Comments on: The Unbearable Whiteness of Being: Race as a Proxy in Cultural Criticism http://oystershells.wordpress.com/2007/10/31/the-unbearable-whiteness-of-being-race-as-a-proxy-in-cultural-criticism/ Just another WordPress.com weblog Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:32:42 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: The Rushmore Academy • The World of Wes Anderson » Darjeeling a Global Hit, and The Strife Aquatic http://oystershells.wordpress.com/2007/10/31/the-unbearable-whiteness-of-being-race-as-a-proxy-in-cultural-criticism/#comment-9 The Rushmore Academy • The World of Wes Anderson » Darjeeling a Global Hit, and The Strife Aquatic Fri, 02 Nov 2007 17:08:12 +0000 http://oystershells.wordpress.com/2007/10/31/the-unbearable-whiteness-of-being-race-as-a-proxy-in-cultural-criticism/#comment-9 [...] strong, very academic defense of Wes on the racism charge: “The notion that art has to do, be, or reflect any one thing should be rightly understood as [...] [...] strong, very academic defense of Wes on the racism charge: “The notion that art has to do, be, or reflect any one thing should be rightly understood as [...]

]]> By: oystershells http://oystershells.wordpress.com/2007/10/31/the-unbearable-whiteness-of-being-race-as-a-proxy-in-cultural-criticism/#comment-7 oystershells Fri, 02 Nov 2007 02:06:32 +0000 http://oystershells.wordpress.com/2007/10/31/the-unbearable-whiteness-of-being-race-as-a-proxy-in-cultural-criticism/#comment-7 Carter, I do nahyamean. Glad you liked the piece and also glad that our spat over the BD review isnt a symptom of splintering worldviews! Yes, class is way more productive than race in this instance. Which is not imply that race is an unimporatant factor in things, but its invokation here was way off the mark and masking other things. As you and I have talked about a few times, Anderson is what he is: very good at what he does but not in the ballpark of Godard. That said, I think any real backlash must come from those living in a bubble where good films see significant commercial release. thanks for reading! bk Carter,
I do nahyamean. Glad you liked the piece and also glad that our spat over the BD review isnt a symptom of splintering worldviews! Yes, class is way more productive than race in this instance. Which is not imply that race is an unimporatant factor in things, but its invokation here was way off the mark and masking other things.

As you and I have talked about a few times, Anderson is what he is: very good at what he does but not in the ballpark of Godard. That said, I think any real backlash must come from those living in a bubble where good films see significant commercial release.

thanks for reading!

bk

]]> By: Eric Graf http://oystershells.wordpress.com/2007/10/31/the-unbearable-whiteness-of-being-race-as-a-proxy-in-cultural-criticism/#comment-6 Eric Graf Thu, 01 Nov 2007 16:46:10 +0000 http://oystershells.wordpress.com/2007/10/31/the-unbearable-whiteness-of-being-race-as-a-proxy-in-cultural-criticism/#comment-6 this piece was way too white. love, eric this piece was way too white.

love,
eric

]]> By: carter http://oystershells.wordpress.com/2007/10/31/the-unbearable-whiteness-of-being-race-as-a-proxy-in-cultural-criticism/#comment-5 carter Wed, 31 Oct 2007 23:46:00 +0000 http://oystershells.wordpress.com/2007/10/31/the-unbearable-whiteness-of-being-race-as-a-proxy-in-cultural-criticism/#comment-5 i really like this piece a lot, bk. i haven't been wild about anderson's films since Royal Tenenbaums, but the criticism that he is too white is ridiculous. i see no way that race has anything to do with a work of art. i think if you are going to look at his work with one of ole' trustworthy lenses, then class would be much more interesting. anderson's films have become less interesting as he has had access to more money and -- by extension -- the means to play up cinematographic qualities while rehashing similar themes over and over again and minimilizing his plots to nothing. that being said, people involved in that sort of backlash might also want to take note that auteurs have always been important in film. while i find someone like godard much more interesting (and original) than anderson, he is also defined by cycles of films with similar themes and stylistic traits. the only negative i see with anderson as an auteur is that he reappropriates past auteurs too openly without responding to their material enough. i guess to me it's not chuck d rapping over a james brown sample, it's paul wall rapping over a public enemy beat, nahmean? i really like this piece a lot, bk.

i haven’t been wild about anderson’s films since Royal Tenenbaums, but the criticism that he is too white is ridiculous. i see no way that race has anything to do with a work of art. i think if you are going to look at his work with one of ole’ trustworthy lenses, then class would be much more interesting. anderson’s films have become less interesting as he has had access to more money and — by extension — the means to play up cinematographic qualities while rehashing similar themes over and over again and minimilizing his plots to nothing.

that being said, people involved in that sort of backlash might also want to take note that auteurs have always been important in film. while i find someone like godard much more interesting (and original) than anderson, he is also defined by cycles of films with similar themes and stylistic traits. the only negative i see with anderson as an auteur is that he reappropriates past auteurs too openly without responding to their material enough. i guess to me it’s not chuck d rapping over a james brown sample, it’s paul wall rapping over a public enemy beat, nahmean?

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