tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20590476235495728602024-03-21T21:09:47.290-07:00Dispatches from the class struggles of the twenty-first centuryMax the Marxisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03385872869229987931noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2059047623549572860.post-34719955746464093202016-09-17T22:23:00.002-07:002016-09-17T22:23:27.831-07:00Climate Change, Capitalism, and Denial<div style="color: #3d596d; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
The planet keeps getting <a data-mce-href="http://www.livescience.com/55469-2016-could-be-hottest-year-on-record.html" href="http://www.livescience.com/55469-2016-could-be-hottest-year-on-record.html" style="color: #00aadc;">warmer</a>--2016 is on pace to be the hottest year on record--but the denial surrounding climate change remains entrenched. As Naomi Klein reported in <em>This Changes Everything</em>, 71 percent of Americans in 2007 believed that continuing to burn fossil fuels would affect the Earth's climate. By 2009--the peak for the Tea Party movement--the number had declined to 51 percent. In 2011, it was only 44%. <a data-mce-href="https://ncse.com/news/2014/04/climate-new-harris-poll-0015518" href="https://ncse.com/news/2014/04/climate-new-harris-poll-0015518" style="color: #00aadc;">A Harris poll in 2014</a>--after Superstorm Sandy and so many other "natural" disasters--indicated that still only 45 percent of Americans agreed with the statement regarding climate change that "I believe it exists and humans are the main cause."</div>
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It's not hard to understand how this growth of mass denialism happened. The shift in public opinion about climate change should give pause to anyone who doubts the effectiveness of elite-sponsored propaganda. Between 2002 and 2010, anonymous b<a data-mce-href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/feb/14/funding-climate-change-denial-thinktanks-network" href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/feb/14/funding-climate-change-denial-thinktanks-network" style="color: #00aadc;">illionaires contributed $120 million to over 100 groups and think tanks</a> who were working to discredit the scientific findings about climate change. Nearly three-quarters of the climate denial books that began appearing en masse during the 1990s were connected to right-wing think tanks. Every single one of the 17 candidates for the 2016 GOP nomination either denied that climate change was being caused by human activity, or denied that it was happening at all. It's been quite a partisan shift from 2008, when Newt Gingrich appeared with Nancy Pelosi in a <a data-mce-href="https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=gingrich%20pelosi%20global%20warming" href="https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=gingrich%20pelosi%20global%20warming" style="color: #00aadc;">TV ad on Al Gore's Climate Reality Project</a> to call for action on climate change. By 2011, Gingrich was calling his appearance with Pelosi "the single <a data-mce-href="http://dailycaller.com/2011/11/08/gingrich-on-global-warming-ad-with-pelosi-the-dumbest-single-thing-ive-done-in-years/" href="http://dailycaller.com/2011/11/08/gingrich-on-global-warming-ad-with-pelosi-the-dumbest-single-thing-ive-done-in-years/" style="color: #00aadc;">dumbest thing I've done in years</a>."</div>
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It's also not hard to understand why billionaires and the right-wing politicians who serve them are so invested in denying the science of climate change. Many, like the Koch brothers, are directly involved in the fossil fuel industry. But for those who are ideologically invested in the neoliberal ideas of free trade, privatization, and deregulation, the specter of climate change signals the end of the party. People with individualistic, competitive, and hierarchical worldviews are significantly more likely to deny that climate change is happening. Likewise, it threatens religious conservatives and fundamentalists who believe humans should exercise dominion over the planet and that nature is a gift from God for our consumption. Millions of Americans fervently deny climate change in the same way that they passionately espouse their views about taxes, guns, and abortion.</div>
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It's easy to mock these lunatic conspiracy theories of the denialists. Many of them believe that climate change is something like a Trojan horse for some kind of "Green communitarianism" involving the abolition of capitalism. And yet Naomi Klein suggests that they may actually understand the situation more clearly than the liberals and moderates who are searching for market-friendly, technological solutions to climate change. The reality, Klein suggests, is that capitalism and the climate are indeed incompatible, and conservatives understand this better than liberals who are still trying to work within the logic of the market, through carbon trading, offsets, and the like. She writes:</div>
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So here's my inconvenient truth: I think these hard-core ideologues understand the significance of climate change better than most of the "warmists" in the political center, the ones who are still insisting that the response can be gradual and painless and that we don't need to go to war with anybody, including the fossil fuel companies (p. 43).</blockquote>
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Karl Marx once wrote that "the bourgeoisie creates its own gravediggers": the internal contradictions of capitalism would lead to its revolutionary overthrow. Marx, of course, assumed that this revolutionary force would be the working class. What Marx could not foresee was how the environment could be a second source of contradiction and limitation for capital. Capitalists have pushed the Earth to the brink of catastrophe, and our only hope for survival may be the end of capitalism and the growth of a more egalitarian, sustainable economy, one that puts people and the planet ahead of profits.</div>
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Max the Marxisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03385872869229987931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2059047623549572860.post-67643950160778362152016-09-17T22:22:00.001-07:002016-09-17T22:22:06.393-07:00Neoliberalism and Climate Change: The Next Shock Doctrine?<div style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="color: #3d596d;">The capitalist class is responding to climate change in a number of ways. There are of course </span><span style="color: #666666;">those who deny climate change</span><span style="color: #3d596d;"> is happening or that it is caused by human activity, and who spend huge amounts of money in propaganda campaigns to sway public opinion, with much success. Such propaganda mainly comes from the fossil fuel industries and neoliberal ideologues. On the other hand, there are those, like Michael Bloomberg, who recognize the reality of climate change but conceive of the consequences mostly in monetary terms. Superstorm Sandy revealed how much capital and real estate could be destroyed as a result of a rising sea levels.</span></div>
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But there is also a third group who are planning to profit from climate change, and those who see it as an opportunity for the U.S. to solidify its disintegrating global hegemony. In a <a data-mce-href="http://articles.philly.com/2011-08-28/news/29938468_1_climate-change-climate-scientists-green-jobs" href="http://articles.philly.com/2011-08-28/news/29938468_1_climate-change-climate-scientists-green-jobs" style="color: #00aadc;">2011 article in <em>The Philadelphia Inquirer</em></a>, right-wing blogger Jim Geraghty articulated this viewpoint in the most callous of terms. "Despite the doomsday talk," he wrote, "global warming will be a net economic benefit to the United States, in at least the short term and probably for several decades." How's that? Geraghty quotes Thomas Fingar, chairman of the National Intelligence Council: "Most developed nations and countries with rapidly emerging economies are likely to fare better than those in the poorer, developing world, largely because of a greater coping capacity." The rich will be able to hunker down in their sealed fortresses while the poor are left to burn, starve, or drown. And so Geraghty imagines that climate change could be thing to Make America Great Again: "Rather than our doom, climate change could be the centerpiece of ensuring a second consecutive American Century."</div>
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The catastrophic impact of climate change presents a number of possibilities. One is that it will push humanity into creating a better, more sensible world with ecologically sustainable economies that benefit communities in an equitable manner. But another possibility is that the world could get a lot worse. It's crucial to remember that as much as climate change threatens to destroy some sectors of capital, capitalism as a system thrives on chaos and catastrophe. Naomi Klein has called it <a data-mce-href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSF0e6oO_tw" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSF0e6oO_tw" style="color: #00aadc;">"the shock doctrine"</a>: neoliberal ideologues and capitalist vultures seize upon the opportunities created by disasters to impose their agenda of privatization, deregulation, and austerity in speedy, shocking fashion. In her most recent book, <a data-mce-href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQhflH4alO0" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQhflH4alO0" style="color: #00aadc;">This Changes Everything</a>, Klein envisions what this dystopian world might look like:</div>
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The corporate quest for natural resources will become more rapacious, more violent. Arable land in Africa will continue to be seized to provide food and fuel to the wealthier nations, unleashing a new stage of neocolonial plunder layered on top of the most plundered places on earth (as journalist Christian Parenti documents so well in <em>Tropic of Chaos</em>). When heat stress and vicious storms wipe out small farms and fishing villages, the land will be handed over to large developers for mega-ports, luxury resorts, and industrial farms....In short our culture will do what it is already doing, only with more brutality and barbarism, because that is what our system is built to do. (pp. 48-9)</blockquote>
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See: Klein, This Changes Everything, pp. 46-54</div>
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Max the Marxisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03385872869229987931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2059047623549572860.post-43465098202800517422013-08-21T16:42:00.002-07:002013-08-21T16:42:45.623-07:00Film Noir, Rear Window (1954), and the Post-War Cult of Domesticity<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(Based on lectures in the sociology of film and popular culture)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We're going to use Alfred Hitchcock’s <i>Rear Window</i> to examine Hollywood movies in period during the 1940s and 1950s and how they fit
into the social context of wartime and post-war <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region>. </span>The most important artistic development
in filmmaking during the 1940s was in the genre known as “film noir.” Film critics usually
bookend the genre somewhere between 1941, when <i>The Maltese Falcon</i> was
released, to 1958, with Orson Welles’ <i>A Touch of Evil</i>. Film noir also
made a comeback in the 1970s, especially with Roman Polanski’s <st1:place w:st="on">Chinatown</st1:place> and Martin Scorcese's Taxi Driver. But the heyday of film noir was
unquestionably the 1940s, in movies like
<i>Double Indemnity</i> (1944) and <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on"><i>Scarlet
Street</i></st1:address></st1:street> (1945). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Film noir were <st1:place w:st="on">Hollywood</st1:place>
movies with low budgets, B-movies which were semi-independent of the bigger studio films
of the time, and which were not commercially successful during their own time. The Genre was named “film noir” by French film critics during the early 1950s, because they
saw a subset of <st1:place w:st="on">Hollywood</st1:place> films which stood
out because of their pessimism, darkness, and cynicism, naming them “film noir” which in French literally means “black film.” Film noir is
typically the story of an average, decent, unassuming man whose life unravels
over the course of the movie. He might get mixed up in a crime or underworld
dealings, and most often he is the victim of a woman he cannot resist, a
woman who uses the allure of sex and money to control and manipulate the man in
a way which leads to his downfall. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is the basic plot of most film noir, but the genre is
distinctive not only for its story line but also for its cinematic technique
and mood. Film noir is always set in the city, either a real one or a studio recreation, where the streets are chaotic and crowded and yet the main character is lonely
and desolate. Film noir was almost always in black-and-white, and directors used lighting and shadows to convey the sense of impending doom, literally an act of
foreshadowing. Scenes were shot in confined spaces and used angles where characters
are enclosed within the frame--</span>this was done to convey a sense of claustrophobia and imprisonment, like the characters are trapped, imprisoned within their surroundings.
This is especially important in <i>Rear Window</i>. The overall message of film noir is
that things are not what they seem, that there is an ugliness and darkness behind
the façade of normality, that the reality and order that we take for granted is
built on quicksand and threatens to dissolve at any minute. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There were several artistic sources for film noir. One was the so-called
hard-boiled detective novels of Raymond Chandler, Dashell Hammett, and James Cain--</span>many of these novels were converted into movies that were among the
most important of film noir. Stories typically involve detectives who go to
investigate a crime, then discover that crime leads them to a larger conspiracy
involving the powerful and corrupt. One of the key features is that the
protagonist is a detective, but he typically works alone, not with the police
force, because in this fiction there is a general distrust of the powerful, authorities, and social institutions. Another key influence for film noir
was German Expressionism, German directors who made
dark, moody films in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Germany</st1:country-region>
during the 1920s and 30s, who then immigrated to the <st1:country-region w:st="on">US</st1:country-region>
after Hitler came to power and continued to make movies in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region>. Some of
these include the most important directors in cinematic history: Fritz Lang (who
directed <i>Metropolis</i> and <i>M</i>), Billy Wilder (<i>Double Indemnity</i>, <i>Some Like It
Hot</i>). American directors were then influenced by Germans, taking the genre
in new directions: Orson Welles (<i>Citizen Kane</i>, <i>The Lady from <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Shanghai</st1:place></st1:city></i>, <i>A Touch of Evil</i>), Nicholas Ray
(<i>They Live by Night</i>, <i>Rebel Without a Cause</i>). One additional influence for film noir was the gangster film of the 1930s, especially how directors used the setting
of the big city and the depiction of a criminal underworld, using shadows to convey
danger and violence. The director of Scarface, Howard Hawks, went on to direct one of
the most important film noir, a movie called The Big Sleep, adapted from Raymond
Chandler story and starring Humphrey Bogart. The main difference was that the protagonist of film noir was more likely to be a middle-class WASP, not an ethnic working-class gangster. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Alfred Hitchcock is not usually considered a noir director by
film critics, but many of his best movies from the 1950s certainly borrowed
from the style and mood of earlier film noir, including <i>Rear Window</i> but also <i>Strangers on a Train</i> (1951), <i>The Wrong Man</i> (1956), and <i>Vertigo</i> (1958).</span><i style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Rear Window</i><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> is a movie about photographer (played by Jimmy
Stewart) who has a broken leg, and is confined to a wheelchair, who spends his time
spying on his neighbors with a camera and binoculars, and then he thinks he sees
one his neighbors murder his wife. The e</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">ntire movie is shot from one point-of-view, with Stewart
looking out his window. Hitchcock thus placed Stewart in the same
position as the moviegoer, because Stewart is unable to act
or move, unable to help when the situation gets dangerous, but because of modern
technology he does have the power to watch, he can be a spectator. Hitchcock adds a Freudian element to this, presenting Stewart’s broken leg as a kind of impotence,
even castration, because for the whole movie Stewart’s leg is this long, protruding
object which is all damaged and bandaged up, preventing him from acting or
helping to rescue his woman. He can’t take care of himself or his girl, he can’t
even scratch his leg when it itches because it’s in a cast. On the other hand,
when he wants to get better a look at his neighbors, he pulls out this
ridiculously huge telescopic lens and puts it between his legs, as if it were a phallic substitute. Its clear that that’s where his
power comes from. He may be impotent in the sense of having a broken leg and
being confined to a wheelchair, but the telescope gives him a surrogate
form of power, the power to watch. Also note that when he is attacked, the way
Stewart defends himself is by using the blinding flash of his camera.</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> </span></div>
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" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So the whole movie is filmed from one place, Stewart’s
apartment allegedly in Greenwich Village, and filmed from the perspective of looking into other windows; this is a recurring feature of film noir, “frame within a frame,” where you see one
picture within another picture, and so on. Hitchcock uses this to add to the
suspense and the mystery: both Stewart and us, the audience, can only
see by looking into windows, and thus our view is imperfect, we have to make inferences,
educated guesses, about what we can’t see and can’t hear. </span><i>Rear Window</i> also exemplifies some of the conventions of film
noir insofar as it is a story about being confined and trapped, shot in order
to convey a sense of claustrophobia. The movie is also filmed in the city, but we
only get see one slice of it, between the buildings we can see people
and cars rush by, the hustle and bustle of the city.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And Hitchcock also draws on noir conventions, like using
shadows to convey a sense of impending doom, or using a rainy night to convey
danger and mystery. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="212" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQkaSen4oNDcbkq4rGPWWFheq3asKMlg0H9sbt1eqo7hfkY4KUCgg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The
idea of watching your neighbors, the
themes of surveillance, vouyerism, paranoia are perfect metaphors for the
social context of the 1950s. There were two social factors that contributed to
a sense of paranoia and surveillance, the need to watch your neighbors during the
1950s. One was the Cold War. The Cold War was ostensibly a conflict with the Soviet
Union, but it also contributed to a sense of paranoia about communists here in
the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region>.
Beginning in 1947, an organization called HUAC and Senator Joe McCarthy led an investigation of alleged communists in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region>. One of
the first places they investigated was the <st1:place w:st="on">Hollywood</st1:place>
film industry: this led to the conviction and imprisonment of a group of
screenwriters who became known as the “Hollywood Ten,” as well as the
blacklisting of hundreds of actors, directors, screenwriters, including Fritz
Lang. One of those led the anti-communist investigation in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hollywood</st1:place></st1:city> was an actor and former president
of the Screen Actors Guild named Ronald Reagan. So the culture of Cold War was
that you not only had commies living in Russia and China, but also right here
at home, they might live next door and look as “normal” as anyone else, so you
had to keep your eye on them. In the 1950s there were movies like <i>Invasion of
the Body Snatchers</i> and <i>I Married A Communist</i>, which contributed to that sense
of paranoia, the fear that you have to keep an eye on the neighbors, because "you
never know."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="212" src="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS1JMTrONYwAgX17MFdqEa39r8Peuz7dYzekbghc9HLdPh4Q8MK" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Another aspect of 1950s American society which depended on people
watching their neighbors was the consumer culture. This was watching your neighbors in
the sense of “keeping up with the Jonses,” not looking for a
conspiracy, but rather to see what they are wearing or driving, to look at their
house and appliances. The culture of the 1950s was largely defined by
conformity through consumerism. The 1950s was time
when millions of middle-class whites were moving to suburbs, buying a new
house, new car, new appliances, and it thrived on people wanting to establish
social status through acts of consumption, buying the newest, the biggest, the
shiniest, the “new and improved.”</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Consumerism thrived on people comparing themselves to their
neighbors, people making sure that their stuff, their material goods, were just as
good or even better than their neighbors. In the 1950s, the reference group for comparison might be real
neighbors in the suburbs, or they might be a fictional family on
television.<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="320" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT1hNsVprcfJLgyAfipKd2DlllwvRvNXkNuyyIYXKh2CEKBq_jVYA" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="253" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Television was the most important technological
innovation of the 1950s, and it fueled consumerism not only through its
advertising and commercials, but also by depicting the suburban family living
the American Dream and owning all the best and newest stuff, sending the
message that your family could also be this happy if only you drove the newest
car or bought the new deluxe refrigerator, just like the one the Cleavers have in
their house. </span>This is something interesting to think about with regard to
<i>Rear Window</i> and Hitchcock, because Jimmy Stewart is in the same position that
the consumer and the television viewer is in: they can look but don’t act, they are spectators rather than participants. The consumer economy depended on people being
as impotent and passive as Jimmy Stewart, sitting at home, watching TV,
watching and comparing themselves to their suburban neighbors or fictional TV
families. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="181" src="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSKcogOmLhSX048cnJODJwOkt62O86-QsrrYjBkTOP_cnHMuPSg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The other place where <i>Rear Window</i> exemplifies social anxieties has
to go with gender, sexuality, masculinity, and marriage. In the typical film
noir, there is a fear and mistrust of women: women are temptresses and
manipulators who use sex to get what they want, leading to the downfall of the
male character. These women are dangerous because they are unattached, independent, powerful, and after money and material gain. This collective anxiety is related to the social context of wartime <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region>,
because during World War II women had been called to work in the factories, in
the war industries while men went off to war. The U.S. government aggressively tried to
recruit women into the workforce, like in the “Rovie the Riveter” campaign. Then after the
war, women were asked to leave their jobs and go back to being housewives and
baby-makers, it was assumed that those jobs in the factories and industry
belonged to men, that they needed them more than women. However, this created a lot
of fear and instability about gender roles in the post-war years, because
you had a whole generation of women who had gotten a taste of independence by working outside the home, and they were now asked to go back to being barefoot and
pregnant. Many critics have analyzed the fear of powerful, independent women
in film noir in relation to these events during and after the war, as a reflection of American society’s fear of women who are independent and not in their place.<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="269" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTUzq9Zbvh5gm7rcG0huJuKwbArX-Gm3SFTwGAALKHNls7eFTRdAA" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';"><i>Rear Window </i>also depicts a fear of women, but for a
different reason: they represent domesticity, because they tie men down and
force men to settle into a life of suburbia, working 9-5, monogamy, basically they put an
end to fun and adventure. This is a common theme of Hitchcock movies. In <i>Rear
Window</i>, Stewart is being pursued by Grace Kelly, it seems unrealistic because
she’s throwing herself at him “take me, Jeffrey” and he’s sitting in a
wheelchair with a broken leg and he’s still like “I don’t know.” Meanwhile, his
nurse, the other woman in the movie, is nagging him to get married and settle
down, so she also represents smothering domesticity. Basically, he’s afraid of
Grace Kelly because he knows she wants him to marry her, and that would mean giving up his
career as photographer and travelling to exotic lands, because she’s too feminine
for him to take her. So when Grace Kelly is introduced in the movie, there's this long scene
where she literally casts a shadow over his entire face, another instance where
Hitchcock uses shadows to convey danger, only this time the danger is a woman
who wants to get married.</span><br />
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" 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<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In fact, all the neighbors who Stewart watches inhabit
various places on the marriage and family spectrum: a young girl pursued by male
suitors, a lonely woman who has an imaginary romance, a newlywed couple who always
have shades drawn, a piano player who lives alone, a childless couple with a dog.
Hitchcock sets up all sorts of parallels between the neighbors and Stewart as
he’s watching them. When we are introduced to the suspected murderer and his
wife, it is at the same moment when Stewart is going off on marriage and
“nagging wives,” and we see the wife across the street nagging at the husband
who’s eventually going to kill her. Critics have suggested that the neighbors
are actually supposed to be projections of Stewart’s unconscious, his psyche,
his fantasies and imagination, and perhaps by extension even the unconscious
fantasy life of us, the audience. Violence against women is a recurring theme
in <i>Rear Window</i>, and it seems Stewart always sees it happen when he feels he is being trapped or nagged by the women in his own life. Also interesting is that
the women in movie are referred to by their body parts: Miss Torso and also
Miss Lonelyhearts, and also some speculative banter about how the murderer has chopped his
wife into little pieces. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Throughout the movie, Stewart tries to distance himself from Grace Kelly, to fight off her seduction, but in the end she wins, she gets her man. In the last
scene we see Stewart with not one but two broken legs, which confirms the sense
that a broken leg is a metaphor for being trapped and impotent. Then we see Grace Kelly dressed in pants and a man’s shirt, whereas throughout the whole movie she’s been
wearing extremely feminine clothing, but in the last scene
she’s in men’s clothes, almost as if she’s conquered and overpowered her prey.
In the last scene, first we see her reading a book about the Himalayas, something
that would be in line with Stewart’s interest in travel and photography, but
then she sees that he’s sleeping, so she puts down the book and picks up a
fashion magazine.</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">It's a revealing scene, because throughout the movie Grace Kelly has been
made to represent consumerism, vanity, and glamour, she represents those who
are the objects of the camera’s gaze. In fact, in the first scene of the movie,
we actually see her face on the cover of a magazine, and there are numerous
references to her being from </span><st1:street style="font-family: 'Courier New';" w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Park
Ave.</st1:address></st1:street><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';"> and her shopping.</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">Hitchcock is making a statement that the object, the consumer, the
glamorous woman eventually triumphs over the man, over those who are the
subject of the gaze rather its object. </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">So Hitchcock is making an implicit statement
not only about men and women, but also about the age of television and
consumerism, and how they will lead to the triumph of objectification, appearances and
images, vanity and glamour. </span></div>
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Max the Marxisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03385872869229987931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2059047623549572860.post-11010701241472006352013-08-18T10:32:00.001-07:002013-08-18T10:32:28.128-07:00Gangsters, Scarface (1932), and a Brief History of Movies<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">[Based on lectures in the sociology of film and popular culture]</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The history of motion pictures dates back to 1893, to the invention of the kinetoscope by Thomas Edison. From then until about 1905 motion pictures were mostly a novelty: they might be 15 seconds of vaudeville performers or acrobats or dancers,
shown as part of the travelling circus. People simply amazed by pictures which
moved. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">Beginning in about 1905 and throughout the teens, motion
pictures began to be shown in their own places of presentation, the nickelodeon
theater. Mostly located in the cities, people would cram into the theaters, which were very
crowded and featured poor sanitation and no ventilation. By 1914, there were 18,000 nickelodeon theaters
in the </span><st1:country-region style="font-family: 'Courier New';" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">,
movie admissions were about 7 million per day, and movies were a $300 million
industry. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Nickoledeon theatres were primarily located in the cities, with 400 to 500 in NYC alone. Thus, the people who frequented them most were
working-class, usually immigrants or children of immigrants. The urban working classes were the
primary audience in terms of ticket sales, and they were also the most
enthusiastic consumers of movies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">In the late teens and 1920s, the movie industry began moving to </span><st1:city style="font-family: 'Courier New';" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hollywood</st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">,
and the business of movie-making underwent expansion. The industry became
dominated by a few large studios: </span><st1:city style="font-family: 'Courier New';" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Paramount</st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">,
Fox, MGM, Universal, Warner Bros. At the time, these companies not only made
the movies, but also controlled their distribution and exhibition. Each of them
owned hundreds of movie theaters around the </span><st1:country-region style="font-family: 'Courier New';" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">.</span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hollywood</st1:place></st1:city>
and the movie industry became big business in the 1920s, they started to focus on getting middle-class audiences, in distinction from the working-class immigrants living
in the city. But it wasn’t easy at first. People still associated motion
pictures with the dirty, crowded nickelodeon theaters in the city. Movie
theaters were unsafe places where the immigrants hung out, while movies held the stigma of
being lowbrow, cheap entertainment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So in trying to reach more affluent audiences, studios began
building “movie palaces,” huge and incredibly lavish theaters with 1,000 seats,
built to look like opera houses or legitimate theater. Some of them even had
orchestra pits. An usher dressed in a suit would take your ticket and show you
to your seat. They Did this to put the middle-class at ease, under the pretense of being
legitimate culture rather than cheap entertainment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">New technologies allowed the studios to make longer movies
(the 2 hour feature-length film) and make movies which were more expensive to
produce. The first of the blockbusters was Birth of a Nation (1915), directed by DW
Griffith. It's a movie about Civil War and Reconstruction from the South’s
perspective, where KKK are the heroes and deeply racist in its depiction of blacks. The movie was two
and half hours long, with incredible re-creation of Civil War battle scenes. It first showed at
the White House for Woodrow Wilson. </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">Years later, new technologies also allowed for inclusion of
sound in movies, the “talkies.” The first movie with sound was The Jazz Singer
(1927), starring Al Jolson, a musical and a huge hit which made lots of
money for Warner Brothers. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As it became possible to make longer movies and movies with
sound, the big 6 strengthened its power over the industry. Movies
became more expensive to produce, and this drove out independents who couldn’t
compete. Various movie genres developed as studios sought to capitalize on
successful formulas: the musical, the western, “screwball” comedy, and the
gangster. Genres emerged because when one movie proved popular and profitable, the other studios would rush out to make a movie just
like it to draw the same type of audience. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Three movies in the early 1930s defined the gangster genre.
First, Little Caesar in 1930, then The Public Enemy in 1931, and finally Scarface
in 1932. One of the key factors that distinguished the gangster was ethnicity, as the gangster was always a working-class son of immigrants living in the big city.
Rico in Little Caesar and Tony in Scarface were Italian-Americans, while in the
Public Enemy the gangster was Irish. The actors who played them were also
ethnic, but ironically not of the same ethnicity, they were mostly Jewish.
Edgar G. Robinson (played Rico in Little Caesar) was born Emmanuel Goldenberg,
Paul Muni (star of Scarface) was born Friedrich Meyer Muni Weisenfreund. </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;">Ethnicity
has been constant feature of gangster movies to this day, if we look at the
Godfather, Goodfellas, or the Sopranos. When they made a remake of Scarface in early
1980s, Al Pacino was cast to play a Cuban immigrant living in </span><st1:city style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Miami</st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;">. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">One of the important things about the gangster movies of the
1930s is that the gangster could talk because
of new technologies. This allowed filmmakers to accentuate, emphasize the
ethnicity of the gangster, to give the gangster and his friends a noticeable or
even exaggerated ethnic accent. It Also meant that they could capture the sounds
of the city—the traffic, police sirens, the hustle and bustle—and it allowed
them to accentuate the violence of the gunshots in Scarface. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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" 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<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Another crucial feature of the 1930s gangster film was that
it was told from the gangster’s point-of-view. There were gangster movies in
the silent era of the 1920s, but they were from the point-of-view of the police
and authorities, like "What are we going to do about the immigrant problem?" or "How do we raise
immigrants to higher moral standard, turning them into law-abiding Americans?" The
gangster film of the 1930s was shot from the perspective of the gangster
himself. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;">So
what is the gangster’s perspective? In one sense, it conforms perfectly to the
American Dream, to the Horatio Alger story of going from rags to riches. The
gangster craves success, power, material possessions, women (especially white
women), and respect from the dominant culture. In one sense, the gangster is
like all other immigrants who work hard to try to make it into the middle-class
and become accepted into mainstream </span><st1:country-region style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="240" src="data:image/jpeg;base64,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" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But the gangster also knows that in order to be a success in
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region>,
you have to be a capitalist, not a worker. The gangster knows that the straight
life, the life of working hard for somebody else, is for suckers. It will get
you nowhere, leave you stuck in some dead end job. The gangster wants to be a
success, and he knows that in order to be a success in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region>, you
have to be a capitalist, not a worker, but the problem is that the gangster
doesn’t have access to legitimate capital. The gangster is never going to
own an oil well, or a steel mill, or a bank. The one thing he does have access
to is illegal capital: drugs, prostitution, gambling, and during Prohibition,
alcohol. Remember that alcohol was illegal in the <st1:country-region w:st="on">US</st1:country-region>
beginning in 1920, after passage of the Volstead Act, which instituted
Prohibition in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region>
from 1920 to 1933. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">In
fact, part of the popularity of the gangster and the gangster film during the
early 1930s can be explained by the fact that Prohibition was becoming
increasingly unpopular during the Depression. Think about it, if ever you
needed a drink it was during the Depression. Prohibition became the focus of a
lot of resentment during the Depression, especially because working-class
immigrants saw it as WASP America’s attempt to police and control them, and
they were right. So the hatred of Prohibition helped make the gangster a
sympathetic figure for many audiences, especially working-class immigrants. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="203" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRvQLTI1OGv5kLH2Y3VlipTAyGtizhiwg9anPz3NG7716ZE523R0Q" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So the gangster is a criminal, but he’s also a perfect
capitalist—he succeeds because he meets the demands of his consumers and he
crushes the competition. In Scarface, Tony keeps looking out his window and
seeing a neon sign that flashes “The World is Yours.” It’s such a powerful
message, not only the words “The World is Yours” but also the fact that it is
flashing in neon.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">The gangster also behaves like the perfect consumer, shows
off his success by buying new suits, new cars, cigars and jewelry. And he also
tries to acquire white women as the ultimate conquest and status symbol. Yet
the gangster continues to be denied legitimacy and respect: he has all the
right material possessions, but not the proper taste or culture. There's a funny part in
Scarface where Tony is showing off all his material possession to a woman he’s
trying to impress, and she remarks that its kind of “gaudy,” meaning that its
tacky, tasteless, vulgar and unrefined. Only Tony doesn’t know what the word
gaudy means, so he says “glad you like it.” So the gangster finds himself in
the gap between two </span><st1:country-region style="font-family: 'Courier New';" w:st="on">Americas</st1:country-region><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">:
between the </span><st1:country-region style="font-family: 'Courier New';" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">
of economic opportunity where anyone can make it (at least in theory) and the
America of WASP elitism, the nativist culture of White Anglo-Saxon Protestants.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="320" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQawhrzftfWmhVAZ8BI8h5KhtupSzp1fC4dcBoR4krEbbbMXDAE" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="239" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A final point about censorship. Although cinema was
becoming more respectable and reaching middle-class audiences during the 1920s,
movies remained controversial. They angered people who were concerned about sexual
morality, who worried about what they saw on-screen and the permissiveness
associated with <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hollywood</st1:place></st1:city>
in general. When the gangster genre came out, they worried about the violence and
lawlessness embodied by the gangster. So beginning in the early 1920s, these moralists began campaigning to have the government regulate and possibly censor movies
for content. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Scarface is based on the life of a real
life gangster, Al Capone, and makes reference to some-life events, like the St.
Valentine’s Day massacre. The fear was that the gangster film romanticized and glamorized the gangster
life, and to a certain extent this was true, because it was a story told from the
gangster’s p.o.v. and it was tremendously popular with working-class, immigrant
audiences. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Courier New;">So in response the filmmakers had to try to stave off the
censors, to provide a “moral lesson” that being a gangster was a bad thing,
that crime doesn’t pay, and so on. That’s why the full title of the movie was
“Scarface: The Shame of a Nation” and in the beginning we see a message that
the gangster is a “problem that must be solved.” This kind of thing was in all
the 1930s gangster movies, a kind of disclaimer like “don’t try this at home,”
gangsters are bad, but it seems contrived because the actual movie
does glamorize the gangster life. Eventually, in 1935, the Production Code
Administration issued a moratorium on the production of all gangster
films—not only were the studios barred from making gangster films, but the old
ones couldn’t be shown in theaters, so for many years Scarface and the others
were basically unseen.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Courier New;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Courier New;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="320" 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" 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<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In Scarface, there is a very awkward scene
midway in the movie, where a police detective and a publisher are going on
about gangsters and what the government should do about them. It's a weird scene
because the lighting and angles are totally different from the rest of the
movie, and the scene doesn’t fit into the plot at all. One of the police detectives
points right at the camera and says, “Now, what are YOU going to do about it.”
