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Whatever (novel): Difference between revisions
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→Sexual markets and Michel Clouscard
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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. | 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. | ||
== | ==Other critics of sexual liberalism== | ||
The novel was likely (somewhat) influenced by | The novel was likely (somewhat) influenced by another French critic of sexual liberalism, [[Michel Clouscard]], who explored similar ideas, but with a different train of thought. Clouscard notably critiqued the sexual revolution as aiming to distract the working class from their economic poverty by promoting a range of romantic choice not within the reach of most of the working class.<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> Clouscard indirectly criticized feminism as consumerist and a distraction. 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 sexual liberalism 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]]. | ||