Michelle Wang-Fiske and Jordan Blog

Omar’s Presentation:

I really enjoyed Omar’s presentation and it was very informative. I was able to relate to the Merchant of Cool documentary and watching that documentary was another great way to the connect to the course themes. It was great that Omar shared his experiences and connecting the Merchant of Cool to contemporary API issues.

Fiske: Shopping For Pleasure

In “Shopping For Pleasure” Fiske discusses that the “woman’s palace is in the mall” (267). The shopping mall is a place where women can break free from their domestic and housework jobs. It is a space for women to develop this sense of agency and resistance towards traditional roles in society. In addition, the mall is a place and represents as a stereotype where women can find empowerment and be able to set free from family gender roles. However, I believe that the mall is a place for all folks to be able to meet their needs and refers to the popular culture. It is important to know the stores nowadays focus on meeting the needs of the consumers and maximize their profits. The mall and fashion industry all refer back to the notions of maximizing profit among capitalist ventures. In addition, the mall exhibits specific sections to fit the needs of the consumers and is a place to continue to the expansion of popular culture and address that cultures are constantly changing.   

John Jordan- The Art of necessity: the subversive imagination of anti-road protest and reclaim the streets

In “The Art of necessity: the subversive imagination of anti-road protest and reclaim the streets” Jordan emphasizes that art is a tool used as expression towards resistance and is a powerful weapon used for the DIY protest movement (347). I believe that art is another powerful tool that can be used in movements besides spoken word. Most importantly, arts allows for the mass public to get involved and is a step with cultural resistance towards resisting the mainstream and anti-globalization  It used to depict of the narratives, scenes, and actions of a movement. In addition, this can also help break down cultural and political barriers with forming a mass movement and actions.  I can relate art to hip hop as both are tools used express an individual’s narratives and struggles. Art and hip hop are represented as powerful tools in expressing popular culture through producing messages in acts of resistance and revolutionary. Both art and hip hop have a huge weight in expressing messages just like spoken word.   

Question: Do you think that aesthetics and art are tools that can be used to address societal issues?