And this Italian stereotype pops out of nowhere and says “Its-a-true, they-a
disgrace-a my people.”</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">This scene was added as a response
to pressure from the censors. The studio held up the release of the movie until
the scene was added, and the reason it’s so awkward is because the
director, Howard Hawkes, refused to participate.</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';"> </span><span style="font-family: Courier New;"> </span></div>
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Max the Marxisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03385872869229987931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2059047623549572860.post-81382751139101521552013-08-17T16:00:00.002-07:002013-08-17T16:02:57.519-07:00Youth Culture, Higher Ed, Flappers: Origins of Youth Culture in the 1920s <br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">To
understand the origins of youth and youth culture in the 1920s, we have to look
at the extension of schooling: the development of high schools and universities
as public institutions which not only serve the elite and privileged but also the
masses of youth in the middle class and the working class. We see the
importance of extended schooling in terms of its effect of bringing young
people who are all the same age together in the same space, in the development
of “peer culture.” The young people don’t have to work or build a career yet,
and they are young so they want to have fun, be entertained, also find their
identity, express themselves at the same time that they want to be part of the
group and “fit in.” And some of them—not all but a lot of them—are also young
and want to experiment with their sexuality, and find some means of getting intoxicated
through alcohol/drugs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Two
peer cultures which developed and expanded during the 1920s. The first is the
greek system of fraternities and sororities which expanded as the universities
and high schools expanded in the 1920s, along with college football and sports
and a series of fads and fashions which involved how one could dress
“collegiate,” master the “collegiate look.” The second peer culture involves
the culture which developed outside of school, at night on weekends and in
movie houses and jazz clubs and places of amusement. It is here that we see
changes in attitudes about sexuality and gender roles, the emergence of the
“dating” system and increasing rates of premarital intercourse, a series of
changes which had their most profound effects on young women. One indication of
those changes is the emergence of a subculture of “flappers,”<b> </b>which we see as a sign, symbol of the
changes taking place with respect to young women, sexuality, and gender. The
flappers were based in the jazz clubs during Prohibition, and they also represent
important developments in race and its relationship to music made by
African-Americans.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">These
youth cultures which developed during the 1920s were eventually stifled by the
events that followed, the Great Depression and WWII. Young people no longer
able to insulate themselves from work and responsibility, they had to “grow up
fast” while looking for a job or fighting a war. Not until the 1950s would
young people and youth culture be as visible in American culture, and by that
time it would be continuous but also bigger than ever. </span></div>
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<a href="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSYk-H4-3PQrg3RAIqfyLX9A3V8UV572nZWvrzNhds7owNbgwSvOw" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSYk-H4-3PQrg3RAIqfyLX9A3V8UV572nZWvrzNhds7owNbgwSvOw" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Many
high schools and universities were founded during the 18<sup>th</sup> and 19<sup>th</sup>
centuries across U.S, but they mostly serviced the elite. Private colleges in
particular were places where rich went to become “refined,” how to do things
like learn Latin, which has no practical application in the real world but is a
way of showing privilege. They went to college for religious study. Colleges
were private, expensive, but most of all you had to have the privilege of not
needing to work to help your family. In the year 1900, only 1 of 9 of 14-17
year-olds were in high school, and much fewer in college. The vast majority of
teenagers worked on farms to support their family or maybe even feed their own
family, or they worked in a factory or somewhere else because the family needed
their earnings. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Enrollments
in high school and college began to rise steadily in late 19<sup>th</sup> and
early 20<sup>th</sup> century, but 1920 was biggest period of growth. In 1920,
there were 2.2 million HS students, but by 1930 that number had nearly doubled
to 4.3 million HS students. In 1920, 28% of American youth had attended at
least some high school; by 1930 it was 47%. Colleges also saw their enrollments
triple within a 30 year span, from 1900 to 1930. By 1930, 20% of people in late
teens and early twenties were in college. College was still relatively
exclusive to the middle class and some segments of white working class, while far
fewer numbers of blacks and racial minorities were attending. Actually more
women (slightly) than men enrolled, because men’s labor was more likely to be
valuable. </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="320" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3217/3139667702_03d57b0d7f_o.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="238" /></td></tr>
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</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Why
this growth in college enrollment? The 1920s saw a tremendous expansion of
middle class, which had been growing for some time but accelerated its growth in
the 1920s. The new middle classes were based on “white-collar” jobs, jobs not
in manual labor but insurance, sales, management, engineering, or the
professions. This sector of the American population experienced much prosperity
throughout the 1920s, as wages and incomes increased steadily, the stock market
prospered, and the consumer economy flourished as people had more money to
spend. The new middle class was based on white collar jobs in corporations,
based not on physical skill, but rather on information, knowledge,
organization, leadership, services, decision-making, or in other words mental
and social skills. Corporations wanted people with more training in
intellectual skills, with more years of schooling. In turn, people in the
middle classes and the working classes who wanted their children to have a
better future for themselves saw that schooling was the path to upward
mobility, the best and maybe the only way of moving into a white collar or
professional career. So if families could at all afford to send their child to
high school and college, if they didn’t
need their child to work to help support the family, they would send them to
school in hopes that it would give them more opportunities for the future.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">One
crucial consequence of the extension of schooling is not only that it allowed
more people to reach or at least aspire to middle class life, but also that it
brought people the same age together in one space. It created the conditions
for a “peer culture” by concentrating them in school. At school, young people
were away from their family (maybe even living at school), they were surrounded
by people their own age, and they were relatively autonomous from institutional
authority. All schools certainly had and still have an elaborate number of
rules and regulations and disciplinary measures and rules of conduct and dress
and authorities (teachers, deans, etc.) who are in charge of watching over
young people. But they are less stringent than in something like the military,
where young people are concentrated together but have absolutely no freedom to
act on their own, and this is why sociologists call the military a “total
institution,” as opposed to high schools and colleges.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
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</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The
first “peer culture” in relation to school. These were mostly school clubs based
on extra-curricular activities. High schools and colleges saw students become
involved in after-school dances, drama clubs, glee clubs and choruses, as well
as participation in student government and student newspapers, and all kinds of
different religious and ethnic organizations. These student groups tended to
act as a bridge between family and adulthood for young people, providing them
with emotional support and friendship and security among their peers and thus
easing the removal from one’s family, while at the same time giving young
people opportunities to make their decisions, work together as a group, and
participate in ways that they couldn’t do in the classroom.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The
most important and central of these school-based peer cultures was the greek
system of fraternities and sororities, which were closely connected to school
athletics and team sports, the most popular of which was football. Again,
fraternities and sororities had been around long before the 1920s, on both HS
and college campuses, but the 1920s was when they experienced an extraordinary
growth as enrollments increased. The number of fraternity chapters increased
from 1,500 in 1912 to 4,000 in 1930. The number of fraternity houses increased
from 750 in 1920 to 2,000 in 1930. By 1930, 35% of college students were in
fraternities and sororities. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Greeks
were thus a minority, but on many campuses they became a very powerful and
influential one. At most schools they dominated student government and, by
extension, student newspapers. In fact, most elections were simply choices
between different fraternities and sororities. As they received more alumni
donations and build more houses around campus, they also began to wield
considerable financial and political power. By 1929 the estimated value of all
greek-owned property was said to be $90 million.</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">But
the place where Greeks probably exercised the most power and influence was over
the social scene, the peer culture of young people on campus. Fraternities and
sororities built their reputation based on having the most popular, the most
important, the most attractive, people. As enrollments and pledges increased,
the Greeks could afford to be more and more selective, and their reputation in
fact hinged on being the most exclusive, the most selective. Because of their
power in student government and newspapers, they could increase their own
status and prestige by electing their people to positions of power or writing
articles in the school paper about the “big man on campus.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="400" 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zqJ9IsSS+tKc0IAmJ3JnUnjQdiySrKkEngMqVegLMU02XLTiWey6FCUkKHMEH2V0BpX0esChoJPZJMwUJQR4hs5eFM/ep/OP28TWmTjaSYq6Qj7lufmzv8tVT/oX+TrP5q1/LTUE6QtRaXPzd7+Wqp10KP3tsvmrX8tNDEG43+LP/uHPoKqr+iFwn3nbiRIZTIkSNOI3q0Mb/Fn/ANw59BVUh0bYQphmQCeqRPd2RFTdIqKtksxZhLjRSoBQkf7jlrGtQvpP0SeSlJYKXUEEDyUqG8iNj5o8KfNWSJAAGvIkesGi7hqAIzDtfKJPBXOo3JuzdJxjVlPmzdTm7KuyYVoYB5E7CuSXlVZ3Qt6F3munW6jzr114U2urdpXlMMq/uJk8/k/61v8AFrBj8MqL4QcEQoiDI1OhGxHI1t6+ec8pS1eJJ9tTfG8IYS40UNITL7ciNCOI14U2x9xlptSRbtZlylJCUiJHlHszoPXTWom8ITjjJUzwPGfPXGJqSXbaQnYej7RUZdXqY2rVqjNDTBcZctl5kcRBTzH9ads9LEdaoqSQ27GYbbbEEA7bbajwqJIc5/b+ldSdhzqHCMsmkdSUcIsDAMVsg71jzoU6D8XmBKUcjMb950HCKsJopICk7RI1kGePhFfPMxBmijjDpSEZ1ZRsmSQPAHQVD0k+B/Fbyy97vEGUGVOtJPGVJn2zUK6Qe6KlBUhjXXyz/wCKfrV6KrhK3DzpphHRB+4UISQPzldlPpO/mmmtNLkne3wc8V6TP3HlrUQNhy8ANB5hTPov0FcuSHHSW2ufyldyRx8dvGpt0c6CWzMFakvOd/kiOSePifRUpIbBkqTpuJA3H9JqJavUS4w7YHheCNNNhLaAkDYmFLPepStZrV1YoUD2SojuzAHxOx8DpRh6tWhWNDwMbn66j/Sjpi3aZGkDOogHeAlPMkA6nesVk2uh9ZKKkCd9j40So0ptMSEZhusAxz0n0xFMXbgRMiOdaxdmE40xfj6ptrn5s9/KXU26D/k2y+atfQTUNx1qbW6+bPHw+KXUy6Efk2y+atfQTTZAdjf4s/8AuXPoKqjejrcNNKRqsNNyngoZU+g1eOOn7luP3Dn0FVSnRwEsM5eDSJjfyRUS4NIcjq0fB7QHp39FdMUcOQcO0NttlbUA6jtZkghXEbZu8d4rrf5lJBSCe0NgeSqyXJv0KOiCZXd7kh2SkcRK5jv7qkZ1j2/XUc6MtKbXcZiEqLoUIIJjtctvA+FSEwolxGhTq4ngOOcD7erWpckR4EWP+WyBv17cfYVx6Y3BCkJ4akgcTzn7euuuM6usHf7ob1obpHb5nc61pbQdEjVSjzhOnHTU1rBpNWRLKZDcWuFZY2HAbk+PKlHVkjSJ+qpHe4U0pUlxwI4kt+oHNpSh3LmPVyBMZSZIECCTEGdeFbSlfBjVACiRvXS0aW4tKEAlSjAA3NNsN6Nv3J7DcpnVeyR48PRUy6M9GE2RU46tJcIgQJyjSYze2KhyopRsCw33NtQp9wDmlGsec7eupGx0OtECA3mI4qJP9B6qHxTpJlSspJJAEaxqSABptvQt/wBKlsNalDi+zKSBrP6w1gQd52qG5MpJIk7No0kjqmm0hXJCQeRExOhHrrs+6TpvGuk9/p2qLtdOmA2JKgZzZRHZJ8pMyJ14iuL/ALorBmEr9WvoNTskVuiSK4SJAywDvrt389NK5P3gzJUqB1qdJ2C0yCmO+J9NIbLpqh5aUQUgAkrUZiOQHEmONRvpPiGZ45FHKkCOZJGpjjvRsfDHu8EnxDpWwjsplajppokcjrqfAd3jUUaSbm6SCodtUBQEiJAGngKXONAmN3Dv3Ez65IEcJqxeiuDJt2wDBcIAUrlt2Unl7aeIk5kH2+FNlKxkGixBG+oOsiuyMJSE6iZ758O6dvRXdCsq3DEDKNJ5HhXK5dlQM+bnHH191ZWaUB4owlDDpQI+IfGijqCyuZk661Z3Qf8AJtl81a+gmq2xJcsPTubd/X/lOfbzVY/QX8mWXzVr6Ca0i8Gc+Q3pD+KXPzd3+WqqY6LE9Szpp1SJ/hFXN0kP3Hc/N3f5a6obCLwoaaiT8SjTSPJT36USVoUeSTFMqHDiO4zv6qZqtgpKsw3AmNNeJ07qQIxZMpkEHvHm0p/Yv52yocaypo2vBFsLuwhTwKSUo8rLwE+VqdhOvp4E0/t7lWRLiCIVohWkK1jKSJGsaa+vSk3R9RTcPkCddR6KcBoBtKUpAbUcqmzOgURoANwntEbb7iKqQkLsatUgtGMoUtJE/JIMDQeylGFYWm7dedfJyNqypRMA6TBI4AR4zUi6VWfxaEpOpgJkzrAgk+MGfGo1Zdclt5lYyrWpRJ4GUbg8RNUuCWbGE2zobKLfKFuQCCRKAdVQT8oBXgNa5N2dqypSw2lwdYcqiDBMmGmUk9uOKjppxr0taggDYZA0k/mJ0LixyJ28wrkwsKV1pACUpytJ4IRGh8TvVIQ9F2QnMogGISgbJ7tNz3+ylN9e6yTMc9qVYpjoQIBpI0p+5MNJKvD7QKaRLYzxbEQQocMsfWD5iKAvr7rjJ3CI8e1Ps9tM7foA8oEuupQeXlesaCjLPoAUkFb2YDUpCSJEaieE7U7SFTZDOqPI0dheAvXCsraCT6h4k6CrMZwxiT9ztcR5APCdN/CaaJKUttkZEqRpGgBHmHj6TTer4BaZDMK6CADOXQVDgkjL3jMd9qy+wqzDhQ4pTbix2SSqE/mqiACJAkHnTW7sclwp5DnYcVOQK0JO5I8dZ76ifSorddU4QojnrHhrwqLcnyVVIaWHQl1L4WstqRmlRBKdjOg5z9ucrcJBMAD2evnFCdG7jPatExOWCSY1SSnj4A+ej3VBQMFM8dRp3xxqG75LS8GguV7iVJI79j9hpQj98EFIPyxITzjeIE91dG1dpJzJ0IPlDvHm40rxzB1PltKCMzalfKGqTEEeilQMZXL6S29t+AdkdxYWRHdvvyqzegn5MsvmrX0E1VFzaqShc6/ciwTM9pLLwg+YjXjVr9BPyZZfNWvoJq48ETCuk/4ldfNnf5a6oDClJCGs2xaQJ5dlO/ME78tDV+9K1RY3Z/8Atnf5a6oPDkAtNdzaRy+SmmyUO+pIOgnaZ4DT0in+Er+KPie+o21dEagSD5yPXqOYqRYaZaJAjUkce+RWcjVCPDVlDr60n5YEc6cKxQkdtMDmk/Ud/wDektkntvCY7X1Cu65TpBI056E8PTxqqTFYy6Ruj4rvUPZXnFrM5CREjUcPHzESPRQ3SJUlqeY9lbRcKGpUZSNUiTzgj2GkkFkTv7yRHDjSW+xsnso/2qQdIcFEKcSFHipIIT4lM986QN9KjLrC20lSWyOGZSgqCeACdJ3rVEMBuVRqrVZ4fm+Pf3VZ3Qy7S5ZNkJSC32VQAO7N47T41WKLI5VKPAcePH+npqVe5teEF5HAAKj1EecH1USWBR5LASoRy8PGsbSJmZ14cPQKHCNtyNx4f1G1dySlEiIH289ZGh1LYPm5mP8AehrpwJnN/sND7BXhdwSfPBB3iNhG/PWgMZucrazwAIH1UmVDLE9/0iClAIAMK5SPPzn66GxUt5JShBbCVZdIgmIiFbgiPTNJhbkwlIJUTMD7aU9w/BWkDrbgggahPA96ufh6aKSNm3I4dHVqSmXFfFJ8kcydTHGJo049mWEtp001jhtqeVAvYgLlwNMpCQo+UUxAHEARPn7qfe9EoRAAAA5a7TJ5nvoavLEpqOEeMNJD7iJ7ISDzhU8PN7KZFUOJI2CuW+n+9LcGXmedV3p300hWmtGLHbH7Xd6dPPSRGo/mZ5uFfFO7atPfyndKtHoF+TLL5s39AVWF43CHQRs29v8AunKs/oF+S7L5s39AVpHgwlyd+mH5Pu/mzv8ALVXz9h6uwjbyEfRTwFX901VGHXnzZ36CqobDLBSm2yFEdlGgj81PNQpsSGIuOzx4cP6baVIsBc+5zPAkUgubdSQSSogCdQmBp+39pqS4U3DW8zrp4DvrJs1SI/aK+Md1jt+yj1q3M+bv+2lAMwFvnXyjsJPyeHHSa6vEpCcxVmlI8kKiVFMczoCfP56oQxxpGjM/nCfRQjixodon/WeNG9IToz+0NvChELUpUFQAyhQJ0CgVZUgDeVK47ULgAdl1ClSBE7pOusaoPdFA4rapdASmEFElSUiEoHFRHDTbnnpnZtAlWcFJABPPVRGhOhA3kd9dVsdhxEjtJ4cJBGXuAMRVWKiEvWSuoVI8rX07+jQeau3ucKSl53MQE5ANfERTHFhCI5CPt56S9DXAlTxIJ0SABvuZid4ANXyiOyyepUCU6Qe0j60+BifGa5oOcAFJG514cPDjSy1xEFMp6wJCgEjQ/KiRppvPgKOxJwJTn1SokZkCNDrmiRrruKzLs5looJJkmT4/aNPMKWY3fICQCkHUmDxjQTzr0xipV1iShcBG5UBElUcOI1kbRQ5dQ5l6xnMrYcCf4dxPfuaHHyOMqElxi3ZISAgHgkAE+J5UpcWpclWwOg7/ALcakuPYEtCjAQQmTocoSDHZM8JzanuqPCydlOVIzSYlQjQiDyO/PhVJIpzvka9F05FkFMqV6UjmeAE1MGHB5WkcNdzqIHdvUIwkKaumxmkOHKonYgnbjsYM921O3CorUgalIUZSR+twI4lPLjUyRMXnIZg6wpSzoMy9eUxxpo0iCieY15jhSfD2CU5QkiRJ1GszrJBPAd+ulFWrbikBQn5ZAzDKYiJ0nfSpod2xjjI7Dv7tzzfErqxOgX5Lsvmzf0BVaXIC+sGeFBhaskji2sTtrqIkHgOdWV0B/Jdl82b+iKqPBE+T304/Jt781d+gqqKw0KLbcGAEI5/mjkavTp0qMMvfmzn0DVG4Rq0gfqI+iKolBxYUtKgVeUI2O3pqSYcFdUqTt3Rw5UktyaeYbqy4fttUSNEJcOYK3HdYhU851HdTB3DhoZ2On1ejhyoLo8lRcdyidecU+bslK8oxrGnLumnYAWPD4trxHsrXvBBbCQM3dJPGR6NPRXfGkD4obAK9lO7RGXYaeildBViJGHrUAAmAABJ5AyO/Qwa43KQhRQfLSARyWnl3kGalDiduAqLYviDKnVtEw4hWhPKE+iZmhOwqiNY4rgNiePsoD3P20m8W0rULR60kKHsNdMXvEnYzlHp0B89ePc3slruy6nZAVmPcQQE+cmfNWvRn2We1grSdkcSd9Nd9K7Kt2+KEnxAP1V1CiQK99TzNYWa0Ib3CD1a0pGYLgBBjTtAqIJiJ148a8WXRzIArqyVpJjMsAaKOVUAEnSDBOlSBxqK9KOnOluYUR3pRhvWJStMBSfr79+6lGB4SFiHNQkzwkiBpt5P+1SS/hSSjlp4TufbS3BxPWxA7RSB3ADT107wFZI/iDOe+ZSnZKgQkACBPo1j0U6wzDloceOQdpUpJ0Ea8pPHupPj76G7q3OmigVa8J+xqUfCCBuoeY03dAqOrliVJgQkniBEDjG+sV4ssJ6sZQUwVEkZfUNdNABtrvxrpb4kgwZ9AJ+qiTfidEr/hNRkrADf2acq1ZU5g04JgTHVr0neKm/QD8l2XzZv6IqEX1wSFjIryF6nSPi199Tb3P/yXZfNm/oitYXWTKdWa90I/eu9+br9lUbhTkIQBqciPoJq7/dHP3qvf3Cvqqm8BRCEHmhP0RTbpExVsZWtkpR10H20p600EMOAcvqND20CKIfWOqXHL+tZ7mzWqFHQ1UvP+apYoiahvRF/I5cHgNaktstbgkdmNyr6hTlyEeALHdmzyV/WnTFwlPlGOIHGg7y0QoR5XLumfq0rLfCkAayT40YEM7jEmyBKk6fbhVZdPblDjnWR2h2UxpIH50b8+7TlU6xK0bSy4oJAITP2NVJ0gvescPIbVvpJcmWo3wD4ZZe+HUtyoSdSDmgcTEa6d9Wz0dsU2rXVstKA3KlnVR748wikfubYCW21XCx2nNEdyRx/vH1Ac6mC7pI3UB9v9qibvCKiqycnHHiZSEp5TrWktvnUuAdwAr18LNAeWD4SaF+HEGYzKI5J+3rqM+CrQX1LnF0+ZIrx7x4lbh/vx7K4HHARo2vu2rmrEFkaNHeNVRRTDBj2GpTOVRSeZ1nxB3FRDFMTXbhaEr0UcyVRBnQHfuj11IMSccWjKU5P1grUcNDURxfAXQuSoq5TqT3anlTS8hzwAdcpTqC7J1G/KRrr3bVaCUJ4AeYaVW6XEKbQokDqlRG6iNx5hqPNU5btUKAWk5kkSCSdQdjrRIfHAyVcAHdI84ra8RRxWPTS1tpOYAJGu2nqPoNdnGkpEkARzFRSBM1eYqg5kpVJU24B/hr5+FTz3PvyXZfNm/o1WT12gqCUwSUr1A2+Lc48qsz3PfyXZfNkeytEqRnJ5OXulH703v7g+0VTmDvQ2gaaIT9EVcXumn703v7k/STVJYdbZurA3UlH0B9cUS4HHkkNpejQ6x/uY9VMDcAtLjeJA7omh8Kw8hPb5yO6dx7abWz6IEpBM9kc+6srVmr4IngKktunOkkKJkDUbzqOMaVKnccBlKUKiN9AfNyrnc4cM2ZSUpOskA+UCJmOYM1tMJUpKU8pO2oy+0cOBmtMMhJnFF+qQA3rPGePgKIF29pCBvB02Om8mishWk7BSTET37eMig/hZLQUpapykZiRE8R6iBHOla8BRl+1cONOp0EIkAwJMjTuETVfYL0YccuEpdSUp3J3kc5FMsU6Vvh11xBORSZ6tWxSk5dQD2VEhRmeY14SLoljIuEqOiXM2qdfIAAG42KiqtFJxRO1MZ/AydBmVAjSdAO4cq2MKbSDpMRPdRI0JnyZ8/ePZpyNcnFRMcQBvM8iPMKztlUgZ21RskDlt9uRr2yjL4HTx5fX6K9JUAkqVpqNfTp7aCRirRgAnw8PZr7adNiD8hA4acd5kCPXQ6s0bag8e6BPr9dDjFEQYCpmRt6O/U1wuMZ1Ag+zgB7ING1huQY+JQOI4n7eavCm5TChI4+r6qCdx9HBB0AG8zy9OtGW12HBAICpnXjIOmv20o2tBuRDL7CfukNjyXCYUfJKoMA8gdJ46zNMcJxQtKQzOZtcwgDMpsgjSR8mc2ndNE4zhDjhAShA7U5yuOQgpHHhtTS2wtKDoWkKOnYTqf7xMj00+gPHwnlMltY5A8InWN9ZNCOrW4qNVcgaeWlkESQJPM6zzma8qUZVBEDbuPKluS4QVfIjGHOIcBIgBLmv/ACnBrVqe57+S7L5sj2VAH7rMI20XI/uK+uan/ueH71WXzdHsqk21kmSo4e6efvRefuf/ACTVW9FrdCkIUkpJCEhRBBjsp0IB0OnHlVp+6S+0MOeS91gQ6UtS2lKlAqUIIC1JTuOJG9VhgNnatNKKF3ZDwSoEotGzATCSEm5G4g6jXz0pK0EXTGt9dBAyiSo6ADnw9O48K7YU0ElPWHMSROsRJGo5jefChB71g63OvfZ8P+qnn6TRbt5bGD90CAQO1Z8RGn3V56jYXvD3nOtQvMCgoPngEifVtzpe6coXqZSoiO5UEEDmJ84BrsnFbfMTFyZAkZ7TWP8Aqt68u4pbZsxS/oACJtNY0BP3VyzDwJqkmKzl7+XqsJlK0JKz+sDw5Tv/AHhSHHW8pQtKSoIMqGpzQCU67cTvvA2p8i+tgjKPfEftWfsN13D0VxRcWogE3BgRvZ6jkfurzU0hWV9d3XWoJIhYEBAOXs8ISZIPMcd6lfuf4iEtlsghWZK4gAmcqSZ4wRrppXnEMBsHhANyiNiDZ6DlBuoMcDvXq1wa0acDiHrpKwZzTZEk6j5V2QRGkRVNCTolvvoJkjXcn/XwiKAexBCB+EAkghMyR+qB5/XS/MypJz3FyrvmxTproQLuD6KGRhtnMqduFH9qyHsuuNJRXYOQbc9IEZSD2h4ZR6T30sexDroyIAifJG/dHGB7e6jPeFgEhJNxpx6yz17j91f70dYXVmz+DLoPeq0MeH3TVKlwJ55IspJB1kagR3jh6p89ePfg0B4nnt3H168hUgvVWjplb1xptBtB7LgzFL/gmwBnrrqf+l+p/wC01e4mgZb4jhyPjB0PeBTBvCSUpWVAEnRI1PcPbWDDsPI/DXA89t6fw9dG7WxEQ/c6ajW3311/Dab0nKwSOysKAAK3PGASd+7edI8a1ZhgmAsqIhQJkb6giRMaj017QqySFAv3Ks2+tvI8Mr2hgUM9YYad13HmLOm2n4eAIgRWeS8DleJJGYTPA9x5ezwpf8KNqBCfKIEnhMxB75n0VwRZYaAR1lxrrMszx49aTx9leE4bhsz1tzvzZH/7eevjU7Stx5vrtKFZnHEISMw7SgCohBlIG6vKT6RVp+53+SrL5uj2VVt9h1gtoQ7d5WAsqUkW6jlcCEHMVO8hv3nlVrdBXGjh1t1BWWg3lQXMuYhKlJk5CU7g7GIiqSwQ2LvdQ/FGpEzeMfTqt7zFQWbdS2W1lSVmFFxIT2ynspQ4kCcoJ0kmasn3TvxRr54x9M1VaOocZYC3+rUhBSUlpat1rUCCnTZQpgeBijf6Kx6X/wDOrfwq3+iMfxP/AOdW/g+3/Sx/gOVnwdb/AKWP8B2gDXwq1+iMfxP/AOdWDFWv0Nj+J/8Azqz4Pt/0sf4DtZ8H2/6WP8B2gAzCbpl59tpVqyAtQSSlb8ieIl0ifEVzwlgNWi7tSErV1qWmwsZkAlJWpZSdFEAAAHTtEwYFesLatmXm3DdA5FhUBhwEwZjXSu/R3FWVWrtlcK6tLig427GYNuAAdoDXKQIkbSfEADPDbtF5bOqU20m6swHkLS2hIdbB7SFoAyqgd3Ed8u+lGK21m48httjP8XLRYSjM2tJDiUup1KjmCuEQd9ailt1Vo28kXDTrtwjqR1ZUUNoUoZ3FrKRwAAABI1NePdCvm3r1TrLiHEKQjVM6FKQkgggRqJoAlDGIsN2do851aHHUPJCjbNrlYMIW4oJlOU5ZIHakzFC4YhN/b9ptDZfxBCVFCRISUZ1hKiMwBWFGJMZo2pLjt00rDrJtLzanGc+dAJkZzmG4gxEHXQ86zCcaSzh4yuID6L1DyG9ZISkJM6RvwnYGgDledK1JcdQ0ywhmFtBHVJkJMp1cjOVbEmdxtR13cts2eHuKYaczJeDgKUpK4VkSSpImUg6HXXXehMcZsn3FXDdyGQ4cy2VtLK0KOqggpGVYJkiVAa716xZ1h21smkXCE9WXQvPmltK15klWVEEgCCEzrAEjWgBlhVq2/YvsJbSh5bXvloJEnIhUBJWqVrUqFHUxCkwBtSvBgDhd8YSSlbOUlIJAUqFZVESJAjQ11sek3VYilbamQ0hYQFZEx1AASAV5M/4MDvkRRVwbVDN+03cskPutqYEqHZSsqIPY0gGB4UAQ6zazOISdQpaQfOQPrpnfYklDriRb2+VLigJQvYKIE/GcgKJPU2zbYS6l5x11C3erkhtttUhvtAEqUrtHQaITzkjP29qpSle+HBmUT+L8zP8Abd9AHL4YH6NbfwL/AMys+GR+jW38C/8ANrfvW1/Sl/8Ab/8AurfvO1/Sl/8Abf8AtoA18MJ/Rbb+Bz/NrPhlP6Lbfwuf5tZ7ztf0lcfN/wD3VsWdr+lL/wC3/wDbQAzw3F4aLjbTTag+0g5AuFJUHj2kqWQqFJSociKsz3Oh97WPFz+c7VTtuMIQG23VOKXcNKMtdWAE9YDrnVOqx6Ktf3OD97WPFz+c7QAJ7p6vuVnvvGfao/VVf9EcStkMOIeWph0rSpDyGkunKB+DhSTAntcJ010ip/7qB+5mPnjXscNVk8u2daZKnHG3UtBDnxedKsspSQQsGerCZ4d41oAk1z0TZcuUXKHOvt3kvPKEZSVNjMpsgagKWdtCO0ORpd0VxRN28m1um2lNvylCkNIbU0uCUqQpCQY0iDPDvke36Z9Qu2SymWbfN2XIzPdZ+EKgJCZGgAmOZrlb4haW74uGC6oplTTK0AZFQcudwLOdKZnQSYExQAT0wTlt7EZUAllRWpKEpK1JVklRSJOg9fOvWF4khpeHl1tpbRbUlwKaQZBecRmJyySkJRrvCTzM5e4nZXNvbIcdfZcYRkV8WHAuTJMhSYlUnWN9qS43ftOBptkLyMoKApcBS5WpZUUp0TqowATpQA5ucNNm9f50oUlAyIKm0mVumW1JBEJIRnX2Y8mOVOb7GG2LO2lKEuuWYWlXUNLSpYUIC5Tm7SQUyNO1Jg61G+lXSf30GEJ2aaQFEiC45lAUs8TAGUT3njTC6LF8mzZbdWFsM5F/Ek6SMy/LACRrMxprQB76L4lbL99m4bQhl1SAISlXUFzOCpClCUpEeaByoBzBnLN65acCVRbrUhRSlSVCUhDiMwMb8NjIrd/f2xauGm1KCRkSxCJzhsrKnFqkauKUo7aCOAiulj0nbVYOW9wSXEpKbZeXMUpMFSCqfJlIA0MeYUANMHCevwgZG4daV1kto7faWmVdnUwkanXTvNC4gwRZXSrptKF9eBalTaW1k5jnCYSCpsIjfSudl0ht0OYesqcPvRKg5DY1MlQCe3tKiNY2njFC2mNMlF5buqWWnl9Y04EBSkLCpBKCobg5TCuHfTAY9B7RbbtwhaEqPvNTqUlKHdYSWyN9YV5PfqKNwFf4o3dIbNy5dDKktozhgpIV1oCdAT5IV2uI2qPdEMTatlvqcWtPWMLaQUIkgrjtmFDLEA6c+6gOjV8hi7ZdcJyNrzHKJJidhI3pASvESOpxBV02gIzqRZ/FJbWVpUoDqilIJQE5ZOo796W45drw95Fu0lsBttBXmbQvrlqSFKKypJJTJyhMiANNda7u4yg+/Wbnrw3dnrGFrbUVJOYlJCFqBiCE9k/J5Gh8YvGrpLblz17DqEhorDQUl4J2OUrSUrjfcajXagBnfYTb5F37bKQk2qHUsnVCXVuFskp4pTBOXYnu0qMtPXN4AwhtLmUlYS202gjYKPYSnQ9mfAcqZ2nSkdYWg0tdobcW5bEFzIJV1umgXnKl8tY4TXPA8VtbJ7rm1OXKwkhtJQGQMwglZzKJMEiEiNd6AHzan1M4aGmW1lzP15LDakkIcCT1iiiEgIzSZHOktziLDjxZZYa6lt5xxD0EkN+Uo5ScqwEpOXMCIyiK5OdJkIZsAytfWWhJWIypUVKC9CFGeKdRqD5q3e4nbBV2+wopU8QEIU0IQFKCnEEmUSSmB3ZtuAAT0puc7trfs9jr0AEAz1bjZCFI2iIjTjrprRvS+3trgrukQ2WHVNXDIIBXlKghSI4ry5Z4CT8kyos8ZQu0UxcqWFdah1goZSY3CtE5QQoaCOIpPjbyHLl1aCcq3FKGZOUjMomCmTqJjfhQBIOmLgN3aZUpQnqGFBKAABmMmB/WToKsL3NT97Lf/mfznarHGsRZfubUslZDaGWjnSE6oIGYQo6EcOEVZvuZfku28F/zXaBAfuqH7mt/njf0XaptGw8Kuv3SMMeeYYDDSnii6QtSUlIOQJcCiM6gOMb8ah+M4He3DaEm1uBlM7NKjQ6AdfoNefCgYi6PYsllt1LqOsZcWhDiflBKkuyps/JWClJ78sU7s8EU20pCF9YFB160UnZwpbTCgOC0pK+zwUPCl6eht8EKbDFxkUQVJyNQSJg/h+En0mvSOi+IhKUBq7CUKzoADYyq/OTD+h7xQBvCMeX72cdcJcVbONKZWvtGVKIWwVHUpU3mOU7RNeOkbXvcPBK5bu1pda11LWq8x5dpSUd+RfKvV30YxF2Osau1wZGZKCJO5jr4k896z/4XxCZ6m6HxfVaIb/BxGT8NtFAGYTiKjZvIcbQWS0UMpS2MynhBLqVAZiUJla1TA7I00FHOGL52zcCTaqQstggQ22GlLbebMSCABKgdSVTJrg1hWKpb6pKb0NwU5AlGWDMiOu4ya4f/AA7iRa6otXnVxGTKiAJmI67adY27qABujJhi/SQJ95lQkCQcyNiRIEK4aH0VIxdouEXgS6hVp70ztsmQq3WhKAmEFMJOedUntSN6Wv4TialFXU3SczSWlBCEAKQlOUJVL5KtJmSZmh09Gr5LKmU2j6UrILhDaMzkapCiXz2QdcoAE6maADLLFlrtHBcj4pwoDLSU/gkIUOseRGqEJQCM06qneCa3eLc6+9tXwOqbadcaGUQzk7TS2zHZSRlTpoc2smh14bipa6koveqy5cmVGXL+bHXbd1cX8CxJbYbU1eqbTACCgFIjaAXo04cqAIuaIs7IuqIBAhJWpSphKUiSowCduQJpoehV5+iXP+Ej/NrpadGb9pYWi2ukqHHqUHQiCCC5BBBIIMgg0AHOYhmsLe4GYLtLnIErUVpcUodYXNYUDIEpmAAIoLpU+XWrR5Tjii62olC3FOBGVeXMgrJUEryzBJ8nc0S9h2Iqyza3EJnKgWjOQTBMN5skmBrE99B3fR6+cVmXbXilQBJYGgGyQA5CQOAAAFAHXGHlss2ZYUttpTAVmQSkKezK6zMRuoGBB2EcKO+H3bXDbbLLa1KdSFyUqTkW2pIg6EQVCCNjoQNCsYwe/bBDbOIIB3CGlJB7yEuURZNYi0U/c98tKFZkoWwtScxMyR1msnU8+NADK5CHLa2tLjK06pKnGl7BtZccCWnQNEoKYTzbIE6V6wq+uEYoww4paQS0HWydFK6hAIWNlag7zqSeJpBcYRfOR1lvfKyzGa3UYzEqMdrSVSfGvXvG/wCt67qsQ63+06hefl5WedtPCgDrZ9K7hk9Y6C8hYyBS1KSQErzZUOoIUghWsTEHaKzplatBTLzSC0blrrVtEzkJURIPJWpH+sVxYsr9M5WcQEqKiBbrAKjEqIzwSYGvdXN3o/eOKKl218pR3Uq3USfEqXJoAX4cPjmv3iPpJq5PcvP3qtv2V/zXar3DrS6Zbye8LxXanRgg7zrK43AM7+aZsj3ObFxnDLZt5Cm3EpVmSoQQS4s6jhoQfPQBI63WVlIDKysrKANVlbrKANVkVuspgardZWUAaisit1lAGqyK3WUAaisit1lAGorIrKygDIrK3WUAaisit1lAGordZWUAf//Z" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="292" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">The
most important way that frats and sororities enhanced their prestige and status on
campus was through linking themselves to college football. The 1920s saw an
explosion in interest and popularity in football at the college and high school
levels. Football was popular because it resolved people’s anxieties about
masculinity in the 1920s: young men were no longer fighting at war, nor were
they working in factories or farms, but instead they were in school, an
activity that at the time had feminizing connotations. So people were basically
afraid that little Johnny would go off to school and come back a pansy, and
football helped eased those anxieties because it was so masculine and violent,
a sport that most closely approximated warfare. Football also helped galvanize
people’s sense of “school of spirit,” their sense of belonging to something larger
than themselves, being part of the glory of their institution. When the team
won, they won. During the 1920s students would often travel with the football
team for games at other campuses, taking a “road trip” from <st1:city w:st="on">Ann
Arbor</st1:city> to <st1:city w:st="on">Evanston</st1:city> to see <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Michigan</st1:place></st1:state> play
Northwestern, for example. Attendance for college football increased
dramatically, as much as 100,000 per game, and universities began to build
mammoth stadiums for their football teams.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Fraternities
and sororities latched on to the power and popularity of college football
during the 1920s. They aggressively recruited the best and most attractive
players and cheerleaders among themselves. When people on campus thought of a
particular fraternity or sorority, they often associated it with an individual
player or cheerleader.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="251" src="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRQtlM7vhaNrPdv7qgaMBVFGPUOtQ-_L6THNkKLXiW1WK5rfPBD7g" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Because
they were seen as powerful, because they had a reputation, status, and prestige,
most students invariably wanted to be part of the Greek system. Most students
had been sent to college in order to become “successful,” and fraternities and
sororities were the most immediate symbols of success. Sometimes the benefits
of belonging were economic, because of the connections that alumni might have
with business or government. But the Greek system was also crucial for things
like the dating scene, where one’s attractiveness and desirabilitiy of course
resided in which fraternity or sorority one belonged to. If you needed a date
for the big dance and didn’t belong to a reputable house, you were probably out
of luck.</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Because
enrollments were increasing rapidly and because so many of those new students
wanted to be part of the Greek system, and because the fraternities and
sororities based their reputation on being selective and exclusive, the campus
peer culture of the 1920s was extremely conformist and hierarchical. If you
wanted in, you had to talk the same, dress the same, act the same, and share
the same values, ideas, and attitudes as your peers. If you were too weird, if
you didn’t show enough “school spirit,” if you had too many intellectual
interests and not enough extra-curricular ones (not to mention if you were not
attractive, or Jewish, or black), you could be easily discarded and left out. </span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="263" src="http://www.ivy-style.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/ptown.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">This
pressure to fit in and keep up with one’s peers became even more intense during
the 1920s with the introduction of “fads” and various “collegiate” fashions.
