The Last Thing I Worry About in 2012 is a Mayan Apocalypse
Over at the excellent h+ mag and site, Mark Dery scoffs at the faux hoopla surrounding the new flick 2012, which is about the world ending in supposed accordance with various misappropriated Mayan myths. Lots of dumping on American anthropological dilettantes and rotten moviemaking. Here's the nut graf:
The environmental crises and geopolitical pathologies of our times—"rising C02 levels and suicide bombers" and the sufferings of the wretched of the Earth, like the Guatemalan Maya—demand that we step up to our social responsibilities and engage passionately with the issues of our age. Placing our faith in wet-brained ravings about a "multidimensional realm of hyperspace triggered by mass activation of the pineal gland" or "a dispensation of consciousness that's more intuitive, mystical, and shamanic" is a luxury we can no longer afford. We're out of time.
And besides, if that happened, we'd all miss the Singularity!
Brian Doherty assessed the natterings of Daniel Pinchbeck, one of the main 2012ers, here.
I worry about 2012 for a less exotic reason: It's a presidential election year and even the most reality-challenged space-cadet would agree that these things haven't been working out so well for anyone lately.