Raven Foundation<\/a>, a site that provides social commentary through the lens of mimetic theory, and I\u2019ve met Peter Thiel at conferences on Girard\u2019s work. His foundation, Imitatio, is dedicated to furthering research into applications of mimetic theory and, full disclosure, Raven has received grants from Imitatio. Peter would not remember me, but I remember his effect on the scholars whose work he generously supports \u2013 they are unabashedly fans! Look, I admit to being susceptible to the allure of celebrity, but these academics are not the gawker type. But they most certainly appreciate someone like Peter who appreciates and supports their work.<\/p>\nMr. Marche would do well to have attended one or two mimetic theory conferences, for though his instinct for scapegoating is a good one, his understanding of mimetic theory is not good at all. Allow me to unpack the good and the not so good, starting with Marche\u2019s clever detection of scapegoating in the broken glass of this scandal.<\/p>\n
The Scapegoating Virus<\/strong><\/p>\nScapegoating is indeed part of the equation here. It\u2019s all around the Gawker site as it is in all media outlets, including the New York Times and Esquire. Despite what the parties to a scapegoating event claim, scapegoating is not about determining guilt or innocence. It is not in the least bit concerned with the facts or about who is right and who is wrong. Scapegoating is about making ourselves right as a direct consequence of making someone else wrong.<\/p>\n
Did you get that? Scapegoating is the activity of creating my own goodness by believing in the wickedness of others. And oddly enough, that wickedness can be real or imaginary. As I said, facts don\u2019t matter when it comes to scapegoating.<\/p>\n
There is an undeniable reality associated with scapegoating however: wherever two or more are gathered who share the same scapegoat, they are quickly overtaken with solidarity and the warm glow of fellowship. Nothing generates bonds of friendship like agreeing on who does not belong at your table.<\/p>\n
So Marche may be right that Peter is blaming Gawker for the fallout from a \u201ccelebrity culture\u201d that he has helped create. If he is, then Peter is indeed making himself right by making Gawker wrong, and generating a sense of solidarity with his fellow libertarian celebrity billionaires. I can\u2019t be sure how that\u2019s working for them since I\u2019m clearly not part of that crowd. But whether Gawker is actually wrong is not the point of who\u2019s in and who\u2019s out of Peter\u2019s soirees. Which means that Marche\u2019s well-written argument in defense of Gawker is neither here nor there, but it\u2019s probably a safe bet that he won\u2019t be given a chance to invest in Peter\u2019s next start-up.<\/p>\n
Mimetic Rivalry \u2013 Stick With Me!<\/strong><\/p>\nThe part that Marche has missed is difficult to detect without some serious mimetic theory training, so I hope he\u2019s paying attention! If Peter is scapegoating Gawker (and the reverse might be true as well, or Hogan could be scapegoating Gawker or vice versa, or Marche might be scapegoating Thiel \u2013 ah, the possibilities are endless!), then it is most likely because they are caught up in a mimetic rivalry. What\u2019s that, you ask? Marche mentioned mimetic desire as a cure for scapegoating which is a poor definition. Mimetic desire means that we learn what to desire from others, especially those we respect and admire and most especially those we detest and revile. I know, it\u2019s illogical and a bit insulting to the modern faith in individual autonomy, but it\u2019s true.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s make the case for the rivalry between Peter and Gawker. I have chosen two statements, one from each of them that mirror each other. Here\u2019s the comment from Peter:<\/p>\n
It\u2019s less about revenge and more about specific deterrence,\u201d he said on Wednesday in his first interview since his identity [as the financial backer of the Hogan lawsuit] was revealed. \u201cI saw Gawker pioneer a unique and incredibly damaging way of getting attention by bullying people even when there was no connection with the public interest.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\nHis point is that Gawker is doing a bad job of deciding what is in the \u201cpublic interest\u201d and that he, Peter, is a better arbiter of what the public should know about. Okay, here\u2019s a comment from the Gawker Media\u2019s Editorial Code written by John Cook:<\/p>\n