Now students not only had to keep up with their peers but also stay informed
about the newest fashion, the latest dance craze, and so on. College newspapers
circulated reports about what the students at Yale or Harvard were wearing.
Advertisers began to target college students because their numbers were
becoming larger and they had money to spend. Advertisers could exploit young
people’s anxieties about “fitting in” with the crowd, asking Didn’t you know
everyone who’s anyone is using X? Wearing Y? Movies and magazines, the newest
media of the 1920s, also helped circulate images of what the young and
successful were doing and wearing. In short, this peer culture on campus was
based on a precarious balance of conforming to group expectations and competing
to be the newest, the hippest, the most modern. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><img height="320" src="http://www.kitschy-kitschy-coo.com/uploaded_images/vintage-fad-of-the-month-ad-749446.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="296" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">A
second form of youth culture became highly visible during the 1920s, and this
one developed outside of school. This doesn’t mean that high school and college
students didn‘t go out to nightclubs, to dance and listen to jazz music, to
drink and mingle with the opposite sex, etc. because they did—middle class
students were an important part of this youth culture also. But this second
youth culture also involved a lot of young people who weren’t students,
working-class youth who were the children of immigrants, who lived in cities
but didn’t go to school and had to work in their teenage years. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The
late 19<sup>th</sup> and early 20<sup>th</sup> centuries were an important
period of change for young people, even if they didn’t have the opportunity to
go to school. This was the period of industrialization, and the demand for
labor drew many families to migrate to the American cities, either from rural <st1:country-region w:st="on">America</st1:country-region> or somewhere outside the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region> altogether.
The children of these families grew up in cities with no memory of rural life,
they grew up American even if their parents were immigrants. Those who went to
work, especially young women, often experienced a sense of independence,
because they at least could get out of their family’s house and sometimes they
got to keep a part of what they earned to spend on themselves. At the beginning
of the 20<sup>th</sup> century young people did have a growing number of choices
in entertainment themselves and spend their money, from movie theaters to
department stores to dance halls to amusement parks like Coney Island in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New York</st1:place></st1:state>. Young people
might also associate in community centers, neighborhood facilities and clubs,
like the YMCA. For young women in particular, these spaces of amusement not
only provided the opportunity for entertainment but also gave them a means to
get out of the house, hang out with their girlfriends, or possibly spend time
alone with a boy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">The
system of dating, going on dates, as we know it, emerged during the 1920s among
young people. Previously, courtship had been strictly chaperoned: young people
could go out with the opposite sex, but they had to bring an adult or be
subjected to adult approval. The date was different because it was relatively
unsupervised. The availability of the automobile was crucial to this freedom,
as the date involved going out somewhere, and the automobile might also be the
place where the couple ended up if things got serious. Sometime in between, the
couple had to have somewhere to go, and dance halls and amusement halls were
certainly popular, but the most popular destination was the movie theater.
Going to the movies, after all, not only meant going out but also sitting alone
in a dark theater. </span></div>
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" 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" 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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The
movie theater became an important destination for young people—during the 1920s
it was reported that most young people went to the movies about once a week. In
turn, the movie industry began to target
young people as a crucial audience and source of profit. Moviemakers tried to
capitalize on the interest of their youthful audiences with movies about people
their age: in the early 20s, there were several movies with “youth” in their
title produced every year, such as Reckless Youth, Flaming Youth, The Heart of
Youth, The Soul of Youth, The Price of Youth, The Madness of Youth, Youth Must
Have Love, Sporting Youth, Pampered Youth, Cheating Youth, and finally, Too
Much Youth. The movies themselves also became an important means of advertising
to young people, particularly to young women, as fans became interested in what
cosmetics movie stars used, what clothes they wore, what hairstyles they
sported, and so on. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">More
generally, the movies provided a perfect advertisement for a life of leisure
and consumption, for a liberalization of sexual mores, for an image of the
“good life” as it appeared to be personified by youth during the “Roaring
Twenties.” This image of the Roaring Twenties was captured by the novelist F.
Scott Fitzgerald, who wrote about an age when young people ruled the scene,
when everyone wanted to get in on the good life and share in prosperity and
consumerism, when people wanted to know what young people were up to so that
they too could be hip to the newest, most modern styles, when youth themselves
were confident, carefree, and turned their backs on adult authorities and
traditions. So the image of youthfulness, especially in the movies, was closely
connected to the prosperity and consumerism of the Roaring Twenties, and to the
way in which the new consumer culture accelerated the rate of change in society
and broke down the repressiveness of the Victorian Era. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Indeed,
during the 1920s, attitudes about sex, family, work, and gender were all
changing, and young women of all class backgrounds were leading the change.
Surveys reveal that young women were losing their virginity at an earlier age,
that more young women were having sex before marriage, and that most of them
did not think of sex as a “sin.” Various magazines began to report about the
practice of “petting” among young people on dates. People became more receptive
to the idea of sex education and information about contraception, and people of
all ages were less likely to view divorce as a source of shame and stigma. The
media tended to inflate and exaggerate the changes in sexual mores and behavior
to create a sense of moral hysteria, but the fact is that attitudes had really
changed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The
flapper became the symbol of these new freedoms granted to young women and the
liberalization of attitudes about sex. The word flapper was brought home by
American soldiers after World War I who used it to describe European women who
were supposedly looser and more “easy.” The flappers were both a real
subculture of young women and a figment of media sensationalism about sex,
girls, and morality. In other words, they are the first of many American
subcultures—like juvenile delinquents, beats, hippies, and punks—which have
some basis in reality, and then are hyped up in the media, which causes more
young people to want to be a part of them because the media gives the
subculture a reputation for being bad, rebellious, etc. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The
flapper look and style was characterized by bobbed hair, short skirts, silk
stockings, and heavy cosmetics. It was a conscious turn away from the image of
femininity in the Victorian era, when girls were made to look like flowers,
with frilly dresses and long hair. The flapper look was more aggressively
sexual, but the short hair and slimming fashions also gave it an androgynous
appearance. The flapper style became synonymous with the modern look, with the
style which moved away from traditional styles of fragile femininity. The
behavior of flappers also suggested a breaking with tradition in regard to
gender norms: flappers got attention because they smoked and drank in public (these
were big no no’s), because they danced with men in dance halls, and because
they had a reputation for going all the way before marriage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The
place where flappers could be found was in nightclubs, dancing to jazz music,
leading a series of dance crazes like the turkey trot, the bunny hug, “shaking
the shimmy.” Beginning in the year 1920, the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region> passed Prohibition, outlawing
alcohol. Imagine the situation: a new generation of youth who is off to
college, who have cars and want to have some fun, and yet alcohol is illegal.
This didn’t stop young people from going out to drink and dance, just that they
had to go to illegal establishment called the speakeasy. Prohibition
inadvertanately led young white people to seek out places where jazz music was
being played by black musicians in predominantly black areas of the city, such
as <st1:place w:st="on">Harlem</st1:place>. They found that the jazz music was
exciting, rebellious, and dangerous, and the illegality and racial integration
of the establishment enhanced that sense of danger and rebellion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Dancing to jazz music and
going to speakeasies became immensely popular not only with flappers but with
all kinds of young people who were looking for a good time and a chance to
rebel. This touched off a moral panic among adult authorities, who were
predictably troubled by the sexuality of youthful dancing, especially within a
racially integrated establishment. In the early twenties, the Ladies Home
Journal<span style="color: #222222;"> warned its readers that young people were
being morally corrupted as they danced along to "the abominable jazz
orchestra with its voodoo-born minors and its direct appeal to the sensory
center." </span>Notice the blatant racism in this warning—the description
of music made by blacks as “voodoo music,” the assumption that black music is
primitive, sensual, can somehow inflitrate the body and make it “wriggle.” This
was of course the main fear of white America about jazz, dancing, and
speakeasies: that black music might corrupt young girls by appealing to their
sensuality, that on an intergrated dance floor young white girls might “wriggle
their torso” with young black boys. This is a common formula for moral panic,
which we will see repeated in the 1950s with regard to rock ‘n’ roll: it is
basically the fear that comes when young white kids listen to black music. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">You
might also notice that the young people themselves also found music and dancing
to be exciting and rebellious because they mostly shared their parents’ racist
assumptions. The parents thought that the music and dancing was primitive,
sensual, and exotic and that this was a bad thing. The kids also thought the
jazz scene and its people were primitive, sensual, and exotic, but this was
exactly what they wanted. In other words, they shared their parents’
assumptions, but reached different conclusions. They wanted to rebel or escape
from civilized, so they latched on to a people and a music which they assumed
to be uncivilized, primitive and exotic. This established a pattern of white
appropriation of black music which we will see repeated at several different
points during the twentieth century. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Max the Marxisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03385872869229987931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2059047623549572860.post-55553652962017656672012-10-24T09:29:00.000-07:002012-10-24T09:29:00.422-07:00Crisis and CapitalismCrisis is a fundamental and indispensable concept for understanding any capitalist society. Not simply a breakdown or malfunctioning, capitalism also thrives on crisis, renewing itself on the opportunities created by a natural disaster or even (and especially) crises of its own making, which result in sudden and dramatic devaluation of people and property. To say that capitalism is a crisis-prone system does not at all mean that it is bound for collapse or complete self-destruction. However, it does mean that humanity periodically finds itself at a sort of crossroads where multiple possibilities are conceivable, where the only path we cannot travel is the one we took to get there.<br />
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In the twentieth century, there were two decisive moments of crisis, transformation, and regeneration in the capitalist world economy. Both were global in their scope, though certainly with different variations and responses across the Western hemisphere. The first was in the 1930s with the Great Depression, which was met with fascist statism (e.g., Nazism) in some nations and social democratic reformism (e.g., the New Deal) in others. The second was in the early 1970s, which paved the way for neoliberalism, the Reagan-Thatcher attacks on the welfare state, the "Washington consensus" about the sanctity of free markets, and all the rigid forms of "structural adjustment" which continue to be imposed around the world through the powers-that-be of international finance. I would venture to say that we are now living through a period of crisis whose most dramatic symptom has been the financial collapse of 2008, and not only is the crisis still unresolved but nobody has any ideas about how to move forward rather than just backward. <br />
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<br />Max the Marxisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03385872869229987931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2059047623549572860.post-28490535012056572022012-01-19T17:13:00.000-08:002012-01-19T17:13:54.784-08:00My latest article in the ChronicleThe Chronicle of Higher Ed <em>finally</em> published my latest essay, "Is Punk the New Jazz?" And of course it's subscriber-only content. Fuckers. But at least for a little while you can check it out here: <br />
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<a href="http://chronicle.com/article/Is-Punk-the-New-Jazz-/130281/?key=QDhyKAFtYCkSZ31iMTlBMm1dPSFpNkpwNXNMP311blpTEw%3D%3D">http://chronicle.com/article/Is-Punk-the-New-Jazz-/130281/?key=QDhyKAFtYCkSZ31iMTlBMm1dPSFpNkpwNXNMP311blpTEw%3D%3D</a>Max the Marxisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03385872869229987931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2059047623549572860.post-80051161479218068442011-12-14T17:40:00.000-08:002011-12-15T18:47:59.260-08:00Eagleton's Why Marx Was RightReading Terry Eagleton is like drinking in an Irish pub with some smartass bloke who says the funniest shit that proves you don't know what the fuck you're talking about. Fortunately this particular drunken bloke plays for Team Marx. Eagleton's newest book, <em>Why Marx Was Right</em>, is organized like a succession of these drunken arguments--each chapter is a response to a commonly held assumption or argument against Marxism. It's not a great book: the title is actually misleading and it should be called <em>Why Marx Wasn't Wrong (or at Least Not for the Reasons You Think He Was)</em>. But it packs a whole lot of Eagleton wittitude into one volume, so allow me to quote some of the passages that caused me to put a smiley-face in the margins of my copy: <br />
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So we are speaking here of the actions of a majority, not of a small bunch of rebels. Since socialism is about popular self-government, nobody can make a socialist revolution on your behalf, just as nobody can become an expert poker player on your behalf. As C.K. Chesterton writes, such popular self-determination is a "thing analogous to writing one's own love letters or blowing one's nose. These are things we want a man to do for himself, even if he does them badly." (p.188)<br />
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In this sense, Marx was more of an antiphilosopher than a philosopher. In fact, Etienne Balibar has called him 'perhaps...the greatest antiphilosopher of the modern age.' Antiphilosophers are those who are wary of philosophy--not just in the sense that Brad Pitt might be, but nervous of it for philosophically interesting reasons. They tend to come up with ideas that are suspicious of ideas; and though they are for the most part entirely rational, they tend not to believe that reason is what it all comes down to (pp.130-31)<br />
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Think of contemporary capitalism, in which the commodity form has left its grubby thumbprints on everything from sport to sexuality, from how best to swing oneself a front-row seat in heaven to the earth-shattering tones in which U.S. television reporters hope to seize the viewer's attention for the sake of the advertisers. The most compelling confirmation of Marx's theory of history is late capitalist society. There is a sense in which his case is becoming truer as time passes. It is capitalism, not Marxism, which is economically reductionist (pp. 115-16)<br />
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Tribal societies have their fair share of violence, rivalry and hunger for power, but these things cannot take the form of imperial warfare, free-market competition or mass unemployment, because such institutions do not exist among the Nuer or the Dinka. There are villains everywhere you look, but only some of these moral ruffians are so placed as to be able to steal pension funds or pump the media full of lying political propaganda. Most gangsters are not in a position to do so. Instead, they have to content themselves with hanging people from meat hooks. In a socialist society, nobody would be in a position to do so. This is not because they are too saintly, but because there would be no private pension funds or privately owned media. Shakespeare's villains had to find outlets for their wickedness other than firing missiles at Palestinian refugees. You cannot be a bullying industrial magnate if there isn't any industry around. You just have to settle for bullying slaves, courtiers or your Neolithic workmates instead. (pp. 89-90)<br />
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In a similar way, it does not matter if I regard my work as a biochemist emplyed by a private pharmaceutical company as a glorious contribution to the advance of science and the progress of humanity. The fact remains that the main point of my work is to create profit for a bunch of unscrupulous sharks who would probably charge their own toddlers ten dollars for an aspirin. What I feel is neither here nor there. The meaning of my work is determined by the institution. (p. 89)<br />
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Starting from where we are may not sound like the best recipe for political transformation. The present seems more an obstacle to such change than an occasion for it. As the stereotypically thick-headed Irishman remarked when asked the way to the railway station: 'Well, I wouldn't start from here.' The comment is not as illogical as some might think, which is also true of the Irish. It means 'You'd get there quicker and more directly if you weren't starting from this awkward, out-of-the-way spot.' Socialists today might well sympathise with this sentiment. One could imagine the proverbial Irishman surveying Russia after the Bolshevik revolution, about to embark on the task of building socialism in a beseiged, isolated, semidestitute country, and remarking: 'Well, I wouldn't start from here.' (pp. 70-71)<br />
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Marxists want nothing more than to stop being Marxists. In this respect, being a Marxist is nothing like being a Buddhist or a billionaire. It is more like being a medic. Medics are perverse, self-thwarting creatures who do themselves out of a job by curing patients who then no longer need them (p. 1)<br />
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The liberal state is neutral between capitalism and its critics until the critics look like they're winning. Then it moves in with its water hoses and paramilitary squads, and if these fail with its tanks. Nobody doubts that the state can be violent. It is just that Marx gives a new kind of answer to the question of who the violence ultimately serves. (pp. 197-98)<br />
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There are times when the possessing class directly runs the state. George Bush and his fellow oilmen were a case in point. One of Bush's most remarkable achievements, in other words, was to prove vulgar Marxism right. He also seems to have worked hard to make the capitalist system appear in the worst possible light, another fact which makes one wonder whether he was secretly working for the North Koreans. (p. 206)<br />
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Unlike a great many liberals, Marx was not allergic to power as such. It is scarcely in the interests of the powerless to be told that all power is distasteful, not least by those who already have enough of the stuff to spare. Those to whom the word 'power' always has a derogatory ring are fortunate indeed. Power in the cause of human emancipation is not to be confused with tyranny. The slogan 'Black Power!' is a lot less feeble than the cry 'Down with Power!' We would only know that such power was truly emancipatory, however, if it managed to trnasform not only the present political set-up, but the very meaning of power itself. (p.207)<br />
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<br />Max the Marxisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03385872869229987931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2059047623549572860.post-22835914880445906212011-11-29T16:37:00.001-08:002011-12-03T10:44:48.078-08:00Best Music, Albums, Video, etc. of 2011For Christmas I used to give the gift of music. Now music is free. Consider this your guide to the most theftable music of 2011. <br />
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1. The Rapture, <em>In the Grace of Your Love</em><br />
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I think it was 2003 when the Rapture's debut <i>Echoes </i>was awarded album of the year by Pitchfork, heralding the dawn of a new age of Brooklyn disco hipster punk. In the ensuing years, however, the Rapture floundered while LCD Soundsystem, MGMT, TV on the Radio, and a cottage industry of indie (whatever that means these days) bands from Williamsburg moved into the spotlight. In recent times the Rapture lost one of its key members and nearly broke up, but with this new album they seem to have gained in maturity what they have lost in energy and edge. The mother of their singer, Luke Jenner, recently committed suicide, leading him to join a men's choir, and it certainly shows, because whereas dude used to have a scratchy punk yelp, now DUDE CAN SING. The opening track, "Sail Away," is an outstanding example, as is the title track and some of the dancier songs, like "How Deep Is Your Love" (which actually could pass as a gay disco anthem). There's some lame semi-religious or "spiritual" allusions in the music, as suggested by the album's title, but I'm willing to let that slide if your mom commits suicide. Don't call it a comeback. Actually, do call it a comeback. <em>Echoes</em> is indeed one of the greatest albums of the past 10 years, IMHO, but <em>In the Grace of Your Love</em> marks their transformation into one of the greatest bands of our time. Don't get me wrong, nobody cares right now and the hype machine passed the Rapture by years ago (I'm not sure if Pitchfork even reviewed this album) but one day we recognize its greatness and you'll want to tell everyone how you were sooooo into that album before everyone else was. Bonus=music video for "Miss You" featuring kitschy 80s aerobics movie that doubles as softcore porn.<br />
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2. Girls, <em>Father, Son, and Holy Ghost</em><br />
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Perhaps the most misleading band name in the history of music: Girls is actually just some guys, and as far I can tell pretty much just this one dude who plays guitar, sings, and writes the songs, all with a needle dangling out of his arm or neck or wherever he can still manage to find a working vein. Dude also looks a lot like a taller Kurt Cobain and seems to hail from San Francisco. I hear there's some crazy story about how dude was born into a cult of aliens or some bullshit like that. This is Girls' second full-length album, and it's a great rock album in an age when nobody makes great rock albums anymore. There's chunky Black Sabbath guitar riffs, an Elvis Costello snarl, and some moody power ballads to boot. Enjoy dude while he's still alive. Based on this video I would estimate he's currently about 6'2" and 75 lbs. Let's hope the video doesn't make crop tops fashionable for male hipsters, but then again how could it if it doesn't even look good on dude. <br />
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3. Tyler The Creator, <em>Goblin</em><br />
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How can you call this kid anything except the black Eminem? Well, for one Tyler is more like an alienated skateboarding punk or devil-worshipping headbanger than an inner-city gangsta or wigga. In other words, he's much, much more white than Eminem in a cultural sense. But Tyler is also much like Eminem in the sense that his psycho-pathology is on full display for the listener and constitutes the raw material of the music. And it's really, really fucked up. On some songs (e.g., "Transylvania") I wish he rapped in French or something because I love the music (and sorry Tyler but how can anyone describe that your music as anything except "horrorcore?) but it's so grotesquely misogynist and homophobic that it simply becomes simply unlistenable. Some of the misogyny and homophobia is extremely juvenile--eventually he'll have to grow out of the stage of making "jokes" about butt sex and telling everyone that so-and-so can suck his dick, right? At least for now, he just sounds like what he is, which is a 19 year-old boy who lives in his grandmother's house, a teenage boy who's fashioned his rap persona into something that's more like a video game avatar (a "wolf gang"? really, Tyler?). The misogyny, unfortunately, clearly runs much deeper, is comparable to that of Eminem, and is absolutely violent to the core (Tyler's rape and serial murder fantasies are obviosuly hyperbolic yet reveal a profoundly disturbed psyche). That said, "Yonkers," "Radicals," and "Sandwitches" are surely 3 of the best songs of 2011, and IMHO total game changers for the future of hip hop music. If nothing else, we should be thankful that Tyler and some of the other Odd Future rappers have managed to make Jay-Z and Kanye West's <em>Watch the Throne</em> sound nothing less than a thousand years old this year. The (odd) future of rap has arrived, so get used to him; it ain't gonna be pretty, but the best is yet to come. Best chorus of 2011= "kill people/burn shit/fuck school," prefaced by the disclaimor "if something happens don't blame me, White America. Fuck Bill O'Reilly." <br />
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4. Trash Talk, <em>Awake</em><br />
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Ok, so it's only an EP, 5 songs and a total of 9 minutes. But to paraphrase Johnny (or was it Dee Dee?) Ramone, they're actually long songs played quickly. Sixteen year old Ryan Moore thinks this may be the most important 9 minutes in the history of recorded music, perhaps rivaled only by "The Call of Ktulu," the lengthy instrumental that closes Metallica's <em>Ride the Lightning</em>. Plus, they're from Sacramento, which I have always called Excremento because I assumed that nothing good could come from it. Trash Talk consists of two black guys (who knew they were black people in Excremento? much less ones who play thrash punk??), a drummer who plays at simply inhuman pace, and a crowd-surfing singer with an unholy scream who I'm pretty sure is the next Iggy Pop. The shape of punk to come in a post-apocalyptic world of skateboarding in the empty swimming pools of foreclosed houses in decaying suburbs. So yeah it's only 9 minutes, but there's at least 10 times the amount of punk rock here as in that Fucked Up "David Comes to Life" bullshit. Best song="Gimme Death," but why are you still reading this when you could have listened to the entire record by now?<br />
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5. Black Lips, <em>Arabia Mountain</em><br />
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Last year it was the Black Keys who released an album I really liked on the heels of an apparently long career of releasing an albums that I really couldn't give a shit about. It looks like Black Lips is sliding nicely into that category this year, so perhaps I will need to create a separate category called "Back in Black" or something stupid like that. Next year's top candidate is the Black Heart Procession, because I can't see how the Black Eyed Peas are going to do anything remotely musical anytime soon. I don't know much about the Black Lips (or is it simply Black Lips?) except that they all look like they really need to get their ass kicked by someone who is doubly qualified to remove facial tattoos. Anyway....I hate to say it but this is one of those really infectious albums that you find yourself humming all day after one listen. Best songs="Mad Dog," "Bone Marrow," and "New Direction." It's not rocket science, but there's a sweet fucking horn section and you can clap along at home, just like I'm doing now as if I were a toy monkey with a pair of cymbals. <br />
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6. The War on Drugs, <em>Slave Ambient</em><br />
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We need to take a moment to talk about band names. This was a good year for music, but not for band names, and this one may be the worst of all. Who wants to risk being overheard to say, "Yeah, I really like The War on Drugs" or "Have you seen The War on Drugs live?" I mean Girls, Cults, The War on Drugs....it's as if musicians are deliberately trying to make themselves non-Googleable. The thing is that this is a really great album, and from a band I had never even heard of until recently. Its sound is fuzzy and distorted and refracted and ambient (like in the album title, duh) but it's also really good rockin' road trip-across-the-country music, so when you put the two together it sounds like meat-and-potatoes rock 'n' roll but in the new America where the heartland has been gutted into a hollow image of its former self. Think Springsteen or Petty in a new century where no one can be that earnest unless it's a truck commercial. Now about that band name....it seems that this guy Kurt Vile was once in this band, and his punky homage to the German composer gets my vote for best name of the year, but I wasn't as crazy about his album (still good overall, see below) as this one that get my vote for worst name of the year. <br />
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7. EMA, <em>Past Life Martyred Saints</em><br />
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EMA stands for Erika M. Anderson, a young woman from South Dakota and clearly of some kind of Nordic descent who moved to Los Angeles and has now recorded what I think is her first solo album. I'm gonna describe her as a cross between Courtney Love and Robyn, and I think that description generally applies both to her look and style and her sound. There's some good hipster dance tracks like "Mailman" (video below) sandwiched between two fantastic, sprawling, almost Zeppelinesque alt-rock epics that begin and end the album ("The Grey Ship" and "Red Star," respectively). She's very young, the album is pretty raw and has some uneven moments, and so clearly this is still a work in progress. But I believe the ceiling of talent and creative vision is extremely high and that this is one who's going to be fun to watch and listen to for many years to come. Let's hope she doesn't cut or vomit herself to death before then. <br />
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8. Tom Waits, <em>Bad as Me</em><br />
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OK, so I'm middle-aged and middle-class, and I like Tom Waits, so fucking sue me, but he released an amazingly vital album this year, beginning a opening song called "Chicago" that chugs along like a great blues song worthy of its name. The accompanying video below, featuring sepia-toned footage from Chicago during its industrial heyday, is also excellent. Other standout tracks="Talking at the Same Time," "Bad as Me," and "Hell Broke Luce." I know Tom Waits has turned himself into a caricature of the bohemian poet-bum, but I still find something compelling about that, and this could be his best album since Bone Machine. <br />
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9. St. Vincent, <em>Strange Mercy</em></div>
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10. The Weeknd, <em>House of Balloons</em>. </div>
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11. M83, <em>Hurry Up, We're Dreaming</em>. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtsBRzTdZlVx0hLsasA_JwLbv4ifvxHhv5ahQzZNNukF2NAe8k9-OFBeMMijSLCIUziHbKWAik_fCufE4yUgKHlHuiIvqHPmxNFrsJumcZojTNoctJkYM26GpFUEjD5mme-loY557Y3VY/s1600/m83hurry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtsBRzTdZlVx0hLsasA_JwLbv4ifvxHhv5ahQzZNNukF2NAe8k9-OFBeMMijSLCIUziHbKWAik_fCufE4yUgKHlHuiIvqHPmxNFrsJumcZojTNoctJkYM26GpFUEjD5mme-loY557Y3VY/s320/m83hurry.jpg" width="320" /></a>M83 is basically this French dude (but does France have dudes?) who has mastered the sound of 1980s O.G. MTV pop and soundtracks from John Hughes films, so if you close your eyes while listening to this album you can almost picture scenes for an ill-advised sequel to the Breakfast Club. The opening track with the singer Zola Jesus is outstanding. The next song, "Midnight City," is obviously a big fat pop single (video below), and it's already being used in a Victoria's Secret commercial of all places. From there the rest of the album has its high and lows but mostly just goes on for too damn long, and that's the risk you take when you do a double record--it can go either to the white album or use your illusion end of the spectrum. My favorite song has some French title but it basically has a little kid telling a story about psychedelic toads that make you see and hear things vividly after you lick them. It's so cute it almost makes me want to have a kid just so we can do drugs together. <br />
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12. Cults, <em>Cults</em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyjHYz5L-xKbCmos9C9rqSk-gcUq96jeyMXItKJSHofIy-WLtkOUtaBVnbJ_nSm6AhVlk5QZJomlItn2sHLq9fQfcqnK7N7sJB-Jxe4wxX1W9DIDtycahxMh3xMEE5meyrLiqP_-JEelE/s1600/CultsAlbum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyjHYz5L-xKbCmos9C9rqSk-gcUq96jeyMXItKJSHofIy-WLtkOUtaBVnbJ_nSm6AhVlk5QZJomlItn2sHLq9fQfcqnK7N7sJB-Jxe4wxX1W9DIDtycahxMh3xMEE5meyrLiqP_-JEelE/s1600/CultsAlbum.jpg" /></a>I blame it on the White Stripes. There's this new cliche in white indie hipster culture where boy meets girl, but instead of going to a tree and k-i-s-s-i-n-g, they sublimate all that frustrated sexual energy into making music and forming a band. So like the 50% divorce isn't enough, the new generation has to take the battle-of-the-sexes to another level where now couples have to try to keep a band together too? I don't know what the story is with these two in Cults. They sound somewhere in between Sleigh Bells and Beach House if you want to stay within boy-meets-girl genre. Thankfully they sound nothing like the Moldy Peaches. Their scruffiness is, however, suspiciously attractive, and I'm pretty sure they're a couple of rich kids who met at NYU or some other wretched part of Friends-ified Greenwich Village. I want to hate them, and I think we can all rest assured with the knowledge that I probably will learn to hate them in time, but for now I can't deny the catchiness of "Go Outside" or "Abducted." Video mixes "Go Outside" with cool video footage from Jonestown (cuz they're named Cults, duh). <br />
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13. Frank Ocean, <em style="text-align: left;">Nostalgia, Ultra</em><br />
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14. Iceage, <em>New Brigade</em><br />
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Imagine a Joy Division or Clash cover band of 18 year-old boys living somewhere in Scandinavia where there's nothing better to do than try to perfect your covers of Joy Division or Clash songs. Day after day, these kids just bash away at their instruments in some abandoned factory or warehouse. Then gradually their rehearsal sessions develop into some songs, and much to everyone's surprise they start getting a lot better, very suddenly. That's where we're at with this band Iceage--exciting, but very raw. They play as hard and fast as a hardcore band should when they're young, and there's lots of upside from them as they get a little older. The next great industrial band for a post-industrial age. Standout tracks: "White Rune" and "New Brigade," remainder of album is uneven. <br />
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15. Wilco, <em>The Whole Love</em>. <br />
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Another year has come and gone, and Wilco has released yet another album, just like Radiohead, the Foo Fighters, and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Do you care? No, you don't. Actually, it's one of their best in many years, and the first song in particular ("The Art of Almost") has all kinds of cool rawk guitar shit that they haven't done since the similarly underrated <em>A Ghost Is Born</em>. Do you care now? No, you don't. At times it sounds like Jeff Tweedy is jumping up and down like "Hey guys, check me out, I'm doing some <em>different</em> over here. You haven't heard this shit! I'm being <em>experimental."</em> To which average Wilco fan replies, "That's great Jeff, but I gotta run the kids over to school now, maybe I can sneak in a listen later today while the kids are napping in the minivan on the way to soccer practice." To which Jeff protests, "No man, don't do that, this album is way too loud and rocking, it'll wake the kids!" <br />
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16. TV on the Radio, <em>Nine Types of Light.</em> </div>
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17. Kurt Vile, <em>Smoke Ring for My Halo</em></div>
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Like I said, I love this guy's adopted moniker for being punk yet slyly refencing the German composer. The album is certainly good but I don't think it deserves all the praise it's getting from Joe and Jane Pitchfork. Unfortunately, when singing about religious freaks or being a puppet for the man, Kurt Vile seems like one of those guys who thinks he's a lot smarter than he really is. Lots of the same things apply from the War on Drugs review, basically this is heartland music for a land that has no heart. Standout tracks: "In My Baby's Arms," "Smoke Ring for My Halo." Cool hair.<br />
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18. Everymen, <em>Blood's Thicker Than Water</em><br />
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What the fuck, I'm gonna throw out some props to my friends in the local Lake Worth scene who made a pretty good first album this year and have done well on their various tours across the U.S. They're good guys and they're still dealing with an awful tragedy where their washboard and guitar player fell off a balcony and sustained some serious brain damage. I've heard both both the demo version from last year and this full-length, and I've saw them play live more than I saw the members of my own family this year, so it's been nice to watch them progress and root for their success. The album is genuinely good, a kind of hobo-punk sound featuring banjos and violins and washboards yet played at a frenetic hardcore pace. Imagine a troupe of tattooed vagrants doing Minor Threat covers with banjos. Actually this album might rank higher on this list except for the fact that they went into the studio and totally butchered my favorite song of theirs, a tune called "Bottle of Tears" that used to be performed as a let's-all-get-drunk-and-sing-our-blues-away-together type of anthem, and for some inexplicable reason they turned it into a slower, allegedly darker, melodramatic and overproduced piece of shit. Fortunately I just substituted its place in the mix with the demo version, but you can't. Standout tracks: "Yellow Porch Blues," "Not a Good Long Term Plan," and "Don't Rain on My Parade." Video from last summer's Lake Worth festival:<br />
