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''Whatever'' (French: ''Extension du domain de la lutte'' literally "Extension of the domain of struggle") is the 1994 debut novel by French writer [[Michel Houellebecq|Michel Houellebecq]]. The French title refers to the main character's idea that the class struggle has extended to the realm of relations between the sexes, resulting in similarly unequal social hierarchies, stratifying the sexual marketplace into sexual 'haves' and sexual 'have nots'. The main character of the novel, Harel, lives through inceldom. It is perhaps the most frank depiction of [[inceldom]] ever in literature, containing arguments about [[inceldom]] that the media later attributed to incel forums around 2018. | ''Whatever'' (French: ''Extension du domain de la lutte'' literally "Extension of the domain of struggle") is the 1994 debut novel by French writer [[Michel Houellebecq|Michel Houellebecq]]. The French title refers to the main character's idea that the class struggle has extended to the realm of relations between the sexes, resulting in similarly unequal social hierarchies, stratifying the sexual marketplace into sexual 'haves' and sexual 'have nots'. The main character of the novel, Harel, lives through inceldom. It is perhaps the most frank depiction of [[inceldom]] ever in literature, containing arguments about [[inceldom]] that the media later attributed to incel forums around 2018. | ||
Like most of Houellebecq's novels, it is written in a darkly humorous style, is highly offensive and vulgar at times, and contains sharp criticisms/observations of the widespread social atomization, materialism and consumerism he implies is a result of modern Capitalism and Liberalism. The novel was likely (somewhat) influenced by the writings of the French Marxist Sociologist [[Michel Clouscard]], who has proposed similar arguments, and who has notably critiqued the sexual revolution from a leftist perspective, by portraying it as the product of a late-stage "seductive capitalism", that aims to promote consumption and distract the exploited class from their economic oppression by promoting hedonism and sexual license.<ref> https://philitt.fr/2019/02/28/le-capitalisme-selon-houellebecq-une-lutte-perpetuelle-qui-ne-peut-jamais-avoir-de-fin-1-3/ In French.</ref> There exists (shallow) debate over whether Houellebecq thinks that sexual relations can even have a positive effect on society at all because of mixed signals on his attitudes toward romance and sex in his books. Clouscard, | Like most of Houellebecq's novels, it is written in a darkly humorous style, is highly offensive and vulgar at times, and contains sharp criticisms/observations of the widespread social atomization, materialism and consumerism he implies is a result of modern Capitalism and Liberalism. | ||
==Sexual markets and Michel Clouscard== | |||
The novel was likely (somewhat) influenced by the writings of the French Marxist Sociologist [[Michel Clouscard]], who has proposed similar arguments, and who has notably critiqued the sexual revolution from a leftist perspective, by portraying it as the product of a late-stage "seductive capitalism", that aims to promote consumption and distract the exploited class from their economic oppression by promoting hedonism and sexual license.<ref> https://philitt.fr/2019/02/28/le-capitalisme-selon-houellebecq-une-lutte-perpetuelle-qui-ne-peut-jamais-avoir-de-fin-1-3/ In French.</ref> There exists (shallow) debate over whether Houellebecq thinks that sexual relations can even have a positive effect on society at all because of mixed signals on his attitudes toward romance and sex in his books. Clouscard, indirectly critised feminism as transactional and therefore simply a product of bougie lifestyle. Cloudcard described the sexual marketplace being entirely the domian of rich people, whereas Houellebecq's characters described the sexual marketplace as all-encompassing. Feminism was simply another example of things being allowed, but not possible. Clouscard argued that it has served to divide the working class against itself (by agitating women against men, through labeling all men as oppressive "Phallocrats") in what he has dubbed "The prostitution economy."<ref> http://www.marxisme.wikibis.com/michel_clouscard.php In French.</ref> | |||
The novel was made into a [[Whatever - Extension du domaine de la lutte (movie)|film in 1999]]. | The novel was made into a [[Whatever - Extension du domaine de la lutte (movie)|film in 1999]]. | ||
Its acknowledgement of a social hierarchy as being instinctive to human sexuality makes it arguably the most [[Blackpill|blackpilled]] novel in history.<ref>https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/whatever-1994-by-michel-houellebecq-a-superb-declaration-of-hostilities-1.3919923</ref> | Its acknowledgement of a social hierarchy as being instinctive to human sexuality makes it arguably the most [[Blackpill|blackpilled]] novel in history.<ref>https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/whatever-1994-by-michel-houellebecq-a-superb-declaration-of-hostilities-1.3919923</ref> | ||
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== Synopsis == | == Synopsis == | ||