The Cosmic Jest

Salman Rushdie wrote, “DC: Washington is being taken over by DC: Comics.” The world is increasingly understood as a comic story, involving superheroes and supervillains. Confusingly, they are often one and the same. Donald Trump is the superhero for conservatives and the supervillain for liberals. Heroes and villains are now shapeshifters. They no longer reflect a common narrative. Their heroism or villainy depends on where you stand in the culture wars. Next time you go to watch a superhero movie, imagine what it would be like if the superhero kept “flickering” into his opposite – the supervillain. Would you be able to follow the story? Whom would you be rooting for? Wouldn’t the plot be all over the place? You wouldn’t understand anyone’s motivation. The story would be pure chaos. Welcome to the Cosmic Jest. Read this book if you don't want the joke to be on you.