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19. Cerebral Ballzy, <em>Cerebral Ballzy</em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9KLjU5TlCP0weq9HEFxpHxtFPJTZ0NZmuKRU0qG9JnTDKhEsYXELIh9cf31UQ2Akezr3gyL6jmsJen4mZiPl2HHCbQ2F9hyvE_UOj6Uxdtd69TtugrFWsFvf7A4G9MZ9r73xKd0juae4/s1600/Cerebral-Ballzy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9KLjU5TlCP0weq9HEFxpHxtFPJTZ0NZmuKRU0qG9JnTDKhEsYXELIh9cf31UQ2Akezr3gyL6jmsJen4mZiPl2HHCbQ2F9hyvE_UOj6Uxdtd69TtugrFWsFvf7A4G9MZ9r73xKd0juae4/s320/Cerebral-Ballzy.jpg" width="320" /></a>I've already written one blog about this band and Trash Talk and the revival of early 80s American hardcore, and you can read that <a href="http://maxthemarxist.blogspot.com/2011/10/trash-talk-cerebral-ballzy-new-hardcore.html">here</a>. Basically if dig this revival the bands are like Black Brains or Black Threat, if you don't then they're Minor Brains or Bad Threat. You know how I feel about Trash Talk. This one I'm on the fence about, though still excited. First of all, as many people have already pointed out to me, we have yet another case of a terrible band name. But this black kid who's on the vocals is really compelling to watch, and someone in that band has a good sense of punk roots because they too released a mixtape this year with all kinds of classic punk bands that kids today wouldn't necessarily know about, like Stiff Little Fingers. Yet they are also intimately linked with the Adult Swim channel, who released their album through their website. This is a thoroughly commercial entity, but their first song is "Don't Tell Me What To Do" with lyrics about how people are always telling them do this, drink that, blahblahblah--in short, they could be the new face and sound of corporate "non-conformity" and all the contradictions that go with it. I foresee a new line of skate shoes with the slogan "don't tell me what to do" emblazoned on the side. Other standout tracks: "Cutting Class," "Insufficient Fare." <br />
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20. Metallica and Lou Reed,<em> Lulu</em><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_BmAVlIGqEoVIFqqWL_NG8sNODzYr2LgGCQ0WCYBghoRqPxPvryVdyc9WM-_ctrpEVfK0OoVPB8dKjbOPQwryJT4zdDhWxKkvM6Am1xt7ogtJEhw7iruRWDwZR8b-8bpDIsLXRcihECc/s1600/untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_BmAVlIGqEoVIFqqWL_NG8sNODzYr2LgGCQ0WCYBghoRqPxPvryVdyc9WM-_ctrpEVfK0OoVPB8dKjbOPQwryJT4zdDhWxKkvM6Am1xt7ogtJEhw7iruRWDwZR8b-8bpDIsLXRcihECc/s320/untitled.png" width="316" /></a>This album didn't really make my list, it's more of a "dishonorable mention." Do you realize how amazingly terrible this is? The ill-advised collaboration between these two seemingly incompatible artists who are long past their point of relevancy is bad enough. But it gets worse. Evidently the album also has some theatrical basis, whereby Lou Reed wrote a bunch of lyrics based on the work of some misogynist German playright. So alongside Metallica's metal we have lots and lots and lots of words, words about doing violence against women, but also words that don't make any sense together, and not in that cool Dadaist, Captain Beefheart kind of way. It sounds like a bunch of middle-aged douchebags woke up one day and decided to relive their old glories as a metal band, and then while they were warming up some homeless schitzophrenic guy wandered in and started saying a bunch of random shit on the microphone. From day one I have been totally enthralled with the horribleness of this album in the same way I was enthralled with Gigli. Standout tracks=none, although the 95 minute (!) album does begin with Lou Reed "singing" this gem: "I would cut my legs and tits off when thinking of Boris Karloff." <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/-hY8RwnF55A?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Max the Marxisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03385872869229987931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2059047623549572860.post-38320874397305115972011-11-21T06:37:00.001-08:002011-11-21T08:51:40.237-08:00Capitalism, Marxism, Socialism, #OWS (part 2)My message in a bottle to humanity, part 2 (<a href="http://maxthemarxist.blogspot.com/2011/11/capitalism-marxism-socialism-ows-part-1.html">Read part 1 here</a>) <br />
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As David Harvey and many others have since argued, the downturn of the 1970s presented not only a crisis but also an opportunity for the ruling classes to break with the compromises with organized labor and the regulatory state that had been instituted after World War II. In 1979, the richest 1% of Americans owned only approximately 20% of the nation's wealth and about 8% of its income--the lowest figures we've seen either before or since. As we know, that was <a href="http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/124xx/doc12485/WebSummary.pdf">about to change in dramatic fashion</a>. Harvey describes the crisis facing the capitalist class at this juncture: <br />
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To have a stable share of an increasing pie is one thing. But when growth collapsed in the 1970s, when real interest rates went negative and paltry dividends and profits were the norm, then upper classes everywhere felt threatened. In the US the control of wealth (as opposed to income) by the top 1 per cent of the population had remained fairly stable throughout the twentieth century. But in the 1970s it plunged precipitously as asset values (stocks, property, savings) collapsed. The upper classes had to move decisively if they were to protect themselves from political and economic annihilation (<em>A Brief History of Neoliberalism</em>, p. 15)</blockquote>
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Enter neoliberalism. The main tenets of neoliberalism were initially developed by the economists <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Hayek">Frierich Hayek</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_friedman">Milton Friedman</a> during the post-war period, when Keynesianism was the dominant paradigm in an economic system where state intervention and regulation played a key role. In opposition, Friedman's <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitalism_and_Freedom">Capitalism and Freedom</a></em> (published in 1962) argued that governments should remove all restrictions that might impede the accumulation of profits, sell off any public assets to the private sector and privatize public services, and substantially decrease funding for social welfare and programs. The discourse of neoliberalism touts "freedom" in the sense of free trade and free markets, though of course they don't mean free trade and free markets so much as the freedom of monopolistic corporations to maximize their profits wherever and however they can. Likewise, neoliberalism posits the individual as a hypothetical entrepreneur seeking to maximize his or her rational interests, and its concept of liberty basically boils down to the right to earn, keep, and spend money. As a matter of faith, neoliberalism maintains that economies grow and societies as a whole benefit when the allegedly natural urges of competition are unleashed from government or any other form of social control. The tenets of neoliberalism are not very consistent with the original economic theories of Adam Smith, but the neoliberals did appropriate Smith's idea that the market is guided by an "invisible hand" that, if left to its own, will regulate itself and "naturally" return to a state of equilibrium. <br />
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During the 1960s, Friedman was a professor of economics at the University of Chicago, and his ideas were still relatively marginal in a world where Keynesianism was still orthodox. However, students from across Latin America but in particular from Chile came to the University of Chicago--assisted by U.S. government funding--to study economics with Friedman, leading them to be nicknamed the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_boys">"Chicago Boys"</a> when they returned to Chile (who alone sent one hundred students to pursue advanced degrees in economics at the University of Chicago between 1957 and 1970) or Argentina, Brazil, or Mexico. <br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilean_coup_of_1973">On September 11, 1973</a>, General <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinochet">Augusto Pinochet</a> and his right-wing supporters in the Chilean military and government staged a brutal coup d'etat that overthrew the democratically elected and socialist-leaning <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidency_of_Salvador_Allende">administration of Salvador Allende</a>. They did so with a substantial assist from the <a href="http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/news/20000919/01-05.htm">Nixon administration and the CIA</a>, which had been spreading anti-socialist throughout Chile following the election of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilean_presidential_election,_1970">Allende in 1970</a> and his efforts to nationalize some key industries including the phone company, whose majority owner was the U.S.-based International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT). Following the coup--in which tens of thousands were arrested and imprisoned in Chile's football stadiums, untold numbers were tortured, executed, or "disappeared," and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Salvador_Allende">Allende shot himself</a> inside the presdential palace following his farewell speech--the Chicago Boys who had been trained in Friedman's brand of neoliberalism, previously rebuffed in the 1970 election, were now suddenly given the keys to the Chilean economy by the Pinochet regime. This came on the heels of a proposal published on the day of the coup by the Chicago Boys to restructure Chile as a kind of laboratory of neoliberalism. In <a href="http://www.naomiklein.org/shock-doctrine"><em>The Shock Doctrine</em>, Naomi Klein</a> reveals this connection that links Friedman and his Chicago School with the new Pinochet regime's economic policies:<br />
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The proposals in the final document bore a striking resemblance to those found in Milton Friedman's <em>Capitalism and Freedom</em>: privatization, deregulation and cuts to social spending--the free-market trinity. Chile's U.S.-trained economists had tried to introduce these ideas peacefully, within the confines of a democratic debate, but they had been overwhelmingly rejected. Now the Chicago Boys and their plans were back, in a climate distinctly more conducive to their radical vision. In this new era, no one besides a handful of men needed to agree with them. Their staunchest political opponents were either in jail, dead or fleeing for cover; the spectacle of fighter jets and caravans of death was keeping everyone else in line. </blockquote>
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<strong>***Check out the short (7 minutes) film version of Klein's <em>The</em> <em>Shock Doctrine with </em>filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron, but it is disturbing so consider yourself warned***</strong><br />
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Latin America's laboratory of neoliberalism got off to an inauspicious start, as the rates of inflation and unemployment each skyrocketed during the initial years of the new regime. However, Chile did, at least by mainstream economic indicators, begin to turn things around and eventually delivered some of the highest rates of growth and greatest increases of wealth in Latin America, leading neoliberal economists to proclaim a "miracle." But if the characteristics of this "miracle" actually look quite familiar and even typical to us today, it is because Chile provided a blueprint that would be carried out across most of the world during the next few decades. The increase of wealth was mostly concentrated among the country's elites along with financial speculators and foreign investors, making Chile one of the most unequal countries on Earth. Naomi Klein describes Chile as a harbinger of things to come in the rest of the world: <br />
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Chile under Chicago School rule was offering a glimpse of the future of the global economy, a pattern that would repeat again and again, from Russia to South Africa to Argentina: an urban bubble of frenetic speculation and dubious accounting fueling superprofits and frantic consumerism, ringed by the ghostly factories and rotting infrastructure of a development past; roughly half the population excluded from the economy altogether; out-of-control corruption and cronyism; decimation of nationally owned small and medium-sized businesses; a huge transfer of wealth from public to private hands, followed by a huge transfer of private debts into public hands. In Chile, if you were outside the wealth bubble, the miracle looked like the Great Depression, but inside its airtight cocoon the profits flowed so free and fast that the easy wealth made possible by shock therapy-style "reforms" have been the crack cocaine of financial markets ever since. And that is why the financial world did not respond to the obvious contradictions of the Chile experiment by reassuring the basic assumptions of laissez-faire. Instead, it reacted with the junkie's logic: Where is the next fix? (<em>The Shock Doctrine</em>, pp. 86-7)</blockquote>
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Neoliberalism represents its ideas as a socially neutral means for curing and improving some homogenous entity called THE ECONOMY, which is bestowed with magical powers that could benefit all of humanity while correcting itself if those meddling and inefficient governments, unions, and other social institutions would just stay out of the way. But if we reflect on what has happened around the world since the 1970s, it seems that every time a society has put its faith in this doctrine, the “invisible hand”reaches into the wallets of the working masses and <em><span style="font-style: normal;">hands over their money to corporations and a small class of people who were wealthy to begin with. Then the invisible hand slaps us in the face, reminds us that we still owe more money, and orders us to get back to work. In this sense, we should consider neoliberalism as an ideology--not as an outright lie but as a collection of half-truths that make universal claims but are in fact designed to favor an elite class at the expense of the majority. Neoliberalism has created a social crisis in our world not because of its failures but because of its successes in redistributing more wealth to the wealthy. Here is David Harvey's pespective: </span></em><br />
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We can, therefore, interpret neoliberalization either as a utopian project to realize a theoretical design for the reorganization of international capitalism or as a political project to re-establish the conditions for capital accumulation and to restore the power of economic elites...I shall argue that the second of these objectives has in practice dominated. Neoliberalization has not been very effective in revitalizing global capital accumulation, but it has succeeded remarkably well in restoring, or in some instances (as in Russia and China) creating, the power of an economic elite. The theoretical utopianism of neoliberal argument has, I conclude, primarily worked as a system of justification and legitimation for whatever needed to be done to achieve this goal.(<em>Harvey, A Brief History of Neoliberalism, p. 19)</em></blockquote>
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<em><span style="font-style: normal;">Neoliberalism is both an economic technique for restoring the class power of the richest capitalists (especially in finance) and an ideological smokescreen that disguises this upward redistribution of wealth in a haze of pseudo-scientific propositions. For his argument, Harvey draws on data accumulated by the French economists Gérard Duménil and Dominique Lévy, who have documented the increasing holdings of wealth and national income among the richest of the rich in every part of the world where neoliberal "reforms" have been enacted since the 1970s. </span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-style: normal;">***In the video below, Duménil discusses Neoliberalism 101 with Real News in a 9 minute interview that is worth watching if for no other reason than to hear a French academic say "bullshit" with his cute little accent around the 7 minute mark***</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-style: normal;">In the United States, neoliberalism became a dominant ideology with the ascent of Ronald Reagan to the Presidency in 1980, but its tenets were first imposed through non-democratic measures during the fiscal crisis of New York City in 1975. </span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">The city had been running a budget deficit due to a combination of rising expenses and a declining tax base resulting from deindustrialization and decades of white flight. </span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">In the final hour before the city was to declare bankruptcy in 1975, a group of investment bankers led by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Wriston#cite_note-4">Walter Wriston</a>--Citibank CEO and future economic adviser to Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush--arranged a bailout on terms that cut deeply into the power of municipal unions, imposed wage freezes, defunded social services, and charged tuition on students in the city's public university system. This proved to be the first instance of neoliberal "shock therapy" applied on American shores, again without any sort of democratic mandate. In David Harvey's words, </span></em><br />
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This amounted to a coup by the financial institutions against the democratically elected government of New York City, and it was every bit as effective as the military coup that had earlier occurred in Chile. Wealth was redistributed to the upper classes in the midst of a fiscal crisis.</blockquote>
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<em><span style="font-style: normal;"><a href="http://nyupress.org/books/book-details.aspx?bookId=1674">As discussed in my book</a>, the social chaos that ensued in New York during the second half of the 1970s spawned, at roughly the same time, the growth of punk at CBGB's in Lower Manhattan and the hip hop subculture in the South Bronx. </span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">The 1975 fiscal crisis has proven to be a decisive turning point in the destruction of the Keynesian welfare state in favor of neoliberal policies imposed primarily by financial interests. As Harvey says, </span></em><br />
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The management of the New York fiscal crisis pioneered the way for neoliberal practices both domestically under Reagan and internationally through the IMF in the 1980s. It established the principle that in the event of a conflict between the integrity of financial institutions and bondholers' returns, on the one hand, and the well-being of the citizens on the other, the former was to be privileged. It emphasized that the role of government was to create a good business climate rather than look to the needs and well-being of the population at large.</blockquote>
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Capitalism has grown to a fundamentally unsustainable state. Only fools try to forecast economic futures, but the fact is that there's a significant chance that sometime in the not-too-distant future the entire capitalist system is going to collapse in a crisis of truly global proportions. At that point, humanity will be at a crossroads between some new system cooked up by the existing powers-that-be who will seek to preserve and even increase their control, or an alternative organized on the basis of truly participatory democracy with a socialist approach to the production and distribution of resources. Basically, we are going to be forced to decide <a href="http://www.marxists.org/archive/luxemburg/index.htm">Rosa Luxemburg's</a> old question--<a href="http://www.socialist-alliance.org/page.php?page=308">socialism or barbarism</a>?<br />
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(<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall_Street_bombing">New York's financial district in 1920 after anarchists detonated a bomb in front of J.P. Morgan's bank at 23 Wall Street</a>) </div>
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What does it mean to say that capitalism has become fundamentally unsustainable? In the years before and after the financial crisis of 2008, a series of economic and historical works by scholars including <a href="http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/Politics/InternationalStudies/InternationalPoliticalEconomy/?ci=9780199758715">David Harvey</a>, <a href="http://monthlyreview.org/press/books/pb1849/">John Bellamy Foster and Fred Magdoff</a>, <a href="http://www.versobooks.com/books/225-the-economics-of-global-turbulence">Robert Brenner</a>, <a href="http://www.haymarketbooks.org/pb/Zombie-Capitalism">Chris Harman</a>, <a href="http://thenewpress.com/index.php?option=com_title&task=view_title&metaproductid=1056">Immanuel Wallerstein</a>, <a href="http://www.versobooks.com/books/347-adam-smith-in-beijing">Giovanni Arrighi</a>, <a href="http://harvardpress.typepad.com/hup_publicity/2011/01/the-crisis-of-neoliberalism.html">Gérard Duménil and Dominique Lévy</a>, <a href="http://www.capitalismhitsthefan.com/">Richard Wolff</a>, <a href="https://secure.pmpress.org/index.php?l=product_detail&p=271">Dave McNally</a>, and <a href="http://www.versobooks.com/books/94-empire-of-capital">Ellen Mieskins Wood</a> have demonstrated the enduring utility of <a href="http://socialistregister.com/index.php/srv">Marxist analysis</a> for understanding capitalism today. Whereas mainstream economists were caught off guard by the crisis of 2008 (after her personal fortunes took a huge hit, the Queen asked the academics at the London School of Economics "<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/theroyalfamily/3386353/The-Queen-asks-why-no-one-saw-the-credit-crunch-coming.html">why did nobody notice it?</a>"), Marxist economists had been warning for some time that capitalism was becoming increasingly unsustainable and therefore crisis-prone, principally because finance has been decoupled from production. Since 2008, nothing has been done to rein in the financial system--the same class of thieves and sociopaths who wrecked the economy before receiving a bailout are still in charge and out of control, and if anything their power is <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/owss-beef-wall-street-isnt-winning-its-cheating-20111025">more concentrated today</a>--and so until there is fundamental change we will continue to periodically witness catastrophic meltdowns of the financial system that devastate an increasingly interdependent world economy.<br />
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What does it mean to say that finance and production have been decoupled from one another? In brief, it means that capital has been faced with shrinking profits and a shortage of profitable investment opportunities in traditionally "productive" sectors of the economy, and has therefore turned to financial forms of speculation on debt and currency trading in what basically amounts to gambling among billionaires. When finance is decoupled from production and becomes the predominant method of investment for future profits, then we might say that the only thing capitalists are making is money. Here's how Bellamy Foster and Magdoff summarize it:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Currency and futures speculation, trading in complex derivatives, the emergence and growth of hedge funds, and the stunning increase in debt are all responses to the same phenomenon. As the economy of production of goods and services stagnates, failing to generate the rate of return...that capital desires, a new type of 'investment' emerged. It seeks to leverage debt and embrace bubble-like expansions aimed at high, speculative profits through financial instruments. The depth of stagnation, and its tenacious hold on the mature capitalist economy, is amply testified to by the flight of investment into what we have called "the giant casino." (60-61)</blockquote>
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So yes it is like high-stakes gambling, but in a really fucked up casino where the gambler gets to keep all his winnings but the losses are paid for by the 99 people who serve him drinks, prepare his food, and clean his room. The more exact way to say this is that profits are privatized while risks are socialized. When capitalists win, they tell us not to be jealous of their success and try to convince us that taxes are an infringement on the liberties of not only themselves but all of us. When capitalists lose, they demand to be bailed out and threaten to take their chips to another casino, and those of us who work at the casino will ultimately foot the bill by taking on deeper debts that force us to work that much harder and longer in our jobs. Bellamy Foster and Magdoff put it this way:<br />
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The huge explosion of debt and speculation provide ways to extract more surplus from the general population and are, thus, part of capital's exploitation of workers and the lower middle class (61). </blockquote>
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For more than 20 years after the end of World War II, the United States experienced a period of unprecedented prosperity. There were high rates of growth, American businesses raked in huge profits, and American workers also took home significantly larger incomes and enjoyed a higher standard of living. While higher wages ate into profits on the production side, the increasing disposable income fueled greater levels of demand for consumer goods of all sorts. During these years, capitalism was able to overcome the crisis that had crippled it during the 1930s: namely, the crisis of underconsumption fostered by inequalities of wealth that limited the purchasing power of the working masses. After World War II, the combination of military expenditures and state investments in education, housing, and highway construction advanced the process that had begun in the Progressive era and the New Deal into a full-blown "<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=OXCryro7GdEC&pg=PA55&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=4#v=onepage&q&f=false">Keynesian Welfare National State</a>." This post-war system of state management and class compromise--variously called "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fordism">Fordism</a>," "organized capitalism," or "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embedded_liberalism">embedded liberalism</a>"--enlarged the ranks of the American "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Consumers-Republic-Politics-Consumption-Postwar/dp/0375707379/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321731505&sr=8-1">consumers' republic</a>" based on mass consumption that resolved the problem of demand. <br />
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These domestic policies were complemented on an international level after World War II by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_plan">Marshall Plan</a> implemented in Western Europe and comparable means of foreign aid to Japan. The U.S. government poured billions of dollars into the reconstruction of a war-torn world and accomplished two objectives at once: they buffered states and ruling classes against the threat of communist revolutions, and they enlarged the international market for the export of American products. The <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=N9FE6tBZIWoC&printsec=frontcover&dq=america's+half+century&hl=en&ei=CgfITteRJoeXtwfzpJW4DA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=america's%20half%20century&f=false">United States emerged from World War II</a> as the hegemonic center of the non-communist world, an economic, military, and political powerhouse with an affluent "middle class" whose lifestyle was envied and emulated throughout the world. However, the further we are removed from those years, the more they look like a "golden age" that represents an exception rather than the rule of American capitalism.<br />
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So what the fuck happened? It began with a perfect storm of economic, political, and military crises that coalesced around 1968. The American war machine got bogged down in Vietnam, with the Tet Offensive of January 1968 exposing major chinks in the U.S. armor. The costs of the war along with rising state expenditures for domestic programs (the Johnson administration wanted both guns and butter) had also begun to provoke an inflationary spiral in the American economy. Meanwhile, the Japanese and the Germans had caught up with the United States and begun to contest its dominant position in world trade. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immanuel_Wallerstein">Immanuel Wallerstein</a> explains the significance of the Vietnam War as a turning point for the beginning of the end of American hegemony, both in the geopolitical arena of nation-states and the economic system of global trade: <br />
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But Vietnam was not merely a military defeat or a blight on U.S. prestige. The war dealt a major blow to the United States' ability to remain the world's most dominant economic power. The conflict was extremely expensive and more or less used up the U.S. gold reserves that had been so plentiful since 1945. Moreover, the United States incurred these costs just as western Europe and Japan experienced major upswings. These conditions ended U.S. preeminence in the global economy (<em>The Decline of American Power</em>, p. 18).</blockquote>
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In 1971, rising rates of inflation brought on by increasing government expenditures and America's emerging deficits in world trade and balance-of-payments led President Nixon to disconnect the value of the dollar from the gold standard in what is sometimes called "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nixon_Shock">the Nixon Shock</a>." This has turned out to be a crucial event in the financialization of capitalism, for the end of the gold standard allowed currencies to be traded and speculated upon in a deregulated system of floating exchange rates. With the benefit of a historian's hindsight, we can now see the 1970s as the critical turning point marking a break with the post-war system and a turn to the more unfettered forms of capitalism we find today. The developing crisis of capitalism in the early 1970s was further compounded in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973_oil_crisis">1973-74 when OPEC</a>--emboldened after witnessing U.S. defeat in Vietnam--proclaimed an oil embargo directed against American support for Israel and thereby dramatically increased the price of oil on the world market. By the mid-1970s, the stagnation of capitalism on a global scale had become evident to all and showed no signs of reversing course. As <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Harvey_(geographer)">David Harvey</a> has described those times:<br />
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Signs of a serious crisis of capital accumulation were everywhere apparent. Unemployment and inflation were both surging everywhere, ushering in a global phase of 'stagflation' that lasted throughout much of the 1970s. Fiscal crises of various states (Britain, for example, had to be bailed out by the IMF in 1975-76) resulted as tax revenues plunged and social expenditures soared. Keynesian policies were no longer working. (<em>A Brief History of Neoliberalism</em>, p. 12)<br />
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As Harvey and many others have since argued, the downturn of the 1970s presented not only a crisis (the graph above illuminates the declining rate of profit and increasing frequency of recession in the mid-late 1970s) but also an opportunity for the ruling classes to break with the compromises with organized labor and the regulatory state that had been instituted after World War II. In 1979, the richest 1% of Americans owned only approximately 20% of the nation's wealth and about 8% of its income--the lowest figures we've seen either before or since. As we know, that was <a href="http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/124xx/doc12485/WebSummary.pdf">about to change in dramatic fashion</a>. Harvey describes the crisis facing the capitalist class at this juncture: <br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
To have a stable share of an increasing pie is one thing. But when growth collapsed in the 1970s, when real interest rates went negative and paltry dividends and profits were the norm, then upper classes everywhere felt threatened. In the US the control of wealth (as opposed to income) by the top 1 per cent of the population had remained fairly stable throughout the twentieth century. But in the 1970s it plunged precipitously as asset values (stocks, property, savings) collapsed. The upper classes had to move decisively if they were to protect themselves from political and economic annihilation (<em>A Brief History of Neoliberalism</em>, p. 15)</blockquote>
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<br />Max the Marxisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03385872869229987931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2059047623549572860.post-17785336645817319862011-10-26T16:31:00.000-07:002011-10-26T16:50:00.230-07:00That Seventies Struggle: Jefferson Cowie's Stayin Alive<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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With the benefit of hindsight, the
1970s have come to be seen as a pivotal time in the transformation of American
society. In Jefferson Cowie’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Stayin’
Alive</i>, the 1970s were “the last days of the working class” because the
social compact that had brought unprecedented affluence to American workers
since World War II was demolished to clear a path for more cutthroat forms of
neo-liberal capitalism. Cowie also presents a superb class analysis of the music,
movies, and popular culture of the 1970s, and thus <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Stayin’ Alive</i> stands among the most innovative books to have
developed from the intersection of cultural studies and labor history,
exemplified by the scholarship of Stanley Aronowitz, Lizabeth Cohen, Robin D.G.
Kelley, and George Lipsitz. </div>
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The early 1970s was a time of great
promise for the American labor movement, particularly as younger workers had
been influenced by the counterculture and the movements for peace and racial
justice. Cowie discusses a series of strikes and upsurges of the rank and file
led by younger, more anti-authoritarian workers, like the Lordstown autoworkers
strike of 1972 that was called an “industrial <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Woodstock</st1:place></st1:city>.” The movements for racial and
sexual equality presented an especially significant opportunity to connect
identity politics with social class, and Cowie identifies several moments when
these possibilities could be glimpsed in the insurgencies of farm workers, textile
workers, and office workers. </div>
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However, these political alliances
based on the interrelations of class, race, and gender would not endure. As
chronicled in the second chapter, their failure was encapsulated in the
McGovern campaign of 1972, which never received the full support of organized
labor, with many union leaders taking umbrage at the delegation’s racial and
sexual diversity and countercultural spirit. Meanwhile, Richard Nixon had been courting
white working class voters by emphasizing cultural values in place of economic
interests, employing the “new southern strategy” to attract George Wallace
supporters along with those besieged by anti-war protests and social deviance. Nixon
further exploited working class populism by representing himself in opposition
to the stereotypical image of Northeastern liberal elites, as the champion of
hard-working taxpayers who are victimized by a coalition of parasitic
underclasses and privileged know-it-alls. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A
key strength of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Stayin’ Alive</i> is
Cowie’s discussion of how popular music and <st1:place w:st="on">Hollywood</st1:place>
films did not simply reflect the social changes of the 1970s but became objects
of struggle in their own right. Country music, for example, moved to the center
of political struggle as forces from both the Left and the Right sought to be
aligned with the authenticity conferred by the white working class.
Countercultural musicians including Bob Dylan, the Byrds, and the Grateful Dead
had begun recording country-themed albums in the late 1960s, and the hybrid of
“country rock” was a key component of the record industry’s expansion during
the 1970s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as some New Left radicals
had been trying to infiltrate factories and proletarian neighborhoods, musicians
like Jackson Browne and The Band romanticized the historical struggles of
working class <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">America</st1:country-region></st1:place>
in song. </div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Nonetheless,
these progressive, countercultural sentiments did not stick as signifiers of working
class authenticity, which would be more effectively pulled in the rightward
direction of nationalism and patriarchy. Cowie begins his fourth chapter with the
story of Merle Haggard’s performance at the White House for Pat Nixon’s
birthday in 1973, a somewhat awkward cultural collision between the
administration and an ex-felon turned country star, but one where Haggard
performed his reactionary anti-hippie anthem “Okie from <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Muskogee</st1:place></st1:city>” to the great enthusiasm of the Republican
elite. In turn, if some progressives did symbolically align themselves with
white working class culture, many others on the Left have accepted these
reactionary images of intolerant hardhats and ignorant Joe Six-packs, whose
ideological development is traced by Cowie from the anti-hippie killing spree
in the 1970 film <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Joe</i> to the definitive
symbol of working class bigotry in the character of Archie Bunker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Scholars
of public policy often remark that the Nixon Administration now looks
surprisingly liberal, as new legislation and federal agencies like the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) were created for the
protection of workers, consumers, and the environment. In the later years of
the 1970s, however, labor would be knocked into a defensive position with the beginning
of a protracted campaign to undo the economic democracy established during the
New Deal and after World War II. This reversal of fortunes in the class
struggle is covered in the fifth and sixth chapters in great, if sometimes
tedious, detail. </div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Cowie
is at his best in the seventh chapter, which returns to the analysis of music
and popular culture. Here we find Bruce Springsteen singing about racing in the
rustbelt’s de-industrializing streets at the same time that emerging punk bands
like the Ramones and Devo were personifying delinquency and social decline from
the blue-collar environs of Queens and <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Akron</st1:place></st1:city>.
