Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id CAA11806 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Fri, 19 May 2000 02:04:36 +0100 Message-ID: <000c01bfc124$e3e6cb40$37286bd4@install> From: "Oliver Kullman" <okullman@ut.ee> To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> References: <20000518223559.91842.qmail@hotmail.com> Subject: Re: Useless memes Date: Fri, 19 May 2000 02:57:56 +0300 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-4" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>
> In what sense do you think astrology is useful? And why are horoscopes
> printed in almost every newspaper or magazine we ever buy - even the
> "quality" ones? Horoscopes are so widespread that it hardly constitutes a
> subculture or means of identity; they've been around so long that they
can't
> be a fashion statement, and I don't even think it helps sell the papers
> because it's usually just a small section near the back. I think it's an
> example of newspapers mindlessly copying each other and people reading it
> just because it's there.
>
> What do you think?
>
> Diana
> ------
Probably has about the same mechanism as jokes or anecdotes. No use in the
pragmatist sence, but still a way for people in society to feel somehow as
part of a group. Does anyone have any other ideas of comedy's usefullness
..... or art's. I haven't followed this discussion very closely, so I don't
really know what usefullness denotes here, so i may be way off. Probably
these phenomena have some use as socializers and alienators of other
cultures that have other kinds of jokes and perhaps some other mantism.
Oliver Kullman
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