mfers: Loss culture, a new tribe of web 3.0 under post-subculture

Author: Mingzin

Editor: Yusheng

In the article "Azuki: The Characteristics of Post-National Identity in Japanese Animation and Web 3.0," I discuss the reasons why the decentralized concept of Web 3.0 resonates with the virtual worlds in Japanese sci-fi animation from the perspective of Azuki as a continuation of Japanese animation, as well as people's imaginations and aspirations for an idealized "post-national identity" in a global context. However, under this complex global cultural perspective, the blended stylistic elements and the diverse models that construct a style genre with a two-dimensional spirit do not possess a relatively dominant influence. It seems that the general public resonates more with a mindset that better represents their current state of thought.

If one word were to describe the current zeitgeist, people from different places might phrase it differently, but their core values have a universal nature. In June 2021, a massive social movement erupted in mainland China—"lying flat." "Lying flat" is a "passive" resistance movement that reflects young people's attitudes toward a series of social issues, such as the unavoidable 996 work system, the internal competition of involution, and the ineffectiveness of labor laws. New York Times reporter Cassady Rosenblum pointed out that the phenomenon of "lying flat" exists not only in China but also in Western countries like the United States, where the sanctity of work has long been demystified.

Thus, it is evident that people around the world are reflecting on the so-called "positive energy," the spirit of hard work, and macro narratives similar to the American Dream, and the collapse of faith inevitably brings about a series of social movements and behaviors that are counterproductive. The conceptual model of the NFT PFP project mfers and its highly spontaneous community resonate with the currently emerging "loss culture" trend globally. This article will explore the Web 3.0 socio-cultural wave triggered by mfers from two perspectives: loss culture and new tribes under post-subculture.

Note: I believe that the loss culture under post-subculture can be summarized as a branch of the entire postmodernist culture; the core of loss culture is to resist macro narratives, present nihilism, fragmentation, etc. This is essentially the same as the essence of postmodernist values. Of course, the complexity of postmodernism is worth discussing. Due to my limited knowledge and the length of this article, we will mainly analyze NFT PFP projects, and therefore cannot provide a profound study from the perspective of postmodernist culture; I hope everyone can forgive this. Under the premise of reasonably using academic language, to accommodate non-academic readers, the term "postmodernism" used in this article is equivalent to the meaning of loss culture.

From the perspective of style and content presentation, NFT PFP projects can be roughly categorized. BAYC (Bored Ape Yacht Club) and mfers are competitors in the same arena, and both have produced similar value orientations in their creations. BAYC's chief designer Seneca explained in an interview with Rolling Stone reporter Samantha Hiossong that the design of the bored ape model is closely related to her own aesthetics, conceptualizing an ape that feels bored with life even when possessing all the money and time in the world. The designer of mfers, Sartoshi, also expressed in his article "What Are mfers" that he emotionally resonates with the stick figure he draws. The stick figure, smoking and lazily slouched in a chair while manipulating a keyboard, made him realize that this character prototype is himself in the Web 3.0 context.

Both artists subtly reflect their own images in society through the designed characters, and these unembellished and primitive NFT characters resonate with people, evoking empathy for such images. Professor Su Hongyuan from South China University of Technology elaborated in his article "The Social Representation and Reflection of Internet 'Loss Culture' under the Perspective of Post-Subculture" that "loss culture mainly refers to the 80s and 90s generations feeling powerless in the face of social class solidification, life difficulties, and work pressure, falling into a vortex of negative, confused, and even desperate emotions," thus using symbols such as words, images, and videos to mock and self-deprecate their numb and decadent lifestyles. The symbolic meaning of these NFT characters and their extreme popularity in the NFT market reflect the current real social conditions, where people exhibit a negative and world-weary attitude and escape from reality.

