Your post must be 2-3 full paragraphs and must you include the web address for the media (image, video clip, blog post, etc) you are analyzing so that I may view it as well. Failure to include the web address will invalidate your post and you will not receive the extra credit points. In addition, you may not use films/video clips/images/blog entries we discussed as a group or something that I specifically assigned for the class to read/view, this includes blog entries I’ve listed on this site. Pick something new! Please post your comments by 5:00 pm on Friday, June 6th. Note that you may not use this post as one of your regular blog postings (you should have posted five time prior to this one).
EXTRA CREDIT: It's your turn
Your post must be 2-3 full paragraphs and must you include the web address for the media (image, video clip, blog post, etc) you are analyzing so that I may view it as well. Failure to include the web address will invalidate your post and you will not receive the extra credit points. In addition, you may not use films/video clips/images/blog entries we discussed as a group or something that I specifically assigned for the class to read/view, this includes blog entries I’ve listed on this site. Pick something new! Please post your comments by 5:00 pm on Friday, June 6th. Note that you may not use this post as one of your regular blog postings (you should have posted five time prior to this one).
One of my favorite TED Talks was given by French street artist JR, who started a global art project featuring portraits of people throughout the world. But this project becomes far more compelling and significant than just an international gallery. Art in some way or another is a reflection of reality, but reality can also transform into a reflection of how we view art. Therefore, art can become an important medium for resistance and rebellion. For example, in the project “Face to Face” artist JR created two corresponding portraits of Israeli and Palestinian people who worked the same jobs, who lived seemingly parallel lives. These portraits were pasted side by side in multiple Israeli and Palestinian cities. This becomes a powerful illustration of how similar the two regions were, despite the conflict, tensions, and violence. When asked which portrait depicted the Israeli citizen, and which one was the Palestinian citizen, most locals would not be able to distinguish the two. In this case, art can be seen as a bridge to connect two seemingly distinct groups and communities. These art projects resist against stereotypes and illustrate the humanity we share.
ReplyDeleteAs JR states in his TED Talk, the result of our actions is just as important as the way we do things. In this way, art can change the world, but it must change people first. Art is an important act of rebellion by changing the perception we have of the world. Interacting with art becomes a neutral place of exchange, to share in a sense of community, identity, and humanity. JR’s TED Prize wish was for individuals all over the world to stand up for what they care about and use art as a medium to turn the world inside out. People all over the world were encouraged to take portraits, send it to JR’s studio in France, where it would be printed and then sent back to the original artist to paste in their community where it made sense for them. What was most compelling for me was watching the follow up video a year later, where JR gave an update on what had resulted within the following year. The enormous art project showcased the phenomenal ability of people who are ready to rebel against personal and political injustices and give a voice to their communities. For example, in Tunisia, citizens pasted their own portraits over the portraits of their dictator to show their own diversity. In this way, people used the global art project as a source of protest and rebellion in use art as a strong force to reflect reality. Consequently, the artistic exchange promoted individuality and humanity.
JR’s first TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PAy1zBtTbw
One year later, JR updates TED on the changes that have occurred: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn2W3X_pGh4
Zhiqiao Dong
I have also decided to share a TED talk as a my piece of rebellion. I care deeply about the topic of mental health, and recently mental health has become a topic of greater discussion and interest. The beautiful aspect to this is that those who have dealt with severe mental disorders are speaking out and sharing their own stories. They rebel by combating opinions about their conditions pushed onto them. Each has a different and beautiful story. This particular TED talk is from a woman who has dealt with schizophrenia which started in college, a tale we may all connect too. The onset of Schizophrenia is between the ages of 15-25, meaning, those of us in college are not past this window of onset. Which in reality, is quite scary. This TED talk speaks to me because it rebels against conventional beliefs about schizophrenia or what people believe to know about certain mental disorders. Instead of ignoring her problem, or covering it with drugs, she chose to really understand her condition and seek help from many places. The conclusion of this TED talk is that schizophrenia can be a result of traumatic life events, and the voices may be a coping mechanism the subconscious employs. This is contrary to many beliefs where the voices are foreign, or lack connection to the individual they inhabit.
