Hit & myth

Another cool grey morning, and a fast run along the loch-side, trying to avoid the showers.

The death of Steve Jobs has been followed by what seems to have been unprecedented coverage in the media, as well as by elegiac statements by heads of government. We might have been witnessing the passing of a global statesman or spiritual leader, rather than a talented and successful business executive. And of course spiritual leader is what he was, in the religion of stylish and profoundly addictive consumerism. An analysis on the BBC makes the point that by buying an Apple product one is buying into the myth of boundary-shifting creativity, in much the same way as touching the garment of a religious leader brings additional sanctity. By owning an i-product one is a step closer to writing the novel or making the hit recording, so the myth has it, just as the medieval Catholic church promised its followers a place in heaven. Myth-making made the Vatican obscenely rich, as they promised salvation to the poor. And the Apple myth-making has been so successful that, this year, the corporation had more cash than the US government.