Contemporary life is defined by excess. There must always be more, there
is never enough. We need a surplus to what we need to be able to truly
enjoy what we have. Slavoj Zizek's guide to surplus (and why it's
enjoyable) begins by arguing that what is surplus to our needs is by its
very nature unsubstantial and unnecessary. But, perversely, without this
surplus, we wouldn't be able to enjoy, what is substantial and
necessary. Indeed, without the surplus we wouldn't be able to identify
what was the perfect amount.
Is there any escape from the vicious cycle of surplus enjoyment or are
we forever doomed to simply want more? Engaging with everything from
The Joker film to pop songs and Thomas Aquinas to the history of
pandemics, Zizek argues that recognising the society of enjoyment we
live in for what it is can provide an explanation for the political
impasses in which we find ourselves today. And if we begin, even a
little bit, to recognise that the nuggets of 'enjoyment' we find in
excess are as flimsy and futile, might we find a way out?