Sociologist Renata Salecl believes choice is rarely based on simple rational decisions. As consumers, we have so many choices (20 million are looking for love on match.com, 150 different kinds of cereals are sold in supermarkets, and there is always a plentiful supply of carbon monoxide coming out of your car) that the freedom to choose can cause anxiety, guilt, and feelings of woeful inadequacy. To show off her theory, the art and culture magazine Cabinet will give a party in Salecl’s honor (and to promote her book, The Tyranny of Choice) where the audience—not the author—will determine the course of her presentation. Seemingly random choice will also dictate who’s allowed to ask questions afterwards, if there even is an afterwards.
The event, if not your will, is free. No RSVP—regrets, that is—needed. You don’t even have to choose what you’re going to drink. (Brooklyn Brewery is the exclusive sponsor for the event.)
