THE RACIST FANTASY (w/ Todd McGowan)

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Todd McGowan's latest book The Racist Fantasy: www.bloomsbury.com/us/racist-...
In this conversation, Todd McGowan and I discuss his new book, The Racist Fantasy. First, this work is situated in the context of McGowan's recent books: Emancipation After Hegel, Universality and Identity Politics, and Enjoyment Left and Right; and second in the context of McGowan's thesis on fantasy structure. McGowan's idea here is that the obstacle to our desire fuels the libidinal/fantasmatic narrative, and thus we enjoy, not achieving the goal, but the obstacle itself. Furthermore, McGowan theorises that the racial other can become an obstacle in the libidinal/fantasmatic narrative, and that this makes racism difficult to eradicate through education and legislation alone. Here ultimately, he calls for deeper reflexivity and attention to the way we enjoy, ultimately so that we can engage more truthfully and responsibly in the collective struggle for emancipation.
Todd's podcast Why Theory: open.spotify.com/show/6YAQf8T...
Our previous conversation on Emancipation After Hegel: kzbin.infoDwjUVicI9u8
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[@O.G.Rose.Michelle.and.Daniel]

An excellent discussion, and I find it very interesting to think of racism today as unique in character under Modernity. The irony of how we like “obstacles” is also paramount: we claim we want to overcome them, but we gain enjoyment in not overcoming them. I also liked the reference to Zupančič’s thinking on how sex is “an ontological impasse.” As useful, a great discussion, and it's always great to hear from McGowan!

[@PhilosophyPortal]

This is an important reflexive note, Daniel re: "the irony of how we like obstacles". One of the great insights that I am carrying with me into the What Is Sex? course is the idea that Alenka emphasises that sexuality is paradoxically structured in such a way that it creates obstacles even when there are no objective external obstacles. Our libidinal drive/motivational systems seem to need to incorporate the obstacle as such into the drive, to enjoy the circling of the obstacle as such. Well, you move/dance well in that regard... to the future!

[@O.G.Rose.Michelle.and.Daniel]

​@@PhilosophyPortal Very well put, and I think that insight is critical for understanding libidinal drives and motivations. We self-efface without something to circle.

[@TheDangerousMaybe]

I'm so stoked for this! Good call on focusing on this book and not "Enjoyment Right and Left" (both of which I love), since the latter has outshadowed the former. "The Racist Fantasy" deserves the spotlight for a change. Well done, Cadell!

[@PhilosophyPortal]

haha, that was exactly my logic, Mikey. And I have you in part to thank for it, since I've noticed you giving it some love a few times online. I think it is a crucial topic, and hope this video gives the book a bit more attention!

[@w1nterblind]

Where on earth is that Zupančič essay ("The libidinal is the political") from? The only reference I can even find to that phrase is from an unrelated article on a music blog. 1:17:36

[@PhilosophyPortal]

Its because the actual title is "Sexual is Political". In: Jacques Lacan: Between Psychoanalysis and Politics edited by Samo Tomšič, Andreja Zevnik. Available on Google Scholar.

[@IM2L84F8]

Great work, gentlman!

[@rama_lama_ding_dong]

i wonder how does desire fit into the scheme? in relation to enjoyment and obstacle, etc.

[@EMC2Scotia]

This point on the 'unanalysable perverse subject' seems to pop up fairly often in critical theory conversations. I'm surprised someone so well connected as TM here hasn't sought to explore this further with actual analysts. Stephanie Swales for example wrote a whole book on the Lacanian theory of the perverse structure/subject, that has a large portion of the book dedicated to treatment in this space, whilst Bruce Fink wrote a very detailed and useful case study of an analysis of a perverse subject circa 2003.

[@hateteenagers]

Really curious what the book that Todd's friend advised him not to publish is about.

[@pikpikman1]

on the side note of top porn categories, I think its important that the most popular transgender porn is specifically trans-women, even more specifically trans women with no bottom surgery (women with a penis essentially). Makes me think of castration anxiety or some sort of phallic fetish....

[@PhilosophyPortal]

Its a good point, that many of these lists express their categories very generally, and this can obfuscate some of the specific nuances that would be helpful in identifying the model-obstacle at work in their enjoyment. Thanks for clarifying!

[@John_Malka-tits]

The phallus is the symbol of castration.. Wouldn't a phallus fetish necessarily be a castration "fetish" ((fixation))?

[@epoche6327]

I wonder if there is a historical connection between the invention of racist other and the disappearing of spiritual other that manifests itself in passion, longing, trance and spirit possession from a spiritual discourse? It seems to me that they share the same function, jouyssance, though the spiritual other is internal contrary to racial other.

[@PlatonsArm]

Unpack and cleave are two English words that can mean their own opposites.

[@sereneintegral]

Upper left development can lead the change we want to see.

[@John_Malka-tits]

You ever notice how when we talk about race, you only have the process of racialization through an experience with an other? Like in american english, its polite to avoid racialization of white bodies and cultures (to repress WS/WP). In doing so we intimate whiteness as being a negative racial category. E.g. white people dont have race and if they did it would be a gramatical and social perversion. Contrarily the linguistic process of racialization works as a positive supposition for "black" bodies and culture. So gramatically, it makes sense to have a "black + history month" Because racialization projects a Positive Excess onto black bodies and culture. In Hs football kids often talked about black people havihg an "extra" (excess, surplus) bone or muscle in their body. Contrarily, it wouldnt make gramatocal sense to have a "white + history month" Because white represents a negation of race. White people dont have "race" or "culture" Because white=negative value (white=negation)+history month= history month. Wouldnt the "racist fantasy" be that there are different or "other" races of humans that possess that "excessive" enjoyment we "lack"? Even though black people speak (arguably) the same english language, black people imagine whiteness as an excessive barrier to their enjoyment. They tend to agree that black is an excessive positive racial catagory and that whiteness is a negation of race. Where the white and the black english speaking subject disagree is that for whites blackness is excessive and a barrier to enjoyment. And the point is to "get rid of the excess" For black subjects whiteness is an excessive negation and the lack of "care" "support" is the barrier to enjoyement. The point of say BLM is to articulate the negation of whiteness and the "social stautus" is the barrier to black subjective enjoyment.