ReplyDeleteWe have seen in this class that when a person tells their story honestly, and in the right way, a single persons perspective can be truly influential. This speaker suffers from a disease that many consider one of the most "severe" mental disorders, and she rebels by just putting her own truth out there. If you ever notice, many times psychiatric pharmaceutical commercials are done with animation and I always wonder if it is because they don't want to put a face to the disease. Someway, keeping mental disorders and those who suffer from them distanced from people without one. But by having this TED talk from a person who appears to be someone we can image as our classmate or coworker, the viewer must change their perspective on the belief.
Other aspects of rebellion that were obvious were times when she made remarks such as, "my psychiatrist told me, you'd be better off with cancer because cancer is easier to cure than schizophrenia". Which is a pretty blunt and radical statement. And the reality in the statement is because so much is to be learned about specifics in the brain that a cure for many types of mental illnesses will take years of research and prior to recently, mental illness was not a "hot" topic. This speech and statements such as these are compelling to me because those in the mental health field already accept that many to most mental disorders are more debilitating to your life than heath issues such as breast cancer, asthma, or diabetes. But with social media, people willing to tell their stories, and people ready to listen now, the general population can be more informed about mental health.
As our technology advances, our society becomes more globalized, and we can learn about protest movements far from us. Theoretically, we could ally ourselves with these movements, and help to produce change. However, I fear that as social media and the internet become greater parts of our lives, we will fail to produce effective and tangible movements, and instead we will only nominally ally ourselves with a cause. We would like a page or post a status, and then go on with our lives without any other form of action. A different type of protest ventures to call out this ineffective resistance. Some individuals have created art to remind us that sometimes our methods of protests do not necessarily bring about the change we desire.
ReplyDeleteAs example, I present the song "White People for Peace" by punk rock band Against Me!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVlZq2RI7bo (lyrics here if distortion isn't your thing: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/againstme/whitepeopleforpeace.html). In the song, they describe a war that won't stop for the civilians who rebel against it. The chorus states: "the people sang protest songs in response to military aggression...but the battle raged on". In this context, "protest songs" are not necessarily songs, but general opinion concerning a war. No matter how much the population complains, war goes on. The cover art of the single reinforces this idea: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8a/Against_Me!_-_White_People_for_Peace_cover.jpg. The protestors passively ask "Is it over yet?" instead of actively demanding that the war end. The rest of the song is bleak: it gives the impression that a war is completely inevitable despite any sort of protest, active or inactive. While that statement may or may not be true, depending on the situation, Against Me! forces us to reflect on if our methods of protest actually cause tangible changes. In the modern era, "protest songs" often occur on social media, instead of in real life. "White People for Peace" demands that we look at all the statuses, photos, and hashtags we create and evaluate if they cause change.
Another more recent example is this comic: http://media.cagle.com/62/2014/05/14/148490_600.jpg. It provocatively challenges a modern form of activism: twitter activism. Many people today consider sharing a cause on their social media, and promoting awareness through hashtags as activism. The panel shows that our fascination with social media can lead us to forget to take action, by presenting a parodied situation. Of course someone would save this woman from harm if this incident were to occur (at least, I hope), but the artist wants to poke fun at a modern inclination towards ineffective methods of protest by creating a satirical situation. The panel, like the song, intends to make us introspective. We should look at what we call protest and activism, and decide if it changes what we want to see changed.
Though it may seem odd to protest a protest, I find this style of rebellion interesting in its thoughtfulness. It helps me think, especially in the context of this course. We've read many beautiful rebellious stories, but in the end, they are just text and pictures. What will I do with what I have learned? How will I act?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMajor acts of rebellion occur throughout time around the world. Either people want to separate themselves from the crowd or want to advocate for what the majority of everyone around them wants. During the Holocaust, though it was hard, the Jews tried as best they could to resist the harsh life conditions restricted on them by the Nazis. Despite difficult and dangerous circumstances, the Jews engaged in various forms of defiance. These were anything from organized attempts at escaping the ghettos into nearby forests, non- compliance with Nazi demands, mainlyu by certain Jewish community leaders, illegal smuggling of food into the ghettos, and spiritual resistance. Although it may have worked for short periods of time, the succession rate of these acts were few and far between. But, through resistance, the Jews felt this was the only way to see light in a life of terror and destruction.