Meanwhile, on screen we see a disgruntled cabdriver scowling at the signs of
social decay surrounding him in Times Square, an Italian-American boxer who
miraculously arises from the mean streets of Philadelphia to stand toe-to-toe
with the cocky African-American champion, and a disco dancer who flees the
confines of his ethnic neighborhood in Brooklyn’s Bay Ridge for the glamorous Saturday
nights of Manhattan. In the last of these, whose signature soundtrack gives
Cowie’s book its title, the lead character’s escape was a prophetic microcosm of
the direction that American society would take as factories closed, finance
capitalism grew, and working-class urban neighborhoods were remade into
post-industrial playgrounds of commercial leisure. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi57Z9wwzcxqSoodXjHxzy336Ft0nvqJmlBwr6_FZFx6EdHKStXF-m70BZKmOZSixjdSbvtL-7vGHx1_fQW8SoyZR2y-murXuKoVSnY6AWHuF9uKCgB7iWT8kJQZbLy-07f3XNA-5t8AbI/s1600/johntravolta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi57Z9wwzcxqSoodXjHxzy336Ft0nvqJmlBwr6_FZFx6EdHKStXF-m70BZKmOZSixjdSbvtL-7vGHx1_fQW8SoyZR2y-murXuKoVSnY6AWHuF9uKCgB7iWT8kJQZbLy-07f3XNA-5t8AbI/s320/johntravolta.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Max the Marxisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03385872869229987931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2059047623549572860.post-80224893405741350102011-10-24T17:12:00.000-07:002011-10-25T07:03:01.136-07:00Trash Talk, Cerebral Ballzy, the new hardcoreWith Cerebral Ballzy and the Sacto band Trash Talk there is a revival of hardcore punk taking place that has me excited and intrigued. Both bands also prominently feature young African-Americans. Cerebral Ballzy has a young black kid on the vocals who looks more gutter punk than hip hop, and likewise Trash Talk has a pair of black guys who play guitar and bass and yell backing vocals alongside their white "singer." Both bands play short songs at an extremely fast pace in a style that simulates the hardcore and thrash music of the 1980s--Black Flag, Bad Brains, Minor Threat, etc. If you dig it, it's Black Brains or Black Threat, if you don't it's Bad Flag or Minor Brains. <br />
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I lean toward the former, especially in the case of Trash Talk, who have become my favorite hardcore band since the Refused incorrectly declared that they were the shape of punk to come in 1998. Trash Talk is one of those bands that wasn't very good when just starting out, but they've been touring and recording pretty constantly for over 5 years, and now they're really blossoming (although that may be the wost verb possible to use in association this group's brutal sound) with their latest EP. <br />
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I'm honestly not sure what to make of the semiotics of race in these two bands. Of course, racial politics have always been at the center of punk subculture, dating back to Rock Against Racism and the battles between racist and anti-racist skinheads in both the UK and the US. And hardcore punk music is white noise in the sense of being rock music with all the blues, rhythm, etc. stripped out of it. Significantly, I think, the guy in the beginning of the Trash Talk video can only express a colorblind discourse in denying the relevance of race to the group, reverting to the good old "blame the media" explanation.<br />
<br />But to me, the element of racial semiotics that is most noticeable is the way that blackness is being used in both bands to create an authentic aura of street cred. Check out this picture of Trash Talk that appeared in a New York Times story on their CMJ showcase last week. <br />
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Their lead singer is the white guy with the long hair. He's an incredible, Iggy-type crowd-surfing frontman with a scream like Slayer's Tom Araya. He's a true frontman, and all other things being equal, he'd be the guy in the front and center of any band picture, not back there like he plays keyboards or something. </div>
<br />Now check out Cerebral Ballzy. It's an important to note that they're being promoted through the stoner cartoon channel Adult Swim, which is part of Turner Broadcasting. Why do these videos that are essentially just displays of vandalism by gutter punks still look like they could be used to sell something like skate shoes? <br />
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<br />Don't get me wrong, I definitely hope there's more to come. <br />
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<br />Max the Marxisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03385872869229987931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2059047623549572860.post-23915931277528740352011-10-21T07:10:00.000-07:002011-10-21T07:14:29.471-07:00The History of Punk in Los Angeles: Dewar MacLeod's Kids of the Black Hole<br /><br />
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Future historians are quite likely to look back at the
period from the late 1970s through the early 1980s as a pivotal time in the
transformation of <st1:place w:st="on">Southern California</st1:place>, along
with the transformation of American society and global capitalism at large. In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kids of the Black Hole</i>, Dewar MacLeod
illuminates this time and place by reconstructing the history of <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:state> punk rock in
an age of “postsuburbia.” MacLeod refers to postsuburbia in several different
contexts, but in broad terms it is used to denote the consequences of spatial
de-centering and the fragmentation of social life within the <st1:place w:st="on">Southern
California</st1:place> suburbs as they were being transformed by emergent
modes of post-Fordist capitalism in the 1970s. MacLeod examines the punk scene not
only as a symptomatic reflection of the social conditions of postsuburbia but
also as a collective response to those conditions; he describes the local punk
scene’s DIY institutions as a “modernist response to postmodern consumerism and
fragmentation” (100). </div>
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MacLeod provides a comprehensive and balanced history of a
punk scene that has not received as much attention as its <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New York</st1:place></st1:state> or British counterparts but still
represents an important and influential moment for this music and subculture. His
methodology includes interviews with some of the key participants in this scene
and a seemingly exhaustive collection of local punk fanzines. MacLeod’s writing
style is accessible and lively, and it should satisfy fans who are looking for
a book that captures the energy and fun of the scene instead of just another
academic treatise. In the first chapter MacLeod discusses his own experience
with punk as a kid who grew up in the <st1:city w:st="on">L.A.</st1:city> suburbs,
drove to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hollywood</st1:place></st1:city>’s
Sunset Strip to see the Ramones in 1977 and yet was initially confused by punk;
only later did he become fully immersed in the punk scene as a college student
in the Bay Area. MacLeod was also in attendance at the Elk’s Lodge on Saint
Patrick’s Day 1979, an infamous event where the LAPD arrived at a punk show (headlined
by the Go-Go’s) in full riot gear and proceeded to administer a vicious and
indiscriminate beating on the punks; one of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kids
of the Black Hole</i>’s highlights is MacLeod’s vivid description of these
events at the beginning of chapter 5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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As MacLeod traces the history of punk in <st1:place w:st="on">Southern
California</st1:place>, the first few chapters of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kids of the Black Hole </i>portray some key individuals and bands that
were crucial in shaping the music and subculture but have not received much
attention in other books about punk. Among those who MacLeod’s history touches
on: Greg Shaw, the rock writer who created <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bomp!</i>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Magazine</i> and Bomp Records; Claude
Bessy, aka Kickboy Face, who edited the zine <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Slash</i>, sang for the band Catholic Discipline, and helped create the
record label that released the music of the Germs, X, and other L.A. punk
bands; Iggy Pop, the singer who helped shape, and literally embodied with his self-mutilating
antics, the style of punk performance after he moved to L.A. in 1977; Richard Meltzer,
the rock critic, songwriter, radio host, and “musician” who formed the joke
band Vom (short for Vomit); the Runaways, the all-female rock band, managed and
promoted by Kim Fowley, that anticipated punk and the postsuburban aesthetic.
Perhaps the most important figure in all was Rodney Bingenheimer, whose English
Disco on Sunset Boulevard had become a central spot for the <st1:city w:st="on">L.A.</st1:city>
music world during the 1970s, and who brought the latest trends in British
music to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">L.A.</st1:place></st1:city>
via the English Disco as well as his radio show on KROQ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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The key contribution of MacLeod’s book is that it follows
the migration of punk from its regional origins in Hollywood and bohemian Los
Angeles out to the suburbs, where a “hardcore” subculture that was more violent
and macho, and less artsy, compared to the original punk scene took root in
Huntington Beach, Fullerton, and other beach towns and suburbs across Southern
California. In <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Huntington Beach</st1:city></st1:place>,
for example, swarms of young men who called themselves HBs would come to hardcore
shows with the intent of starting fights and intimidating everyone around them.
The music of the hardcore scene was faster and more aggressive, and MacLeod’s
lyrical analysis also reveals the recurring themes of boredom and alienation in
the social context of postsuburbia, consumerism, and the disintegration of the
family. While Ronald Reagan was the most frequently vilified and parodied figure
in hardcore lyrics and visual art, in MacLeod’s reading he “was more like the
absent patriarchal father, one who supposedly ruled with an iron fist in a
velvet glove, but who in fact did not rule at all.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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In this sense, MacLeod is able to describe hardcore punk as
both a form of resistance and a reflection of the social conditions of
postsuburban <st1:place w:st="on">Southern California</st1:place> during the
Reagan years. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of MacLeod’s sharpest
theoretical insights is to situate the spatial practices and tactics of punk—from
skating to surfing to squatting—within the geographic environment of postsuburban
fragmentation, fetishism, and hyperreality. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Developing in the context of an atomized form
of everyday life organized by a triangular route between the tract home, the
office park, and the shopping mall, Southern California’s hardcore punks
created a subculture that fashioned itself as rebellious but in reality was
simply anti-social; comparing it to Northern California’s more politicized punk
scene, MacLeod writes that “in postsuburban Southern California, the politics
were diffuse, inconsistent, cohering only vaguely around such words as ‘anarchy,’
‘destroy,’ and ‘my rules.’” Above all, the hardcore scene was characterized by
a search for authenticity within an inauthentic social environment, which put
the subculture in stark contrast to something like the glam metal scene that
was celebrating artifice, materialism, and hedonism on <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Hollywood</st1:city></st1:place>’s Sunset Strip at roughly the same
time. It in this sense that MacLeod’s history of Southern California punk
illuminates the postsuburban social conditions that spawned it, at least
insofar as this environment provided the negative point of departure for punk’s
symbolic practices and politics. </div>Max the Marxisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03385872869229987931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2059047623549572860.post-56578029987162456172011-10-20T18:19:00.000-07:002011-10-20T18:19:46.425-07:00Karl Marx's Theory of Alienation<div>
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Do you remember the scene in Alien where that guy’s chest explodes, blood splatters everywhere, and then a little creature raises its head out of his chest, looks around, and then scampers away to plot its attack on the entire crew of the spaceship?<br />
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For Marx, alienation is what happens when a force that is intrinsic to humanity, or a power that resides within our species, transforms into something monstrous which threatens to destroy our lives. If you haven’t Alien, or if you have seen Alien but the thought of that scene makes you so sick that you might not be able to continue reading this chapter, then maybe you could think of Goethe’s Faust or Shelley’s Frankenstein—two literary works closer to Marx’s time, and to which he sometimes alludes—to grasp the horrors of a world that was created by human beings yet has taken on an objective power that seems unstoppable and even uncontrollable in its quest to destroy humanity.<br />
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Marx’s notion of alienation was developed in his Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844, which engaged Hegel’s philosophy to conceptualize how human powers and social creations appear to take an objective form that enchains and seems to rule over the people who have collectively produced them. Marx advanced long lines of philosophical and theological inquiry and applied them to the burgeoning capitalism of his time, and he concluded that alienation severed the individual from society, unjustly appropriated the products of human labor, and put people at the mercy of social forces they could not change, control, or even understand.<br />
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Marx argued that under capitalism people are alienated in four relationships that he deemed fundamental to human existence: in relation to the products of their labor and social activity; in relation to productive activity itself; in relation to their essential humanity or “species being”; and in their social relations with other people. Marx contended that in each of these four relations, people living under capitalism are stripped of their essential human needs and capacities for creative work and social connection. All labor involves objectification, but in a capitalist society,<br />
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[<strong>T]he object which labor produces – labor’s product – confronts it as something alien, as a power independent of the producer. The product of labor is labor which has been embodied in an object, which has become material: it is the objectification of labor. Labor’s realization is its objectification. Under these economic conditions this realization of labor appears as loss of realization for the workers; objectification as loss of the object and bondage to it; appropriation as estrangement, as alienation.</strong></blockquote>
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Labor necessarily entails objectification, as it involves people transforming nature into useful things, but in an alienated state, workers do not own, and cannot make use of, the objects they produce. On the larger scale of society as a whole, alienation pervades in the sense that humanity appears to be dominated by a system of things that have been socially created but maintain an objective sense of immutability. Thus, the worker becomes “a slave of the object” (e.g., the “invisible hand” of the market) and is made dependent on a seemingly objective system that “enables him to exist, first as a worker; and second, as a physical subject<strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">.”</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">As the products of labor are expropriated and assume an alien objectivity that confronts and enslaves humanity, people also become alienated from their creative power for productive activity, which Marx believed was essential to human nature. In the form of wage labor, work becomes merely a means of survival:</span></strong><br />
<strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><blockquote>
<strong>First, the fact that labor is external to the worker, i.e., it does not belong to his intrinsic nature; that in his work, therefore, he does not affirm himself but denies himself, does not feel content but unhappy, does not develop freely his physical and mental energy but mortifies his body and ruins his mind. The worker therefore only feels himself outside his work, and in his work feels outside himself. He feels at home when he is not working, and when he is working he does not feel at home. His labor is therefore not voluntary, but coerced; it is forced labor. It is therefore not the satisfaction of a need; it is merely a means to satisfy needs external to it. Its alien character emerges clearly in the fact that as soon as no physical or other compulsion exists, labor is shunned like the plague.</strong><br />
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<strong></strong><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665258370350314594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoqVjBO-oCL7izaBJWsc_oMkLn0Yfhi1i55Ry5TMYdbASXhahS4AF5ZdSmitOLXMyjesCQNKmbcLRNuJOAs_88rqBQxrvEt9fK9N_MLjuD-wWk7mNtQ_JyYvnCsMvMtd8dENkWDXIWLUI/s200/imagesCAUJD6EZ.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 213px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 261px;" /><br />For Marx, the appropriation and transformation of nature through labor is essential, and our capacity to thoughtfully design and produce is not simply necessary for survival but also a vital means for developing and expressing the creative powers of our species. People lose touch with the abilities that distinguish humanity from the other animals, and are thus alienated from what Marx called “species being.”<br /><strong><blockquote>
For labor, life activity, productive life itself, appears to man in the first place merely as a means of satisfying a need – the need to maintain physical existence. Yet the productive life is the life of the species. It is life-engendering life. The whole character of a species, its species-character, is contained in the character of its life activity; and free, conscious activity is man’s species-character. Life itself appears only as a means to life.</blockquote>
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<img a="" abilities="" alienated="" alienation="" all="" alt="" and="" another="" are="" arguing="" as="" become="" between="" border="0" competitive="" comprise="" cooperative="" cumulative="" differentiate="" effect="" for="" fourth="" from="" human="" humanity="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665261596492355890" in="" is="" it="" labor="" lose="" marx="" nature="" necessary="" of="" one="" our="" people="" productive="" products="" rather="" recall="" relations="" relationships="" replicated="" saying="" sense="" so="" social="" some="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1VFJtLTUpUXH6hLKSOFTuLy-sPmKcEEvTLGt5KmrbJ-FMPsPCfFvBSjGMiWXHVBNJeJou8a5JWzvKjRV5qTOpVSuVvhiYEpLZrIGl-S_eCobGVnbtc6Ha_DA6MCoK1gbUVK1ANHibTMk/s200/officespace_lumbergh.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 175px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 249px;" than="" that="" the="" their="" therefore="" these="" thoroughly="" to="" touch="" us="" vector="" with="" /><br />
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In arguing that people are alienated from their species-being, Marx is saying that people lose touch with their humanity and the abilities that differentiate us from animals; people are therefore alienated from nature in general. Finally, people become alienated from one another in the relationships that comprise the social world, as the relations between humanity, nature, and labor are replicated in the competitive rather than cooperative relations between people in society. It is necessary to recall that for Marx these are all thoroughly social relationships, and so in some sense the fourth vector of alienation, alienation from society, is a cumulative effect of alienation from the products of humanlabor, productive activity, and the humanity of our species-being:<strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"></span></strong></span></strong></div>
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<strong>An immediate consequence of the fact that man is estranged from the product of his labor, from his life activity, from his species-being, is the estrangement of man from man. When man confronts himself, he confronts the other man. What applies to a man’s relation to his work, to the product of his labor and to himself, also holds of a man’s relation to the other man, and to the other man’s labor and object of labor</strong>.</blockquote>
<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665732239632601602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyIS-EFe1eUTQmN-uMACY804ExSEtngpVvR-wYtxEgmBoAK-ky7Dckr5PyQey5QmmvYknuOi-8yUpIIxR-56bSfDm-7wQDR9OpFgp5gfkRBiAXcK3nMnL6LiBoghjDFA0dfG5-nNWlCk0/s200/Jen-in-Office-Space-jennifer-aniston-665462_640_480.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 180px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 243px;" /></span></strong><div>
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Alienated not only from their own labor but the labor of everyone else in society, people living under capitalism are awash in things that have been socially created but appear to possess a mysterious and supernatural aura that Marx likens to religious delusion. As he put it,<br />
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<strong>Just as in religion the spontaneous activity of the human imagination, of the human brain and the human heart, operates on the individual independently of him – that is, operates as an alien, divine or diabolical activity – so is the worker’s activity not his spontaneous activity. It belongs to another; it is the loss of his self.</strong></blockquote>
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The Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts, where Marx developed the concept of alienation, were not published until 1932. Shortly before then, however, Georg Lukács was able to excavate the centrality of alienation in Marx’s thought by reading Capital through the prism of Hegelian philosophy. Lukács’ reinterpretation of Marx and the publication of the Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts allowed subsequent Marxist theorists to further utilize the concept of alienation in their critiques of capitalist societies during the twentieth century.<br />
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For many years the orthodox Marxists of the Communist Party denied the significance of alienation in Marx’s thought, and they were supported by scholars of structuralist, analytic, and positivist persuasions who noted that Marx dropped alienation from most of his writings after 1844. But as Lukacs and many others noted, the conceptual traces of alienation are evident throughout Marx’s later works, particularly in the discussion of commodity fetishism in volume one of Capital. Alienation was an especially important concept for the “Western Marxists” so called because of their concentration in Western Europe and North America, and because of their opposition to the “orthodox” Marxism of the Soviet Union and the Communist Party, who undertook many efforts to censor and diminish the role of alienation in Marxist thought.<br />
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Alienation, and its related concepts of reification and commodity fetishism, was vital to the critical theory that developed from the Frankfurt School in the decades before and after World War II. Thus, Horkheimer’s critical theory and philosophy developed as a critique of intellectual fragmentation and objectification, Adorno’s condemnation of popular music and the culture industry exposed the extension of alienation from work to leisure time, and Marcuse lambasted a one-dimensional society where alienation is evident in everything from the creation of false needs to the instrumental reason of technocratic thinking.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDkjdUvzBqdCdGtjqkQo8-DOLbuHcTxC-nmNosonSvGGzWrBrBVxAAxy3H0maSuibspiJeuZGpwIvb0Hdxqg_y6auaubm1oKsndkJDs1yCVAkjtKzPooZTqCIZWH9AIyfqIyImSFqmP8U/s1600/marxism-totality-adventures-concept-from-luk-cs-habermas-martin-jay-paperback-cover-art.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665739849178066514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDkjdUvzBqdCdGtjqkQo8-DOLbuHcTxC-nmNosonSvGGzWrBrBVxAAxy3H0maSuibspiJeuZGpwIvb0Hdxqg_y6auaubm1oKsndkJDs1yCVAkjtKzPooZTqCIZWH9AIyfqIyImSFqmP8U/s200/marxism-totality-adventures-concept-from-luk-cs-habermas-martin-jay-paperback-cover-art.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 131px;" /></a><br />
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The Marxist theorists Erich Fromm and Henri Lefebvre further developed the concept of alienation by applying it to the consumer culture as it evolved over the course of the twentieth century. Fromm was a practicing psychoanalyst who was associated with the Institute for Social Research, relocating with them from Frankfurt to New York after the Nazi takeover, until the Institute parted ways with Fromm in late 1939. Fromm mixed Marx’s concept of alienation with Freudian psychoanalysis and even Zen Buddhism in developing a trenchant critique of the “social character” shaped by post-war capitalism and the consumer culture. Unfortunately, Fromm’s work has since been forgotten and is rarely included in contemporary discussions of the Frankfurt School. Henri Lefebvre was a Marxist sociologist and philosopher who is best known for his theorizing of geography and urban space, but his three-volume Critique of Everyday Life also dissects capitalism’s colonization of leisure time and private life from the perspective of alienation. Lefebvre used the concept of alienation in a thoroughly dialectical manner that presupposed a struggle for dis-alienation, thus establishing a theoretical foundation for the study of productive activity and resistance among consumers.<br />
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For Fromm, alienation is evident in consumer culture through forms of living that are based on having rather than being. Fromm conceptualized being and having as opposing “modes of existence,” so that the more one has the less one is, and vice versa. The most basic form of the having mode is to define the self through the commodities that one does or does not possess, and this range of commodities includes not only physical objects but also services, experiences, ideas, and people. Of course Fromm recognized that people must have things to survive, but the simple fact of possession is not what defines “the having mode of existence,” where “what matters is not the various objects of having, but our whole human attitude. Everything and anything can become an object of craving: things we use in daily life, property, rituals, good deeds, knowledge, and thoughts.” For instance, the ascetic who repudiates the pleasures of consumption and leisure is still behaving within the having mode of existence, for Fromm notes that “in the very attempt to suppress having and consuming, the person may be equally preoccupied with having and consuming.” Those who live in the having mode are preoccupied with the possession of things, or the possession of experiences and relationships that become objectified into commodities. Fromm cited a number of non-materialist examples of the having mode, like how people enslave themselves to religious or ideological dogma, or how tourists attempt to “capture” a moment by taking a picture or video recording of it. His bestselling book, The Art of Loving, argued that love is debased when it becomes a commodity, an object exchanged through the personality market that concludes when two people take possession of each other, instead of being understood as a verb that involves an active, continuous process of loving that is most intense between two people but also extends beyond to further social and natural relationships.<br />
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Fromm conceptualized the being mode, on the other hand, in terms of experience, activity, development, and relatedness. Fromm’s notion of being is closely linked to the capacity for productive activity that Marx associates with species-being. Such forms of productive activity realize human faculties and talents in the process of growing and renewing oneself and giving up one’s egocentricity and selfishness. “Nonalienated activity,” Fromm wrote, “is a process of giving birth to something, of producing something and remaining related to what I produce.” Fromm went to great lengths to distinguish this kind of productive activity from what he called mere “busyness,” where a person appears active but is actually being acted upon by external or internalized forces and is therefore in a condition of alienation. Conversely, a person can be active while appearing to do nothing (e.g., daydreaming, reading, meditating) as long as they are the subject of their action. The extent of alienation in consumption can therefore be measured by the amount of passivity among consumers. Generally speaking, Fromm concluded,"We consume, as we produce, without any concrete relatedness to the objects with which we deal; we live in a world of things, and our only connection with them is that we know how to manipulate and consume them."<br />
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Concomitant with the triumph of consumer capitalism after World War II, Fromm developed Freud’s notion of character—the forces which underlie and motivate a person’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior—into a sociological concept of “social character.” Among these forms of social character, Fromm distinguished between productive and non-productive orientations that correspond to modes of being and having. The productive orientation allows individuals to overcome alienation to the extent that they are loving and creative in everyday life, developing their intellectual, physical, emotional, and sensory powers in ways that relate them with society and nature while preserving their unique individuality.<br />
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Fromm clearly believed that a socialist society would enable more people to develop a productive orientation of being, but also that individuals living in the being mode could be found in the capitalist society of his time, although he did not attempt to explain how this form of social character could survive under capitalism. He did, however, analyze the various forms of social character with a non-productive orientation that are facilitated by capitalism, including a shift in social character that accompanied the transition from older forms of industrial capitalism to the consumer culture of his time. The capitalism of the nineteenth century, Fromm observed, favored a “hoarding orientation” that stressed saving rather than spending and an “exploitative orientation” driven to acquire or steal without giving or sharing. Freud, as Fromm noted, originally identified these traits in the “anal character” of bourgeois society. The consumerism of capitalist societies in the twentieth century, on the other hand, gave rise to a “receptive orientation” and an accompanying “marketing orientation.” In the receptive orientation, “the aim is to receive, to ‘drink in,’ to have something new all the time, to live with a continuously open mouth, as it were.” In the marketing orientation, people become “a thing to be employed successfully on the market,” such that “qualities like friendliness, courtesy, kindness, are transformed into commodities, into assets of ‘the personality package,’ conducive to a higher price on the personality market.” The hoarding, exploitative, receptive, and marketing orientations are all variations on modes of having rather than being. The shift from hoarding and exploitative to receptive and marketing orientations also parallel the transition described by David Riesman, Fromm’s friend and colleague, from an “inner-directed” to “other-directed” social character. For Fromm, the “craving for acceptance” that defines the other-directed person “is indeed a very characteristic feeling in the alienated person…due to the fact that they cannot accept themselves—because they are not themselves.”<br />
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As a therapist who practiced psychoanalysis for more than 50 years, Fromm was especially concerned with the consequences of alienation and consumerism for mental health. “The average man today may have a good deal of fun and pleasure,” he observed in the middle of the 1950s, “but in spite of this, he is fundamentally depressed.” For Fromm, depression was synonymous with the boredom resulting from an inability to develop one’s creative potential, and therefore with a general state of alienation. The alienated individual then turns to entertainment and consumption to compensate for this inner sense of emptiness and powerlessness, but Fromm notes that “covering up a symptom does not do away with the conditions which produce it.” In the most extreme cases, the quest to quell the anxiety and fill this inner void leads to pathological forms of consumption like eating disorders, alcoholism, and drug addiction. As with social character, Fromm recognized that multiple forms of mental illness could arise from an underlying condition of alienation. He observed that many individuals experienced “a pervasive sense of guilt,” which he found surprising given the generally secular thrust of the culture, because people found themselves caught between the demands of the social system and their own humanity, “for being a person and for being a thing.” In other cases, he diagnosed the growing sense of narcissism among people whose capacity for love could only be only turned inward, so as to disconnect them from relationships with other people, society at large, and nature.<br />
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For the most part, Fromm drew pessimistic conclusions that were similar to those of other German émigrés associated with Frankfurt School. But even in the 1950s, he did note that “there are signs that people are increasingly dissatisfied and disappointed with their way of life and trying to regain some of their lost selfhood and productivity.” He then began to write about the millions of people he observed who “indulge in any number of ‘do-it-yourself’ activities” and here Fromm included a range of practices that mix production and consumption to varying degrees—painting, gardening, adult education, listening to good music, building houses or boats. But Fromm then concluded by insisting that although these trends might be promising, they should not delude people into accepting the mythologies of post-war America that “we have already passed the peak of alienation and are now on our way to a better world.” Likewise, Fromm saw only limited signs of hope in the aftermath of the social movements and cultural revolts of the late 1960s. Writing during the 1970s in his final book, To Have or To Be?, Fromm observed that the counterculture had reoriented the consumptive practices of many young people to a mode of being:"Among these young people we find patterns of consumption that are not hidden forms of acquisition and having, but expressions of genuine joy in doing what one likes to do without expecting anything ‘lasting’ in return."<br />
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Alienation also figured prominently in Henri Lefebvre’s three volumes of The Critique of Everyday Life, published between 1947 and 1981. However, while Fromm and other German intellectuals linked to the Frankfurt School expressed a deep pessimism about post-war society and the consumer culture, Lefebvre used alienation in dialectical movement with “disalienation,” which presented new possibilities for revolution in everyday life. Over the course of the twentieth century, Lefebvre was at the center of many pivotal cultural, political, and intellectual movements, including the avant-garde of Dada and Surrealism, the uprisings of May 1968, and the development of postmodernism. As Lefebvre wrote in the second volume, “absolute alienation and absolute disalienation are equally inconceivable. Real alienation can be thought of and determined only in terms of a possible disalienation.”<br />
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Lefebvre’s intellectual roots were formed between the two world wars as he mixed Marxism with the insights of Dada and Surrealism. The interwar avant-gardes explored how art, performance, and spontaneous action could disorient the dominant ideology in which social conventions appear as natural and inevitable. They also allowed Lefebvre to imagine a new type of society where life itself would be a work of art, constituted by desire and creativity. Along with Andre Breton and many of the other Surrealists, Lefebvre joined the French Communist Party (PCF) in 1928. But while the Surrealists’ relationship to the Party was volatile and short-lived, Lefebvre stayed on and served as one of its most prominent intellectual spokesman throughout the next three decades, despite the fact that his ideas often conflicted with their interpretations of Marxism that favored “scientific” notions of objective determination. Like Georg Lukács, Lefebvre argued for a more philosophical and humanist reading of Marx that extracted the Hegelian residue in the concepts of alienation, reification, and class consciousness.<br />
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Beginning with the first volume of The Critique of Everyday Life, written in 1947, Lefebvre suggested that capitalism was commoditizing not only labor but leisure, family, sexuality, the body, and the imagination. He emphasized that, “there can be alienation in leisure just as in work. . . So we work to earn our leisure, and leisure has only one meaning: to get away from work.” Like the Frankfurt School, Lefebvre observed that Western societies were becoming increasingly oriented around consumption and commercial entertainment, but while these apparatuses of the culture industry promised relief from the workplace, in reality they represented an extension of alienation in everyday life. Lefebvre sought to theorize the junction of instrumental rationality and mass culture through the term “the bureaucratic society of controlled consumption.”<br />
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His dialectical method also allowed him to theorize the struggle and resistance that occurs within the processes of consumption, as consumers may seek to overcome alienation by turning consumption into creative activity and/or a basis for social relationships. But Lefebvre recognized that the consumer’s quest for disalienation could also create “an even greater alienation”: “Leisure activities ‘disalienate’ from the effects of fragmented labour; however, when they are entertainments and distractions, they contain their own alienations.” Theorizing in this dialectical and “relativized” fashion, Lefebvre comprehends alienation and disalienation as contradictions that “characterize concrete situations, taken in movement and not considered in a motionless way along fixed structural lines.”<br />
