Abstract
In this thesis, I argue that one of the most salient features of our culture is that there is so much cynicism. Prevalent throughout politics and business, art and entertainment, theory and practice, I propose that the cynicism of our times is best understood as a systemic state, a collective mood; a condition that should not be reduced to the acts or attitudes of individuals. This condition is characterized by a widespread recognition of the seriousness of our societal predicament – climate change, financial crises, AI threats, global inequalities, the resurgence of fascism – yet an almost total disregard for really doing anything about it. Everybody knows, it seems.
The thesis consists of an introductory essay and four research papers. The former explores the concept of cynicism, how it has been theorized over time, how it is expressed, and its relevance for contemporary critical scholarship in marketing and consumption. Based on the analysis, I propose that the cynicism of today is expressed as an optimism in the face of catastrophe. The four research papers deepen the analysis by looking at some of the different aspects of this condition, through inquiries into digital poetics, absurd theatre, romantic AI companions, and the inherent excesses of consumer culture.
In total, the thesis contributes to scholarship on the dark sides of markets and consumption by presenting the notion of cynicism as the backdrop of market and consumer society. In so doing, it joins research seeking to understand the issue of why we do so little when we know so much.