mythology is closely connected to history, and history is closely connected to mythology, so i thought i would write about myths. when i studied them at a much younger age i didn't really pay mind to how much gravity they had, but now that i'm older i begin to see their value.
myth says that narcissus was a beautiful boy who, instead of loving someone, became enchanted with his own appearance. like the painting of dorian gray that oscar wilde wrote about centuries later, myth states that narcissus would stay young forever provided he didn't see his own reflection.
but the story doesn't end there.
there was a love in narcissus's life. the nymph echo fell in love with narcissus but he shunned her affections, causing her to retreat. now, when you call in a cave, you can hear echo calling back.
conclusion: love hurts, but you can't love yourself and yourself only.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
race for racism
it's always perpetually fascinating to me that racism is actually more evident in homogeneous groups rather than in heterogeneous ones. for example, the midwest is very white white white, something i'm not used to given that there's more "diversity" (i cringe at that term) back east. i had a friend say he experienced a similar reverse culture shock -- "there are three races where i'm from [he's from LA] but here there are two." and upon that, i had to educate a cyclops that his jocular anti-semitism wouldn't fly in my area, where every second friend is jewish. i also mentioned that my high school was 40% asian, and then i started wondering about all these poli-sci designations.
education seems obsessed with classifying, labeling, and distilling. did you know that the term hispanic didn't even exist until US government-mandated censuses came up with it? and the term latino emerged as a response to the government-mandated label. so, along those lines, calling an argentinian who lives in argentina "latino" would be nonsensical -- it's a US-centric term. the government census initially classified people based on last names, then based on mother-tongue. but what about all those mexican-americans living in tejas, new mexico, nevada? the border literally crossed them early on in american history, so what category were they supposed to place themselves? this is where the chicano movement of the '60s came into play; latinos self-appropriated the term "latino" (instead of hispanic) because their existence in the americas was/is bizarre: an existence of colonization, racism, ethnicity.
the term "hispanic" refers to españa -- that glorious mother country that every "latino" from santo domingo to puerto rico purportedly strives toward. but where to place people from belize or haiti (which shares the island of hispaniola with the dominican republic) or even brazil? people speak portuguese in brazil, french-creole in haiti, english in belize. are they latino or hispanic when they come to the united states? if so, why? perhaps the question isn't so much why but how: do we continuously see civilization itself as something that always must hark back to europe? do we erase "indian" or "native" history in the process? ask a latino, because this russian has only un pocito español to answer these latino preguntas.
education seems obsessed with classifying, labeling, and distilling. did you know that the term hispanic didn't even exist until US government-mandated censuses came up with it? and the term latino emerged as a response to the government-mandated label. so, along those lines, calling an argentinian who lives in argentina "latino" would be nonsensical -- it's a US-centric term. the government census initially classified people based on last names, then based on mother-tongue. but what about all those mexican-americans living in tejas, new mexico, nevada? the border literally crossed them early on in american history, so what category were they supposed to place themselves? this is where the chicano movement of the '60s came into play; latinos self-appropriated the term "latino" (instead of hispanic) because their existence in the americas was/is bizarre: an existence of colonization, racism, ethnicity.
the term "hispanic" refers to españa -- that glorious mother country that every "latino" from santo domingo to puerto rico purportedly strives toward. but where to place people from belize or haiti (which shares the island of hispaniola with the dominican republic) or even brazil? people speak portuguese in brazil, french-creole in haiti, english in belize. are they latino or hispanic when they come to the united states? if so, why? perhaps the question isn't so much why but how: do we continuously see civilization itself as something that always must hark back to europe? do we erase "indian" or "native" history in the process? ask a latino, because this russian has only un pocito español to answer these latino preguntas.
