I’ll be adding some reflections I have, potential investigations and discoveries, thoughts.

2nd of october

I had a politics of space class this morning where we shared what interests us about the notion and in the analysis, a student mentioned how women experience space and our prof Dr Eleanor Herring brought up the changes brought to these for increased safety, stating that Glasgow is classified as a female (or feminine or feminist, I don’t remember the exact term) city.

When I think of words like “female” I think of the written essay by Andrea Long Chu, on the culturally assigned value to the female. This book has been criticized for it’s radical views, as it offers a very raw perspective of the author’s views on gender politics, notably by her statement, as a trans woman, that the feminine is deemed as inferior and that No one wants to be female. I found it sometimes satirical and felt it wanted to be shocking, which, in all frankness, I do like shock value from time to time, and in this case I found it to be very pertinent.

1. Why I find shock value to be interesting: When I mean shock value, I mean a surprising element that is very in your face. In this case stating that no one wants to be female (as it’s deemed to be the inferior sex) is shocking, but as it’s written adopting a trans perspective, it is politically charged and relevant.
2. I might appreciate random shock value, but if it’s unnecessarily cruel or shocking without a trigger warning I don’t see any artistic value to it. I’m thinking of viral reels of people entering subways and public transportation spaces and blasting music that’s not “socially acceptable” (like techno on the 8am bus) or is suggestive (ex: moan noises played on a boombox in the subway). These, as a viewer that’s watching the situation unfold from the outside, are entertaining to me. But I do feel that, in a way, it’s exhibitionism disguised as art or public entertainment. At the same time, I do feel like Eric Andre’s sketches, where he plays characters that interact, most of the time, in indecent ways, with the public, are performance art in a way. My concern is, and maybe it is due to my “female” perspective (contestable), sensible and caring, that these actions are entertaining through a screen, therefore through digital space, which doesn’t exist in physicality, although it does as the action unfolds in public settings, therefore, without the consent of the audience, as they are simply commuting. However, acts like these interrupt the sometime mundane routines we have, so I welcome these, I just think that a limit should be drawn when spilling wet slippery liquids on the ground (Ex : the milkman sketch by Eric Andre) and loud noises, as it must be infuriating and disrespectful towards some people, for example with disabilities, or things such as sensitive hearing, PTSD, etc. 
3. That brings us to the case of how media, and our fast consumption of it, fuel our incessant need for “newness” and increasingly shocking content. Now, I want to state that, this statement may seem traditionalist in a way, so in this case, my point isn’t that media is poisonous to the morals of society (just like, the attitudes of parents, moreover suburban, concerning things like Elvis,  rock’n’roll on tv in the 50s, bands like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath on vinyl in the 70s and 80s in America), but I… (don’t want to be saying this but)… maaaaaybe it’s gone too far? Here’s why;
4. Ethics of intrusion : Content like Eric Andre or that reel I mentioned (I know using reels as sources might seem ”unacademic” but I am studying media and investigating it’s impacts, and I’m not going to compartementalise the reels I watch into categories parce que la y’a une osti de limite, therefore, trust my word when I say I watched a reel and try to describe it… You’ve probably seen similar content already. These actions, humorous more than artistic performances, normalise assault. Wow, Yaya that’s a little far fetched. Uhhhhhh – it isn’t because there are plenty of media creators that are polite in their approach of others, and, even if they might irritate certain groups of people, they are generally respectful and do their videos for, yes, entertainment value, but also to bring a sense of community that can translate through a screen, I’m thinking of Hanaé from Paris, also known as @hanaevly on instagram. She’s an influencer known for being sociable and talking to strangers, joking with with them and trying to make them smile. Anyways, I feel like to impose yourself on others in a space can be political, and has implications to power structures, in the latter case, by albeit her sympathetic approach but also her positionality, these actions mean a lot culturally, as she brings humanity and connection through humour. Now compared to the 2 other creators mentioned priors, they are, in a sense, capitalizing off others’ discomfort, as they use their extravagance and social or humour skills to make others uncomfortable (maybe in a goal of bringing social critique or absurdity in daily life). Being in a city, an urban environment, means private spaces are scarce and the subway is a place where people sometimes need to be just to get from point A to point B, compared to, perhaps a concert, where people choose to go in their free time.