BAYC #4671

We seem to see such an expression in Bored Ape #4671, a negative and world-weary ape who cannot feel a shred of joy even while attending what should be a lively party. The deep, depressed gaze with heavy dark circles around its eyes reflects the psychological depth of the entire character, just as Professor Su Hongyuan mentioned, people under loss culture have become "numb." The striking party hat contrasts sharply with its depressed expression, placing Bored Ape #4671 in an even more absurd situation. It is as if it has entered a hellish scene from "No Exit" (a play by philosopher Sartre), stepping into a party where it is the center of attention. One of the co-founders of BAYC, Gargamel, also pointed out that the emotions evoked by the bored ape contain a sense of existential boredom.

mfer #1571

The mfers series, characterized by its minimalist style and lack of "creativity," seems destined to be eliminated by more exquisitely designed and highly regarded projects. Surprisingly, the response to its style has caused many high-quality projects to lose face. Unlike BAYC's successful path, the minimalist style of mfers has become its killer feature; this is not only related to postmodernism's critique and rejection of high art and elitism but also because its rough artistic style (lacking verisimilitude) allows people to resonate more with the physical actions it depicts.

"As 'micro-images' of the internet communication era, loss-themed memes, with their intuitive imagery and connotations of self-deprecation and despair, have become highly favored visual symbols for emotional release among contemporary youth." It is not difficult to see that the visual impact and communicability of mfers character models can rival that of memes, allowing for direct emotional resonance with people. From this perspective, we conclude that mfers not only embody the negative attitude characteristic of loss-themed memes (like Pepe the Frog) but also that their NFT privatization setting has garnered them early enthusiasm akin to that for Pepe cards. For this reason, owning a unique mfer NFT is akin to possessing the right to express one's attitude in Web 3.0.

Members of the mfers community do not resent this abstract image that reflects their real lives; instead, they accept it with a self-deprecating attitude. The series of actions depicted, such as lounging in a chair, manipulating a computer, and even leisurely smoking, vividly portray the lifestyle of the crypto community in the Web 3.0 world (as seen in the recognition of mfers by "crypto indigenous" designer Sartoshi), while members of the Chinese mfer community, who have spent time surfing the internet in the millennium, are also stirred by nostalgia (as shown in the image below); this illustrates that the expressive demeanor of mfers characters possesses a global commonality that transcends temporal and spatial limitations.

The success of BAYC and mfers is based on constructing a consensus mechanism rooted in the current public psychology; the birth of this consensus mechanism is a cultural homogenization of the global zeitgeist, loss culture (postmodernist culture). Only through a cultural consensus and perfect integration of the community can the "loss" characteristics be maximized to expand the project's reach in Web 3.0. However, this perfect integration is only reflected in its successor, mfers. In the case of BAYC, new NFT projects (such as the body horror elements now adopted by mutant apes) have not only deviated from Seneca's original aesthetics and philosophical concepts but also their high prices are no longer representative of the general public. (Moreover, Seneca herself pointed out that the existential crisis awareness of the bored apes arises from having all the money and time, rather than the more populist "loss" of mfers.)

If loss culture in the context of Web 3.0 has social class manifestations, mfers represent the "proletariat" under postmodernism, while BAYC resembles the elites in a modernist context. The anti-elitist spirit has already been infused into the blood of every mfer.

BAYC #6444 and mfer #9791

In traditional subcultures, people could only use collective symbols in physical spaces to showcase tribal styles, such as the visually striking hairstyles of the Shamate. As spaces have become virtual, communities in post-subculture place greater emphasis on the collective emotional experiences created through cultural construction. As a Web 3.0 post-subculture community, the necessary environment for the success of mfers also lies in the decentralized framework concept presented by Web 3.0, and the social attributes revolution of the "virtual" concept by Web 3.0 and the metaverse also endorses NFT PFPs.

Sartoshi claims that in the imagined world of mfers, we are all mfers. (The full name of mfers is "motherfuckers," which is better understood in the Chinese context as "little bastards," a sentiment I have received agreement on from community members.) French scholar Michel Maffesoli pointed out that "the new tribes of the post-subculture era lack the rigid characteristics of traditional social organizations; they point more towards a certain atmosphere or mental state, providing members with a sense of belonging and serving as an emotional bond among subcultural groups." As a new tribe of post-subculture, mfers convey the message "we are all little bastards," a straightforward slogan that aligns with the spirit of despair and self-deprecation in loss culture, while the decentralized environment of Web 3.0 also aids them in resisting the oppression from centralized Web 2.0 and real society.

