the doom generation
gregg araki, gen z linguistics, and the ennui zeitgeist
It’s so over.
Brain rot.
Bed-rotting.
Doomscrolling.
I. Etymology Nerd
Gen Z's linguistic trends display an overarching expectation of 'the end times.' Much of our culture is rooted in the belief that we are, in fact, doomed. What more could truly be expected from a generation whose critical years were plagued by, well, plague, along with an impending climate time bomb, topped off with a dysfunctional economy? It constantly feels like the sands of autonomy are slipping through the cracks of our hands. "The widespread perception that society is declining or getting worse is very different from previous generations," explains TikTok's The Etymology Nerd, who dubs the phenomenon 'catastrophe fatigue.'
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Living through historical events back to back is tiring enough as it is, but with the widespread dissemination of information on social media, the horrors seem all but inescapable. While yes, it’s critical that the suffering of victims be heard, the toll of seeing violent act after violent act, coupled with what seems to be the cold shoulder from forces much larger than ourselves, such as corporations and governments who are interested in turning us into profit, eats away at any crumb of optimism. While political and economic instability do play a major role in said fatigue, blame can certainly fall upon the lack of autonomy we are confronted with. The etymology nerd brings up a great point in his video, mentioning how, in time periods like the 1920s the quality of living was much worse than it is now, yet people still assumed their lives would be on a positive trajectory. They harbored hope that the next generations would be chock-full of opportunity, a sentiment not paralleled by our own. The deterioration of control over the state of affairs is isolating, to say the least. The culmination of such factors has led us to what can only be seen as a generation of disenfranchisement.
II. Gregg Araki
Long camera pans of the mid-american hellscape, dialogue that sounds like it was written by a 12 year old who just found out what curse words are, and most importantly the never ending threat of ‘The Rapture’, all culminate into the modern master-piece that is Gregg Araki’s “The Doom Generation”. The film follows girlboss-malewife duo, played by Rose Mcgowan and James Duval, as their dynamic is pierced through by a man who goes by ‘X’. What ensues is more or less a spree of crime fueled by what seems to be Rose Mcgowan’s extensive list of ex boyfriends (and one girlfriend!) who go into an obsessive frenzy at the mere sight of her. Frothing at the mouth with teenage angst, pointless violence, and getting freaky, the film couldn’t hold more true to the feeling of trudging through the absolute filth that is trying to become a full fledged human in our era of late stage capitalism. As the trio traverses about town, they are served a barrage of reminders that the ominous, ‘Rapture’ is approaching.
The film in and of itself emulates the feelings of queer repression. The bold title-card, A HETEROSEXUAL FILM BY GREGG ARAKI, sets a parameter for the film’s world-building. Yet, we are still fed long shots of our two male main characters looking at each-other longingly, eventually culminating in the dissemination of the tension, usually caused by some external plot element. It puts the readers in a state of confusion and longing beside the characters. To be queer in a heterosexual film (to be queer in a heterosexual world).
The deep scars of repression and confusion coupled with the constant knowledge of the end times, sets a great stage for the suburban, mid-west hell depicted throughout the movie. Aimlessly wandering, seeking refuge in kitschy motel rooms, all the while mindlessly consuming (food, clothes, drugs), reflect themes of the true ‘coming of age’ most of us experience now in our capitalist hell-hole. Subtle worldly aggressions eventually culminate in a jarring final scene.
TW: ASSAULT, SEXUAL VIOLENCE
If you have watched the unrated, uncut, of The Doom Generation, which is extremely hard to find, you can attest to the fact that the ending had your jaw touching the floor. The story crescendos into a display of white nationalist aggression. A gang of blonde, pale skinned white men brutally raping a woman, killing what they assume to be are two homosexuals, all the while the American anthem chokes out the ambience of the scene.
TW: OVER
The finale tosses a stone into the deep abyss of violence inherent in our structures. The underbelly of commodification and mindless consumption lies a an active regression of morality and a slow-burn back to fascism. Bodies that aren’t upheld by the state feel the decline in the social conscious. The feeling of control slipping away, as we fall into something indescribable and scary : a ‘Rapture’ of sorts.
III. Albert Camus
The thing about doomerism is that one develops a form of tunnel vision. We’ve effectively stopped ourself from progressing to the next step in the course of logical actions. Understanding how carceral systems oppress us is an important first step. Key word being first step. The system is bad, but we mustn’t be complacent in it. One must do what they can in their reasonable power to bring these structures down. Despite us knowing this is the most logical next step, we feel the autonomy being ripped out of our hands. How many people have to burn, for us to make a dent in the social conscious, all the while corporations ruin the world at unprecedented rates.
We start to feel the meaningless of the pursuit of our natural rights. Yet, we are expected to wake and try again. The model in and of itself is absurd. The feeling of absurdity, as proposed by Albert Camus (top 2 french people), arises when one feels as though they are but a cog in the machine, a drone whose purpose is to further the bureaucracy. Camus branches off from other existentialists as he doesn’t propose a resolution to the struggle. We instead embrace it as it is. By describing Sisyphus as the poster-child of an absurdist ideal, he exemplifies the human condition. An eternal struggle, an eternal effort, without knowledge of success. This is the praxis of an absurdist philosophy, to face the contradiction full of the knowledge you most likely will fail, and yet you face your menial task, because you are free to do so. To be alive, to participate in this rat race is an inherently positive feat. Camus outlines the three principles of an absurdist life: revolt (we must not accept any answer or reconciliation in our struggle), freedom (we are absolutely free to think and behave as we choose), and passion (we must pursue a life of rich and diverse experiences). He gives the example of the ‘rebel’ who chooses to focus these principles in the struggle for political emancipation, who understands the futility of the struggle, yet embraces the freedom he has within the futility and utilizes that freedom in pursuit of revolution. Much like what Camus outlines, we must not be victim to the pitfalls of doomerism. When we embrace the contradiction, we wield the utmost freedom to do so. In that freedom we find purpose to move forward and fight.
What’s another day pushing the boulder?
Thank you Advaita for repaying my student loans
thank you for saving my family of four from drowning