Due to the fact that we began studying Dada in class on Monday, you may disregard assignment #4. If you have already done it, you can have extra credit, or you will be exempt from a future assignment.
The students seemed to really want to study Dada, so on Monday I quickly changed my plans. OH, FEAR NOT, YOU WILL HAVE MORE ASSIGNMENTS IN THE FUTURE!
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Monday, March 5, 2007
The Rise & Fall of an American Subculture
Over the past couple weeks, we've looked at a number of videos & reading that may have left some of you a bit overwhelmed. Let me try to summarize things for you:
In the United States, political involvement on the part of citezens is difficult. Many of us are alienated from the political process. Nevertheless, many people seek alternative outlets to voice their opinions. The film "American Hardcore" lays this out vividly. As shown in that movie, a solidified group of young folks created their own underground culture that was vocally opposed to the status quo. They called it "hardcore punk". While this underground community had its problems, inconsistencies, and failures, it did indeed present an alternative. Nonetheless, it's important to note that this movement was not directly involved in political action (due probably because it was a MUSICAL movement & so many involved were young), despite their leftist political agenda/ideology.
Many of you have noticed that hardcore punk, nowadays, is not functioning in the same way it was back in the early 1980s. In fact, much of that subculture has been co-opted by the mainstream popular culture. Therefore the question is: what is/may be the current underground movement? Is it possible to create an "underground" movement that can affect POLITICAL change?
Amiri Baraka, in his speech "Language, Culture, & Meaning" seems to be making the point that language is intertwined with thought & action, and to truly understand our world, we must EXPAND, not limit ourselves. That's the most substantial thing I get from his speech.
In the United States, political involvement on the part of citezens is difficult. Many of us are alienated from the political process. Nevertheless, many people seek alternative outlets to voice their opinions. The film "American Hardcore" lays this out vividly. As shown in that movie, a solidified group of young folks created their own underground culture that was vocally opposed to the status quo. They called it "hardcore punk". While this underground community had its problems, inconsistencies, and failures, it did indeed present an alternative. Nonetheless, it's important to note that this movement was not directly involved in political action (due probably because it was a MUSICAL movement & so many involved were young), despite their leftist political agenda/ideology.
Many of you have noticed that hardcore punk, nowadays, is not functioning in the same way it was back in the early 1980s. In fact, much of that subculture has been co-opted by the mainstream popular culture. Therefore the question is: what is/may be the current underground movement? Is it possible to create an "underground" movement that can affect POLITICAL change?
Amiri Baraka, in his speech "Language, Culture, & Meaning" seems to be making the point that language is intertwined with thought & action, and to truly understand our world, we must EXPAND, not limit ourselves. That's the most substantial thing I get from his speech.
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