Monday, January 12, 2009
"natural" means shit
companies have been dying to show their consumers that they're "green" lately. apparently, green is the new black. every company from starbucks to walmart wants to brag about how "sustainable," "green," and "all natural" it is. hey, with the economy in this state, they gotta peddle something besides lies.
here's an unhappy little dose of reality, folks: the term natural don't mean shit. don't believe me? let's think of the reciprocal for a second. what is the inverse of natural? i guess artificial. what exactly is artificial on this earth? i guess plastic and partially-hydrogenated oils and diamond rings made out of old pets. but economy is weird; companies know that in this neo-treehugger world, everyone wants to do their part and be green through buying power. so they tout how natural they are.
the sad part about this great capitalistic country of ours is that companies reign supreme; they'll spend thousands on ad campaigns after they've donated a fraction of that to charity. it's sort of like that exercise to test true philanthropy -- would you donate a huge sum of money to something anonymously? if not, you're a douchebag. but i'm not really surprised that corporations and trusts and companies are douchebags: part of capitalism is sleaziness.
in the 20s and 30s, when consumerism in the way we know it now was on the rise, "planned obsolescence" was the premiere marketing strategy. what does it mean? it means that to hide the true cost (or lack thereof) of a product's value, companies purposefully design products that are meant to be in a landfill. so you buy a new product, planning the obsolescence of what you buy from the start. pragmatic example: think of all the shit college kids buy and then throw out after the semester is done, only to re-purchase the same exact plastic junk three months later -- when another semester begins. plastic mops, buckets, dishes -- nearly everything in the current market is designed under the pretext of planned obsolescence.
what does that mean for the environment? bad results, people. the world is dying precisely because of predatory capitalism. my biology textbook says that 1/4th to half of ALL biodiversity will die in the next fifty years. you know what this means? this means benevolent plants in the rainforest won't be discovered, it means polar bears and panda bears and all sorts of insects will share the same fate as the dodo bird, and it means more sickness for your children and their children. why? because all the stuff we have has literally dug us an early grave.
you can't be in the red forever, especially when it comes to biology. so be an economist when you move: analyze your needs and wants. and if this means saving a mop so you don't re-buy one in another three months, so be it.
ps. "organic" means government regulation. "natural" means shit. buy organic, and buy local. or, better yet, start a compost heap and grow your own garden. just know what's in that soil before you do.
here's an unhappy little dose of reality, folks: the term natural don't mean shit. don't believe me? let's think of the reciprocal for a second. what is the inverse of natural? i guess artificial. what exactly is artificial on this earth? i guess plastic and partially-hydrogenated oils and diamond rings made out of old pets. but economy is weird; companies know that in this neo-treehugger world, everyone wants to do their part and be green through buying power. so they tout how natural they are.
the sad part about this great capitalistic country of ours is that companies reign supreme; they'll spend thousands on ad campaigns after they've donated a fraction of that to charity. it's sort of like that exercise to test true philanthropy -- would you donate a huge sum of money to something anonymously? if not, you're a douchebag. but i'm not really surprised that corporations and trusts and companies are douchebags: part of capitalism is sleaziness.
in the 20s and 30s, when consumerism in the way we know it now was on the rise, "planned obsolescence" was the premiere marketing strategy. what does it mean? it means that to hide the true cost (or lack thereof) of a product's value, companies purposefully design products that are meant to be in a landfill. so you buy a new product, planning the obsolescence of what you buy from the start. pragmatic example: think of all the shit college kids buy and then throw out after the semester is done, only to re-purchase the same exact plastic junk three months later -- when another semester begins. plastic mops, buckets, dishes -- nearly everything in the current market is designed under the pretext of planned obsolescence.
what does that mean for the environment? bad results, people. the world is dying precisely because of predatory capitalism. my biology textbook says that 1/4th to half of ALL biodiversity will die in the next fifty years. you know what this means? this means benevolent plants in the rainforest won't be discovered, it means polar bears and panda bears and all sorts of insects will share the same fate as the dodo bird, and it means more sickness for your children and their children. why? because all the stuff we have has literally dug us an early grave.
you can't be in the red forever, especially when it comes to biology. so be an economist when you move: analyze your needs and wants. and if this means saving a mop so you don't re-buy one in another three months, so be it.
ps. "organic" means government regulation. "natural" means shit. buy organic, and buy local. or, better yet, start a compost heap and grow your own garden. just know what's in that soil before you do.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
men's rights/whoaman
there's been this nascent trend of men's rights popping up in various internets, which, as a gender theorist, i find wholly fascinating. the assumption behind men's rights advocacy is that feminism has reached its (legal?) peak, and now men are systematically disadvantaged, in the same way that women and non-whites were disadvantaged in centuries past.
i find the thesis statement of "we're now equal" to be wholly laughable. we're legally equal -- congratulations, women! all that sexism you encounter daily? it don't happen! tout your legal equality, girls, just not around men. you ain't no holler back statute girl, miss stefani!
