Punk Video

Unfortunately the projector was not working on Thursday, so we could not show the video we had planned to, but this is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzJfMdE6pII

It is from a documentary on punk cultures and music. Many aspects of our discussion on Thursday are shown in the clip I felt. The overall feeling of the shows and musicians clearly represents the origins of punk culture. The band was self-taught, energetic, loud, and often disruptive to dominant culture. The audience reflected all of this as well.

One interesting aspect connecting Tuesday's and Thursday's discussions, for me, was how subcultures are often formed because of rebellion to dominate, but, as we talked about on Thursday, subcultures can branch off, and sometimes this is because of a rebellion to parts of the subculture. To me, this indicates that rebellion and identification are the most important parts of forming subcultures, whether they are separating themselves from the dominant culture, or the subculture itself.

Dominant culture

Since I led class on Tuesday, I'll start off with some thoughts about the impact of the dominant culture on our everyday lives. How much does the culture affect you and those around you? We already started talking about how aspects of the dominant culture seem to breed resistance. That's one way subcultures form. Have you had any experience with resistance?

Alternate Ending

During class, it was mentioned that there was an alternate ending to the movie American History X in which Derek reverts back to his old ways. When I was watching the movie for the first time I actually was thinking that that would happen. This is partly because I knew how his brother died, and so I knew that a black gang type shot him. I could easily imagine the hatred and old stereotypes coming back for Derek. His father's murder was one of the major catalysts that caused Derek to join the skinhead movement (even though the seeds of racism were planted earlier) and the similar murder of his brother could have the same effect. Since I already knew the basic ending, my fear was just that Derek would be influenced by this one tragic act. Both endings seem very plausible to me.
I can imagine how powerful of a scene it would be, to see a silent Edward Norton shaving his head again, after all he had been through. It would not be totally unexpected, although it would have been heartbreaking.

Vulnerability

In our class discussion, we discussed the prevalent theme of vulnerability in women throughout the movie. Although it is obvious that the women were often subjected to male violence and aggressive behavior, I also believe that the men expressed vulnerability. Derek may have been strong and self-assured in his beliefs after his period in jail, but beforehand he was just a disillusioned youth coping with the death of his father. His racist thoughts were subtly embedded into his mind by his father, but after the tragedy, they truly began to formulate. He needed someone to blame, and Cameron saw this as his chance to capitalize on despair and turn it in glorified rampage and hatred. Cameron enticed Derek, promising a way to avenge his father and restore America to it's original grandeur. When faced with the situation of the black men on his property, he reacted in a way that can only be justified by pure disgust and enmity for another race. He was revered by the skinhead population, but after his stint in prison, realized the moral wrongs of his previous ideals and wanted nothing more then to dissociate himself from that culture.

Danny was perhaps the most vulnerable male character in the film. He was a typical teenager, faced with the constant task of establishing who he really was. He was classified as Derek's brother, forced to live in the shadow of a "hero" and martyr. He had a lot to live up to and subconsciously knew that he was incapable of ever affecting people the way that Derek had. Danny's unsureness and need to emulate Derek, only made it easier for him to succumb to Cameron's devious ideas.

Seth is also a character who underneath his aggressive demeanor, is just a human trying to find a place where he belongs. Seth is obviously self-conscious, due to the fact that he is an extremely obese man. He is constantly scrutinized about his weight and defends himself with crude remarks. He is a very avid member of the skinhead group, showing no remorse in his white supremist attitude and vicious behavior. It is plausible that his outward aggressive behavior emerged from repressed feelings of animosity towards himself. He doesn't want to accept the fact that his weight is an issue, so he takes it out on those who cannot defend themselves, as evident in the scene of the convenience store raid.

So is it possible that the extremely aggro-masculine characters in the movie, are actually the ones that are the most susceptible to vulnerability?

The Ending of AHX

We talked a little bit in class about the ending of American History X, including how unexpected, and therefore more upsetting, it was. However, even though it was so heartbreaking to see Danny killed after all he and his brother had just been through, I think the choice to end the movie with his death was actually rather brilliant. For me, the ending opened a window into a new perspective. Throughout the whole film, we see only the point of view of the White, working-class racist skinhead (Danny and Derek). But the school shooting was a fascinating ending to me because we got the quickest glimpse into the world of the angry Black student; we are, just for a moment, put into the shoes of another kind of angry youth besides the racist skinhead. The reason I liked the ending wasn't just that it illustrated for the audience the vicious cycle of violence perpetuated by hate and ignorance, but that after spending so much time learning about the skinhead movement and even sympathizing with some of the struggles of the Vinyard family, the ending made me switch gears and start to think about the Black boy's life in the same way. What brought him to this position? Who influenced him? What are his beliefs? How different is he, really, from Danny?

And one final thought about the ending--How ironic it is that Danny reconsiders his views and then immediately is killed by a boy in whose exact place Danny could have been some day soon if Derek hadn't set him straight.

Violence and American History X

While brainstorming discussion ideas for class today, Megan and I got into a conversation with a male friend of ours about the prison rape scene in American History X. We asked ourselves what, specifically, about that scene is so upsetting to witness. Was it the sheer physical overpowering, the violation of the body, sodomy itself, the guard turning a blind eye, the vulnerability, the ostracism?

We further discussed whether, individually, it was harder to behold (in the media only, we hope) the rape of a woman or of a man, and our answers were quite varied and layered. I argued that it is more difficult for me to watch a scene where a woman is being raped because, as a woman, I have a stronger understanding, indeed an embodied experience, of love, relationships and sexuality from this perspective. Our friend argued that is is more difficult for him to watch a scene where a man is being raped not because he is a man (or for the reasons I stated) but because, as men are raped less often, the prospect of male submission (especially physically) is terrifying.

What makes something more violent: the physical action or the connotations or implications to a greater social/political/etc. ideology? Does something appear more violent if we have some form of personal connection or lived experience to it, or if it is completely foreign (taboo, unimaginable, unlikely, atypical) from our perceived notions of violence? What role does violence play is specific subcultures, including skinheads?

The New Youth Cultures (Fall 11)

A new semester brings a new group of participants together to exchange ideas, share information and resources, brainstorm and discuss. You can start posting at any time. I look forward to reading what you have to say.