Scheduled for 1pm Thursday 13 March (week 6) in my office again. Precise topic to emerge from this weblog - watch this space and get blogging!
Also think about your choice of topic for the presentation element of the module, to take place after Easter.
JD
Friday, 29 February 2008
Progress Report: Second/Third Meetings
Interesting discussion on 28 Feb. meeting re: the 'Mapping Stupidity' article. We considered how the stupidity/intelligence binary configures various relationships touched on in the article, especially the valency of the North/Southern USA, via such examples as Sweet Home Alabama and 'My Name is Earl,' as well as the Bush/Clinton/Forrest Gump paradigms. We also emphasised how for those with marginalised identities the strategy of 'playing stupid' is much more problematic. From there, we considered what was at stake in validations of Barack Obama's inexperience (notably by Robert de Niro) and in antifeminist contructions of Hillary Clinton.
In terms of future work, we identified the following as interesting directions to follow:
1. The ideologies brought to bear in pro- and anti-Hillary Clinton discourses, especially but not only in terms of the experience/inexperience issue in the Obama/Clinton campaign.
2. The possibly different ways in which Hollywood 'stupid white male' films (Waynes World, Bill and Ted, American Pie, etc.) are viewed and reviewed in the UK as opposed to in the US. Do British viewers, for example, tend to see these films as evidence of a general US 'stupidity'?
Russell and Philippa agreed to investigate these respectively and post their findings. John could you either add a third interest, or contribute to these?
thanks
JD
In terms of future work, we identified the following as interesting directions to follow:
1. The ideologies brought to bear in pro- and anti-Hillary Clinton discourses, especially but not only in terms of the experience/inexperience issue in the Obama/Clinton campaign.
2. The possibly different ways in which Hollywood 'stupid white male' films (Waynes World, Bill and Ted, American Pie, etc.) are viewed and reviewed in the UK as opposed to in the US. Do British viewers, for example, tend to see these films as evidence of a general US 'stupidity'?
Russell and Philippa agreed to investigate these respectively and post their findings. John could you either add a third interest, or contribute to these?
thanks
JD
Wednesday, 27 February 2008
Reflections on Stupid White Men: Toward a political mapping of stupidity
This piece drew me to consider issues of power and identity.
-Where stupidity would normally be considered a negative identity, it is interesting to note that America has been able to powerfully reappropriate it, to give it an additional, more positive context- something that perhaps a more marginalised group would not be "permitted" to do.
Moreover it reveals a confidence in the use of this power.
-Clearly there are levels at which the guise of stupidity can and cannot be used, that it is employed domestically suggests that it is something that the American public genuinely responds to.
-The place of stupidity in creating a sense of redemption, reconciliation- simplicity at the base of therapuetic community, which America has historically and powerfully deployed as a response to trauma.
-Where stupidity would normally be considered a negative identity, it is interesting to note that America has been able to powerfully reappropriate it, to give it an additional, more positive context- something that perhaps a more marginalised group would not be "permitted" to do.
Moreover it reveals a confidence in the use of this power.
-Clearly there are levels at which the guise of stupidity can and cannot be used, that it is employed domestically suggests that it is something that the American public genuinely responds to.
-The place of stupidity in creating a sense of redemption, reconciliation- simplicity at the base of therapuetic community, which America has historically and powerfully deployed as a response to trauma.
Sunday, 24 February 2008
Last Meeting
The meeting we just had was a good one for a starting point for a module. Alot of interesting points came up such as George Bush and Television. These will be interesting topics to study throughout the semester.Although myself, I am more interested in the sporting side of American culture this can still be adapted in this module via David Beckham.Overall a good meeting with some topics that interest me.
Response to 'Transnational American Studies'
-The “stupid white man” being seen as ‘rejuvenating conservative forms of straight white masculinity into the public sphere’ in the 1990s-2000s is what gives the ‘dumb’ view of America to other countries, especially those in Europe.
-I found interesting reading the idea of American stupidity vs. English intelligence, and how the two world leaders were viewed differently over the same subject of the war in Iraq. ‘Bush is an idiot, but what is Blair’s excuse?’ is a quote that struck me because although it is clear that both leaders were untruthful, they were treated in different ways because of how they addressed their nations, with Blair being more resented because of being ‘intelligent’. Bush’s reputation was far less damaged by taking a moralistic ground.
-The way the article ends with ‘the consequences of stupidity, in the forms of misrecognition and failure to plan, can be catastrophic’, can relate to an article I found ‘Why Bush’s stupidity is a threat’ by Matthew Yglesias:
http://www.alternet.org/story/39770/
:“The real problem is that the risk of a wider regional war involving the United States remains. And if that risk becomes a reality, our country will be led into it by a president who doesn't seem to grasp what's happening.”
-The idea of the stupidity being hilarious…until something uncontrollable happens is further explored in this article, because Bush seems to not really know what is going on around him. It seems like this ‘desired presidential quality’ (quote from West Wing) of stupidity could cause major repercussions.
-Towards the end of the Transnational American Studies article is mentioned how the emergence of the ‘stupid white men’ came at a time when other identity movements were becoming stronger such as civil rights, gay and lesbian and femininity, so I would have liked to have read more about how this may have left white men looking for a new identity so that their power was not so under threat - the idea of the ‘crisis of white masculinity’. This is an area I would like to study further into, as I could relate it to my FYP as well, with the early 90s a time period I am looking at with gay identity in contemporary American film.
-I found interesting reading the idea of American stupidity vs. English intelligence, and how the two world leaders were viewed differently over the same subject of the war in Iraq. ‘Bush is an idiot, but what is Blair’s excuse?’ is a quote that struck me because although it is clear that both leaders were untruthful, they were treated in different ways because of how they addressed their nations, with Blair being more resented because of being ‘intelligent’. Bush’s reputation was far less damaged by taking a moralistic ground.
-The way the article ends with ‘the consequences of stupidity, in the forms of misrecognition and failure to plan, can be catastrophic’, can relate to an article I found ‘Why Bush’s stupidity is a threat’ by Matthew Yglesias:
http://www.alternet.org/story/39770/
:“The real problem is that the risk of a wider regional war involving the United States remains. And if that risk becomes a reality, our country will be led into it by a president who doesn't seem to grasp what's happening.”
-The idea of the stupidity being hilarious…until something uncontrollable happens is further explored in this article, because Bush seems to not really know what is going on around him. It seems like this ‘desired presidential quality’ (quote from West Wing) of stupidity could cause major repercussions.
-Towards the end of the Transnational American Studies article is mentioned how the emergence of the ‘stupid white men’ came at a time when other identity movements were becoming stronger such as civil rights, gay and lesbian and femininity, so I would have liked to have read more about how this may have left white men looking for a new identity so that their power was not so under threat - the idea of the ‘crisis of white masculinity’. This is an area I would like to study further into, as I could relate it to my FYP as well, with the early 90s a time period I am looking at with gay identity in contemporary American film.
Friday, 8 February 2008
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