Live data from Hacker News

Flanderization

en.wikipedia.org

1–10 of 137 posts

Re: Flanderization

#4
It's interesting how this happens IRL as well, particularly on newcomers to an already established group of people.

Said newcomer is expected to behave in a certain way to fit into a particular spot that the group needs/allows, so it could become molded to that; while other (valuable) personality traits are just ignored/lost in the dynamic.

Re: Flanderization

#6

There is a tendency for this to happen in real life with influencers. Certain aspects resonate with an audience and so they overemphasize them. https://gurwinder.substack.com/p/the-perils-of-audience-capt...

That seems very, very sad.

Re: Flanderization

#7
Is Flanderization just synecdoche - where one attribute becomes the reference for the whole, or is it a new co-oridnate on the spectrum of metonymy and simile?

The comment about Rick and Morty actively avoiding the flanderizing of their characters seems a bit off, as the whole season 5 finale was the flanderization of Morty, where he (a version of him) self actualizes as blandly malevolent, likely acting on urges that Rick identifies a few episodes prior in Morty's weak dad (Jerry) as not nice, but predatory:

> "You act like prey, but you're a predator! You use pity to lure in your victims! That's how you survive! I survive because I know everything. That snake survives because children wander off, and you survive because people think, "Oh, this poor piece of shit."

If they were avoiding flanderizing Morty, they would seem to have just backed right into it.

Re: Flanderization

#9
post #6

There is a tendency for this to happen in real life with influencers. Certain aspects resonate with an audience and so they overemphasize them. https://gurwinder.substack.com/p/the-perils-of-audience-capt...

That seems very, very sad.

Well, it's a sad part of culture in 2022 - an enormous abandonment of creativity or authenticity for clicks.

Even sadder that it works.

Re: Flanderization

#10
post #9
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That seems very, very sad.

Well, it's a sad part of culture in 2022 - an enormous abandonment of creativity or authenticity for clicks. Even sadder that it works.

It reminds me of the ancient concept of patronage. If you were a patron, you housed and fed your client, and in return, they were expected to act the part out. So if you had a garden hermit, they needed to act their part out, and act grateful and glad to you. If you treated them badly, say, giving them a crappy house to hermit about in, they were expected to still act grateful to your face, but damage your reputation behind your back.

Somewhere today the concept of cultural patronage is still a thing. We the audience give you clicks and attention and see the ads that make you dollars, you the influencer play the role of an entertainer that gives us enjoyment for giving you our entertainment. We've identified what parts of you entertain us, so play your part, client.

And thus the influencer is in some ways the influenced.

Post reply on HN