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Nonetheless, Lefebvre refused to succumb to the pessimism and despair which engulfed so other Marxists in the decades after World War II. From Lefebvre’s perspective, the consumer culture did not represent the triumph of “false needs” because leisure, pleasure, and self-expression are all essential human faculties. What are false are not the needs which capital promises to fulfill, but the commodities and signs which are supposed to realize them. Lefebvre wrote, “They can thus hold a real content, correspond to a real need, yet still retain an illusory form and a deceptive appearance.” Although their diagnoses of post-war society were otherwise quite similar, Lefebvre thus felt compelled to differentiate himself from Herbert Marcuse: “Can terrorist pressures and repression reinforce individual self-repression to the point of closing all issues? Against Marcuse we continue to assert that they cannot.” As early as 1962, Lefebvre had identified young people as a potentially revolutionary agent of social change: “Everywhere we see them showing signs of dissatisfaction and rebellion…It is they who continue the uninterrupted dialogue between ideal and experiment.” In May 1968, the speculations of Lefebvre and the like-minded Situationist International momentarily came to fruition as young people seized the streets of Paris while general strikes and mass demonstrations involving millions nearly toppled the French government.<br />
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After 1968, Lefebvre pursued his study of social space and cities, including his most renowned work, The Production of Space. Otherwise, however, Lefebvre’s influence was negligible once post-structuralism and postmodernism came to dominate the French intellectual scene. He did maintain an indirect presence through his student Jean Baudrillard, whose earliest works on the semiotics of consumer culture bear traces of Lefebvre’s thought. But unlike Baudrillard and so many other post-1968 French intellectuals, Lefebvre never renounced Marxism or his utopian hopes for revolution once postmodern ideas became fashionable.<br />
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The concept of alienation depends on a certain view of human nature and, as Lefebvre reminds us, the prospect that humanity can become “disalienated.” After a wave of intellectual interest in the humanism of the young Marx that accompanied the New Left movements of the 1960s and 70s, the concept of alienation has largely been abandoned in cultural theory. But as an array of psychological disorders continue to increase as the consumer culture becomes more entrenched and pervasive, it is conceivable that the critique of alienation may prove useful once again.</div>
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<strong></strong>Max the Marxisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03385872869229987931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2059047623549572860.post-6676174659181835522010-09-15T15:40:00.000-07:002010-09-15T21:23:22.426-07:00One New York, Many Americas, and an Uncertain Future<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmQNqZZH_FzocLKpNfdG8_JDqSGZPBJRF0rMUBP9tZpG1T_pTkpKi6_6qqizJk60wXTTHk_SQgZhkUhneUtA2J7yeuxeYFeJmEve2TWNdc1TjaQESP0KGVUmVnBYF-k8BK8lPFuZKc4E/s1600/007.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmQNqZZH_FzocLKpNfdG8_JDqSGZPBJRF0rMUBP9tZpG1T_pTkpKi6_6qqizJk60wXTTHk_SQgZhkUhneUtA2J7yeuxeYFeJmEve2TWNdc1TjaQESP0KGVUmVnBYF-k8BK8lPFuZKc4E/s200/007.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517275786250113378" /></a><br />There were at least three or four variations of American culture on display this weekend in New York, on Friday at Fashion’s Night Out and Saturday in the various ceremonies and protests around September 11. Friday night’s festivities spotlighted the culture that has emerged and become dominant over the course of several decades—a consumer culture that is paced by fashion’s cycles of instant gratification and planned obsolescence. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNOKUmM061myoZ41xPP4UmVxKPjyGxbXFATk6gzWVPxnV_2bjtDhiI19584jqXB2BpFOSuBWSP4A4XM0EVD2Sso3_lZgJyhjXoqhEUmkU_FNG0U_-pzLo_vpNgrznl_k0Km5HXd4z6HE/s1600/014.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNOKUmM061myoZ41xPP4UmVxKPjyGxbXFATk6gzWVPxnV_2bjtDhiI19584jqXB2BpFOSuBWSP4A4XM0EVD2Sso3_lZgJyhjXoqhEUmkU_FNG0U_-pzLo_vpNgrznl_k0Km5HXd4z6HE/s200/014.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517276323162751826" /></a><br />What has become the dominant American and global culture is a completely commercialized culture based in artifice, frivolity, and disposability, traits which the fashion world has always exemplified to the point of self-parody.Fashion makes the human necessity for clothing into a commodity fetish, thereby mocking the notion of use value in favor of pure exchange value inflated to spectacularly outrageous prices. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYq75Iy0JcKWj_zeMX3XuUJ-jauk6oIEkRMOueur_LmQqFoLEX53yRvYJ-odMsB32zJ61ami6ZxVMiv_VNSl2JCVFf0eNNgxh5mqdalXRXjaNPOw137NenJYZU1IbpIJdbVVlBPD-cAg/s1600/017.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYq75Iy0JcKWj_zeMX3XuUJ-jauk6oIEkRMOueur_LmQqFoLEX53yRvYJ-odMsB32zJ61ami6ZxVMiv_VNSl2JCVFf0eNNgxh5mqdalXRXjaNPOw137NenJYZU1IbpIJdbVVlBPD-cAg/s200/017.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517277151454054466" /></a><br />Today's fashion world collapses the conflicts that characterized the culture wars of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries between art and commerce, high culture and mass culture, and yet it is unabashedly elitist and exclusive, restoring an aristocratic culture of idol worship for celebrities and their lives of leisure. Though not democratic, it is certainly diverse, a culture that celebrates difference and ambiguity, especially in matters of gender and sexuality. Its aesthetic standards of beauty are synonymous with youth, and embodied by women with notoriously freakish genetics. Fashion is therefore at the center of capitalism’s consumer culture, and it is fueling the cultural changes that multiply the potential postures for individual identities, bodies, styles, and sexualities. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTpAWbrjC6IqVCLp7WY_QkAPXb8mTFLtSQgOW5EVgQ4mYqoGBOKG-OWoMXuVw1cPkwD2jike6CD6B29NCf_f_xwkrKQj4IAP9dgcqpB-yW-lJ2j_-15tjgCHNgQdVYlrwYxwIJq9o1i_0/s1600/042.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTpAWbrjC6IqVCLp7WY_QkAPXb8mTFLtSQgOW5EVgQ4mYqoGBOKG-OWoMXuVw1cPkwD2jike6CD6B29NCf_f_xwkrKQj4IAP9dgcqpB-yW-lJ2j_-15tjgCHNgQdVYlrwYxwIJq9o1i_0/s200/042.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517279094740281970" /></a><br />The following day, America’s residual cultures reemerged and argued tirelessly with each other in the streets of New York to commemorate the ninth anniversary of September 11, and to protest, and counter-protest, the proposed construction of a Mosque/Islamic cultural center near the original site of the World Trade Center. The area around Ground Zero became a political, religious, and ideological warzone engaging evangelical Christians, defenders of civil liberties, right-wing tea-baggers, left-wing conspiracy nuts, Muslims not only from the Middle East but from New York ghettos, apocalyptic doomsayers, xenophobic nationalists, and liberal multiculturalists into a bewildering fray of endless argumentation and accusation. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8n3OS34Y7fGsg1c8E5LblC9nWbe_zStbVkYZXe6riB92ZQnu_3MtLnpgF8Llx5WdOkjtXjDN5wMaT5UAitgkIN5MSE0ssJu4Vt48r8FfleOA-oN8j4tj33OsvAmlZPkYlAA0obW6CMQ/s1600/036.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8n3OS34Y7fGsg1c8E5LblC9nWbe_zStbVkYZXe6riB92ZQnu_3MtLnpgF8Llx5WdOkjtXjDN5wMaT5UAitgkIN5MSE0ssJu4Vt48r8FfleOA-oN8j4tj33OsvAmlZPkYlAA0obW6CMQ/s200/036.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517279711145430066" /></a><br />Forgive me for sounding like a Hilton or Kardashian, but one thing all these groups had in common was their lack of fashion and general unattractiveness. Caroline and I were secretly curious to check out the anti-Mosque crowd, and after having been at Fashion’s Night Out on the previous evening, one couldn’t help but notice how white, old, frumpy, and ridiculously out-of-place in New York City these people looked in comparison. The sense of fear and ignorance was overwhelming and made me angry after only a few minutes, but the crowd also provoked some unexpected feelings of pity within me. I mean, these people were just so ugly, and they looked so outdated in every way.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVuaefCttQmxnvHXJCoJjuFco1inqDb7qBqUzbRR0-biXdZFqzIpsAVKWvT0edCmM-duyEqFRKbrULoPFMKLWa7ya_KrikITabsYQj6-RVA_FS8QD4waROAswyF5h6O6rQ5rTxVZJ3jg/s1600/037.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVuaefCttQmxnvHXJCoJjuFco1inqDb7qBqUzbRR0-biXdZFqzIpsAVKWvT0edCmM-duyEqFRKbrULoPFMKLWa7ya_KrikITabsYQj6-RVA_FS8QD4waROAswyF5h6O6rQ5rTxVZJ3jg/s200/037.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517281199983194946" /></a><br />A number of journalists have written about how the Tea Party movement is recruiting among people who have lost their jobs and/or their homes in the economic recession and are pissed off but confused about who to blame. Walking with them on September 11th, I wondered if there wasn’t also a story about how they had also been rejected and rendered useless within the symbolic economy of fashion, consumption, and the body. The crowd waved their flags and bared their crosses in a predictably ugly manner, and they also carried a palpable sense of persecution and melodramatic claims to victimization—Caroline’s favorite image was of Jesus’ nailed and bloody wrist with salt being poured into the open wound, while mine was a tee-shirt that claimed the WTC site was “sacred ground” and implied that building a Mosque would make it a “symbol of conquest” for Islam. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPsoTUiS1p23gsNIOgoi1eC_gWvXhns9J0LBdM1GMxANfkrj_EHA13vTfj7pEzaqHsywgB5TvUZrrAebP3GY8XP7obibxrld5-5NeJSRBA7vtTwQK2anCZC8Nv8qIevLCMraUgbqj4mLw/s1600/047.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPsoTUiS1p23gsNIOgoi1eC_gWvXhns9J0LBdM1GMxANfkrj_EHA13vTfj7pEzaqHsywgB5TvUZrrAebP3GY8XP7obibxrld5-5NeJSRBA7vtTwQK2anCZC8Nv8qIevLCMraUgbqj4mLw/s200/047.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517282120126388466" /></a><br />In general, their ideological complaints about government, President Obama, Islam, terrorism, and the alleged persecution of Christian Americans are far too illogical, unfounded, and incoherent to be analyzed on their own terms. The feelings they express, on the other hand, are very clear: anger, fear, and an overarching claim to victimization. These people are yesterday’s news, and at some level they seem to know it. Their patriarchal institutions of marriage, family, and compulsory heterosexuality have collapsed from within; their “traditional” values are routinely violated by their most vocal proponents; their investments in God and country are rapidly losing their value under global capitalism; a generation of capitalists have stolen their money while openly mocking their work ethic; their ideal of small-town community has been reduced to nostalgic simulation. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xzRvQjY9tRII5XCNAM0C3wFhgOReX0ivGfhWB5mvLEPhFveIOw2x2UZSsqembIOnCOXAV4MGNwQRLmXoqjIvWrKecehvr3IxGHY4bVl5pgYm3uSCtaPwIUrQS8ECbIFw8roaEVPdyaM/s1600/020.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xzRvQjY9tRII5XCNAM0C3wFhgOReX0ivGfhWB5mvLEPhFveIOw2x2UZSsqembIOnCOXAV4MGNwQRLmXoqjIvWrKecehvr3IxGHY4bVl5pgYm3uSCtaPwIUrQS8ECbIFw8roaEVPdyaM/s200/020.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517283647578523698" /></a><br />There was a wide-ranging sense of paranoia and apocalyptic fantasy on all sides on September 11th, with the exception of the police and fire departments that clearly enjoyed their day of recognition and ceremonial tribute. We stopped to watch what sounded like an argument between a guy in a “9/11 Truth” shirt and an anti-Mosque tea-bagger over whether September 11 was the inside work of the Bush administration. Their vocal exchange had the loudness and ferocity of an argument, but it also looked like an emotional bond was forming between these men as they each mourned the growth of omnipotent powers and made their claims to victimhood. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAVpeQcpanqIPOsHs9Jt0iVie3l5Vu_MGAJ78jhtvJhuma8flAX8H79o5kSOdX0GoRWKI0uIqSu0PDJrzgKHCHftGp9ZsqVujpCJ2xGI8IF6dCKUycORdCrwHAwhR8-_NQCThohv1xo_o/s1600/046.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAVpeQcpanqIPOsHs9Jt0iVie3l5Vu_MGAJ78jhtvJhuma8flAX8H79o5kSOdX0GoRWKI0uIqSu0PDJrzgKHCHftGp9ZsqVujpCJ2xGI8IF6dCKUycORdCrwHAwhR8-_NQCThohv1xo_o/s200/046.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517284346241042834" /></a><br />And the tea-baggers weren’t the only ones clinging to outmoded values and obsolete ideas, either. Liberal defenders of multiculturalism, civil liberties, and religious freedom formed a counter-protest of their own with a predictable mix of signs, slogans, and passé style. These people clearly hadn’t learned the lessons of Fashion’s Night Out: their ideals of democracy, citizenship, and political activism are irrelevant in the global capitalism of the twenty-first century and amount to little more than decidedly unglamorous styles of posing and posturing. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUeh48GKp6G9NSkoiGwIgW1FSdmfl6Td8pFum9UokwxISY3Uo6Tgt-9neo5Xt4OU6X2cVhc9sQqLSV-bp1QOWxm0K9M9-w42Iaj-LCiVNgJ4TQNm_ah8zp5sY6vIUuC8y2RaN-rbxXNis/s1600/050.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUeh48GKp6G9NSkoiGwIgW1FSdmfl6Td8pFum9UokwxISY3Uo6Tgt-9neo5Xt4OU6X2cVhc9sQqLSV-bp1QOWxm0K9M9-w42Iaj-LCiVNgJ4TQNm_ah8zp5sY6vIUuC8y2RaN-rbxXNis/s200/050.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517285514433291154" /></a><br />Returning home to Caroline’s place at 141st and Broadway took us into West Harlem and yet another enduring form of American culture, one that has been shaped by poverty, violence, and widespread social deviance since masses of black people starting coming to New York during the Great Migration of World War I. Outside the window of Caroline’s apartment, we watch elderly Puerto Rican and Afro-American men playing dominos and heard them yelling at each other in mixtures of Spanish and English as money was won and lost. Groups of dark-skinned youths openly smoke blunts in the street without giving a second thought to getting busted. Young children yell and run up and down at the street at 2 o’clock in the morning with minimal parental supervision. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpSr8QXPWYd5x1aQ8empAXXjLQ_TraEBySks8AoOIPd42_CjxDjzdGZthaKpJjXo4kcfw8K56HkVyOuQE1WWq8Xy41nC_wqp0tQXyVUPWfM4NF3noy9RM2eRzMnpnheUh6hS7roNY6xTw/s1600/043.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpSr8QXPWYd5x1aQ8empAXXjLQ_TraEBySks8AoOIPd42_CjxDjzdGZthaKpJjXo4kcfw8K56HkVyOuQE1WWq8Xy41nC_wqp0tQXyVUPWfM4NF3noy9RM2eRzMnpnheUh6hS7roNY6xTw/s200/043.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517285910059412050" /></a><br />For nearly one hundred years, this neighborhood has nurtured and preserved a culture of defiance that white authorities have treated as pathological insofar as they have been unable to completely domesticate and assimilate its impoverished inhabitants. Today, the signs of gentrification are only just beginning to appear: one minute Caroline and I are watching a young man clowning in the streets to a beat that only he seems to be able to hear, and the next minute we are approached by a white woman walking a golden retriever who asks if we’ve seen the litter of poor little kittens scampering around the street lately. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJAMes-TyeK2JyvH4vuE5zhzdr7FfykpoPKj4PeCS4tB3wGN2TR7ecDl7hf-qlXfmzaW4xUZJaBDk3KKRo82nzVesivSFSYsMrnK55dH66r2FG7JeBHCev8bSNbrTh1AzYk8iNHRLhXY/s1600/032.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJAMes-TyeK2JyvH4vuE5zhzdr7FfykpoPKj4PeCS4tB3wGN2TR7ecDl7hf-qlXfmzaW4xUZJaBDk3KKRo82nzVesivSFSYsMrnK55dH66r2FG7JeBHCev8bSNbrTh1AzYk8iNHRLhXY/s200/032.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517289923342679890" /></a><br />With its beats, rhymes, and air of defiance, the street culture of Harlem is in a far better position to be recognized and integrated through commercial exploitation into the symbolic economy and culture of our future. The occasion of September 11th summoned the anger and fear of a people in decline, but if the tragedies of the twentieth century taught us anything, it is that we must beware of the ugly little people in decline who come outfitted in flags and crosses to cover over their secret racial fears and sexual hang-ups. These people who literally feel “left behind” have fantasies of the apocalypse on their collective mind, and although they are probably destined to become the laughingstocks of history, we shouldn’t doubt their resolve to turn their version of the end of the world into a reality before they slide, kicking and screaming, into social insignificance.Max the Marxisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03385872869229987931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2059047623549572860.post-21827242447897870702010-08-07T11:37:00.001-07:002010-08-07T11:38:22.124-07:00"On Becoming a Punk Rock Sociologist"I've been asked to write an autobiographical essay for an anthology about punk and academia. No idea when it will see the light of day, or more accurately the dust of the library, so I'm putting it here too. <br /><br />I was born in Long Beach, CA and raised in the adjacent city of San Pedro, graduating from San Pedro High School in 1988. I’d like to be able to tell you all about how I was influenced by our hometown heroes, the Minutemen, or Black Flag or the Descendents or any of the other hardcore bands that emerged from the nearby cities of Los Angeles’ South Bay at this time. I can imagine a really good story about how the radical politics and do-it-yourself ethic of the local hardcore scene would inspire me to become the Marxist sociologist I am today. However, that story would be a lie, because the truth is that my paths to both punk rock and radical sociology were never that direct or linear, and I’m just not that cool. <br /><br />In high school I was a devout partisan of thrash metal bands like Slayer, Metallica, Anthrax and a couple dozen others with a more limited following. By the second half of the 1980s the California hardcore scene had fizzled out. There was this one punk dude who had “Minor Threat” written on the jacket he wore to school every day, but I didn’t know anything about them because the only people I hung out with were other longhairs and stoners. Still, there was a lot of punk influence in thrash metal, which was less about devils and dragons and more about indicting real world authorities, creating a local scene with indie record labels, and maintaining a veneer of authenticity that mocked the posturing and pomposity usually associated with heavy metal. <br /><br />My headbanging roots notwithstanding, I almost voted for George Bush in the first election I was old enough to vote in, until my mother talked me out of it at the last minute. Like many other metalheads, I was personally rebellious but my half-baked political views amounted to nothing more than simple, knee-jerk libertarianism. I was entranced by power, enthralled by violence, and envious of wealth, and I also hated people I thought were weak or dependent, so it probably isn’t surprising that I almost voted for Bush. <br /><br />I had begun college during that fall of 1988, as my parents were eager for me to leave my troublemaking metal friends behind and move north to attend San Jose State University. It wasn’t long before I found myself in classes taught by veterans of the New Left. One of them was Professor Douglas Dowd, who had been part of the Monthly Review editorial team with Paul Baran and Paul Sweezy and cofounded the National Mobilization to End the War in Vietnam. Dowd would typically begin his classes in Microeconomics with some thoughts about Marx or Ricardo before launching into a series of tirades that indiscriminately covered everything from the wastefulness of capitalism to the insanity of war and nationalism to the cruelty of child labor. This 70-plus year-old man would yell and point and curse and then stop suddenly, look out the window, and silently shake his head while muttering something about the insanity of our world. Many of the students in class were horrified and stopped attending after the first two weeks, but I was captivated. One day Dowd recited the lyrics to John Lennon’s “Imagine” and asked the class if that sounded like the kind of world any of us would want to live in, and I was the only student to raise my hand. “Then you’re a God-damn Communist!” he shouted at me. <br /><br />O.K., so I guess I’m a Communist now. This was admittedly a major political about-face, but to this day I think my metal roots and cultural rebelliousness prepared me to embrace this stigmatized, marginalized political identity. I had grown up in a working-class seaport with a vague sense that the world wasn’t right, and now I was engrossed in my education to try and understand why. I was listening to the Bay Area’s progressive radio station KPFA and reading everything I could get my hands on, especially Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States. My identity and style morphed from headbanger to something like a retro countercultural radical as I became absorbed in Todd Gitlin’s The Sixties: Years of Hope, Days of Rage and anything else I could read or watch about the 60s, Students for a Democratic Society, and the counterculture. <br /><br />I enrolled in a social theory class the following semester, and it was there that I read Marx for the first time and met my friend Mike Roberts, who today is also a sociology professor at San Diego State. Mike and I started a left campus organization and worked on publishing a newspaper that was unfortunately sabotaged by some other students just before it was about to be printed. Our social theory professor, Talmadge Wright, had also started a group called the Student Homeless Alliance that we became involved with. This was late 1990, and the United States was gearing up for our first war with Iraq, so Mike and I began working with other campus activists to create an anti-war coalition and organize an anti-war demonstration. I experienced my first 15 seconds of fame when my speech commencing the demonstration was sound-bitten for the local TV news. <br /><br />At this time I knew a lot of people who were into punk rock, but my tastes hadn’t progressed that far yet. Some of my friends regularly made trips up to Berkeley to go to the Gilman Street club, but I never went. They played Dag Nasty, Green Day, and Big Drill Car for me but I absolutely hated all that melody. I thought it was cool that Bad Religion could reference Noam Chomsky and the like, but to this day their singer’s voice drives me crazy. One of my roommates was really into Fugazi, and although they’ve since become one of my favorite bands they just didn’t compute to me at that time. What my metal years had prepared me for was grunge and the whole Sub Pop/Seattle scene, so of course I took to Mudhoney and Soundgarden almost instantly. And then more locally there was Primus, Mr. Bungle, Psychefunkapus, the Limbomaniacs, and a bunch of other bands that formed a metal-funk-punk scene in the Bay Area. <br /><br />By now my career goals had changed such that I wanted to go to graduate school and hopefully grow up to be a tenured radical like my professors. UC Santa Cruz was known to have a lot of Marxist and radical faculty members, especially in the sociology department, and so I transferred there in the fall of 1991. I did an internship with Capitalism, Nature, Socialism, the journal of Marxist ecology founded by James O’Connor, and worked with the Bay Area activist Frank Bardacke on a project about farmworkers. Other than that, however, there were a lot of people who talked radical politics at UC Santa Cruz but there wasn’t a lot of action, a possibly intentional result of the campus’ relatively isolated location in the mountains of central California. I joked with friends: what if a bunch of students demonstrate in the forest and there is no TV crew there to film them, do they make a sound? My only brush with revolution was accidentally getting hit in the side of the head with some sort of firecracker on the night of the Rodney King riots as the Santa Cruz students marched into town and trashed the local police department headquarters. <br /><br />Nirvana’s Nevermind came out during my first semester at Santa Cruz. I remember that for weeks I would walk around the dorms and count how many rooms were blaring “Smells Like Teen Spirit” or some other song from the album. I knew it was a really big deal when the dreadlocked hippie kids who spent all day playing hacky sack and, as far I knew, listened to nothing but reggae and the Grateful Dead were suddenly talking about how much they wanted to see Nirvana when they came to San Francisco. The next two years or so would represent the pinnacle of the alternative rock/Lollapalooza era. Then the questions began: Did Nirvana sell out? Is alternative the new mainstream? Did I really just see a runway model wearing Doc Marten’s? Does anyone know anyone who likes to be called “Generation X”? Did that douchebag on the TV really just tell me that the new Subaru Impreza is just like punk rock? <br /><br />At Santa Cruz I took a great class in the history of U.S. imperialism in Central America, read the Frankfurt School for the first time, and wrote research papers about the Black Panthers, American foreign policy, and the Wobblies. But by this time I had also been introduced to cultural studies, both in my courses on mass media and popular culture and in my conversations with activists who were influenced by identity politics and postmodernism. My relationship to cultural studies, as I discuss in more detail below, has always been deeply ambivalent. In the context of all these questions about alternative culture and Generation X, I could see that the issues raised by cultural studies about youth subcultures, hegemony, and resistance were still very pertinent and could not be ignored. I was especially taken with Lawrence Grossberg’s We Gotta Get Outta This Place, which as anyone who’s read it knows is loaded with pomo jargon but still raised what I thought were prescient questions about postmodern society, the ironic cynicism of youth culture, and the role that these had somehow played in maintaining the hegemony of conservatism. <br /><br />I wrote a senior thesis under the direction of Professor Herman Gray about the media coverage of the movement against the Gulf War and graduated from UC Santa Cruz in the spring of 1993. I was on my way to graduate school and chose to enroll in the sociology program at UC San Diego because it advertised itself as having a strong emphasis in culture, which had quickly become my main field of interest. My first two years of graduate school were a rude awakening. I had chosen to study sociology because as an undergraduate it seemed so interdisciplinary and open-ended, like it was the best of all possible homes for my combination of interests in critical theory, radical politics, social history, and cultural studies. But as a graduate student I quickly discovered that professional sociology was a different animal altogether. <br /><br />In time I learned that the sociology department at UC San Diego had indeed specialized in culture at one point in its history, but in recent years there had been a major shift toward historical-comparative sociology, and those faculty always seemed to be repeating the mantra that they were trying to make the program more “professional,” “competitive,” and “rigorous.” Yuk. Moreover, what the department did offer in terms of culture was mainly rooted in the apolitical traditions of microsociology like symbolic interactionism and ethnomethodology. Double yuk. Fortunately, critical theory and cultural studies had made strong inroads in UCSD’s departments of Communication and Literature, and in Ethnic Studies I discovered Professor George Lipsitz, who would serve as a de facto mentor in my study of neo-Marxist theories of culture. <br /><br />San Diego was home to a bustling alternative music centered at a club called the Casbah, and I began going to shows there on a regular basis. After the success of Nirvana and other grunge bands, the major labels had gone scouting for new alternative rock acts to sign, and San Diego was one of a number of cities that was pegged as a potential “next Seattle.” Seven San Diego bands had signed with major labels during this time, and everyone from Rolling Stone to Details to the E! television network had done feature stories about the local scene. Beyond the hype, I discovered that there was indeed an exciting and musically diverse scene, and I instantly became a fan of the spastic noise of Trumans Water, Drive Like Jehu, and Heavy Vegetable, the retro punk of Rocket From the Crypt, and the cyborg prog-rock of Three Mile Pilot. <br /><br />I was beginning to envision a dissertation project that brought together the cultural studies focus on music and subcultures with the sociological methods of ethnography and the neo-Marxist inquiry into the place of culture in post-Fordist capitalism. How all those pieces of the puzzle actually fit together would be something I would have to figure out along the way. Unfortunately, most of my sociology professors were vocally unsupportive of this idea. I had impressed many of them with my self-motivated interest in social theory, but for them music was a frivolous concern without any real sociological import. When I told the professor in my field methods seminar what I planned to do, he replied with a snarky tone, “It sounds like you’re just going to hang out with your friends.” Another one begged me to do something else—anything else, really—because I was “too close” to my project, and he eventually removed himself from my committee when I refused. <br /><br />In actuality, I didn’t have any friends inside the scene, and rather than being “too close” I constantly felt like an outsider because not only was I not a musician, I was this geeky grad student who had all these esoteric theoretical and political questions about music and the scene. Lots of people told me that my project sounded like “fun,” and it was fun to go shows and hear live music in what I thought was a great scene, but it was nerve-wracking as hell to approach these people in a club and awkwardly ask them if we could arrange an interview. Let’s just say I found myself drinking a lot of “liquid courage” during those years. <br /><br />Getting into the local scene enhanced my political consciousness, not because the bands themselves were concerned with political issues (most of them weren’t), but because I could see how they had formed a community based on creative work and participation. It wasn’t a dogmatic scene of the sort advocated in the pages of Maximumrocknroll, and therefore a great variety of musical styles and influences could be thrown together without apology. And so I began to see the form of democratic cultural production as more significant than the content of any particular political protest or “message.” This understanding of “punk” as a method of production rather than a specific style or sound opened up whole vistas of possibility and informed my belated musical education. Maybe I can explain it this way: Drive Like Jehu led me back to Fugazi and then even further back to Wire and then forward to the Minutemen and Hüsker Dü and then back again to the Gang of Four and Television. See, I told you my path to punk was ass-backwards. <br /><br />While the Casbah and other local nightclubs were becoming a second home for me, I was still suffering from quite a bit of intellectual homelessness on campus. I was getting a lot more out of the graduate courses I was taking in other departments, so I stopped enrolling in sociology seminars after completing my minimum amount of required coursework and came very close to dropping out of the program. I took a position as a teaching assistant in an interdisciplinary freshman-level writing course, where the levels of overwork were legendary. Before long I had become heavily involved with the effort to unionize the academic student employees at the University of California and would be elected to serve on the strike committee as we planned a number of strategies for work stoppage. This took me further out of the bounds of the sociology department, as my social circle was now mainly composed of humanities students who were involved with me in organizing the T.A. union. Intellectually, however, I never embraced the kind of cultural studies that is practiced in the humanities, where meaning is mainly located in the “text” and acts of resistance are conceived as symbolic matters of reading and style. I was still fundamentally concerned with social process, and the Marxist in me still sought to link culture back to social structure. My experiences in the music scene redoubled these convictions: resistance was a matter of how people organized their community and engaged in creative work, not what people wore, how they cut their hair, or what they sang about in their lyrics. <br /><br />My intellectual homelessness was glaringly evident and became a huge liability when I went on the job market for the first time in the fall of 1999. It seems that what transpired in my graduate program was something like a microcosm of what was happening in American sociology in general. There has been a great expansion of interest and research in culture among American sociologists since the 1980s, but these cultural sociologists have taken great pains to distinguish and insulate themselves from the broader field of cultural studies. The studies of popular culture and media, much less popular music, are very few and far between. American cultural sociology is significantly more conventional, eager to be accepted within the mainstream of the discipline, and rarely engaged with questions of power and resistance. Don’t take my word for it, listen to what one of the leading proponents has to say in its favor: “American cultural sociology is conservative rather than revolutionary in its academic program, unlike the British cultural studies model which has attempted to transgress disciplinary boundaries and create a completely new academic and discursive field.” <br /><br />No matter what kind of theoretical and methodological spin I try to put on it, my work reeks of cultural studies simply because it is has the word punk attached to it. I sent out over 100 job applications during my first 3 years on the market without landing a single on-campus interview. I nearly gave up on the idea of an academic career on several different occasions, but a lack of other marketable skills and job experience made me feel trapped, and I still had a deep intellectual passion, not necessarily for sociology but for understanding social processes and contributing to social change. Fortunately I was able to hang on as an adjunct instructor of sociology at UC San Diego, as my courses on popular culture and youth attracted very high student enrollments; I taught a total of nearly 1,000 students during my final year there in 2001-02. <br /><br />As my contract with UC San Diego and a long-term romantic relationship both came to an end at virtually the same time, I found myself living with my mother and collecting unemployment in late 2002. I was ready to give up on academia once and for all when I miraculously got a temporary position at the University of Kansas that began in the Spring 2003 semester and lasted through the 2003-04 school year. I sent out another heap of job applications but still couldn’t land a satisfactory tenure-track position, so I accepted another temporary appointment at Colgate University for 2004-05. <br /><br />In 2005 I finally landed a tenure-track position at Florida Atlantic University. It’s not a prestigious school by any means, but it’s a good place for a punk like me: lots of older, “non-traditional” and working-class students, many of whom have roots in the Caribbean. Securing a permanent academic home has afforded me the time to finally finish turning my dissertation into a book titled Sells Like Teen Spirit: Music, Youth Culture, and Social Crisis which will be published by New York University Press in 2009. Meanwhile, American sociology continues to aspire to the status of a science along the lines of economics and political science while attempting to avoid the stigma of the humanities conferred by cultural studies, and so there is no reason to expect that the study of punk or any other form of music will be moving into the center of the discipline any time soon. But somehow this feels like the appropriate place for a punk rock sociologist: screaming from the margins, denouncing the mainstream, and maybe—just maybe—developing the new ideas that are destined to shake up the establishment.Max the Marxisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03385872869229987931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2059047623549572860.post-88878294191972810442010-08-07T11:35:00.000-07:002010-08-07T11:42:43.190-07:00Jane's Addiction and Nine Inch Nails<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm2WIHYuFW3p2Aek3xJwSvnql_xA0tTfrr4jMf_aaOHjT7eyP0fwzg10_zvnhl6tiOb5lpu884qkE59GK0qan5yq6v3qf5M2gT44XXoYECJs9FbLtSz0XgLsa-O19g5w5wz6OjDBEbBrE/s1600/Janes.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 156px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm2WIHYuFW3p2Aek3xJwSvnql_xA0tTfrr4jMf_aaOHjT7eyP0fwzg10_zvnhl6tiOb5lpu884qkE59GK0qan5yq6v3qf5M2gT44XXoYECJs9FbLtSz0XgLsa-O19g5w5wz6OjDBEbBrE/s200/Janes.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502740263912716882" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCYfj_MMFTEA4BzU4yT93jYuI60BdaWEn4WGQc7SiUIT_RL9JmLmXjA_odsUts_jvQn02kd1i76Ygdn-YNn8-9RMoyArT51GGXBsAMhwJ9jAEuXf_4UXU6IRoLQwWIfjwE3Pv7FDRRpBE/s1600/NIN.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCYfj_MMFTEA4BzU4yT93jYuI60BdaWEn4WGQc7SiUIT_RL9JmLmXjA_odsUts_jvQn02kd1i76Ygdn-YNn8-9RMoyArT51GGXBsAMhwJ9jAEuXf_4UXU6IRoLQwWIfjwE3Pv7FDRRpBE/s200/NIN.