Money, Four Artists, and Angry Republicans

Can Art be Defined and Regulated?

Well the NEA sure has risen from a fledgling department of the state to a fairly large organization with the aim to fund artists in America. I guess that once anything starts receiving a moderately large sum of tax money, some Conservative politicians will start being alarmed, especially if the said program funds artists that piss them off. Furthermore, the said politicians will try digging their hands into this program and try altering the funding, but one question arises: Who can really define who should and shouldn't be funded?

• Is it whoever the majority finds pleasing? But wouldn't this be an invasion on the freedom of speech? "Sure, you can create your art, but we won't give you any of the money set aside for creating art."
• Is it whoever a small group of artists deems appropriate? But who is this small group of people to decide how to spend the taxes of 300 million Americans? "Unless your artwork meets our stringent standards, we won't give you any money."
• Or should it just be whoever creates art, completely random? The NEA has a limited budget, and there really cannot be a way to decide who receives the money. As much as we'd love to define what completely neutral art is, we just cannot. As much as Christians hate to see their beloved Jesus Christ submerged in urine, I hate seeing the manifestation of one's suburban American Dream, there will always be lovers and haters.

Although I can undertand the Conservative unrest at the NEA, there is still no reason for the aggression in protesting it. This is a situation where things should just be talked over, not where Conservative activists outright call artists heathens and Satan incarnated. We all have certain things that anger us, and these are not as easily defined as anyone would like to believe.

Bombs and Rock 'n Roll

Persepolis
A Make-up Blogpost

Well I only just realized today that the reading due tomorrow is actually supposed to be purchased and I have read the reading for the next part of the reader.
To make up for that, I'm writing about a movie I saw a while ago that could apply to this class, as this is very much activist film, and an animated one at that, an animated film that is meant for adults; it's kind of backwards for it has adult themes but children could still watch it, opposite of the current children movies which come off as childish but have some laughs for the adults. Without further adieu, here's the word:

If you have not read it, here's the summary.

• girl (Marji) grows up during a change in Iranian leadership, publicized to be a change for the better, but it actually leads to an oppressive tyranny.
  
• Marji goes off to Vienna to study, but finds herself lost culturally there, as she is not generally accepted in society
• Marji goes back home, not sure who she is, tries to deal with dual personality and growth in an uncertain direction.

Here are my thoughts on it

• the movie does kind of follow a pattern of oppression, departure, and return to origins, but this is about all that fits the said pattern.
  
• this movie is similar to past readings we've had from solo activist performers, because it deals with a lost identity, a woman trying to decide between her cultural origin and her progressive upbringing.
• I like how Marji's inner struggles are echoed by the current war going on in Iran; on one side, you have a revolution that isn't really exerting much change, a situation which is maybe supposed to indicate how Marji's struggles to find herself are ultimately futile. Also present is the Iraq-Iran war which was supported by America, a symbol of the Western world, which is trying to signify her progression out of Iran.
• Either way, Marji is unsure of who she is as a person.
• I kind of find similarities between this animated film and The Last King of Scotland. Both portray seemingly positive, revolutionary change that later turns out to be more oppressive than the past.
• About time we have a truly activist piece of film with a legitimate, heartfelt story at the middle.

So I'm going to try to read the play before class tomorrow, but I won't have a post up before it, probably after. Cheers.

Beats, Rhymes, and Life

Beats, Rhymes, and Life
Hip-Hop Progression from Activism to Sexism and Materialism

The entire genre of hip-hop brings up fond memories for me. In third grade, I was listening to Dr. Dre on cassettes, I had no idea what he was saying, it just sounded cool. Why do I have the feeling that now, the case is the same as ten years ago for me? We listen to this music because it sounds good, it gets us moving, it isn't what it used to be...enough with cynicism, hip-hop was an amazing form of activism that could not have risen from anything but the gritty, urban areas where the oppressed reside.
I think that this is the draw of hip-hop, it's the people who are oppressed who, instead of using conventional methods of political activism, created their own style of music, with the pretense of empowering these urban citizens, the purpose of setting themselves apart, but also presenting an intelligent argument. When children were told how to rhyme in school, they rhymed about their struggles and fears, during late 60s South Bronx, this was the only form of activism they could use, and look at where it is now.
In one of the articles I was reading, (http://www.thenation.com/doc/20050314/hatchmiller) the author talked about the commercialization of hip-hop. Record executives decided that they would like to make money off of this new form of music, but as soon as they realized what it was about, they opted out of artists like Ice-T, Public Enemy, etc. and probably signed the artists who rapped about sex, drugs, and money, the exact opposite of their predecessors. It seems that every movement that had a large following somehow ends up in the hands of a CEO who wants to make money off of either nostalgia or common interest, rebranding the phenomenon with a corporate logo and selling it off as authentic, sick.

