Mashup in the Context of Present Shock

As I was flipping through Present Shock, I noticed a chapter on Mashup and Makeup. This is particularly pertinent to our recent discussion of remix and mashup culture. Rushkoff begins with a description of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. He explains that, in an effort to freeze their appearance in a state of timeless beauty, they have surrendered their ability to communicate effectively. 94% of language is body language, and these women are unable to use their faces to provide context to what they are saying. Plastic surgery, Botox injections, and collagen infusions have created a physical mashup of was once their face. In trying to preserve the present, they have estranged themselves from actually participating in and connecting with what is present all around them, including other human beings. Here is a video for illustrative purposes (though I won't blame you if you don't make it all the way through...I almost couldn't).

As Rushkoff says, "No wonder they have so many misunderstandings" (150). They send false signals that do not adequately convey their feelings. Rushkoff goes on to relate this to mashup by showing that being stuck in the present moment is due in part to the ready availability of anything to everyone. This constant availability stops new and emerging genres and cultures from fully developing. There is no place for a new genre to thrive, collect itself, grow, and create a base (if that makes sense) without becoming viral and available to the public almost immediately. Therefore, as a substitute for these new genres and cultures, we turn to mashup. Rushkoff does not discount mashup as unoriginal, thoughtless creation, but instead sees it as an artful phenomenon. He says, "Mashup is to culture as genetic engineering is to biological evolution" (154). I thought this concept was a fresh take on the idea of mashup. He sees mashup as a product of present shock.