my desire to see things aesthetically makes me analyze this men's rights trend. let's review some basic history: in the '40s, husbands and boyfriends are fighting that big war over in yoo-rope, so women take to the factories. "we can do it!" says rosie the riveter with her soviet aesthetic (hair in a no-muss/no-fuss kerchief, arm in a fist, only her eyelashes betraying her role as man). in the '40s, few women have the time (or a desire) to look attractive. '50s: we won! the allied army won! or something. anyway, women: have lots of babies! be domestic! keep poppin' them out! hooray america! here is where you see the vestige of pin-up girls explode; war-time ladies suddenly can put on weight and lordy lord does marilyn monroe look good with some meat on her swagger. i don't think you're ready for her jelly, '50s boys.
'60s. here's where things get really screwy. cultural revolution. women's movement. african american movement (black panthers, malcom X). latino movement (chicanos and the brown berets). hippies (think of the word itself: hippies) promote, alongside many, many other things an androgynous, lean aesthetic. hair is long on both sexes. bell-bottomed jeans balance out girls' curves. women don't want to wear stuffy crinoline -- that's much too bourgeois and hoary of an action; something useless when a war is going on in foreign lands. and the top model at the time? twiggy. twiggy is both new york city and london; she is mod (modern) clothes and androgyne to the maxxx. but skinny. super, super almost-emaciated skinny. running thesis here, people? the more women are empowered politically, the more they're gonna lose weight visually. don't believe me? let's continue.
'80s. oh, the go-go '80s! this is where businesses and technology start a-playin' in a huge way. bizniss, angular culture. no (giant) war to worry about, so the fashion gets insane. women wear shoulder pads (what do you think this signifies?), shorn hair, ridiculous earrings. they take the '77 punk thing and RUN. they can be men. they can be women. they can be either/or. the performance art of grace jones. punk kids on the streets. lots of earrings. but skinny. keep the models skinny skinny skinny to the point where heroin chic overflows into the early '90s. aesthetic and posturing is what the '80s is about.
where are we now? we're in a bizarre state. porn culture screws with us; plastic surgery is on the rise both in the states and south korea; we don't know what we want from women. so los angeles becomes schizophrenic: waists are tiny but big fake boobs reign supreme. faces are childish (big eyes/lotsa mascara) but the lips are inflated. curvy but artificial. what do we want from women? what do women want? boys don't know. but boys are buying women's pants with some frequency, looking almost neoclassical in their emo pursuits. where do we go from here?
(thanks to survival of the prettiest by nancy etcoff for some of these frameworks.)
i find the thesis statement of "we're now equal" to be wholly laughable. we're legally equal -- congratulations, women! all that sexism you encounter daily? it don't happen! tout your legal equality, girls, just not around men. you ain't no holler back statute girl, miss stefani!
my desire to see things aesthetically makes me analyze this men's rights trend. let's review some basic history: in the '40s, husbands and boyfriends are fighting that big war over in yoo-rope, so women take to the factories. "we can do it!" says rosie the riveter with her soviet aesthetic (hair in a no-muss/no-fuss kerchief, arm in a fist, only her eyelashes betraying her role as man). in the '40s, few women have the time (or a desire) to look attractive. '50s: we won! the allied army won! or something. anyway, women: have lots of babies! be domestic! keep poppin' them out! hooray america! here is where you see the vestige of pin-up girls explode; war-time ladies suddenly can put on weight and lordy lord does marilyn monroe look good with some meat on her swagger. i don't think you're ready for her jelly, '50s boys.
'60s. here's where things get really screwy. cultural revolution. women's movement. african american movement (black panthers, malcom X). latino movement (chicanos and the brown berets). hippies (think of the word itself: hippies) promote, alongside many, many other things an androgynous, lean aesthetic. hair is long on both sexes. bell-bottomed jeans balance out girls' curves. women don't want to wear stuffy crinoline -- that's much too bourgeois and hoary of an action; something useless when a war is going on in foreign lands. and the top model at the time? twiggy. twiggy is both new york city and london; she is mod (modern) clothes and androgyne to the maxxx. but skinny. super, super almost-emaciated skinny. running thesis here, people? the more women are empowered politically, the more they're gonna lose weight visually. don't believe me? let's continue.
