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Retrieving Hedonism

What It Is and What 'Tis Not?

The one hedonistic activity proven very popular

Following Jan Moir’s homophobic damning of Stephen Gately’s death; that anyone indulges in boozing and cruising should meet a tragic end! SUPERSWEET’s Poonperm Paitayawat feels the urgency to re-assess the meaning of “hedonism” and throw it back in the tabloid writer’s face. Check out our most explicit, step-by-step philosophy lesson of hedonism as well as the Raveonettes’ exclusive revelations of their worldly indulgences.

STEP 1: DIGGING UP THE HISTORY BOOK

Yes, we abhor the old, dusty book but sometimes it gives us clues of why we are what we are now. This time, we kick off with the Greeks. Etymologically, the term derives from a Greek word meaning “delight” and “pleasure.” Thus, “hedonism” focuses on the maximisation of pleasure and accordingly the reduction of non-pleasure and pain. The extreme of this indefinable, unquantifiable nature of pleasure is known as anhedonia, a condition in which a person cannot experience normally pleasurable life events.

STEP 2: DEFINING PLEASURE

What is pleasure? An easy answer will be “whatever gives us joy.” If so, pleasure is subjective. How? Let’s say, if you boyfriend has a spanking fetish but you don’t like smacking bums, “spanking” is pleasure to one and non-pleasure to the other. This leads us to a more bewildering question: what is the superior form of pleasure, bodily or mental? The Cyrenaics, an ultra-hedonist Greek school of philosophy, believes that bodily pleasure and immediate gratification is the ultimate form of hedonism. In our words, when you feel urges for a shag or a third-pound mega burger, you go for it without second-guessing yourselves.

The Epicureans, however, don't agree with this view. They preach against immediate attainment of bodily pleasure and insist on slow but lengthened gratification. In curbing pleasures, we eliminate fear and reach a nirvana-like state of gratification. Need another translation? Referring back to SS’s sex and food analogy, the Epicureans will sit down slowly slice the burger and take hours to chew even a morsel of it. In bed, the Cyrenaics will probably find no wrong in having multiple premature ejaculations, whilst the Epicureans will slide it in and out till their knob gets numb. So, which school do you prefer?

STEP 3: MAKING HEDONISM SOCIAL

To the Greeks, hedonism is a personal experience that contributes the ultimate contentment in life, but if we fast-forward our philosophy lesson to 19th-century England, the pursuit of happiness in John Stuart Mill’s point of view became somewhat more ethical and social. Mill explains social hedonism in relation to utilitarianism. That is, we should perform whichever action maximising the aggregate good, the happiness-for-all. Mill separates the social pleasure from the personal and vilifies the latter. Basically, no sex, no booze and go do charity work! Social hedonism is, therefore, rephrased as utilitarianism and personal hedonism has ever since condemned. Considering the poverty-stricken, dog-eat-cat nature of the 19th century society, Mill must have been doing the good to England. But, we are no longer live in that world. Maybe Ms Jan Moir still is.

STEP 4: THE RAVEONETTES’ HEDONISTIC WAYS (AND OURS)

SS deliberate long and hard with guest eds Sharin and Sune and we don't second Mill’s approach. We’ll indulge in a bit of personal low-maintenance hedonism. Sune leads us through the streets and alleys of NYC - the Natural History Museum, the Neue Gallery, and the Highline are among Sune’s favourite trails. If you still can’t find them on those trails, try Pearl Oyster Bar on Cornelia with its sensational New England-inspired lobster roll, the bustling French restaurant Balthazar on Crosby, or Kanoyama on 11th for sushi deviants.

Walking around and shooting pics is Sune's ultimate indulgence. Pentax G1 and Leica Minilux are in but he’s still on the look-out for a 15mm, point-and-shoot camera, one not too bulky. Any idea?

In LA, Sharin says drive around for the sceneries; the canyons, the desserts and El Matadore; stopping for pizzas at Mozza Osteria and for stunning food and retro ambiance at Chateau Marmont; and ending their day at the naked spa in Koreatown. This is the Raveonettes’ bliss and so is ours!

Words: Poonperm Paitayawat
Photography: Sune Rose Wagner