more efficiently.
As these mechanisms become more intrusive, they simultaneously become more visible, offering opportunities for individuals to gain awareness of the system's operations and, potentially, to envision and enact ways of resisting or transforming it.

Increased closeness with the process of extraction—whether it's fear from a child in "Monsters, Inc." or desire from humans in capitalism—breaks the illusion that these systems employ.. Once the process becomes overt, once the curtain is pulled back, the spell is broken. The individual, whether the child in the movie or consumers within capitalism, becomes aware of the extraction process itself, leading to a profound shift in perception.

The Breaking of Illusion

The realization of the child in monsters inc that what once frightened or enticed is merely part of a mechanized process designed for extraction shifts the focus from the content (the scare, the commodity) to the process (the extraction mechanism). This awareness demystifies the previously unseen operations of capitalism, just as the child's realization demystifies the monsters.

Loss of Intensity through Awareness

Upon this realization, the very intensities that capitalism sought to amplify and exploit lose their grip. What was once a compelling loop of desires and satisfactions becomes transparent as a cycle of manipulation, much like the child's fear dissipates when confronted with the scream extractor.

Fixation on the Process

The shift in focus from the output (screams, desires) to the machinery behind it (the scream extractor, the capitalist mechanisms) marks a critical juncture. For the child, the monsters lose their power; for individuals within capitalism, the incessant feed of desires loses its allure.

Randall, arguably one of the scariest monsters in the old era of fear extraction is stood next to the machine facing the child in their vision, but the child is not afraid of him anymore as much as they are of the literal machine and process itself that has now been made visible thanks to its physical closeness.

Spatiality and the Moment of Awareness
The child's close proximity to the scream extractor machine physically embodies the moment of awareness. It symbolizes how, in capitalism, the increasingly invasive tactics used to extract desires (through digital platforms, surveillance, and personalized advertising) reduce the distance between the system and the individual.

Just as the child becomes aware of the machinery behind their fear, individuals in contemporary society become cognizant of the mechanisms behind their desires. This awareness is facilitated by the metaphorical and literal closeness to the processes of capitalism, highlighting the role of spatiality in understanding the system.

Position and the Desire to Escape
The child's desire to run away from Randall and the machine upon realizing their purpose illustrates a shift from passivity to agency. Similarly, understanding one's position within the capitalist system—as both a target and a participant in desire extraction—can empower individuals to seek escape or change. The act of wanting to escape or resist is tied to the individual's ability to perceive their position within the system critically. Just as the child's immediate reaction is to create physical distance from the source of manipulation, individuals informed by a true consciousness of capitalism may seek to establish mental, emotional, or practical distance from its exploitative dynamics.

Implications for Collective Action
The child's reaction can also symbolize the potential for individual awakenings to spark broader movements. As more people recognize their position within capitalism and its effects on their desires and emotions, there's potential for collective consciousness raising and action against the system's exploitative practices.
Understanding and reacting to one's spatial and positional relation to capitalism isn't just about escaping but about redefining those relations on terms that resist exploitation and commodification of desires. It involves creating new spaces (both physical and digital) where alternative values and forms of engagement can thrive. Such as this site I am posting this on.


Apple Vision Pro as the Scream Extractor
Just as Randall's scream extractor represents a more direct, invasive method of extracting screams (emotions) from children, the Apple Vision Pro (or similar advanced technological devices) can be seen as a modern tool that facilitates direct engagement with and extraction of consumer desires and emotions. These devices, with their immersive experiences, can bypass traditional, less efficient methods of engagement, much like the scream extractor bypasses the need for monsters to manually scare children.

Monsters as Older Forms of Signifiers
The monsters who enter children's rooms to scare them can symbolize traditional media and advertising—methods that rely on creating and manipulating signifiers to provoke reactions. These older forms, while effective in their time, are less direct and more dependent on the consumer's interpretation and internalization of messages.

The evolution from using monsters (traditional advertising) to the scream extractor (advanced technology like the Apple Vision Pro) mirrors capitalism's shift towards intensities from the old system of signifiers. This shift is characterized by a move away from symbolic representations and towards creating immediate, visceral engagements with content, facilitated by technological advancements that allow for a more direct tapping into and manipulation of desires and emotions.
Devices like the Apple Vision Pro reduce the physical and psychological distance between the individual and the content, potentially leading to an immediate and intense experience. However, this closeness also offers the possibility of becoming more aware of the extraction process—seeing the "pixels" of capitalism—much as the child becomes aware of the machinery of fear extraction.

Just as the child's awareness of Randall's machine represents a moment of realization and potential empowerment, individuals' recognition of how advanced technologies are used to extract and manipulate desires could lead to a critical reevaluation of their engagement with these devices and the capitalist system at large.


Literal Spatial Closeness
The Apple Vision Pro and similar technology represent a new level of physical closeness to our senses, particularly our vision and hearing. This proximity has a tangible impact on how we experience content, making the extraction of intensities more immediate and potent. Unlike traditional media, which maintain a clear separation between the content and the consumer, advanced devices reduce this distance to almost zero. The spatial closeness of these technologies mirrors the directness with which capitalism can now access and influence our desires and emotions.