'80s. oh, the go-go '80s! this is where businesses and technology start a-playin' in a huge way. bizniss, angular culture. no (giant) war to worry about, so the fashion gets insane. women wear shoulder pads (what do you think this signifies?), shorn hair, ridiculous earrings. they take the '77 punk thing and RUN. they can be men. they can be women. they can be either/or. the performance art of grace jones. punk kids on the streets. lots of earrings. but skinny. keep the models skinny skinny skinny to the point where heroin chic overflows into the early '90s. aesthetic and posturing is what the '80s is about.
where are we now? we're in a bizarre state. porn culture screws with us; plastic surgery is on the rise both in the states and south korea; we don't know what we want from women. so los angeles becomes schizophrenic: waists are tiny but big fake boobs reign supreme. faces are childish (big eyes/lotsa mascara) but the lips are inflated. curvy but artificial. what do we want from women? what do women want? boys don't know. but boys are buying women's pants with some frequency, looking almost neoclassical in their emo pursuits. where do we go from here?
(thanks to survival of the prettiest by nancy etcoff for some of these frameworks.)
Thursday, January 8, 2009
bake on/herstory
americans are obsessed with bacon. it's the new trend. bacon everything. bacon mints. bacon salt. bacon pennant. bacon bandages. bacon wallet. gummy bacon.
remember ninjas around '04? that whole thing? no longer. now it's bacon and the bacon is here to stay.
why bacon? oh, why not bacon, i reply! we've been taught to ingest, consume, eat eat eat when things are bad. starving is what those africans do! "ethiopian cousine -- isn't that a contradiction? har har har." open your mouth, good american, and take in a delicious dose of meat.
but what if i'm not hungry? well, the pig's dead anyway, so eat it. no matter that it's a sentient (if not sapient) creature whose life as a factory farm food product has been so nauseating you yourself wouldn't want to live in it. no matter that the sow's waste is littering your streams to the point that you yourself get sick from the ultimate carcinogens and pollutants. no matter that the chains are cutting into the animal's flesh.
no matter. eat yr meat and watch yr porn like a good american. consume. CONSUME. it's what you've been put here to do. you know black friday? it's black not because of eyeliner hot topic gawthy shopping sprees but because you can't be in the red forever. you know, economics. around the holidays (holy days?), shop owners finally were cleared of their red and went into the black again. sell sell sell. buy buy buy. consume and grow fat.
it won't sting until someone takes a bite.
oh -- why vegan you ask? because it's vegetarian without the bullshit. veg-an. no bullshit. oh, excuse me -- pigshit.
we feed the sows and piglets fish and take our fish oil supplements. then we watch finding nemo and sigh.
too much, yo. this is a dying empire.
(also, i realize that posting about bacon and the environment while palestine/israel continue their fighting is myopic, but right now it's what's on my mind, and i'm in no position to show solidarity to anyone.)
remember ninjas around '04? that whole thing? no longer. now it's bacon and the bacon is here to stay.
why bacon? oh, why not bacon, i reply! we've been taught to ingest, consume, eat eat eat when things are bad. starving is what those africans do! "ethiopian cousine -- isn't that a contradiction? har har har." open your mouth, good american, and take in a delicious dose of meat.
but what if i'm not hungry? well, the pig's dead anyway, so eat it. no matter that it's a sentient (if not sapient) creature whose life as a factory farm food product has been so nauseating you yourself wouldn't want to live in it. no matter that the sow's waste is littering your streams to the point that you yourself get sick from the ultimate carcinogens and pollutants. no matter that the chains are cutting into the animal's flesh.
no matter. eat yr meat and watch yr porn like a good american. consume. CONSUME. it's what you've been put here to do. you know black friday? it's black not because of eyeliner hot topic gawthy shopping sprees but because you can't be in the red forever. you know, economics. around the holidays (holy days?), shop owners finally were cleared of their red and went into the black again. sell sell sell. buy buy buy. consume and grow fat.
it won't sting until someone takes a bite.
oh -- why vegan you ask? because it's vegetarian without the bullshit. veg-an. no bullshit. oh, excuse me -- pigshit.
we feed the sows and piglets fish and take our fish oil supplements. then we watch finding nemo and sigh.
too much, yo. this is a dying empire.
(also, i realize that posting about bacon and the environment while palestine/israel continue their fighting is myopic, but right now it's what's on my mind, and i'm in no position to show solidarity to anyone.)
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