On an off note, I was thinking about the exclusiveness of hip-hop. Is it "socially acceptable" for a white person to listen to rap? Many people think not. I think this is a big problem, for hip-hop isn't the only medium in which minorities take an exclusive stance. Here at the university, there are groups such as Trio, or Posse, which aim to unify minority students. But by doing that, they are distancing them from the rest of campus, because they have a LABEL, and it's very hard to become friends with someone part of these groups, for they already have their own friends within their group. This campus should really make a better attempt at diversity, because as far as I can tell we are 0 for 2; remember that photoshop incident? Ok, I'm just ranting now, so let me wrap it up. I feel that hip-hop was a truly groundbreaking medium for self-expression, but it just disappoints me that it has to become a way to make money for corporations, just as previous movements that are over and obsolete, they continue living only in a corporate scheme.

Pineapple-Mango-Apple

Yes, this is a half apple, half mango, or as I'd like to call it, a Mapple.

Milk of Amnesia

• A story of the struggle it is to come back to your home country after being away for a period of time, the alienation, the rejection, and general inevitability of leaving as a tourist, not a native.
• I like the comparison to citizens of countries as pieces of fruit, it was accurate.
• "When I'm in Cuba, I am American, but when I am in America, I am Cuban." Yeah, this is exactly what it feels like. You are Romanian when you're in America, because that's what sets you apart, but while in Romania, one is not a true Romanian anymore if he's lived in the states for seven years, he is just an American tourist. It's a horrible feeling, not belonging.
• I wonder if the amnesia is real, or if it is just used to emphasize the whitewashing of being in New York for a prolonged period of time; it is a very powerful tool, because being in a Walmart for too long can make you forget where you're coming from, somewhere in that space between the beer cooler and the diapers.
• Finally, this is activist in the sense that it puts out the question of national identity; in our continuously globalized society, these lines are blurred, and being an outcast on either side of the map is not easy. Romania is my father, America is the antagonizing step-father.
  

Jedi knights, sex symbols, explosions, and helicopters: Things that have nothing to do with this blog post.

What, the play doesn't involve Jedi Knights, helicopters, and sports cars? What a letdown!
Just kidding, I thought it was interesting.

At first read, I was posed with a question of purpose, of what this play is about, what does it stand for? But after a reread and a quick websearch, my thoughts were confirmed, it's an apartheid era play that compares the current system to the corrupt Greek system in Antigone. I liked it. Besides the obvious comparison of two corrupt methods of governing, I greatly enjoyed the portrayal of prison life. I think that this image, of life in prison, has received a lot of media attention from early times on. Bible times when that fellow wrote some sacred text while in prison, books written in prison, manifestoes...it's almost like being in prison is a form of activism. Do one normal, everyday action in prison, and all of a sudden it is a form of activism. I suppose everyone in prison could be considered a political activist. They are there for a reason, be it fair or unfair. If it is a fair, (let's pretend that there are only two sides here) the person clearly thought poorly of the law he or she broke, and therefore practiced civil disobedience, and went to jail for it. Clearly this person didn't agree with the current legislation, so he threw it out of the window, his prison sentence being his silent protest. Now if one were incarcerated for little to no reason, the prison sentence is in itself activism, showing the crookedness of our system of law.

Now I also enjoyed the part in which the degrading of the prisoners to children was the focus. What better way to break one's spirit than convincing them that they are reverting back to childhood, or at least making them feel the part. It's such a horrible tactic really, stripping away all maturity from the inmates, and taking them back not to the pleasant childhood where fond, careless memories exist, but instead to the terrible part of childhood. The phase of having no voice, no say, where one's opinion did not matter at all. The phase where life is governed by someone else, and free decisions are nonexistent. Yes, make one feel like an oppressed child, and the spirit is gone.



AHHH, never going to find that clip I'm looking for. Barbie is pleasant enough I guess.

Jesus Christ throws his hat in.

Interesting reading, I cannot wait for these readings to be torn to shreds in class. I find it funny that we collectively disapprove of most of the liberal activism we study; we don't disagree with the message, but rather with the way of presenting it. This Tuesday will be different, for we have a message that most of us won't agree with, as well as a form of presentation that we probably will scoff at.

