This Zero Books video considers Rick and Morty as a post-realist sitcom or as a cartoon version of critical theory exploring the concept of instrumental reason. Books mentioned in this video include In the Dust of this Planet and Capitalist Realism. Capitalist Realism http://www.zero-books.net/books/capitalist-realism In the Dust of This Planet http://www.zero-books.net/books/in-the-dust-of-this-planet ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4KSOpcQMu0

This Response to Noah Berlatsky's essay "Why Class First Leftists are Wrong" explains why the concept of "class first" leftism is both incoherent and fictional and attempts to explain the difficulties involved in developing class consciousness by presenting an excerpt from Steve Paxton's "Unlearning Marx," analyzing Georg Lukacs' essay on "Reification and the Consciousness of the Proletariat," and critiquing Adorno's use of the term "living labor" along with his focus on the market or the exchange relation as the source of capitalist ideology. Transcript of this video on Substack https://douglaslain.substack.com/p/beyond-berlatsky-or-what-is-class Unlearning Marx by Steve Paxton https://www.johnhuntpublishing.com/zer0-books/our-books/unlearning-marx Why Class First Leftists Are Wrong by Noah Berlatsky https://arcdigital.media/why-class-first-leftists-are-wrong-fc768d0666d8 Reification and the Consciousness of the Proletariat by Georg Lukacs https://www.marxists.org/archive/lukacs/works/history/hcc05.htm Support Zero Books on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/zerobooks Subscribe: http://bit.ly/SubZeroBooks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZeroBooks/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/zer0books Zero Books Manifesto: The modern world is at an impasse. Disasters scroll across our smartphone screens and we’re invited to like, follow or upvote, but critical thinking is harder and harder to find. Rather than connecting us in common struggle and debate, the internet has sped up and deepened a long-standing process of alienation and atomization. Zero Books aims to work against this trend. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU5s7COxpl0

From Cancel Colbert to the Joker Movie, people act as if deciding whether to like a movie is a life or death issue. How and why did we decide that speech and expression had direct material consequences? When did we decide that the world was no longer real but rather a Spectacle? Relevant Books Ideology and the Virtual City by Jon Bailes https://www.amazon.com/Ideology-Virtual-City-Videogames-Neoliberalism/dp/1789041643 Music from Jane Hope’s album Politics https://janehope.bandcamp.com/album/politics?fbclid=IwAR3H9UHaDPv3MzUYGT2ne0HORXwKjGs5GCLCwvcpxSqLa3C3urPgOJZ7hLk And Macintosh Plus’s 420 Video clips from Storyblocks and the Prelinger Archive Support Zero Books on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/zerobooks Subscribe: http://bit.ly/SubZeroBooks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZeroBooks/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/zer0books Zero Books Manifesto: The modern world is at an impasse. Disasters scroll across our smartphone screens and we’re invited to like, follow or upvote, but critical thinking is harder and harder to find. Rather than connecting us in common struggle and debate, the internet has sped up and deepened a long-standing process of alienation and atomization. Zer0 Books wants to work against this trend. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMgIWzh14IM

Pop the Left is a biweekly livestream with Douglas Lain, author of "Bash Bash Revolution" and publishing manager for Zero Books, and C Derick Varn, author of Apocalyptics and slush pile reader for Zero Books. This episode will cover the fast decline of the Bernie Sanders campaign, the Covid-19 global pandemic, and the future of the left and of liberal modernity. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6o2mJRCFDM