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502740100574175010" /></a><br />A handful of observations about last night's NIN/JA show... <br /><br />First off, Trent Reznor now bears an uncanny resemblance to Bruce Springsteen. Seriously, he's got short hair and long sideburns, he's sobered up, healthy looking, and even a little buff, and last night he was wearing good 'ol American blue jeans and a button-down black shirt that was quickly drenched in sweat. I'm not a big NIN fan, but they sounded good, especially on the thrashing "March of the Pigs," my favorite song of theirs. I kept waiting for them to play "Closer" so I could watch all the drunken frat boys pumping their fists while collectively singing "I wanna fuck you like an animal," but alas it didn't happen, to their credit I think. They finished their set with "Head Like a Hole." Eventually I just sat down on the lawn and watched them on the big screen, so it was sort of like listening to a Nine Inch Nails album while watching Springsteen at the Super Bowl. Honestly, the thing I will remember most is the beautiful full moon that arose at dusk between the palm trees in a brilliant orange color illuminated by the setting sun. Oh yeah and then this drunk girl fell over my friend Katy and then tried to make out with her as she was trying to console her. <br /><br />Jane's Addiction, on the other hand, proved themselves to be the Rock Gods they have always been. Perry Farrell pranced around the stage with a set of maracas and some sort of feather boa like the old Jewish drag queen he's become. Let's just say he looked perfectly at home in West Palm Beach. And as cheesy as he is, Dave Navarro is still one motherfucker of a guitar player. Their show began with a black-and-white film showing some topless ladies engaged in a burlesque dance and then segued into the rolling bass line of "Three Days." I'm so glad that Flea is gone and Eric Avery is back in the band because those simple, rumbling bass lines are one of the things I love most about Jane's. "Three Days" has got to be one of the best epic rock songs ever written, and Navarro absolutely shredded on what I think is his most beautiful heroin-drenched guitar solo. Unfortunately their stage set was missing that opium den/Voodoo/Catholic idolatry of candles and red velvet that Perry's girlfriend Casey Niccoli used to design. But unlike NIN, Jane's lived up to their stadium rock billing because Perry and Dave are old-fashioned rock stars who somehow manage to fulfill their enormous egos, especially Perry, who always had a devious shit-eating grin on his face while peridoically drinking straight out of a huge bottle. Other highlights included a gorgeous version of "Then She Did...," which caused me to be close my eyes and get so blissed out that my friend Erin started watching me and laughing, at which point I shoved her and told her to fuck off (sorry Erin, but you had it coming bee-yatch!) There were some other songs that I didn't recognize because they must have been from that crappy album they made after reuniting, but there were rocking versions of "Been Caught Stealing" and "Ted, Just Admit It," with the latter including a cool film collage of sex, violence, violent sexuality, etc.Max the Marxisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03385872869229987931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2059047623549572860.post-58037182533714887382010-08-07T11:31:00.000-07:002010-08-07T11:33:39.431-07:00Rock 'n' Roll Marathon=Worst. Accomplishment. Ever.June 1 was the one-year anniversary of the one and only marathon I will ever run. Here is the blog I wrote shortly thereafter. Allow me to begin with a quote from Jean Baudrillard: “Decidedly, joggers are the true Latter-Day Saints and the protagonists of an easy-does-it Apocalypse. Nothing evokes the end of the world more than a man running straight ahead on a beach, swathed in the sounds of his walkman, cocooned in the solitary sacrifices of his energy, indifferent even to catastrophes since he expects destruction to come only as the fruits of his own efforts, from exhausting the energy of a body that has in his own eyes become useless. Primitives, when in despair, would commit suicide by swimming out to sea until they could swim no longer. The jogger commits suicide by running up and down the beach. His eyes are wild, saliva drips from his mouth. Do not stop him. He will either hit you or simply carry on dancing around in front of you like a man possessed” (America, p. 38) <br /><br />You'll never understand why after reading this, but I agreed to run the "Rock 'n' Roll" marathon in San Diego on June 1. Those who are familiar with my lifestyle and habits were rightfully incredulous. Nonetheless, I trained for this thing for a solid four months along with Pizza Fusion's "team in training." This involved getting up every (OK, most) Saturday morning before dawn to run progressively longer distances (16 miles, 18 miles, 20 miles, etc.) along Delray Beach. I've done a little long distance running before and in the course of training discovered that I'm actually pretty good at it. So let me qualify everything that follows by saying that I have nothing against jogging per se and will continue to incorporate it into my exercise routine. <br /><br />So it's the morning of the race. My buddy Mike and I get up at an unholy hour and he starts driving me to the starting line in Balboa Park. But as we're approaching the site, the streets turn into a parking lot of cars and buses. "To hell with this," I tell Mike at one point, "let's just turn around and go back to sleep," but the traffic is so bad we can't turn around either. Joggers are hopping out of their rides and walking uphill to the site, and so I finally decide to do the same. I tell Mike I'll call him for a ride when it's all over. <br /><br />I know it sounds too ridiculous to be true, but as I arrive at my position I find myself surrounded by Elvis impersonators (this is the "Rock 'n' Roll" marathon, after all) who are evidently going to run 26.2 miles in pompadours and polyester. I am grumpy but there is an air of anticipation and excitement around me. We begin running as U2's "Beautiful Day" is playing over the loudspeakers. The first 10 miles seemed to fly by. We ran through downtown San Diego, then up the 163 freeway and I was feeling pretty good. I paced myself, stopped to eat a cliff bar, and drank plenty of water and "accelerade" being doled out along the way. Alas, this would not turn out to be a "beautiful day," after all. <br /><br />At various points of the race there were people grouped along the sidelines cheering on the runners. Some were holding signs with a particular individual's name, but most seemed to be cheering indiscriminately for all the runners. You'd pass by these total strangers and they'd cry out, "Way To Go!" or "Looking Good!" or "Don't Stop!" And then there were these squads of cheerleaders from various high schools and middle schools who would be doing coordinated cheers as you passed by them. Well, at some point the onset of fatigue turned my mood from merely grumpy to intensely foul, hateful, and potentially violent. I began to loathe the sight of these people cheering me on and felt immense relief in their absence, only to feel my blood begin to boil once again at the first sound of their cries of enthusiasm and encouragement. <br /><br />I think it was around the 16th mile that my mind started playing tricks on me and I began to periodically experience something like hallucinations. Technically I was still "running" because my arms were swinging back and forth, but I was getting really frustrated because I couldn't pass a bunch of people who were walking alongside me. Then in the distance I heard another one of those damn spirit squads. "Less than 10 miles to go! Let's go runners! We know you can do it!" Then the vision came to me. I saw myself horizontally extending my left arm and systematically clotheslining every single one of those cheerleaders. I imagine how each and every one of their necks feel against my forearm. Onlookers cry out aghast: "Stop that man!" Teary-eyed witnesses are interviewed for the local news: "Those girls just wanted to show their spirit. What makes someone want to do something so evil?" <br /><br />OK, so I didn't do it, but things got worse from there. The marathon was planned to finish at what in my mind is the most un-rock 'n' roll of all possible places, the Marine Corps depot. At some point I had taken my number off my chest because the safety pins holding it on were making my nipples bleed. But as we approach the Marine Corps depot I hear "Sir, I need to see your number, Sir!" Now I am really pissed because I have to stop "running" at mile 26, when the only thing keeping me going is sheer inertia and I feel as if my legs may collapse underneath me if they stop moving. Fortunately I have tucked the number inside my fanny pack (yes, I have resorted to purchasing and using a fanny pack) and I take out and wave it right in the face of this Marine. I'm almost never this courageous or confrontational. "Sir! It's just regulations! Sir!" The words "fascist jarhead babykiller" are flashing in neon inside my brain, but I restrain myself and continue "running." Only .2 miles to go now. There are now bleachers full of people cheering as I head to the finish line. My mind is repeatedly chanting the word "Peace." I want nothing more than to be free from my own anger and see this training ground for murderous imperialism transformed into a schoolyard for pagan homosexual children. <br /><br />I finish with a time of 5 hours and 15 minutes. A medical volunteer asks me if I'm OK. Some girl gives me a medal. I sit on the asphalt on the brink of tears. People around me are hugging and telling each other they "did it." Another medical volunteer comes over and "encourages" me to stand and walk to keep the blood flowing or whatever. There's a photo booth but I do not want to know what I look like at this moment, so I walk around it. <br /><br />I wish I could say this was the end, but I still need to catch a ride from Mike, and because we are at the Marine Corps depot there is no access for automobiles. So I have to walk to a place where he can pick me up. As I'm walking the place is guarded by all these Marines who are telling people not to walk on the grass and such, and some of them are holding these huge machine guns that look like toys. I hallucinate again and imagine I am at Guantanamo Bay. All the people around me are walking in a daze like zombies. My vision goes blurry and for a second I think we are all torture victims. <br /><br />I finally make it out of the Marine depot and call to arrange for Mike to pick me up in front of a gas station. I make a point of sitting on the grass in front of a sign indicating $4.57 for regular unleaded. Mission accomplished. There are a few runners around me trying to hail a cab. And--I would swear to God if I believed in him/her/it--an Elvis impersonator walks by with a 12 pack of beer in hand. Mike picks me up and laughs his ass off as I struggle to stand and walk using my non-bendable knees. I immediately instruct him to remind me never to do anything like this again.Max the Marxisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03385872869229987931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2059047623549572860.post-52041010206940367812010-08-07T11:30:00.000-07:002010-08-07T11:31:26.494-07:00Slayer!Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, CLEVERLY answer these questions. Pass it on to a gazillion people and include me. Try not to repeat a song title. It's harder than you think. <br /><br />Pick Your Artist: Slayer <br /><br />Are you male or female: The Antichrist <br /><br />Describe yourself: Angel of Death <br /><br />How do you feel about yourself: Can’t Stand You <br /><br />Describe where you currently live: South of Heaven <br /><br />If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Hell Awaits <br /><br />Your favorite form of transportation: Altar of Sacrifice <br /><br />Your best friend is: Necrophiliac <br /><br />Your favorite color is: Raining Blood <br /><br />What's the weather like: Born of Fire <br /><br />Favorite time of the day: At Dawn They Sleep <br /><br />If your life was a TV show, what would it be called: Sex. Murder. Art. <br /><br />What is life to you: Serenity in Murder <br /><br />What is the best advice you have to give: Mandatory Suicide <br /><br />If you could change your name, what would it be: Ice Titan <br /><br />Your favorite food is: Dead Skin Mask <br /><br />Thought for the Day: Here Comes The Pain <br /><br />How I would like to die: Piece By Piece <br /><br />My soul's present condition: Cleanse The Soul <br /><br />The faults I can't bear: Criminally Insane <br /><br />My motto: God Hates Us AllMax the Marxisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03385872869229987931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2059047623549572860.post-65758417987922388972010-08-07T11:29:00.001-07:002010-08-07T11:29:39.853-07:00Cat Power: A Good WomanWhen I’m depressed and for reasons I still don’t quite understand I absolutely must listen to something even more depressing, only the music of Chan Marshall’s Cat Power seems to do the trick these days. She replaced Nick Drake in this regard many months ago and has been in heavy rotation around my house ever since. So when one of my graduate students (thanks Alexis!) informed me that Marshall was the subject of a new biography (*Cat Power: A Good Woman*, by Elizabeth Goodman, published by Random House), I moved it past all the other books to the top of my reading list (and yes, I am geeky enough to maintain an actual reading list). <br /><br />Marshall grew up around Atlanta with parents who were immersed in the music scene that emerged as the hippie counterculture morphed into Southern rock during the 1970s. Her father was an aspiring musician, and their household was awash with alcohol, drugs, and rock music. Her parents divorced when Chan and her sister were young, and their mother was eventually diagnosed with schizophrenia and became an alcoholic. The tumultuous relations with their insane mother caused the Marshall girls to move in with their father, which lasted until they were in high school, when he kicked them out of the house so he could live with his new girlfriend. Chan then dropped out of school and moved to the Atlanta hipster neighborhood known as Cabbagetown, where a local music scene had developed in the late 1980s and early 90s. <br /><br />There is some intrigue surrounding *Cat Power: A Good Woman* in the fact that Chan Marshall refused to be interviewed or cooperate in any way with the making of this biography and even went so far as to ask her friends and family to do the same. The author, Elizabeth Goodman, begins the book with a story about the day that Chan’s mother called from her tobacco shack in rural North Carolina demanding to know Goodman’s credentials and to speak with her “superiors.” And yet despite all this resistance Goodman did a fine job of reconstructing Marshall’s life and career by drawing on previous interviews and painstakingly tracking down all the people who surrounded her in Atlanta and New York’s Lowest East Side, where Chan eventually moved and developed her musical career in the 1990s. I will admit I was initially afraid this biography might read something like a glorified zine article penned by what I imagined to be an English major fresh out of an elite liberal arts college, but the journalism is outstanding given the circumstances and Goodman’s writing style is incisive and witty while steering clear of the flowery prose that Cat Power’s melancholy music or Marshall’s melodramatic personality could have provoked from a more indulgent author. <br /><br />Many people feel that to hear Cat Power’s music is to feel Chan Marshall’s pain. There’s just something so vulnerable and intimate about *that voice* which seems to channel not only her own experience but all the other Southern women whose suffering and longing for redemption have been expressed for generations by singing in church in the way Chan learned to do as a child. Some of this has become part of the Cat Power spectacle itself, like in an infamous concert at the Bowery Ballroom where Marshall broke down in the middle of the set and then walked out into the audience, laid on the floor, and curled up in the fetal position. More routinely, Marshall has been known to suddenly stop mid-song and constantly apologize to her audience or to perform in the dark or with her back turned. Goodman doesn’t hesitate to expose this behavior as passive-aggressive manipulation or admit to being a little grossed out by a certain type of Cat Power fan for whom this is a voyeuristic form of entertainment. But it’s clear this isn’t all just for show, either. By early 2006 Marshall had become the kind of alcoholic who drinks around the clock, and she cocooned herself in her Miami Beach condo with the intention of committing suicide. Delusional to the point where she was chasing evil spirits away with sticks of incense, Chan was eventually rescued by a friend who tricked her into being hospitalized for detox treatment, where she again hallucinated that she was sharing a room with a vampire and a growling lion. <br /><br />So, yeah, Chan Marshall is “crazy as a shithouse rat,” an inexplicable phrase that my dad would use to describe me when I was a kid. One song that always gets to me is “Metal Heart,” from her breakthrough album of 1998, Moon Pix. “It’s damned if you don’t and it’s damned if you do/Be true ‘cause they’ll lock you up in a sad, sad zoo.” To have a metal heart is to be alienated from your own emotions, to experience your heart as if it were a thing, not an organ but a cold machine with a life of its own that you can’t control. When you have a metal heart you end up in a lot of no-win situations and it’s not even a question of being misunderstood by others because you don’t understand yourself. As the music builds, Marshall sings “Metal heart you’re not hiding/Metal heart you’re not worth a thing” as if to say that the best one can hope for is the ability to disguise those insane emotions, and if you can’t do that then you should just tear that worthless fucking thing out of the center of your chest and throw it away. <br /><br />Another track on Moon Pix is the classic ode to the alcoholic life, “Moonshiner,” a traditional folk song that Bob Dylan covered in 1963 and has subsequently been performed by Uncle Tupelo, Elliot Smith, and Bob Forrest among others. Cat Power regularly records other artists’ material and has issued two full albums of nothing but cover songs, with Marshall putting her distinctive stamp on each one (the gorgeous “Sea of Love” and nearly unrecognizable “(Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” immediately come to mind). With “Moonshiner” she steps into some enormous shoes, as Dylan’s version is one of the best recordings of his folk period, and the cover by Uncle Tupelo is supremely haunting to boot. And yet Marshall not only steps up to play with the big boys, she spins the song into something of her own, putting an exclamation point onto the alcoholic’s desperation in yelling out “You’re already in hell/You’re already in hell/I wish we could go to hell.” When Dylan and others sing “Moonshiner,” they finish with the line, “When the bottle gets empty/ It sure ain’t worth a damn.” When Cat Power does it, Chan more bleakly concludes “When the bottle gets empty/Life ain’t worth a damn.” <br /><br />These are two songs that make the hairs on my arms stand up, but my favorite track of all on Moon Pix is “The Colors and the Kids.” The song begins “Must be the colors/And the kids/That keep me alive/’Cause the music is boring me to death.” I don’t know what she meant, but I catch myself singing those lines a lot lately because I’m an aging guy who is constantly surrounded by young people who never fail to inspire and disappoint me at the same time. They’re in my class or at a show or in a meeting, so fresh-faced and full of life in this dead world of ours, and then the next thing you know they’re saying something so dumb about how Conor Oberst is a genius. I’m drawn to their brightness and vitality like a moth to light, but I just wish they would do something more…I dunno, interesting or whatever…but then again I’m not even sure what that would be, I just know when it’s boring me to death. <br /><br />The beauty of “The Colors and the Kids” in enveloped by Chan’s voice and a piano, because there’s nothing else in the song. Don’t take it from me, listen to what my identical twin Dave Grohl has to say: “That song is so heart wrenchingly beautiful and romantic--it makes me want to kidnap her and run away and hide forever.” When the song hits its most dramatic moment, Chan sings the futile cries of a lover who swears that he or she can change if you’d just give them another chance: “I could stay here/Become someone different/I could stay here/Become someone better.” The sense of loss continues into the next verse as she mourns: “It’s so hard to go in the city/’Cause you want to say hello to everybody/It’s so hard to go into the city/’Cause you wanna say, ‘Hey, I love you’ to everybody.” Yeah, it *is* hard when you live the rootless lives that so many of us do (and musicians on tour are only the most extreme example) because people keep passing in and out of your world, and then you run into each other again and you can’t believe how much time has passed, and it turns out Dave Grohl is right because you want to kidnap that person and run away or at least freeze that moment in time, but the next thing you know you’re saying goodbye and you have no idea when, or if, you’ll see each other again. Modern life is just sad like that. <br /><br />Moon Pix has my most beloved songs, but on the whole my favorite Cat Power album is You Are Free (2003). I’m sure she intended something more optimistic but sometimes I think the album’s title is taunting me, like if I need to reminded that I’m free then I’m not really free after all. On the ghastly ballad “Baby Doll,” Chan poses a question that I swear has been asked by everyone who ever had the misfortune of caring about me and became distressed by my periodic states of despair: “Baby/Black, black, black is all you see/Don’t you want/To be free?” The first track on You Are Free is called “I Don’t Blame You” and it concerns a musician who is just going through the motions, faking it onstage and not wanting to play the music their audience wants to hear. Many people believe the song is about Kurt Cobain, and they’re probably right, but I think that sort of diminishes the point because it’s a predicament that any of us could find ourselves in when called upon to perform according to someone else’s expectations. Any of us could be massively popular and successful yet fundamentally un-free if other people’s image of us became an alien thing separated from our “true” selves or held against us with a demand to perform like a trained seal. “Just because they knew your name/Doesn’t mean they know from where you came/What a sad trick you thought you had to play.” Chan apparently knows what it’s like, and she’s right there to console us: “They never owned it/And you never owed it to them anyway.” <br /><br />Freedom is a cruel joke for the kids profiled in “Names,” the gold medal winner in the fiercely competitive battle for the title of Most Depressing Cat Power Song Ever. One by one Chan introduces us to her childhood friends who ended up as casualties of American abuse and neglect. First, there’s Perry, a boy with a learning disability whose father burned his skin and sent him to his death when he was 10 years old. Next we meet Naomi, the 11 year-old girl who taught Chan “how to please a man” after school in the back of the bus. Chan begins telling us about Sheryl, her BFF at age 12, whose “father would come to her in the night,” and then stops singing as if to emphasize that what came next was so horribly unspeakable. Donovan was also a very good friend who started selling cocaine, and Chan hasn’t seen him since he was 13 years old. Finally there’s Charles, who told Chan he was in love with her when they were 14, but then he began to smoke crack, and then he had to “sell ass.” She says she doesn’t know where he is, just like she doesn’t know where any of the rest of them are. Yeah, I know, Chan. I knew a few kids like these growing up, and I don’t know where they are either. These days I find them at the homeless teen center where I volunteer or alternating between recovery and addiction in south Florida’s massive and growing drug treatment industry. They’re like a little nation of disposable youth unto themselves. <br /><br />I have two personal memories of Cat Power performances. The first was at the now defunct Studio A in Miami. It was one of Chan’s first shows after her alcoholic breakdown, and the crowd was abuzz with rumors and speculation about what kind of crazy shit she might pull this time. Instead she delivered an absolutely riveting performance that was capped off by the most beautiful a cappella I’ve ever heard. The crowd was annoyingly restless, however, and the moment she stopped singing the club put on some dance music, forcing all the sheepish indie rockers to shuffle away to make room for those who were there to bust a move. That’s Miami for you. They must have heard that Chan was friends with Karl Lagerfeld and had started modeling for Chanel, otherwise I can’t explain why they were there. The second memory is of Cat Power’s show at the Langerado Music Festival in 2007, where the set ended with a cover of Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy.” I laughed when she started playing, because it took on a whole new meaning when Chan sang it. I think I’ve heard that song about a thousand times, and I do believe it’s one of the best songs of our short century, but I’ve only heard Cat Power do it that one time (she’s never recorded a cover in the studio) and yet for some reason it’s still burned in my memory and I’ve never heard that song the same way since.Max the Marxisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03385872869229987931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2059047623549572860.post-1875321124808057952010-08-07T11:27:00.001-07:002010-08-07T11:27:37.226-07:00Not A Happy CamperMy brother, sister-in-law, and I are about to go an extended camping trip in the Mountain West. I'm super excited, but I'm also re-posting this blog from last year as a reminder of how things can go horribly, though humorously, wrong.... <br /><br />I love camping. I've camped at Big Basin, Lake Tahoe, Bryce Canyon, and the Grand Canyon among other places. But after this weekend on the Russian River, my brother Kevin, his wife Lauren, and I put the tents and sleeping bags back in storage and vowed it would be a long time before we camped again. <br /><br />It all started easily and innocent enough with the desire to get away for a Saturday night to a conveniently close campsite. I borrowed some gear from my mom, but it turned out that Kevin and Lauren's stuff was still at her mom's house. So our Saturday began with a trip up to the heavily mulleted suburb of Concord--a little of our way but really not a big deal. We arrived to find Lauren's mom sweeping the floor of her garage, which already looked to me to be immaculately clean, but whatever cuz Lauren's mom is just like that. Kevin got out the ladder and climbed up to get the gear, and he didn't fall down or anything so we were off to a good start. <br /><br />From there it was across the bay into Sonoma County. By this time, however, we had already gotten stuck in a few inexplicable Saturday afternoon traffic jams. Something wasn't quite right and we just couldn't get a break. From my perspective, however, the foreshadowing of the disaster to come can be traced back to an ill-fated trip to Taco Bell, where I haven't eaten in years and won't be back anytime soon. I ordered 3 tacos that came drenched in sour cream that might not have been sour cream at all, and after one bite my crispy shell exploded in my hands, leaving me in the back seat with a giant mess of sour cream, taco "meat," and lettuce with the consistency of Easter basket grass. I could only make it through one and a half of these things before I had to wrap up the remaining mess, stuff it all back in the paper bag, and remove it from my sight. <br /><br />Needless to say, my stomach was in a state of revolt by the time we reached the campsite, providing me with a good opportunity to check out the bathrooms. From there we picked out our site and starting setting up our tents. My mom had given me a very small backpacking tent, and being a very poor follower of directions I struggled to get it up and it just didn't look right but was still functional enough. The sites were very small and crammed together, but the campground master or whatever he's called had assured us that he strategically placed the young "party kids" at the back of the site and we wouldn't be disturbed. To our right there was a wholesome family of white people that I immediately suspected of being Christians. To our left there looked to be no less than 8 tents with a bunch of middle-aged guys milling about. I gave the patriarch of what I was sure was the Christian family an evil eye that attempted to say don't you dare take out an acoustic guitar or sing any of your damn Christian songs, but otherwise things seemed like they'd be OK. <br /><br />With our tents set up, Kevin and Lauren and I looked at each other with that unspoken campers' recognition of "well the sun won't be down for several hours, now what do we do?" So down to the river we would go, or try to go as it turned out. The campground master or whatever he's called had told us about a path we could take to get down to the river, but on our way down things became increasingly thorny and bushy, leaving Lauren to wish we had brought a machete. We finally arrived to find only the tiniest of river banks that had already been occupied by--you guessed it--those damn Christians, as I was now certain they were (how else could they have beaten us down there if not for Jesus?) After exchanging some awkward and muffled hellos, we went back into the brush and thorns to look for an alternate path, but with no success. Now what do we do? <br /><br />We walked back to the campsite and Kevin cracked a beer, but Lauren and I were determined to get to the water, so the three of us got back in the car and started driving. Well, it turns out that this weekend of all weekends was the annual blues festival on the river, which is cool and all but means that thousands of people had descended on this tiny river town. And so we got stuck in another traffic jam. And we still couldn't find another way down to the river, so we turned around. And then we got stuck in another traffic jam. Kevin, being the negative Nancy that he is, wanted to call it a day. Lauren and I were still determined. We parked near the festival and started down to the river, only to be blocked by security. As we walked the band was singing something about being "thankful," but Lauren heard it as "painful." You know you're in trouble when I'm not the most pessimistic and unhappy person in the group. Finally we got to a place with river access but by then the fog had rolled in and it was getting cold. Kevin and I skipped some rocks, and Lauren tried to skip some rocks, and that was pretty much all we had to do. Time to go back and sit in more traffic. <br /><br />At least now that the sun was almost down we could do what good campers do, which is start a fire and do some cooking. Kevin cooked a bunch of crappy hot dogs but Lauren and I had picked out some pre-made kabobs at the grocery store, and they were hella good as the kids in No Cal are known to say. Kevin chopped wood without losing a finger, and we had a good fire that lasted for several hours. Time to get some shut eye. <br /><br />Around 10PM some twentysomethings had rolled into the campsite in a Prius, and while getting stoned they started talking about the upcoming election, Clinton, Obama, etc. They weren't talking loud at all, but I guess one of the middle-aged guys to our left had heard enough and started yelling at them. Whatever, I thought, maybe these guys are Republicans, or maybe they just like their peace and quiet. To our right, the people I suspected of being Christians had 3 flourescent lights so bright they could have found a contact lens in the dirt, but they seemed to be playing scrabble and weren't doing any weird Christian shit. Throughout the night the middle-aged guys to our left had their radio tuned into the local classic rock station, and this was fun enough for awhile as Kevin, Lauren, and I rocked out to such staples as "Don't Fear the Reaper" and "In-A-Gadda-Vida." They still had the radio on when we went to sleep, but if they couldn't stand people talking about the election then surely they would be going to sleep soon, right? <br /><br />It was becoming an increasingly cold night. I hadn't properly blown up my air mattress so I was essentially sleeping on the ground. I had a lot on my mind but eventually I drifted off to sleep. Then I was awake again. Two guys from the campsite to our left were having perhaps the most moronic conservation in the history of conversations. Turns out they were shrooming. With a tone that approximated the illegitimate fathers of Beavis and Butthead, I heard them exchange such barbs as "Man, I believe Jesus was a real person, but he wasn't no son of God." "Yeah, I think the prophets just made that shit up." Then they started talking about threesomes. The radio is still playing this whole time, and the sounds of classic rock have become instruments of torture in my ear as "Cats in the Cradle" comes over the airwaves. The next thing I hear is Kevin get up, unzip the tent, and walk over to say, "It's 5AM, can you turn it down?" Evidently they were so high they didn't even notice his presence until he was standing right in front of them. "Sorry man," they reply and Kevin says "It's cool" and then Lauren starts yelling, "It's NOT cool! You kept us up all night!" I chuckle. Poor Lauren: my brother's flatulence is legendary, and after he filled up on Taco Bell, ball park franks, and beer, he had a farting session that was so bad that she actually had to leave the tent at another point in the night. <br />The sun is starting to come up in that horrible way when you haven't gotten enough sleep and you know you won't be getting any more. Someone from the campsite to our left has bitched out the shrooming morons, packed up his stuff, and driven away. Then I hear, "Man, you guys burned all the firewood, now what are we gonna do? Ah, you've been up all night, I'm not even gonna try to reason with you." I am half asleep and cursing and muttering. Lauren asks me if I'm OK, and I yell out "I hate life and I wish I was dead!" Then I simply scream at the top of my lungs, "FUCK!!!" Yeah, that's how I roll when I don't get enough sleep. <br /><br />We get up and start breaking camp. We promise to look back one day and laugh, but we also vow not to go camping for a long, long time. Lauren and Kevin need coffee, and I need a Red Bull, so we're off to Safeway. We pull into the parking lot and in the car next to us there's a guy just sitting there eating a bucket of chicken wings first thing in the morning. What the hell is wrong with this place?Max the Marxisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03385872869229987931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2059047623549572860.post-36379983500102308932010-08-07T11:22:00.000-07:002010-08-07T11:24:41.301-07:0050 Concerts1. KISS and W.A.S.P. at the L.A. Forum, 1986. My first concert, unless you count the time dad inexplicably dragged me to see Linda Ronstandt. Mom dropped me and a friend off outside the parking lot to save me the embarrassment. Or did that just happen in Almost Famous? I can’t remember. <br /><br />2. Iron Maiden, Long Beach Arena, and Irvine Meadows Ampitheatre, Somewhere In Time tour, 1987-1988. For the Irvine Meadows show I slept outside the Warehouse the night before tickets went on sale and got front row, and Lars Ulrich made a cameo appearance. <br /><br />3. Monsters of Rock, L.A. Coliseum 1988—Van Halen, Scorpions, Dokken, Metallica, Kingdom Come. When Metallica started playing the headbangers tore down the fences separating the Coliseum seats from the field and we all ran past the security to the front of the stage. Security turned off the sound momentarily. I remember hearing “Harvester of Sorrow” for the first time, and nothing else from this show. <br /><br />4. Alice Cooper, Long Beach Arena, 1988. The one and only time I got Laurie Ahlin to make out with me. Sigh. <br /><br />5. Dio, Irvine Meadows Ampitheatre, 1988. Dio slayed a mechanical dragon with a sword that must have been ten times bigger than himself. Very impressive to a teenage metal dude. <br /><br />6. David Lee Roth and Poison, L.A. Forum, 1988. The only time I went to a concert for the sole reason of seeing hot chicks in spandex. Camel toe aplenty from what I remember. <br /><br />7. Yngwie J. Malmsteen’s Rising Force, Long Beach Arena, 1987 or 1988? Can’t remember what inspired to want to see this, but I did. <br /><br />8. Dark Angel, Fender’s Ballroom in Long Beach, 1988? For whatever reason I was pulled onstage to toss stagedivers back into the pit. <br /><br />9. Primus, multiple times, Cactus Club in San Jose, 1989-1990? Primus sucks! <br /><br />10. fIREHOSE, San Jose State, 1988-1989? First time I became aware there was this band from San Pedro, where I grew up, with this crazy bass player named Mike Watt. <br /><br />11. Metallica, …And Justice For All tour, Cow Palace in San Francisco, 1989. <br /><br />12. Anthrax and Public Enemy. 