ReplyDeleteDuring most rebellion, people are dehumanized by the powerful which leads to resistance. Jews attempted to keep their humanity, personal integrity, dignity, and sense of civilization to face the Nazi attempts to dehumanize/ degrade them. Their main form of rebellion was continuing to practice their religion and culture as often as possible, secretly, within the ghettos. The video I have posted outlines all of these forms of resistance and how the Jews used these to survive mass extinction. Resistance and rebellion may be looked down upon by most, but without the possbility of it, ost cultures, races, and religions would be wiped out today.
This example is very compelling to me because I am very interested in the Holocaust and most of my extended family died in it. It is nice to know that Jews didn't just do what they were forced to do, although if I were in that situation, I would probably be scared like most and not rebel; I obviously, however, would do what it takes to survive. Rebelling against such a powerful regime isn't easy and it takes a lot of bravery, as shown through the books we have read throughout the course, but doing it at some point should be the goal of everyone, especially if they are under such harsh, dehumanizing circumstances.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og1u8zsqP0s
This class has shown that there is a multi-faceted way about thinking of what it means to rebel. That there are different forms, and through different media, people can express their opinions and make it relatable to many different audiences. One way that we haven't discussed in class is through film. There are many different films in themselves are forms of rebellion, and many films have themes about rebellion. One movie that I have recently watched made me reflect a lot on our discussions in class and the idea of rebellion is The Lego Movie, although for kids, has many important themes on rebellion that adults understand as well. One of the biggest overarching themes that is shown throughout the movies is the rebellion against big business and corporations.
ReplyDeleteShown in the movie is this idea that big business plays a tyrannical role in most people's live, and we as consumers are generally unaware of it. That they limit our freedoms and our creativity because it not the 'norm'. The reason I liked this movie so much is that it tries to show that being and individual and having self-worth makes you valuable. That every individual's ideas are not any more valid than others, that we are all special. Limitations of freedom is what causes strong forces to overpower us.
This class has shown that there is not just one way to rebel, and similar to the Lego Movie, people use their special skills to rebel, whether it be Gene Yang through his illustrations, or by Zambra through his literary work. The Lego Movie shows that different art forms can mimic reality and thus can be an instigator towards change.
http://www.bartleby.com/103/50.html
ReplyDeleteThe most compelling forms of resistance are those that incite thought provoking reevaluation of social standards; those that force us to question our definitions for action. In our class we were introduced to various means of asserting resistance and that resistance itself could also be depicted by rebelling through subtle, unconventional expression. The link above showcases one of Rudyard Kipling’s finest poems, The Conundrum of Workshops. The poem recounts a brief skim of history from biblical times up to the modern day and cites notable actors from the narrated time periods with their respective attributed accomplishments, yet each actor ultimately gives in to a sense of self-doubt when the Devil utters the words, “but is it art?”
At the core of every resistance movement lies the meaning of a specific critique. Whether the criticism is of government, living conditions, or public relations, the people rally against a unified definition for their criticism and take action towards its amending. Criticism in art encompasses the heart of expressed resistance in our class and Rudyard Kipling’s poem serves as a form of rebellion that goes far enough to challenge our preconceived notions of criticism in art. With every scenario depicted in The Conundrum of Workshops the Devil is able to impose doubt on artists throughout history by insinuating that any creation of beauty or intelligence isn’t necessarily art. Kipling alludes to art as a tangible form of “goodness” and asks whether anyone has the ability to critique properly if we all associate goodness with beauty or intelligence. Transitive inferences bring us to question the proper motives for resistance. This poem expresses all this concern of art criticism, and thus of resistance, even though it is a form of literary art itself; what’s better is that the poem showcases this using the artistic means everyone else has throughout history and throughout his poem. Kipling’s The Conundrum of Workshops is therefore one of the most compelling works of art and resistance I’ve ever encountered; its eloquence and profundity has me reassessing the foundations for motivation when it doesn’t have me mired with admiration.
