“A form of socially acceptable insanity”: Love, comedy and the digital in Her

BLACK, Jack (2020). “A form of socially acceptable insanity”: Love, comedy and the digital in Her. Psychoanalysis, Culture & Society.

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Abstract

In Spike Jonze’s Her (2013), we watch the film’s protagonist, Theodore, as he struggles with the end of his marriage and a growing attachment to his artificially intelligent operating system, Samantha. While the film remains unique in its ability to cinematically portray the Lacanian contention that “there is no sexual relationship,” this article explores how our digital non-relationships can be re-approached through the medium of comedy. Specifically, when looked at through a comic lens, notable scenes from Her are examined for the potential they provide in affording a self-decentrement which allows us to traverse the fantasies that structure our non-relations.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Cultural Communication and Computing Research Institute; Sport Industry Research Centre; Sociology, Politics and Policy Research Group
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1057/s41282-020-00193-2
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Elements
Depositing User:	Symplectic Elements
Date Deposited:	30 Jul 2020 13:48
Last Modified:	27 Jul 2021 01:18
URI:	https://shura.shu.ac.uk/id/eprint/26817

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