In popular culture, the Kenya Land and Freedom Army (Mau Mau) was transformed into a caricature. This documentary, which is fairly liberal in its political orientation, was considered too shocking to screen and was subsequently marketed as an exploitation film. Numerous racist tropes are in play in these lurid posters.
A still photo from Grand Hotel (1932). Joan Crawford plays Flämmchen and (a considerably older) John Barrymore as Gaigern. We’ll watch clips on Wednesday.
Some more images including a selfie.
Bertolt Brecht, “Hollywood Elegies”
I
The village of Hollywood was planned according to the notion
People in these parts have of heaven. In these parts
They have come to the conclusion that God
Requiring a heaven and a hell, didn’t need to
Plan two establishments but
Just the one: heaven. It
Serves the unprosperous, unsuccessful
As hell.
Drawings by Georg Grosz:
Georg Grosz’s painting Metropolis (1917): https://analepsis.org/2017/10/30/metropolis-425/
BFI’s montage of Weimar Cinema:
The Thomas Nast illustration referenced by Daniel Beard in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court:
Imperialism is hegemonic in the sense that the citizens of Empire are often shocked or angered by the assertion that they do, in fact, live in one– usually before they bother to define that term.
In honor of Fleet Week– which is clearly a symbol of American Empire– here are two speeches that have been supplemented with images.
First, a by-now viral video of Ellen.
I’d never heard of this next one until yesterday. I don’t know who originally made it.
Consider our discussions about hegemony and interpretation. What codes and values are invoked by these clips? How does form shape or undermine content? Do you live in an Empire? What evidence and arguments support your claim?