In today's post-capitalist era, everyone feels some degree of alienation in social practice; this state of alienation creates loneliness and emptiness that cannot be dissolved in real life, especially since people under the entire social discipline have suffered from cruel, soul-targeted imprisonment. Sartoshi says that here we have no kings, no rulers, and no clear roadmap; this beautiful anti-centralization concept not only helps members of the new tribe shed the dual identities of "losers" and "prisoners," but this "spiritual home" transforms mfers into a new community characterized by spontaneity and intrinsic motivation. Unlike NFT PFP projects that require promotional efforts, members of the mfers community are more willing to voluntarily maintain and promote the community's ideals and spirit. Due to their more sincere attitudes and beliefs, as well as their motivations free from profit, mfers currently stand out among NFT PFP projects.

mfers is one of the first projects in Web 3.0 (alongside cryptoadz) to actively abandon intellectual property; it even lacks a project team. This fully demonstrates that mfers belong to everyone because everyone is a mfer; moreover, mfers have discarded the traditional role of project managers, distributing power into the hands of every mfer. No one can control the future of mfers because the future of mfers is in the hands of everyone.

xmfer #3024, Zuki mfer #2758, ape mfer #3754, Punk Mfers #5653

In the "officially unofficial" discord channel of mfers, members can even promote their own NFT PFP projects. Even if such occurrences may jeopardize the interests of original mfers holders, community members are willing to continue encouraging such behavior and even voluntarily help promote it, all because they are spontaneously spreading the spirit of the mfers community. In this light, the ideals of mfers perfectly align with the beautiful future blueprint presented by Web 3.0, both dedicated to creating a decentralized world; in this world, every member is respected and enjoys the same status and rights.

As mentioned above, the success of the post-subculture NFT PFP project mfers is reflected in two aspects:

First, mfers continues the "loss culture" from an Asian perspective and "postmodernism" from a Western viewpoint. Aesthetically, the rough and sincere models break the traditional definition of "art," and the minimalist stick figure style allows people, especially those long immersed in the virtual network world, to resonate with the mfers characters. Culturally, mfers inherits values such as self-deprecation and negativity that resonate with the masses in the internet age under late capitalism. These two aspects ensure that mfers possess a meme-like viral dissemination advantage and unique cultural value.

Second, as new tribes under post-subculture, mfers community members gain a free and equal identity in the decentralized world of Web 3.0. Under the declaration of "What Are mfers," members of the new tribe spontaneously establish a community, and this organic community vitality attracts countless people who resonate with the mfers image, creating an immense longing for the decentralized Web 3.0 new tribe.

mfers is indeed the culmination of the current zeitgeist, an autonomous community of post-subculture, and the decentralization of Web 3.0.

And Sartoshi's mention of having no roadmap is the clearest roadmap for mfers.

blackblize #7979

References:

Su Hongyuan. "The Social Representation and Reflection of Internet 'Loss Culture' under the Perspective of Post-Subculture," Modern Communication, April 23, 2020.

Hissong, Samantha. "The NFT Art World Wouldn't Be the Same without This Woman's 'Wide-Awake Hallucinations'," Rolling Stone, January 26, 2022.

Mingzin. "Azuki: The Characteristics of Post-National Identity in Japanese Animation and Web 3.0," February 15, 2022.

Foucault, Michel. Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. Vintage Books, 1977.

Michel Maffesoli. The Time of Tribes: The Decline of Individuals in Mass Society. London: Sage, 1996, p. 98.

Rosenblum, Cassady. "Work Is a False Idol," The New York Times, August 22, 2021.

Sartre, Jean-Paul. No Exit. GradeSaver LLC, 2007.