Though we didn't have class at all this week, the readings for Wednesday 9/4 posed quite a few interesting questions. One of the topics with the most potential for discussion, for me, was the notion that post modernism's rise can be seen in two very different ways. On one hand, it can be viewed as rebellious, as a breakaway from censorship that previously was put in place by those in power. It gave a voice to minorities who in the past had been silenced, such as women, people of color, the LGBT community, etc. On the other hand, it can be argued that postmodernism used this separation from traditional power structures for personal profit, and didn't care so much about the opinions of minorities so much as the commodification of them.
In both a capitalist society and our current political structure, we encounter issues that deal with this same debate often. Is Nike really raising awareness for police brutality by giving Colin Kapernick his own line of clothing, or are they just trying to make a profit off of systematic oppression? Is Oreo really providing solidarity for the LGBT community by releasing special edition rainbow cookies, or are they trying to make a profit off of the fact that oppression can be so severe that LGBT people will take support wherever they can get it? And in our own personal lives, did we get into that argument on facebook because we really believe a cause is worth fighting for, or because being a political martyr is a way to gain attention?
I personally would like to believe that people have good intentions, but as both a CMC student and a citizen, I feel like it's my responsibility to be critical of systems that have proven themselves to be self-interested in the past. This comparison of the rise of postmodernism to current times helps me better understand where different scholars are coming from when they both support and critique postmodernism, as in moderns times just as it was during its birth, things are never black and white, and require critical analysis in order get closer to the truth.
In both a capitalist society and our current political structure, we encounter issues that deal with this same debate often. Is Nike really raising awareness for police brutality by giving Colin Kapernick his own line of clothing, or are they just trying to make a profit off of systematic oppression? Is Oreo really providing solidarity for the LGBT community by releasing special edition rainbow cookies, or are they trying to make a profit off of the fact that oppression can be so severe that LGBT people will take support wherever they can get it? And in our own personal lives, did we get into that argument on facebook because we really believe a cause is worth fighting for, or because being a political martyr is a way to gain attention?
I personally would like to believe that people have good intentions, but as both a CMC student and a citizen, I feel like it's my responsibility to be critical of systems that have proven themselves to be self-interested in the past. This comparison of the rise of postmodernism to current times helps me better understand where different scholars are coming from when they both support and critique postmodernism, as in moderns times just as it was during its birth, things are never black and white, and require critical analysis in order get closer to the truth.
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