On Thurday I'm gonna be on a panel moderated by Hal Niedzviecki, a man who's work I deeply respect, editor of the zine of zines, Broken Pencil. The topic of the panel is Hal's new book called Hello I'm Special: How Individuality Became the New Conformity. The book is about pop culture selling us on the idea that we should all be rock stars and seeding us with a deep craving and feeling of entitlement for our own celebrity status. But of course we're not all gonna be celebrities, and pop culture makes sure of that fact by keeping a monopolistic grip on the means of production of mainstream media. This creates disappointment and feelings of failure. Worse, rebellion is rendered meaningless, as rebelliousness itself is now a commodified style. The book raised some thoughts/responses for me:
- Celebrity is only a commodity when it is pursrued as an end in and of itself. Yes being cute and fuckable counts for too much in this world, but in fact, most forms of public recognition are actually the side effects of doing noteworthy work.
- Celebrity is a red-herring, a stand-in for meaning. Once we are fed, clothed and sheltered, looking for meaningful work is a top priority motivator. Recognition is a sign from the external world that we are doing something of value, but its the value we need, more than the accolades.
- Rebellion as a lifestyle choice deserves to be commodified! If you aren't bothered by anything in particular, why rebel? And if you are actually resisting something, who cares what you are wearing?
- Remember when Bank of Montreal bought "The Time's They Are A Changing" and tried to sell us financial services with ads of people holding up handwritten signs?...Remember when Billy Bragg reclaimed the song at a rally in Toronto during Days of Protest, belting it out over a tearful crowd who raised their voices with pride to sing along?...Anyone who's old enough to have been through their own pop sell-out dissillusion-and-reclamation experience, in short any who's lived through the past few decades of rising corporate culture...these people know that mass media will sell you your own soul, if you let it.
As a zine scene guru, Hal Niedzviecki spends a lot more time with teenagers than most people I know, and I suspect this book was written primarily for them. And it is an important cautionary tale: don't get all hyped up and buy into the wrong shit! Also, reading the book has caused a lot of good (heated) discussion in my household about the nature of culture and the meaning of art practice, the role of ambition, what is a rock star, really, and such. The book is definitely provocative, and the panel oughta be good. It is at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa, and consists of Hal as moderator, the venerated art critic John Bentley Mays, celebrity author Russell Smith, and little old me, with various small snippets of cultural output attached to my name. I dunno what I'm doing with this star-studded cast, but it should be fun. Click here for details.
Looks like a really interesting panel at the RMG, and as far as I am concerned your participation is a great reason to be there, but as you know, I will never be able to leave my house as long as I live (right now it feels like that)
It brought to mind a book I recently read by Alain de Botton called "Status Anxiety". He described a desire for status as a need to be loved by the world.
I suspect that a bald desire to be a celebrity is a bit more pathological, but it includes his definition. Celebrity is probably more about unconditional public love than any sort of respected participation in a culture.
My own soul? Cool! How much? Can I pay on installments?
Celebrity is such a weird concept. The art world has so few actual celebrities, (like maybe none), that it's easier for us to distain the process. It'd be strange to be a musician if you were cute and fuckable or if you weren't.
I just found out that one of my favorite Artists (Jim Campbell) lives a block a way and I'm kinda excited to meet him by accident on the street. I'll let you know about his fuckability.
If you do manage to have your way with him, do let us know how it went.
Howdy!
Are you familiar with The Rebel Sell by Joseph Heath and Andrew Potter?
It sounds like fun, sorry I won't be able to make it.
I have been hearing about the Rebel Sell but have not read it. Perhaps I will read it now. The panel was fun...a good discussion, at least from my perspective.
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On Thurday I'm gonna be on a panel moderated by Hal Niedzviecki, a man who's work I deeply respect, editor of the zine of zines, Broken Pencil. The topic of the panel is Hal's new book called Hello I'm Special: How Individuality Became the New Conformity. The book is about pop culture selling us on the idea that we should all be rock stars and seeding us with a deep craving and feeling of entitlement for our own celebrity status. But of course we're not all gonna be celebrities, and pop culture makes sure of that fact by keeping a monopolistic grip on the means of production of mainstream media. This creates disappointment and feelings of failure. Worse, rebellion is rendered meaningless, as rebelliousness itself is now a commodified style. The book raised some thoughts/responses for me:
- Celebrity is only a commodity when it is pursrued as an end in and of itself. Yes being cute and fuckable counts for too much in this world, but in fact, most forms of public recognition are actually the side effects of doing noteworthy work.
- Celebrity is a red-herring, a stand-in for meaning. Once we are fed, clothed and sheltered, looking for meaningful work is a top priority motivator. Recognition is a sign from the external world that we are doing something of value, but its the value we need, more than the accolades.
- Rebellion as a lifestyle choice deserves to be commodified! If you aren't bothered by anything in particular, why rebel? And if you are actually resisting something, who cares what you are wearing?
- Remember when Bank of Montreal bought "The Time's They Are A Changing" and tried to sell us financial services with ads of people holding up handwritten signs?...Remember when Billy Bragg reclaimed the song at a rally in Toronto during Days of Protest, belting it out over a tearful crowd who raised their voices with pride to sing along?...Anyone who's old enough to have been through their own pop sell-out dissillusion-and-reclamation experience, in short any who's lived through the past few decades of rising corporate culture...these people know that mass media will sell you your own soul, if you let it.
As a zine scene guru, Hal Niedzviecki spends a lot more time with teenagers than most people I know, and I suspect this book was written primarily for them. And it is an important cautionary tale: don't get all hyped up and buy into the wrong shit! Also, reading the book has caused a lot of good (heated) discussion in my household about the nature of culture and the meaning of art practice, the role of ambition, what is a rock star, really, and such. The book is definitely provocative, and the panel oughta be good. It is at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa, and consists of Hal as moderator, the venerated art critic John Bentley Mays, celebrity author Russell Smith, and little old me, with various small snippets of cultural output attached to my name. I dunno what I'm doing with this star-studded cast, but it should be fun. Click here for details.- sally mckay 1-26-2005 4:23 am
Looks like a really interesting panel at the RMG, and as far as I am concerned your participation is a great reason to be there, but as you know, I will never be able to leave my house as long as I live (right now it feels like that)
It brought to mind a book I recently read by Alain de Botton called "Status Anxiety". He described a desire for status as a need to be loved by the world.
I suspect that a bald desire to be a celebrity is a bit more pathological, but it includes his definition. Celebrity is probably more about unconditional public love than any sort of respected participation in a culture.
- L.M. 1-26-2005 4:46 am
My own soul? Cool! How much? Can I pay on installments?
Celebrity is such a weird concept. The art world has so few actual celebrities, (like maybe none), that it's easier for us to distain the process. It'd be strange to be a musician if you were cute and fuckable or if you weren't.
I just found out that one of my favorite Artists (Jim Campbell) lives a block a way and I'm kinda excited to meet him by accident on the street. I'll let you know about his fuckability.
- joester 1-26-2005 5:53 am
If you do manage to have your way with him, do let us know how it went.
- L.M. 1-26-2005 9:08 pm
Howdy!
Are you familiar with The Rebel Sell by Joseph Heath and Andrew Potter?
It sounds like fun, sorry I won't be able to make it.
- Zeke (guest) 1-26-2005 9:31 pm
I have been hearing about the Rebel Sell but have not read it. Perhaps I will read it now. The panel was fun...a good discussion, at least from my perspective.
- sally mckay 1-28-2005 6:52 pm