Gay Rights, Special Rights

• So here we have our first half of the reading, Gay Rights, Special Rights, whose producer aims to say that homosexuals and lesbians are now seeking unjust rights simply because of the wave of social change from past decades, that these are unjustly deserved privileges which no one should have.
• Obviously, the Religious Right are at the helm of this movement; this brings up one of many disagreements I have with this film. What is religion doing with trying to influence government laws and legislation? Right, clearly religion should be the foremost authority on how we govern ourselves.
• What a cheap and gutless argument to try turning African Americans and homosexuals against each other.
• I find myself wanting to read more actual excerpts from the movie than commentary, something about it feels filtered and unreal. Primary sources they call them. I feel as if the narrator is opposed to the views presented by this type of activism, and although I may be opposed as well, I'd appreciate to hear it from the source.

Pro-Life Movement

• Ugh, violence to try proving points, great. Again, religion can make people do crazy things.
• I find it interesting that these publications will never really change anyone's mind, but the people who have an inherent agreement with these ideologies will feel more entitled to pursue their beliefs, under the thought that they are justified to bomb abortion clinics and murder doctors who provide abortions. It's not the fact that these religious zealots are changing people's minds, they are merely reinforcing a belief. Everyone feels more comfortable within a crowd.

More to come tomorrow, I have a pressing reading to do which I cannot accomplish tomorrow before class.

Gorillas, Blood, and Sweaters

Good stuff, I'm digging reading for all of my classes, especially this one. Finally, opposed to high school, I feel like I'm actually learning more, and not just memorizing facts, dates, and places. Now, time to bust out my immensely articulate and intellectual interpretation of the three readings due this week.

Guerrilla Girls

• Mmmm, these ads remind me of the current campaign by that one collective of people completely opposed to smoking, and the use of shock and awe to draw crowds. While the Guerrilla girls use a milder form of this viral marketing, so to call it, it is definitely effective. Based on posting a rather harmless poster in public places, the Guerrilla Girls draw crowds' and critics' attention in a subtle way.
• The positive nature of the messages really works for me, and I would assume that it does for others as well. It's passive-aggressiveness on a new level. It's funny but at the same time screams frustration with the current situation in the contemporary art world. Everyone clearly knows that these women are not happy, and this sort of delivery system works wonders.
• Equality for women in the art world, awesome, right? Well yeah, if you keep it at that. As soon as you have posters like the one in this post, I kind of drift away from your cause. It's great, I totally agree with you and feel that women should be represented in more galleries, you've shown me statistics showing just how underrepresented you are, but please don't start saying things like being a woman artist of "Not having to be in shows with men" Maybe men are misrepresented too, we're not all gun and Nickelback loving creatures, some of us also believe in equality. Some of us believe in a world where men and women can coexist, without sounding cheesy.
  

Circulation

• Fascinating, I've never thought about blood as much as I did over the past fifteen minutes of reading. I suppose that taken in a certain context, blood can be seen as artistic, enthralling even.
  
• I like how blood can be associated with more than one view. Sure, blood is directly associated with death, but I still talk to the boy who became my blood brother a good twelve years ago. Again, context, you can look at blood as the result of violence, but also as life giving liquid, a necessary part of life.
• When they compare the architecture in cities to our own circulatory system, what is that trying to convey? Did ancient builders of cities look at the human body when designing the said towns. Is the Paris description significant as the city works just like our own circulatory system? In order to better circulation, all the streets would have had to be clean and free.
  

United Colors of Benetton

• The first thing I thought about when I saw the name Benetton was that when I was young in Romania, the rich kid and his parents wore this stuff. That's all I knew. So I guess I am reading this article non-objectively, well since when did objectivity exist anyway?
• Right, great cause, I think we can all agree that Benetton has done the world some good, right? But was this the primary concern, or was building a multi-million dollar sweater the primary purpose, and the activist marketing campaign a side-effect?
• I find that I am very skeptical about any kind of commercial, or marketing in general. I'll recognize exactly what the commercial is not saying, but ultimately trying to convey. Axe commercials kind of go like this: "Look, you're 18-25, straight, and quite possibly have a really fun and exciting life, women LOVE men who smell like chemicals, you love women! We have a win/win here buddy, you totally aren't a 13 year old boy or fratboy."
• Ok so having said that, these ads scream to me that Benetton is simply trying to tap into the clientele of activists, and young people ready for change. It's really the perfect setup, you have a large movement in the world, and why not brand yourself the clothing of a movement, you will sell a lot of sweaters. Their marketing techniques don't even seem that radical today.
  
• Also I find it interesting that it seems that this might have been the time when the counterculture merged with the consumerist culture. Suddenly being different was the norm, ads have now become a bit more thought provoking and artsy, so let's all jump all over them and fall in love with them.