The most intelligent critic of a play-oriented society in the UK is the design and IT guru James Woudhuysen (his major essay on the topic is here [pdf file] ). There's much to ponder in his recent Spiked piece on how brands, and the playfulness inherent in them, are a distraction from the creation of lasting economic wealth:
It's a mistake to believe that play around brands can successfully overcome the isolation and alienation of the modern Self and replace these things with a sense of belonging, democracy and play. It's also a mistake to believe that ethical curbs on brands can bring a better world. The fundamental difficulties of life can only be mastered by broader social means - not least, by the genuinely collective and democratic production of a great deal more wealth.I have many disagreements with Woudhuysen's definitions of play - perhaps to be expected, it's the most slippery of phenomena - but I appreciate his political perspective on the creative industries. We both take play seriously, at least.
