Politicians, columnists and talk show guests __ anyone and everyone who appears in the public arena __ might at times be accused of talking rubbish. But what is rubbish? The criteria are not always... Show morePoliticians, columnists and talk show guests __ anyone and everyone who appears in the public arena __ might at times be accused of talking rubbish. But what is rubbish? The criteria are not always clear. This problem is characteristic of modernity. In former times, the chatterbox was literally sick of talking. But due to the fast passed media developments of the last two centuries, it is no longer obvious who has a right to speak and who does not. Control is no longer possible. This also applies to modern literature. Literature no longer determines what constitutes an acceptable use of language and in response, now claims the right to chatter too. Literature uses the residue of speech for example to test whether it is possible to un-talk language. The surprising conclusion is that this is far from simple. Even the highest degrees of bullshit are not yet devoid of all meaning. In addition to this, literature presents extreme situations in which the speakers have no alternative but to keep chattering, even when they are prepared to assume their societal obligations. In this way, literature proves that talk without chatter is ultimately impossible, whilst at the same time teaching us how to enjoy rubbish. Show less