Gawker Media Group\u2019s web properties practice honest, conversational journalism about stories\u2014whimsical or serious, joyous or grotesque\u2014that\u00a0matter, or should matter, to our readers.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\nHere Gawker is declaring that they, too, know what their readers want to know about \u2013 or should want to know about! Peter Thiel and Gawker each believe that they are the best arbiter of what matters to the public. They each want to tell us not only what to think but even what to think about. A mimetic rivalry happens when rivals who want the same thing want it more and more precisely because of the other\u2019s desire. The rivals are actually influencing each other\u2019s desires, like a sexy model in a car ad. The difference is that the sexy model (who represents the car manufacturer) wants to make it easy for you to achieve the object of your desire, while mimetic rivals see their models as obstacles. When the rivalry is about something scarce or that neither side wants to share \u2013 that\u2019s when a crash becomes a near certainty.<\/p>\n
The Scapegoating App<\/strong><\/p>\nOddly, being the most famous student of Ren\u00e9 Girard does not inoculate Peter from mimetic rivalry or scapegoating. We would all do well to run our own identities through a scapegoating scan now and then to see if we have been infected with a mimetic rivalry, not unlike a computer being attacked by a malware virus. It\u2019s not until we crash that we realize what has happened to us. Maybe a scapegoating detection app can be Peter\u2019s next venture capital project. Poor Marche \u2013 I\u2019m sure it\u2019s a billion dollar idea!<\/p>\n
Of course, Stephen Marche wants to mediate our attention and direct our interest as well. Which means \u2013 hey, wait a minute. As I wrote that I realized that I want the same thing as Marche, Peter and Gawker \u2013 I want to be the blogger you go to in order to learn what to think and even what to think about. Am I in a mimetic rivalry with these guys? Am I, gulp, at risk of scapegoating them with my little self-important analysis of their celebrity scandal?<\/p>\n
Wait \u2013 Peter just Facebooked me. He\u2019s already developed the scapegoating app! I\u2019m going through it now. \u201cYou are at risk of scapegoating if you desire the same things\u201d \u2013 shoot, got me on that one. \u201cBelieve you can do it better\u201d \u2013 check again. \u201cOutraged that your rival doesn\u2019t admit that you can do it better\u201d \u2013 seriously New York Times, when am I getting my guest op-ed piece? \u201cHaving a jolly good time with your friends as you trash your rival\u201d \u2013 okay, okay. Darn you Peter Thiel and your scapegoating app. Now what am I supposed to do with this blog? (PS Thiel, the app was my idea!)<\/p>\n
Image:\u00a0<\/strong>Screenshot from Youtube: \u201cHulk Hogan Gawker Lawsuit Funded by Peter Thiel, Paypal Co-creator\u201d by ABC News<\/a><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Is Peter Thiel scapegoating Gawker? I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve followed the news \u2013 celebrity billionaire Peter Thiel bankrolls Hulk Hogan\u2019s celebrity lawsuit against celebrity news site Gawker for posting a sex tape of Hogan in bed with his friend\u2019s wife. Well, ex-friend, because, you know, that\u2019s how that goes\u2026 What a juicy scandal! Denials, justifications and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1659,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1925,270,129,947,1924,156,170],"class_list":["post-3634","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-gawker","tag-mimetic-rivalry","tag-mimetic-theory","tag-new-york-times","tag-peter-theil","tag-rene-girard","tag-scandal"],"yoast_head":"\n
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<\/a>Is Peter Thiel scapegoating Gawker? I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve followed the news \u2013 celebrity billionaire Peter Thiel bankrolls Hulk Hogan\u2019s celebrity lawsuit against celebrity news site Gawker for posting a sex tape of Hogan in bed with his friend\u2019s wife. Well, ex-friend, because, you know, that\u2019s how that goes\u2026<\/p>\n