1989 or 1990? The Cow Palace in San Francisco. <br /><br />13. Clash of the Titans, 1989-1990?, Cow Palace in San Francisco, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax. Before the show I remember some kid who looked like he crawled out of the sewer was in the parking lot and smashed a beer bottle and yelled “Slayer” at the top of his lungs. Slayer was just amazing that night. <br /><br />14. Bridge School Benefit, 1989, Shoreline Ampitheatre. Tom Petty, Neil Young, Tracy Chapman, Crosby, Stills, and Nash (and Young later, of course). <br /><br />15. The first Lollapalooza tour, 1991, Shoreline Ampitheatre--Jane’s Addiction, Living Colour, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Nine Inch Nails, Ice-T and Body Count, Butthole Surfers, Rollins Band. I remember being unable to swallow my sandwich during the Rollins Band performance because the bass was so loud. Gibby Haynes from the Butthole Surfers kept firing a gun. Nine Inch Nails was painted green. <br /><br />16. Mudhoney, Slim’s in San Francisco, 1991. Bob and I got drunk on Mickey’s big mouth in the car. The Giants had eliminated the Dodgers from the NL Western division race that day. I was wearing a Dodgers shirt and in a drunken stupor threw it on stage. Mark Arm picked it up and showed it to the crowd and everyone booed. I got my shirt back but I have no memory of how. <br /><br />17. Sonic Youth, Helmet, and the Jesus Lizard, the Catalyst in Santa Cruz, 1992-93? I had the misfortune to see David Yow of the Jesus Lizard naked. And then Kim Gordon got all pissed off because some dude hit her mic stand and it hit her in the mouth. <br /><br />18. Soundgarden and Monster Magnet, The Warfield in San Francisco, 1992. Monster Magnet was incredible. Seriously. <br /><br />19. Jane’s Addiction, the Pixies, and Primus, San Jose State, 1991 or 1992? <br /><br />20. Lollapooza, 1992, Shoreline Ampitheatre—Peal Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soundgarden, Ministry, Ice Cube. Eddie Vedder jumped the shark that day with all his shirtless crowd surfing and epileptic shaking. <br /><br />21. Sonic Youth, Mudhoney, Pavement. Somewhere in the California desert, 1993? Pavement had become my new favorite band but we didn’t get to see them because we were stuck in line waiting to get in. Kurt Cobain came out and did a solo acoustic set that included “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?” Only time I managed to see him. <br /><br />22. Green Day, UC Santa Cruz, 1992. Pre-Dookie, when Green Day was just another Gilman Street band, they played outside our dorm at Porter College for some sort of end-of-the-year spring event. <br /><br />23. Lollapooza, 1993. Primus, Alice in Chains, Dinosaur Jr., Fishbone. Shoreline Ampitheatre. The one and only time I saw Rage Against the Machine. I had no idea who they were, they came out naked for their encore with the letters PMRC painted on their bodies, and I absolutely hated them. I saw Tool on the side stage and Timothy Leary came out to introduce them saying they were being the next big thing in music. <br /><br />24. Royal Trux and Truman’s Water, the Casbah in San Diego, 1993. My first show at the Casbah featuring two of the most underrated noise bands of the 90s. <br /><br />25. Babes in Toyland, the Casbah, 1994. Kat Bjelland spit like every 5 minutes and was so much hotter than Courtney Love. <br /><br />26. Rocket From the Crypt, multiple times, various venues in San Diego, 1994-2002, and many other times when I didn’t see them because they were sold out and I didn’t my shit together in time. I can’t remember a Rocket show I didn’t enjoy. <br /><br />27. Drive Like Jehu, the Casbah, 1994. Once and only once, right before they broke up. I just remember sheets of noise and thinking that Jon Reis looked like Superman. <br /><br />28. Pavement, Soma Live in San Diego, 1994-95? By the time I saw them in the Crooked Rain era they had their tongues lodged too far in their cheeks to be truly enjoyable. <br /><br />29. Beck, San Diego, 1996? At his peak in the Odelay era, a fantastic show interrupted when the sound system suddenly failed, at which time Beck stood on the edge of the stage and did an impromptu acoustic set. I didn’t feel gipped at all. <br /><br />30. The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Soma Live in San Diego, 1996. My introduction to the theremin with Spencer at the height of his powers circa Orange. <br /><br />31. The Supersuckers, the Casbah, 1995-96? Foam fingers and ironic devil/metal hand salutes galore. Amazing live band. <br /><br />32. Weekly shows at the Casbah, San Diego, 1994-2002, fluf, Truman’s Water, Three Mile Pilot, aMiniature, Heavy Vegetable, Lucy’s Fur Coat, Chinchilla. San Diego had a really great local scene in the 90s and I will always love the Casbah. <br /><br />33. Phish, some forgettable place in San Diego, 1999-2000?. I got super stoned in the parking lot and walked around the shakedown for a long time. That was the fun part. But the music was so Godawful that I got in a fight with my girlfriend because I couldn’t stop going off on how horrible Phish was. <br /><br />34. Sleater-Kinney, The Fillmore in San Francisco, 2002. They were so great and I saw Jim Jarmusch there. Unfortunately they were so great that I decided I also had to see them in LA and that was the show where Sarah Schrank and I had our infamous meltdown break-up. That’s a story for a different list. <br /><br />35. The (International) Noise Conspiracy, some club in San Francisco I can’t remember the name of, 2002. It was an excellent show and one of only 2 times I’ve seen them, but this show is especially memorable to me because this gorgeous blond hipster girl came up and just started talking to me and I…just…froze. <br /><br />36. Hot Snakes, somewhere in San Francisco, 2002. Not as good as the Drive Like Jehu show, but damn close. <br /><br />37. Yo La Tengo at the Granada in Lawrence, KS, 2003. I got massively drunk with another professor and had to teach at 8:30 in the morning the next day. <br /><br />38. The Shins and the Rapture at the Granada in Lawrence, KS, 2003. Katy Livingston came up to me and we flirted and she tried to get me to go to an after-show kegger at her house, but she was still my student at that point. Sigh. <br /><br />39. Spiritualized, the Granada in Lawrence, KS, 2003, As with Phish, a show I remember only because of how horrible it was. I convinced a bunch of people to go and dude just sat there in a chair with his guitar, not looking at the crowd with this look like he was just so pissed off to be in Kansas. We had paid $20 each to see this bloke but we all walked out like 10 minutes into the set and I couldn’t stop apologizing to my friends. <br /><br />40. Q Not U and the Black Eyes at the Bottleneck in Lawrence, KS, 2003. The best show I remember from my days in Lawrence. I became a true believer in the Black Eyes from that day forward, at least until they broke up like 2 years later. <br /><br />41. Ozomatli, Colgate University, 2004. I’m pretty sure this was the only concert I went to during the dreaded Colgate year. And they were good, but I was drunk, so what do I know? <br /><br />42. Le Tigre, the Granada in Lawrence, KS, 2005? Not a big fan ordinarily, but man they were great that night, closing with a great version of “I’m So Excited” <br /><br />43. Suicide Girls, the Granada in Lawrence, 2005? Technically not a concert, but more hot mostly-naked chicks than I’ve ever seen in one place at one time, unless you count strip clubs, which I don’t. <br /><br />44. Bob Dylan, Montana State University at Bozeman, 2005. One of two times that I saw Dylan, but this one was especially memorable because I went with my dad and his wife, and Dylan enraged my father because he performed with his back to the side of the arena where we were seated and didn’t say anything between his songs. I remember that Dylan was his usual mumbling self but his band was really awesome, but the best part was that my dad got so pissed off in the parking lot saying something like “Would it kill him to just say, ‘Hello Bozeman’” and threw his hands in the air in exasperation. My dad was just like every teenage kid who’s waiting for the rock star to say the name of his hometown. Then he and his wife went on a diatribe about how much better the Sting concert they had attended in Missoula was. <br /><br />45. Cat Power, Studio A, Miami, 2005. Chan Marshall did some amazingly beautiful a capella that night. And no one really cared, they just couldn’t wait for that crazy bitch to get off stage so they could dance to Latin-flavored techno. <br /><br />46. Langarado Festival, 2006 or 2007? Fort Lauderdale? Cat Power and Explosions in the Sky, plus about a thousand horrible jam bands and reggae bands, the only one of which I recall was Widespread Panic. Katy and I got drunk, watched Kansas beat Texas to take the Big 12 championship, and I bummed some hits off a joint from these kids and I swore that Explosions in the Sky was like the new classical music and that if these other stoner kids had any brains or ears they’d be into them rather than Widespread Panic. <br /><br />47. The Flaming Lips at the Pompano Beach Ampitheatre, 2007? So beautiful and happy and hopeful that it briefly restored my faith in the power of live music. <br /><br />48. Miami Noise Festival, Churchill’s in Miami (duh), 2009. An evening of irritating but beautiful noise and vomiting on cymbals. Please read my blog on the event if you haven’t done so already. <br /><br />49. Timb, Zombies! Organize!!, and the Freakin’ Hott, Fort Lauderdale, 2009. So good to see the kids keeping the local scene and live music thing alive. The Freakin’ Hott is just fantastic—think AC/DC-ish stoner rock with female vocals, and if you don’t know about Zombies you can read my blog from an earlier show of theirs. Timb is this giant freak who does a good acoustic show of witty songs. It was his birthday that night, and there were maybe 50 people there but I swear if it was NY, LA, or SF it would’ve been a big deal. <br /><br />50. Gogol Bordello, Revolution in Fort Lauderdale, 2009. Had to dust off some very rusty mosh pit techniques for this one and came out drenched in sweat. Talking Marxist theory with Chris Robe and Carol before the show while trying to hold my ground against a bunch of smelly gypsy punks has to be one of the most surreal moments in my recent life.Max the Marxisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03385872869229987931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2059047623549572860.post-5724021695978994032010-08-07T11:18:00.000-07:002010-08-07T11:20:10.544-07:00Top Ten Songs about Loneliness10. The Beatles, “Eleanor Rigby.” This is the classic ode that revealed loneliness to be a sociological rather than merely personal problem. All the lonely people, where do they all come from? In the 1950s and 60s, mass society theory stated that individuals had become atomized as we trudged along in our suburbs, offices, and highways, crowded together yet desperately alone. In mass society you have neither individuality nor community, but instead a throng of isolated people who frantically conform to authoritarian institutions and consumer fads because they’re terrified of being left behind. The Beatles probably didn’t need to look any further than to their own fans, to all those middle-class teenagers hysterically screaming, crying, and fainting in their presence, to spot the problem. All the lonely people, where do they all belong? <br /><br />9. Wilco, “How to Fight Loneliness.” I didn’t give this song much thought until it was used in a key moment of the movie Girl, Interrupted. The song is just oozing with sarcasm as Jeff Tweedy answers the question of how to fight loneliness by repeatedly singing “just smile all the time.” Lots of people will sincerely advise you to do just that—you know, “fake it ‘til you make it.” They’re the same sort of people who will tell you that happiness is a “choice,” that you can simply “choose” to be happy no matter what the external circumstances are. Many well-intentioned people have said things like this to me, and I nod my head and thank for them for their help but what I’m really thinking is that they don’t know shit about loneliness or depression. I’m guessing that Jeff Tweedy agrees with me because he says things like “shine your teeth ‘til meaningless/sharpen them with lies,” and so the chorus “just smile all the time” sounds like the taunting affirmations of a psychologist armed with a thousand bullshit ideas about the power of positive thinking. <br /><br />8. Bruce Springsteen, “Stolen Car.” Most of the songs on The River, a double-album that charts the demise of a relationship, could have made this list. So many of Springsteen’s songs are about cars, and one of the things I love is the multiple meanings he assigns to the automobile culture in America: the desire for escape and the freedom of the open road; the ultimate male commodity fetish; the possibility of fatal accident; the Fordist path to the American dream; the decimating consequences of deindustrialization in factory towns. In the beginning of “Stolen Car” he’s recapping the events of his failed marriage: boy meets girl, they fall in love, get married, and settle down, they swear they’ll never part, they move to a house on the edge of town, and then slowly but surely they drift apart. She looks back at the old love letters he wrote to her, and it seems like they were written a hundred years ago. Next thing you know he’s totally fucked up and aimlessly racing down the highway in a stolen car, trying to comfort himself with the thought that it’s all gonna be alright. He’s just waiting to get caught but somehow he never does, so he just keeps driving. The guy’s so alone he can’t even get busted. <br /><br />7. The Beach Boys, “I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times.” There are also a lot of songs on Pet Sounds that could have made this list. There’s something doubly depressing about hearing this sort of stuff from the Beach Boys, whose surf music harmonizing makes everything sound so upbeat and carefree until you actually listen to what they’re singing and remember that Brian Wilson had a breakdown and didn’t leave his bedroom for like three years after this album was recorded. This song begins, “I keep looking for a place to fit/where I can speak my mind.” Oh how often I’ve shamelessly taken pity on myself because I think I’m not made for these times, that my talents for writing and teaching are being wasted in this illiterate culture of video games and instant messaging (“they say I got brains/but they ain’t doing me no good/I wish they could”), that I should have grown up in the 1960s or the 1930s, that I am so unlucky to have been born into the most non-revolutionary time in modern history. Brian Wilson felt my pain, even in 1966: “Every time I get the inspiration/ to go change things around/ no one wants to help me look for places/ where new things might be found.” <br /><br />6. Don Gibson with Chet Atkins, “Oh, Lonesome Me.” This song takes the melodrama of self-pity to absurdly low levels. It’s been covered by a number of musicians, but I mainly know it because of Neil Young’s version on After the Gold Rush, which is particularly great because Neil’s voice gives it that wounded animal sound he perfected in the early 1970s. This song captures the resentments that accrue when you’re alone at night and you imagine that everyone else is out having a blast: “everybody’s going out and having fun/I’m a fool for staying home and having none.” And it’s at least twice as bad when you’re missing a girl and you get these flashes of her out with other guys: “I bet she’s not like me/she’s out and fancy free/flirting with all the boys with all her charms.” Misery loves company, so I wish you people would just stay home and cry yourself to sleep at night. <br /><br />5. Jimi Hendrix, “Burning of the Midnight Lamp.” You just don’t expect this kind of shit from Hendrix. You expect to hear the badass acid-drenched guitar monster talking about standing up next to a mountain and chopping it down with the edge of his hand. But I guess the dude got as lonely as the rest of us. Although “Burning of the Midnight Lamp” features Jimi’s typically intricate and assertive wah-wah guitar work, it begins with the thought that “The morning is dead and the day is too.” Hmmm…sounds like one of those rough nights where you wake up choking on your own vomit (or maybe someone else’s vomit, like one of the drummers for Spinal Tap). “All the loneliness I have felt today/It’s a little more than enough to make a man throw himself away.” You know, I never thought Hendrix wrote very good lyrics, but I like this one: “Now the smiling portrait of you/Is still hanging on my frowning wall.” “Loneliness,” Jimi begins to say, momentarily slowing down the music in anticipation of some profound thoughts, “is such a … drag.” ‘Nuff said. <br /><br />4. The White Stripes “I’m Lonely (But I Ain’t That Lonely Yet).” This one’s kind of funny. It’s the last song on what I think is the White Stripes’ best and certainly most underrated album, Get Behind Me Satan. I love Jack White’s guitar playing, but on this album I also began to take notice of what a great songwriter he is because many of the songs, including “I’m Lonely,” are primarily played on the piano. It’s an absolutely beautiful song in which Jack first sings about missing his mother and his sister before getting to the part that makes me chuckle, where thinks about this girl he knows he can always have but decides he just hasn’t gotten that desperate yet: “I roll over in bed/Looking for someone to touch/There’s a girl that I know of/But don’t ask for much/She’s homely, and she’s cranky/And her hair’s in a net/And I’m lonely, but I ain’t that lonely yet.” In short, sometimes loneliness isn’t the worst thing in the world. At the end of the song he goes to commit suicide by drowning in a river but then stops himself at the last minute, “before my lungs could get wet.” He reiterates that he misses his sister, and that sometimes he gets jealous of all her little pets. <br /><br />3. Woody Guthrie, “At My Window Sad and Lonely.” The archetypical ode to a lost lover who’s moved away, gorgeously sung by Wilco on the first Mermaid Avenue album. Leave it Woody Guthrie to capture the universal feelings of heartbreak with such poetic simplicity: “At my window sad and lonely/Oft times do I think of thee/Sad and lonely and I wonder/Do you still think of me?” So complete and self-explanatory, in fact, that I’m not going to say anything more about it. <br /><br />2. Led Zeppelin, “Tea for One.” The best song on the worst Zeppelin album, “Tea for One” doesn’t offer much lyrically, but it does feature nine and a half minutes of Jimmy Page’s most intense blues guitar riffs. Page’s guitar sounds like someone in a prolonged fit of crying, first slow and moaning, then hysterical, manic, and uncontrollable, then slow and moaning once again. While the song stretches on and on and on, Robert Plant keeps repeating the same question, “How come twenty four hours sometimes seem to slip into days? One minute seems like a lifetime, baby, when I feel this way.” <br /><br />1. Wilco, “The Lonely 1.” Well I guess Jeff Tweedy must know something about loneliness, because Wilco is the only band to make this list twice, and that doesn’t count the Woody Guthrie song they’ve also covered. In fact, as a song about the loneliness of a rock star as seen by one of his devoted fans, this one could be about Tweedy himself. A lovely song with a haunting steel guitar and violin, “The Lonely 1” paints the picture of a musician in the spotlight he’s always dreamed of inhabiting, arms outstretched for his autograph as he heads backstage after the show. In an image that I think it says it all, he stands “alone in the halo’s haze.” Oh the great numbers of people who have spent their lives chasing fame to heal the hole in their hearts, and the much smaller numbers who have achieved that fame only to find standing alone in the spotlight and the haze of a smoke machine. The fan is alone too—he or she comes home, finds no messages on the phone (ah the good old days when you had to go home to check your phone messages), and then plays the ones from yesterday just to hear something from someone, I suppose. The fan turns on the stereo and there’s the rock star whining about the fact that they’re lonely, even though every one wants an autograph or a picture with them. Kind of makes rock stars seem like assholes, doesn’t it? I mean the fan would do anything for the rock star and defends everything he does: “when the critics pan, I write in your defense.” But then maybe the fan has the luxury of being able to live vicariously through someone else, while the rock star who’s made it to the top realizes there’s no one except him standing up there, alone and now totally distant from us ordinary folk. <br /><br />Honorable mention: Three Dog Night, “One.” Come on, you know you know it, so sing along with me now: “One is loneliest number that you’ll ever do. One is the loneliest…”Max the Marxisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03385872869229987931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2059047623549572860.post-38822758273366266702010-08-07T11:15:00.000-07:002010-08-07T11:17:46.347-07:00Fantasy Baseball Wrap-Up, 2009I wake up on the morning of Sunday, October 4 tied for first. It’s the final day of the 2009 Major League Baseball season. Kish and I have been involved in an epic battle for most of the year, the tightest race for first place in the 19 year history of the Northern California Malt Liquor League. And so it all comes down to one final day in which statistics will be counted toward our tooth-and-nail fight for rotisserie baseball supremacy. I’ve won an unprecedented 3 consecutive NCMLL championships, and so 2009 was my campaign of “Moore for Four,” but Kish has a great team and he’s been ahead for most of the year. On final day of the season, however, I’ve pulled even with him at 85 points apiece, and I’m certain he’s having nightmarish flashbacks to the previous year, when he was winning until I surged ahead on the strength of a huge September to pull off a decisive victory. <br /><br />It all started back on April 11 with the 12 of us NCMLL owners gathered together for our annual draft day, this time in a rental cabin in Lake Tahoe. Sometime shortly after the crack of dawn on that Saturday, coffee is brewed, doughnuts are scarfed, and there is a chorus of cracking beer bottles (though not by me, for this is my first sober draft day) in excited anticipation of a day that is a lot like Christmas morning for fantasy baseball geeks. I, for one, am hoping to find a shiny new Albert Pujols under my tree (Albert Pujols, if you don’t know, is quite the statistical action figure, like the Boba Fett of HRs, RBI, and BA). But before any of that happens, we must engage in the torturous and seemingly interminable process of crossing off the names of players who have already been taken from the draft sheets that Bob so meticulously prepares for us every year. Bob also needs to set up the projector and mount the screen that will allow us to examine the stats of the player currently being auctioned along with other key information, like how much money each owner has spent and how many positions they have left to fill. Inevitably there will be some sort of technological problem with the projector, and Gary, or Lance, or both Gary and Lance, will launch into some tirade about how that damn projector is the worst thing to happen in the entire history of the league and is leading to its immanent doom and demise. Meanwhile, laptops have been fired up around the rest of the room, though I maintain a John Henry-ish arrogance that I don’t need no stinking machine or even Bob’s sheets because I can compete—no, dominate, actually—based purely on what’s in my head. I am wondering if sobriety will give me any sort of competitive advantage or may actually present a disadvantage, because I typically draft my team while drunk as a skunk as well as hungover from the night before. The projector is finally working, and the draft begins with the drinking of ceremonial cups of Old English malt liquor, which I am happy to be missing out on for once. I am aggressive from the get-go and nab Albert Pujols for a cool $50. It’s gonna be a good year. <br /><br />Fast forward to October 4. There are several categories that need to be continuously monitored today. I am 9 RBI and 3 SB behind Kish. If I can pass him in either category, it’s a 2 point swing, but even if I just tie him it’s a 1 point swing. However, this is unlikely as 9 RBI and 3 SB is a lot for just one day. On the other hand, Bob’s Boils have gone a homerun-hitting spree this week, and now he’s 1 HR behind me and 1 HR ahead of Kish, meaning that I will lose a half point if Bob hits 1 more HR than I do today and lose a full point if Bob hits 2 more HR, and conversely Kish will gain a half point if he hits 1 more HR than Bob and a full point if he hits 2 more HR, AND since he’s only 2 HR behind me Kish could easily tie or pass me, resulting in a multi-point swing. Trust me, it’s all very dramatic, BUT THERE’S EVEN MORE, because Brad’s team has only pitched 988 innings, and our league rule says that you must pass 1000 innings otherwise you are dropped to the bottom of the standings in ERA and WHIP, and right now Brad is ahead of me but not Kish in ERA, meaning that if he doesn’t get his 1000 innings than I get an extra point in ERA. Twelve innings is a sizable amount when you don’t have 1000 for the whole season, but on this day Brad will have Tim Hudson and Ryan Dempster taking the mound. If they get hit hard there’s a chance I could pass Brad in ERA anyway, because his is only slightly better than mine to begin with, but they’re both pretty good pitchers so this is unlikely to happen. In short, not only do I need to watch my team today, I’ll need to keep my eyes glued to Kish’s team to see how many homeruns he hits, bases he steals, and runs he drives in, Bob’s team to see how many homeruns he hits, and Brad’s team to see how many innings he pitches. Oh, and one more thing: Tim’s team is just 1 pitching win behind me, so even though he doesn’t have anyone starting today I’m going to need to monitor his bullpen to make sure none of them vultures a win. <br /><br />One fact you need to keep in mind about “real” baseball is that while the fate of our league hangs in the balance, this is the single least important day of the regular baseball season. All the major league teams have either been eliminated from the division and wild-card races for some time or are gearing up for the playoffs in the following week. So as I frantically flip from game to game on the MLB network, all the players seem to be lounging the dugout, chewing tobacco, scratching their nuts, looking hungover, and probably talking about where they’re going to go hunting and fishing during the off-season. COME ON PEOPLE, DON’T YOU KNOW WHAT’S AT STAKE HERE? However, in some respects this is working in my favor, as one of Kish’s best players and top homerun hitters, Troy Tulowitzki, will be rested today because the Colorado Rockies have already earned a place in the postseason. I can breathe a short sigh of relief because my third baseman, Edwin Encarnacion, has just launched a homerun in one of the early games being played on the east coast, thus providing me with a little more breathing room in that category. Unfortunately it looks like Tim Hudson and Ryan Dempster are going to pitch the standard 6 innings apiece, pushing Brad right up to the 1000 mark. <br /><br />In the end, we finished just as we had started the day—tied. Riddled with anxiety, I waited until the last out, afraid that the likes of Martin Prado or Jody Gerut might pop an unexpected homerun or that Troy Tulowitzki would be summoned off the Rockies’ bench to pinch-hit like Robert Redford in a fantasy baseball version of “The Natural.” None of that came to pass, as Bob finished with 228 homeruns, Kish with 227. Although 85 points is quite a lot in our league, I can’t really say it was one of my better teams. Sure, Pujols had a monster year with a .328 BA, 47 HR, 135 RBI, and 16 SB. I almost feel guilty about the 16 SB, which is a lot more than most sluggers get. It’s kind of like having a really hot girlfriend who also happens to be bisexual and really into threesomes. No one should be that lucky. Ryan Braun also had a great year as the Robin to Pujols’ Batman, finishing at .320, 32 HR, 114 RBI, and 20 SB. This was my last year with Braun, who I drafted in the reserves when he was still a minor leaguer at the beginning of the 2007 season, and whom I had kept an eye on ever since he was drafted fourth overall out of the University of Miami. The total production of Braun’s 3 years with me: .308, 103 HR, 317 RBI, 49 SB. How much did I pay for that? A total of $18 including the reserve pick, or $1 less than what Gary paid for Christian Guzman this year. <br /><br />The fact that I got 40 pitching points, on the other hand, is nothing short of miraculous. Somehow I led the league with 90 wins despite the fact that my ace Jake Peavy, who I shelled out $39 for, missed half the season due to injury, leaving me with Javier Vazquez and Colorado Rockies re-tread Jorge de la Rosa as my winningest pitchers. Jonathan Broxton had a solid year as the Dodgers’ closer, and Kevin Gregg’s whiteness ensured that Lou Piniella went to him rather than Carlos Marmol in the 9th inning for most of the year, despite a 4.72 ERA. Clayton Kershaw turned in a decent year, Johnny Cueto was good until the all-star break, and Franklin Morales saved some games down the stretch. Beyond that, there was nothing but filler: Bob Howry, Aaron Heilman, James McDonald, Yusmeiro Petit, Scott Eyre, Freddy Garcia, Bobby Parnell, Pedro Feliciano, Tim Stauffer….One of the season’s biggest disappointments was watching rookie Jordan Zimmermann go down with an injury that will keep him out for most of next year after he started out looking like a keeper. <br /><br />As far as my hitting, when you look around the rest of the infield you see a lot of disappointments, busts, and sub-par performances. If any one of these guys had put up just a fraction of the numbers they posted in previous seasons, I would have won easily. Second baseman Rickie Weeks looked like he was finally on the way to fulfilling his enormous potential when he suffered a broken hand in May and missed the rest of the year. I forked out $31 for shortstop Rafael Furcal with the idea that he, along with Weeks, would be my primary base stealer, but he turned in a thoroughly mediocre season that included a measly 12 SB. His heroic homerun on the final day of the season notwithstanding, third baseman Edwin Encarnacion was on the disabled list for much of the year and sucked ass when he wasn’t. I get manage to get some solid production from my low-priced alternatives, however. I was shocked to get Nick Johnson for $1 and even more shocked when he was healthy for almost an entire year after suffering an assortment of leg, thumb, knee, wrist, hand, cheek (yes, cheek), and back injuries in previous seasons. Luis Castillo turned in a solid .303 BA and 20 SB for $1. I got Everth Cabrera in the reserves and he picked up 24 SB in half a season with the Padres despite having never played above A ball before this year. Chad Tracy, Jeff Keppinger, and Ryan Roberts…not really worth discussing. In the outfield, Andre Ethier turned in 31 HR and 106 RBI and I’m pleased to say he’ll be returning to my squad next year for $15. Early season concerns about Josh Willingham’s playing time allowed to him slip into the reserves, where I picked him up and he delivered 24 HR. I had my sights set on Dexter Fowler beginning in spring training, and after picking him up for $3 he delivered 27 SB and displayed a little pop that should increase as he matures while playing in the league’s best hitter’s park. As for the rest of my outfield, Brandon Moss was a disappointment, Brett Carroll isn’t worth mentioning, and Austin Kearns is officially dead to me. Behind the plate, big fat Bengie Molina turned in a solid season but I paid a hefty price of $17 for it. The more disturbing case is Chris Snyder. In 2008, he hit 16 HR and 64 RBI for me despite missing part of the year with. . . ahem, a “testicular fracture.” How do you even fracture a testicle, much less hit 16 HR after doing it, much less PLAY A POSITION THAT REQUIRES YOU TO SQUAT WITH EVERY PITCH after FRACTURING A TESTICLE? Coming into this season, for all I knew, this guy was MADE OF TESTICLES. Impressed beyond belief, I signed him to a 2 year contract at a price of $8. What happened this year? He missed almost the whole year with an injury. What type of injury, you ask? He hurt his lower back, and now he has to have back surgery that he will probably hamper him next year as well. Dude, you played with a testicular fracture but a bad back is gonna sideline you for like two years? Finally, I must mention J.R. Towles. He spent almost the whole year in the minors, and then in September the Astros recalled him and gave him some regular at-bats as their catcher. Since Synder was injured I had to put him in, and he was absolutely killing me with a sub-.200 BA. But somehow, miraculously, in the last week of the season, Wednesday, September 30 to be exact, with only 6 HITS to his name for THE ENTIRE SEASON, J.R. Towles stood up and popped not one but TWO HOMERUNS, including one off the legendary Pedro Martinez. Without those 2 HR I would have finished in second, so thank you J.R. Towles, hopefully I’ll remember to give you an extra tip if you bag my groceries, deliver my pizza, or change my oil someday. <br /><br />The thing I’m probably most disappointed about from this year, however, is my choice of names. As part of my annual attempt to put a satirical slant on some current event, I went with The Fonzi Scheme in light of this year’s financial scandals. Unfortunately it’s just not in the same class as my previous teams like Spitzer Swallows, The Urge to Surge, The War on Christmas, The Caminiti Crackwhores, Condi's Cunthairs, and The Vatican Sodomizers. I vow to try harder next year. <br /><br />Let’s take a look at the other teams and how they fared: <br /><br />Kish (I Want Some Troubled Average Rejected Players [TARP]): Well-balanced and outstanding. Phenomenal years from Hanley Ramirez and Troy Tulowitzki along with solid contributions from Adam Dunn, Shane Victorino, and Jorge Cantu. The fucker outbid me for Justin Upton on draft day and he had breakout season, while I turned around and spent my money on the dreaded Austin Kearns. And who the hell knew Martin Prado could hit? The only true disappointment was one of my longtime prospects, Chris B. Young. Kish also put together one of the best pitching staffs in recent memory, headed up by Tim Lincecum, who he picked up in the reserves the same year I got Ryan Braun, and excellent years from Jair Jurrjens, Wandy Rodriguez, and even Ross Ohlendorf. Brian Wilson quit the Beach Boys, got a terrible haircut, found Jesus, and turned into a solid closer for the Giants. I hear Kish had the chance to trade his prized prospect Tommy Hanson for a solid closer in Francisco Cordero, and if he had pulled the trigger he would have won, but Hanson had a solid rookie season and looks like a great keeper for two years, so who’s to say? <br /><br />Tim (Kumar’s Suicide Trip to the White House): Kudos to the Lum Drum for working his way into a solid third place finish this year. Monster years from Prince Fielder and Mark Reynolds, the latter of which was a steal at $14. Miguel Tejada, Clint Barmes, and Ryan Theriot also made big contributions. If it hadn’t been for a major injury to Carlos Beltran he certainly would have topped 70 points. In terms of pitching, the Lum Drum has come a long way from 2006, when he set an unbreakable record for fewest saves with 0. This year he was tied with me for the most number of pitching points with 40 thanks to Chris Carpenter, Ted Lilly, and an early season trade for Joe Blanton. Trevor Hoffman just keeps getting people out and saving games despite the fact that he couldn’t throw his fastball through a plate of glass at his advanced age. Worst pick: $24 for the psychotic Milton Bradley. <br /><br />Matt (The Fancy Pageant Pseudo Authors, which was changed several times over the course of the season in keeping with Sarah Palin’s various exploits): Two years into our league, Matt has finished in fourth place both years, and that’s nothing to sneeze at. His offense was just mediocre, but with Andrew McCutcheon, Garrett Jones, and Jonny Gomes it’s looking like he’s got some solid low-budget keepers for next year. He also took an effective gamble by drafting Cliff Lee in the hopes that he’d be traded to the National League, which he was, and now in all likelihood he’s got him cheap for the next two years. J.A. Happ and Randy Wells also look like good keepers. I look for big things from Matt next year. Worst pick: re-signing Geovany Soto for $20. <br /><br />Brad (He Quit Me, formerly known as He Stimulate Me until Brad decided to quit, I guess): Good power numbers on offense led by Chase Utley and Derek Lee, but speed kills as Gary likes to say, and Brad finished in last place in stolen bases. Led the league in saves with a rejuvenated Rafael Soriano leading the way (it’s only fair that he FINALLY got something out of that two-year, $21 contract). But as the problems getting to 1000 innings attest, there just wasn’t nearly enough starting pitching there. In fact, Brad finished with a paltry 45 wins, 15 wins below the second-to-last place finisher. Worst pick: Fred Lewis for $19. Giant fan probably thought he was the second coming of Willie “E.T.” McGee. Paying $35 for Rich Harden to get worked on in the training room probably wasn’t a good idea either. <br /><br />Steve (Tent City Terrorists): One of these years Steve has got to make it back into the money so he can stop talking about his glory year of 1993, when Gregg Jeffries and a rookie named Mike Piazza powered him to his one and only championship. To be fair, this year’s team was decimated with injuries: $54 ended being wasted on Jose Reyes, Alfonso Soriano didn’t even earn half of his $46 salary, Johan Santana won 4 games after he traded for him and then was shut down for the rest of the season, Carlos Zambrano pitched more like Victor Zambrano, and then there was that whole thing where Man-Ram got suspended for 50 games and wasn’t the same afterwards. On the plus side, there is reason for hope next year. Roto stud Matt Kemp has one more year left on his $9 contract, as does Chad Billingsley for $7, and as long as Matt Holiday is still in the NL Steve can keep him for $6. Worst pick: you can’t really blame him for all the injuries to those other players, but Carlos Zambrano is just not a $37 pitcher. <br /><br />Raj (Somali Concussions, originally Somali Pirates): It seems like every year Raj makes some late season trades to rebuild for the following season, and then he finishes right around where he did this year, tied for 6th. His team was consistently below average in all respects this season. Jayson Werth had a great year, but David Wright must have gone off steroids or something because his power was totally M.I.A. I have nothing to say about his pitching. Once again, he’s looking good for next year, with Werth and Ryan Ludwick signed to low-cost contracts and the potential to go long-term on Ryan Franklin. Look for him to have 6th place all to himself next year. Worst pick: $21 for Jason Motte. He sure looked good in spring training. <br /><br />Lance (I can’t remember what his team was originally called, by the end of the year he was just listed as LP): It wasn’t pretty, but he still finished ahead of Bob and Gary. For some reason it seems appropriate that Lance wound up with Kung Fu Panda Pablo Sandoval. He also got an incredible 61 steals from Michael Bourn, and he assembled a decent pitching rotation with a strong year from Dan Haren and surprising contributions from Joel Pineiro and Jason Marquis. Unfortunately, things don’t look good coming into next year, as he will be saddled with one more year of ill-conceived long-term contracts with Redneck Aaron Rowand and Khalil “Friend of God” Greene. Worst pick: Brandon Webb got hurt in his first start of the season but Lance still shelled out $40 to get him, only to find the letters DL permanently attached to his name for the rest of the year. Paying $40 for Carlos Delgado’s 4 homeruns didn’t work out too well either. <br /><br />Bob (Bob’s Boils, of course): Even the statistical odds would suggest that Bob will get lucky and at least finish in the money one of these years. We’re still waiting for that to happen. Let’s skip what went right and go straight to what went wrong. Fourteen and a half pitching points, that’s went wrong. To accomplish that sort of thing you’re going to need 155 terrible innings from Chris Volstad to go with sub-par performances from Derek Lowe and Roy Oswalt. The Boils were actually an offensive force to be reckoned with thanks to Ryan Zimmerman, Joey Votto, and Dan Uggla. How’s it look for next year? Votto and Josh Johnson are a good foundation. Worst picks: $24 for a horrible year from Garrett Atkins, followed by $27 for a mediocre year from Corey Hart. <br /><br />Brian (Oops, I Lost Again): Not much went right with the exception of the prophetic team name. As you would expect, Ryan Howard turned in huge power numbers. Nyjer Morgan also became a big-time base thief, and Ubaldo Jimenez established himself as a solid starter. Unfortunately Brian didn’t have the roster depth to compensate for his many injuries to key players like Aramis Ramirez, Conor Jackson, and John Maine or sub-par performances from Cole Hamels and Brad Lidge. Worst pick: $25 for Conor Jackson wasn’t bad on draft day, but what happened to this guy? He contracted something called “Valley Fever”? Is that some sort of STD you get from a Valley Girl? Seriously, what the hell is that, and why did it keep him on the DL for the whole damn year? <br /><br />Gary (Deserving the Crappy Place in the Standings, can’t remember the original team name): First off all Gary gets a big demerit for being yet another owner to change his team name in the middle of the season. I am completely opposed to this new trend. The name is appropriate, however, insofar as Gary can’t really blame his poor finish on injuries in the same way that Steve or Brian can. His team was abysmal in every category except saves. Gary made a great number of trades and claims to be rebuilding for next year, so let’s see what he’s got. Offensively, Cody Ross will return for a cheap $9 after a very good season, and Carlos Gonzalez has turned into a nice player who can be kept for $6. I think it would be mistake to keep either Colby Rasmus or Cameron Maybin for $12, so hopefully their major league teams will start them in the minors, where they belong, so Gary can’t give in to his temptation to re-sign them. Pitching-wise, Carlos Marmol and Leo Nunez aren’t great but they’ll be worth resigning if they begin the year as closers. Due to a stunning inability to learn from his past mistakes, it’s a safe bet that if Gary resigned John Lannan for $6 this year, it probably means he’ll sign Zach Duke for $7 next year. And I’m certain that Homer Bailey and Mat Latos have already been guaranteed a place as long as they win spots in their rotations of their respective teams. In short, he’ll probably keep a lot of players, but things don’t look good. Worst pick: Russell Martin at $23 narrowly edges out the aforementioned Christian Guzman. <br /><br />Shawn (1000 Innings or Bust): By the time I finish writing this paragraph I will have given more thought to Shawn’s team than Shawn did all season. Lest you be fooled by the team name, Shawn was the only owner not to reach 1000 innings this year—again. What is likely to have been a Cy Young performance from Adam Wainwright has therefore gone to waste. Offensively, his team wasn’t bad, with Carlos Lee, Jimmy Rollins, Raul Ibanez, Lance Berkman, and even some surprising contributions from Juan Uribe and Seth Smith. With pitching, there was no full-time closer but he did corner the market on 40-something left-handers with the not-so-dynamic duo of Randy Johnson and Jaime Moyer. Worst pick: Garrett Anderson for $20? Kaz Matsui for $17? Dave Bush for $14? So many to choose from. <br /><br />Well, that’s that for 2009. Hope this helps you survive those cold, stat-less winter nights.Max the Marxisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03385872869229987931noreply@blogger.com0