Racism & the Theft of Enjoyment

In his words 1

“it's not just I'm exploited by them but it's... the other the intruder wants to destroy our way of life”
21:25 “Israel Needed War” Slavoj Žižek Meets Yanis Varoufakis (Part 3) · racism as theft of enjoyment

The stories that teach it

the jokes and anecdotes he reaches for when he works in this idea, ranked by how many of its talks they turn up in; each card is one story, with every retelling on its page

anecdote · in 2 of its talks

The Handmaid's Tale

Žižek criticizes The Handmaid's Tale for allowing viewers to enjoy the fantasy of enslavement under the pretext of critical distance, noting the failure of its sequel to find a new formula.

anecdote · in 2 of its talks

Auschwitz and Srebrenica Jokes

Žižek argues that the existence of a sub-genre of Auschwitz and Srebrenica jokes is not bad taste, but proof that the events were too traumatic to deal with face-to-face. If one can report on it peacefully, it wasn't a trauma.

anecdote · in 2 of its talks

Apartheid justified in multiculturalist terms

South African apartheid ideologists justified racial segregation by claiming it preserved precious local cultures (Hottentots, Bushmen), Žižek uses this to show that multiculturalism can serve racism.

anecdote · in 2 of its talks

Goldwyn's New Clichés memo

Hollywood producer Sam Goldwyn, after reading that his films used too many clichés, immediately sent a memo to his scenario department demanding 'we urgently need new clichés.' Žižek uses this as a positive model for political reinvention.

example · in 2 of its talks

Stalinist prohibition of the prohibition

Under Stalinism it was prohibited to criticize Stalin, but it was even more prohibited to publicly state 'in our country you are not allowed to criticize Stalin', the rule that enforces the prohibition cannot itself be named.

example · in 2 of its talks

Organic apples as ideology

Žižek confesses he buys organic apples not because he is convinced they are better but because it makes him feel good, as if he is doing something for Mother Earth. The purchase functions ideologically regardless of sincere belief.

Ecological recycling as ideology1 Jane Bennett's trash site as assemblage1 Obsessional neurotic enjoying pandemic hand-washing1 TISA negotiations as secret determination of economic life1 Rotherham Pakistani gang rape cover-up1 Native American academic proves indigenous people burned more forests1 Killings of Indigenous women in Vancouver reserves1 Alan Dershowitz and legalized torture1 Yugoslav army chaos1 Facebook censors Napalm Girl1

Where it comes up 13

13 moments located in the transcripts, click a timestamp to play from there

Slavoj Zizek - What are network states?2025-04 · 2:12:08

1:39:56 progressive racism

… The problem for me with white racism is not "we have our way of life and we feel that it's threatened" it's that how this reference to a way of life functions.

Digital Consortium Lecture - Reality as Materialized Ideology Inaugural lecture by Slavoj Zizekpub. 2021-06-12 · 1:52:09

1:19:12 theft of enjoyment

… The fundamental theory of racism today is precisely stolen enjoyment.

Lesson from „Airpokalypse“2017-06-30 · 1:49:37

27:14 progressive racism

… I call it ironically progressive racism.

The Monstrocity of Christ2009-04-20 · 1:21:01

24:04 progressive racism

… Which is the underlying procedure here, namely the procedure of protecting us against this toxic neighbor? It's the formula of reasonable racism.

On Hegel with Russell Sbriglia2021-01-21 · 1:08:01

26:10 theft of enjoyment

… on you know where you developed this re-actualized the old stuff that we all knew but fuck it you got it you applied it on me now how this theft of enjoyment and carnival this is it here no that you cannot understand the the Capitol thing without these categories.