Eiffel Tower–Ante: The Ferris Wheel

The move from the Eiffel Tower to the Ferris wheel monumentalizes not only the shift of modernity from Europe to America, but also the shift away from a capitalist system based purely on utility. The Ferris wheel shows how markets capture and calculate fun. While it failed to achieve the iconic status of the Eiffel Tower, its status as a ubiquitous fairground attraction shows the way energy flows can be driven away from political theologies through distraction, abstraction, and entertainment. No matter whether the channeling and transforming of affective energy into desire focused on material or immaterial objects, within the market mode, it always takes the form of a commodity. The system of market veridiction now extended and expanded beyond industry into the calculation, calibration, and profitability of emotions, thrills, and heightened sensations.