Things you own, end up owning you

"- When you buy furniture, you tell yourself: that's it, that's the last sofa I'm gonna need. No matter what else happens, I've got that sofa problem handled. I had it all. I had a stereo that was very decent, a wardrobe that was getting very respectable. I was so close to being complete.
- Do you know what a duvet is?
- Comfort?
- It's a blanket, just a blanket. Then why the guys like you and I know what a duvet is? Is it an essential tool of survive?..No..What are we then?
- You know, consumers...
- Right, We're consumers. We are by-products of a lifestyle obsession. Murder, crime, poverty, these things don't concern me. What concerns me are celebrity magazines, television with 500 channels, some guy's name on my underwear. Rogaine, Viagra, Olestra"

This is a good start to observe Fight Club in my opinion because it is easy to convert this quotation to your lifestyle. You can simply put Playstation 3, iPhone or a nice jacket from TopShop or Zara instead of tv channels or celebrity magazines. Can't you? Then you are enslaved consumer of capitalism, just like the owner of these lines.

Capitalism is the common system of world in today. For the wealth holders, it's a great thing. However, for people who could not create a good corner in the system, it's an enemy to be demolished. Fight Club's philosophy against capitalism and consumerism questiones obsessions of people about their necessities and expectations from their lifes and future. Although it is much more detailed in the book, it is possible to see the roots of this philosophy in many various points in movie.
First point is insomnia. Narrator has insomnia and cannot handle the problem by himself. That is why he always feels no taste from his daily life. He does not feel unique individual, he is one of the slaves of white-shirt-team. It is natural for human-beings to feel that they are very special and unique in the world. They think that they are center of the world but when they start their real life or business life, they see that they have no difference than other people. As a result, they try to find the things or tools which will create them a little bit uniqueness, such as a nice expensive sofa from IKEA or a jacket from Top Shop. However this is a temporary solution and s/he will face same problem in near future again. Next solution? Same.. Buy the new version, feel unique again..It is a kind of cycle. But there must be a wealth support if you live inside capitalism. That is why s/he needs to have a better job to increase the income.
Second point starts with the situation mentioned above, a better job with higher salary. Many people, including me, chooses their job regarding what it will bring financially. Personal desires are not so important because money has the control. If s/he does not have that money, there will be no sofa, no jacket from Top Shop, no brand new iPhone... Fight Club offers or let's say claims that this cycle enslaves people and erase their uniquenesses actually. For example, in the beginning Narrator is in front of copy machine and he says "Everything is a copy of a copy of a copy..." and mentions about Microsoft Galaxy, Planet Starbucks... In my opinion, Chuck Palahniuk indicates that everybody does the same things, they buy the same coffee product, they buy same technological product, they buy their furniture from same company...That is why people feel like they are like in a deep sleep with no feel, no taste and no joy. They don't feel any uniqueness. That's why at the end you see that Project Mayhem demolishes headquarters of credit card and banking companies, to release people from their dependencies. Writer believes that there should be some small imperfections in people's lives, such as a small pornography scene in a family movie. That might a radical example maybe but it is in the same path with all movie: rebellion and anarchy.

It is possible to see many small details with full of messages against capitalism inside the book and movie. Of course it is obvious that messages are depended on observation power of receivers, not senders. Even I say the biggest and most important message of history, if I say it against a dumb person, it will have no quality or sense. However, some people might catch really small but at the same time really important and sensitive messages from worthless details. That is why I hate people who think that "Ohh so you like fighting really much", "Ohh Brad Pitt had great impression in the movie"... when I say that Fight Club is the greatest movie of history. It is not only a movie, it is a guideline.

I dont want to give more details about capitalism philosophy in Fight Club because it might be changeable from person to person. It is better to find your own message & philosophy from it, either movie or book. Because that will be the beginning of your uniqueness.

See you in next chapter: Uniqueness!

Just a movie?

It was 1996 when Chuck Palahniuk wrote a two page story, Project Mayhem, based on his discussions with his close friends. In the beginning, it was seen as a short and normal story but actually it was just a source code for Fight Club, in other name a masterpiece which is against humdrum existence, capitalism, consumption, advertisement, feminism,...The list can go on and on and on...

When the book was released, it became more popular then expected. Especially young Americans found it interesting because it was about their lives. Perhaps, this success and popularity attracted Hollywood a lot. However it was kind of gambling for corporations also. Book had hard-core critics about American lifestyle and that might disturb the conservatives. That is why almost all corporations did not want to shoot the movie, except 20^th Centruy Fox. Laura Ziskin, a producer from the corporation believed in the success of book and hired David Fincher as director of movie. I dont want to talk about Brad Pitt's and Edward Norton's performances in it. Perhaps they increased the quality of movie but I give biggest congratulate to David Fincher.

“Unfortunately the movie did not win an Oscar” would be many of people's opinion but I say that it is best that Fight Club did not win against American Beauty. Supporters of Fight Club do not want their tool to be a toy in capitalist world. It is similar to t-shirts that has prints of 'Che' on them. By the way, although they used different ways on the road, both movie, FC and American Beauty, ended on same location: critisicm to American culture/system...

Then maybe you ask “What did Fight Club win?” More than 100 prizes.. Here are some examples: Empire Magazine: 8^th greatest movie of all time(2004 and 2006), Total Movie Magazine Prizes (UK): The greatest movie of all time (2005), Political Movie Union: Democracy Prize(?)...It goes on and on. You can search on the Net for more results.

This was an introduction to Fight Club world...My next entry will be about “Capitalism critism in Fight Club”

First time, first try...

Hi,
After long time, I have decided to create a personal blog for me. I barely check personal blogs but some of them seems so interesting, especially the ones based on a theme. I chosed mine, as far my close friends' can guess, Fight Club.
Yeah, the movie... but actually it's an underground novel written by Chuck Palahniuk. I dont want to write details about him or Fight Club in my first entry actually.
Actually I have written several articles to magazines before. People gave positive reactions about them. It is always nice to see that when you give people some new opinions about Fight Club, they are surprised and say "Ohh.. so it's not just a movie then..."
My purpose with this blog is to increase number of people who think like that. Ok, the name is not good maybe, "You are not your job".. I use it as my nick all the time because I want to force people's brains to memorize this quotation all the time. If you be patient, you will read all details behind of that idea.
I guess Im done with my first welcome entry.. see you all soon.