John Oliver’s Call to Action for Net Neutrality (Video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpbOEoRrHyU
ReplyDeleteWhile on the same connection, have you ever noticed how some websites load more quickly than others? This phenomenon is due to the prioritization that is controlled by telecommunication services. Some sites have better relationships with these companies garnering priority, while other sites are impeded due to disagreements. Net neutrality is the principle that all data on the internet should be treated equally by internet service providers. The internet has always been a frontier for freedom defined by its openness and ease of access. Telecommunication companies however seek to impose a tiered service model on this frontier, driving a demand for premium services by imposing limitations on data speeds and accessibility. These actions offer the possibility of discrimination by content, site, platform, and modes of communication, taking away the level playing field which the internet offers.
Using humor and sarcasm, John Oliver successfully portrays the absurd argument that telecommunication companies present in opposition of net neutrality. He ridicules their attempt to move toward a monopoly, yet concurrently he makes the audience realize that this could be a reality. Oliver speaks directly to the users of the internet to voice their opinions and let the FCC know how our individual freedoms can be impeded by. By doing so, Oliver and the rest of the internet become a singular voice against those who seek to impede net neutrality for economic gain. This is a stand for equality. This stand will allow for competition which is always good for the customers from an economic standpoint. As a result, this is resistance against a proposal that limits equal access to the internet; by preventing big companies like Timewarner and Comcast from usurping control over the internet, the internet is able to remain competitive and open to all who use it.
This example as a form of resistance caught my attention because this is a major point of discussion in the 21st century. The internet is widely used by everyone, and if we remain silent during this critical period when legislature is being passed, we will experience the consequences in the future. For me, the internet has always been an open frontier where everyone is able to freely and anonymously share their content with one another. If we allow companies to become a third party in this exchange, we create the possibility of censorship which will limit the variety of perspective we are able to access. Therefore, I hoped to share this piece not only to educate others on net neutrality, but to pass along this message so that those who read this can become part of the resistance.
Slut Walk:
ReplyDeletehttp://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xn4MMRg0KyU/UhxI7w5jxEI/AAAAAAAAAYo/sh1twwqZqZQ/s1600/photo+2.JPG
A Toronto police officer told a group of students "women should avoid dressing like sluts in order to not be victimized," which helped launch a movement called "Slut walk". The statement was incredibly shocking because it came from a place of authority and instead of encouraging women to speak out, it could potentially cause the opposite. The movement aims to challenge a culture where the victim is often guilty until proven innocent; it's a culture where the victim's entire life history is questioned-everything from their past sexual history to what they were wearing. It's also attempting to reclaim the word slut and remove the negative connotations of the term.
The spotlight in on the "rape culture," where sexual assault is often normalized. We are taught to not be raped instead of teaching people not to rape. The women are utilizing a different form of rebellion-some of the participants wear clothes that could be considered "slutty" to make the point that it doesn't matter how a woman is dressed. It doesn't matter how much the victim was drinking or whether or not they were flirting. There has been criticism of the movement, in that it doesn't allow a place for women of color, but it is still an effective expression of rebellion. The victim should never be blamed but too often, that is exactly what occurs. For instance, a judge said that a 14-year-old rape victim was in “as much control of the situation” as her rapist, a 47 year-old teacher. Slut walk is a platform where people can discuss issues like sexuality and gender, which can be left unattended by the public.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0c3OEPNHCXc
ReplyDeleteKorean-American comedian Margaret Cho embodies rebellion. From her looks to her jokes, each aspect of her is a rebellion in one form or another. Margaret Cho is not your stereotypical Asian American. She is not superb in math, she has tattoos, and she is on TV. Tattoos are, for her, a form of rebellion in that she defies the traditional conservative Korean culture. In Korean culture, tattoo symbolizes violence and gangs. In the past, if you had one, you would be viewed as a gang member. However, times are changing but there are still older generations that are very conservatives. By having tattoos, Cho rebels against the conservative Korean culture. She wants to show that its okay to have tattoos as art on your body and that tattoos are not necessarily bad. Another way Cho rebels is by being on TV. While Asian actors are typically portrayed as side characters that are not significant, Cho plays as a supporting actress in Drop Dead Diva. Although it may not be the role of the main character, the fact that Cho has a job in Hollywood itself is a form of rebellion. Rather than being in the market and selling fish, Cho is making it big in the entertainment industry.