Metaphorical Spatiality
Just as the physical closeness of devices like the Apple Vision Pro intensifies our experiences, metaphorical spatial closeness offers deeper insights into the mechanics of capitalism. It reveals how our desires are shaped and commodified in ways that were previously less visible or more abstract.
The spatial closeness of these technologies, while facilitating more efficient extraction of emotions and desires, also potentially accelerates our awareness of being subjects within capitalism's vast system. This awareness is akin to "seeing the pixels" or the machinery behind the process, prompting a critical examination of our participation in these systems.
The literal closeness of technology to our bodies can lead to a metaphorical closeness in understanding capitalism’s impacts on us. This proximity, both physical and conceptual, may serve as a catalyst for raising consciousness about the system’s operations and our role within it.

While the spatial closeness of such technology enhances capital’s ability to extract and manipulate desires, it also provides a unique vantage point from which to critique and potentially resist these processes. The very tools designed for extraction can become instruments of enlightenment and empowerment, provided we recognize and act upon the insights they offer.

Awakening to Metaphorical Closeness Through Literal Proximity

The direct, sensory engagement with advanced technological devices can serve as a wake-up call, making us more acutely aware of how deeply integrated capitalism is in shaping our desires, emotions, and perceptions. This literal closeness becomes a mirror reflecting the more pervasive, yet often less noticed, influence of capital on our lives.

Just as putting on a pair of glasses can suddenly bring a blurry world into focus, the physical closeness of devices like the Apple Vision Pro to our bodies can sharpen our perception of capitalism's omnipresence and modus operandi. It's as if we needed the tangible experience of this closeness to fully grasp the extent of capital’s metaphorical encroachment into our personal spaces and inner lives.

While these technologies are tools of capital, designed to deepen its reach into our lives, they paradoxically also serve as instruments of awareness. By being so closely attached to us, they reveal the contours of capital’s grasp on our consciousness, offering an opportunity for critical reflection and potentially a platform for resistance.

This observation underscores a profound irony that capitalism's tools, designed to bring us closer to its core through direct engagement and extraction, may also bring us closer to understanding—and potentially challenging—its influence over us.


TikTok: The Apex of Metaphorical Closeness

TikTok, through its algorithms, achieves a metaphorical closeness by infiltrating our personal preferences, desires, and behavioral patterns. This platform exemplifies how capitalism has become adept at using technology to penetrate our consciousness without needing physical proximity. Its success lies in its ability to present content that resonates with our deepest desires, thereby extracting our attention and engagement at unprecedented levels.

Apple Vision Pro: the apex of metaphorical closeness (probably not we haven’t reached that yet I don’t think)

The Apple Vision Pro, by virtue of being a wearable device that interacts closely with our senses, represents a shift towards physical closeness. This shift, while not yet achieving the same level of intensity manipulation as TikTok's algorithms, signifies a new frontier where capitalism is not just an abstract force shaping our desires from afar but a tangible presence that we literally wear. This physical closeness underscores a more direct form of engagement, where the boundaries between the self and the capitalist mechanism begin to blur.

The Apple Vision Pro, as a harbinger of both physical and metaphorical closeness, crystallizes the trajectory of capital towards an ever-more intimate entanglement with our lives. The device’s potential to merge these forms of closeness underscores a critical juncture: as we become increasingly aware of this convergence through the device's physical proximity, we might also become more attuned to the broader, metaphorical closeness of capital.

Wake-Up to Convergence

The physical closeness of the Apple Vision Pro (or similar technologies) serves as a tangible manifestation of capitalism's reach, making the abstract, metaphorical closeness more palpable. This dual closeness not only highlights the depth of capitalism's penetration into our lives but also serves as a critical wake-up call, alerting us to the multifaceted ways capitalism seeks to engage with and extract from us.

Opportunity for Resistance

The realization of capital’s dual closeness could also be an inflection point for resistance. By understanding the mechanisms at play, individuals and communities can develop strategies to guard against the invasive aspects of these technologies, seeking ways to maintain a critical distance even as technology becomes physically closer. This resistance can take many forms, from personal choices about technology use to collective advocacy for regulations that protect privacy and autonomy.

Preventing a Total Merge

The critical awareness sparked by the physical closeness of advanced technologies can be instrumental in preventing a complete merger of our lives with capitalist objectives. By recognizing the early signs of this convergence, we have an opportunity to assert control over the trajectory, potentially steering towards a future where technology serves human needs rather than capitalist desires.

Envisioning Alternative Futures

Finally, this wake-up call can inspire the envisioning of alternative futures where technology enhances human well-being without succumbing to the extractive logic of capitalism. It encourages us to imagine what a world might look like where technological advancements foster genuine connections, creativity, and liberation rather than intensifying the extraction on our desires.

User: Nat Bodinetz
16 May 2024