In the talk show, one of the listeners said that the Korean culture is very homogeneous and if you don’t fit in you are out-casted. Margaret Cho is pansexual. She is a very open minded person who find every individual unique and interesting. While she may be open to all types of people, not everybody will be very inviting of her. I believe that she rebels against heteronormativity. In addition, what makes her rebellion even more effective is that she talks about it. Rather than hiding in the closet, she openly expresses her feelings and opinions about her sexualities. Cho is very active in rebelling against traditional Korean culture and can serve as a symbol of rebellion.
http://zenpencils.com/comic/129-marc-maron-the-social-media-generation/
ReplyDeletePeople living in our generation, young and old, are obsessed with social media. The illustrator is fighting against the loss of humanity and self-sufficiency that is occurring. As a society, we are beginning to check out of the real world and enter a game-like reality where we are all competing for attention. Meanwhile, the real world is bleak and empty. The illustrator shows this by highlighting the cell phones with a blue light while the people are either emotionless, disaffected, or just unhappy. The colors used in this comic are grey and black. The image of the young boy is very effective in showing the lack of humanity with our current generation as we are unresponsive, in comparison.
For me, the most revealing image is that whenever something in the real world occurs, the boy feels the need to upload that media, like a child begging for attention. This comparison is an attack on us as a society and is used as a form of rebellion against the current use of social media as a "drug"
This artwork shows the downfall of social media. It is a form of rebellion because technology and social media are so ingrained into our culture now that instead of questioning it, most people adapt to it. It's time to reevaluate the impact that technology is having on our emotional and mental wellbeing. As humans, face-to-face contact is natural and important and when we forgo our natural form of communication to one that is digital and foreign, there are bound to be consequences. Just like drugs, technology is addicting and abusive. These are some very harsh claims made and the imagery used to portray this are the form of rebellion. For me, it really made me question my motives and usage of social media and I think this is the effect of witnessing rebellion of a social phenomenon.
Dance like any other art form has become a means of resistance and rebellion to the stereotypes put on it by society. Ballet is celebrated for its legacy of beauty and control yet choreographers constantly push this assumption by creating free form pieces in contrast to century old classical ballets. The Sleeping Beauty was first performed in Russia in 1890. In this clip, you see the “Garland Waltz” in the opening act of the ballet. They work as a “backdrop” to set the stage for the grand party in the ballet. Their movement is synchronized and formations are straight and clean.
ReplyDelete"The Garland Waltz"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihVvBCCvA5Y
In contrast, Joffrey Ballet was able to recreate Rite of Spring first performed in 1913. When the piece was first performed it caused a riot in the theater, and not well reviewed. The original choreography was actually lost until the Igor Stravinsky and Vaslav Nijinsky, the original creators of the ballet, helped choreograph the Rite of Spring. This ballet revolutionized ballet and ushered the age of modern ballet. The ballet’s concept is to explore springtime in pagan Russia. In this ballet no dancer is en pointe, and the movement is more grounded and free form. The dancers all wear similar white painted make-up so in this case the only way to distinguish between the groups is through their costumes.
The Rite of Spring
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jF1OQkHybEQ (skip to 2:43 to see the dance)
This free-form ballet would not be possible without its music. The music is sharp and fast whereas Tchaikovsky’s music is grand and sweeping. The choreography in the Rite of Spring revolutionizes the steps and forms found in ballet. In the last section of the ballet the dancers’ feet are turned in, and unlike in The Sleeping Beauty the dancers are not in sync. There are little groups of dancers doing completely different choreography and formations. These dancers are the actors on stage. They are not just there to create a “backdrop” to the story. The Rite of Spring influenced modern ballet, and helped shape more known and popularized genres of dance such as lyrical and contemporary. I think that it shows to me that ballet, one of the oldest styles of dance, can be revolutionized. It shows me that dance is not a stagnant art form, it can grow, react with the times, and be redefined.