Fwd: Re: <nettime> oh, the gents they do protest too much!

>Date: Mon, 02 Sep 2002 15:37:29 +1000
>To: nettime
>From: "app][lick.ation][end.age" <[email protected]>
>Subject: Re: <nettime> oh, the gents they do protest too much!
>
>
>dear coco,
>
>firstly, i'm presuming that after yr generic reply 2 several postings
>addressing elements of yr "modest proposal for josephine bosma" post, that
>u'd prefer 2 utilize a general correspondence pattern rather than direct
>response engagement. i'm by-passing this by choosing 2 [attempt 2] engage
>u [& others] in a direct forum x.change.
>
>At 01:21 PM 31/08/2002 -0400, u wrote:
>>Too all those nettimers who appear to have been irritated by my modest
>>proposal:
>
>
>…..in actuality i wasn't irritated by yr post, but more n.trigued|puzzled.
>
>
>>It is quite enlightening and amusing to discover that the protagonists of
>>a milieu that is famous for its irreverence toward anything considered
>>established, its ironic attitude toward anything purporting to represent
>>"truth", and its propensity for parasitical caricature, would be so very
>>sincere, so incredibly earnest, and so absolutely righteous in their
>>responses to a parody of the "scene" they are a part of. Apparently, it's
>>fine to lampoon everything from multinationals to medecine as long as the
>>holy temple of alt.net culture remains untouched.
>
>
>…secondly, coco, a request 2 u b4 i begin 2 pursue a genuine reply - i'm
>becoming confused regarding yr communication _n.tent_; at the moment this
>puzzlement stems from various inconsistencies in yr dialogical
>approach…..u seem quite content 2 illustrate yr points with (failed
>satirical) references that endorse the m.plied pedagogy status of 2 dead
>_white_ _western_ males [one b.ing skakespeare (via yr allusion 2 the
>paraphrased hamlet quote in the subject line) & the other b.ing swift (yr
>reference 2 satire below)] whilst denigrating any valid form of
>participant|multilogue response ….
>
>….i'm also curious regarding if u intend 2 elaborate past this satirical
>continency? do u choose 2 participate in forums such as these in order 2
>x.punge information regarding political|interpetative|analytical leanings
>only ie present a 1-sided critique that offers no hope of unfolding via
>considered discussion?
>
>i do realise yr expository tracts r not destined 2 b absorbed through an
>_intent_ filter alone, coco, but it is x.ceedingly difficult 2 attempt
>cogent responses 2 yr assertions whilst this satirical-recourse-call is in
>constant (potential) operation…..
>
>
>>It is also quite
>>endearing to find that so many men have rushed to the aid of damsel Bosma
>>- hence, I must conclude that chivalry is not dead in the realm of the
>>posthuman, but humor appears to have evaporated! Herr Cramer, I'd say that
>>if you are perceiving uptightness, it might be coming from the reflection
>>in your mirror, as it seems you cannot take a joke when it's on you!
>
>
>…..again, these constant generalisations regarding the
>practic][ition][e][rs][ of net art/wurk/forums act only 2 legitimize
>pat][hie][riarchic|cloistered methodologies of "the other" by yr
>consistent reliance on the lecture-form rather than participating in
>sustained dia|multilogues………….yr pin.pointing of the males that
>responded again acts 2 negate|over.write any females that _also_ responded
>[again surprising given yr ideological stance]……..
>
>
>>For those who apparently have not read Jonathan Swift, the Irish colonial
>>satirist whose spirit and title I borrowed, I highly recommend his
>>brilliant and hilarious tracts that artfully poke fun at the piety and
>>hypocricy of the British. He's a great avatar, I'll say that.
>
>
>…i'd prefer if u could recommend a non-male, non-white, non-western
>satirist as a more relevant x.ample, as this would seem 2 b more
>consistent in terms of yr assertions [and corresponding lament regarding
>non-discussion of such categorisations b.low]……………….
>
>
>>My main point, for those who had trouble discerning it on their own, was
>>that Bosma's opinions were based on rather ludicrous, reductionist
>>descriptions of the works she glossed over in her review. One could
>>approach net.art in the same way, as I did, and the resulting appraisal
>>would sound quite disturbing to those who felt themselves the object of
>>such a critique. Bosma's attitude toward the artists and curators was
>>arch, ignorant and at times even racist. Ah yes, that terrible word. But
>>nearly every time any non-white subscriber to this list makes an
>>assessment of anything posted as being racist, that non-white subscriber
>>is attacked – by white, leftist, progressive, activists and theorists who
>>embrace nomadism and deterritorialization but refuse to examine their
>>prejudices or their own relentless need to micromanage all opposition to
>>official discourses about people who have been deterritorialized and
>>subjected to racism in Europe and America. We're dealing with is about a
>>political project of territorial control. Doesn't matter to me if that
>>territory is physical, intellectual or artistic. Hence, a parodic approach
>>was a good tactic in such a repressive milieu.
>
>
>…i agree that a *productive* parody would b effective. howeva, yr
>attempt at satire doesn't operate anywhere near a successful level, with
>its constant wavering b.tween hodgepodge critique & humourless character
>ridiculing …..also, claiming satirical n.gagement with objectionable (u
>term it racist) material only further acts 2 reiterate the nature
>& _content_ of the material under treatment, s.pecially given that no
>alternative n.ceptions of such material r ][pr][offered by u, coco…..u r
>actively perpetuating this _repressive milieu_ . this unfortunate
>continuance, in turn, acts 2 muddy any n.teresting concepts u raise in
>this highly conflicting confab………….
>
>
>>I have no doubt that Transmediale juries wade through zillions of
>>applications. I have sat on dozens of such juries in my lifetime and have
>>done the same - and know from experience it is in no guarantee of
>>democratic procedure, or that the final selection will reflect a range of
>>tastes or provenances - it usually just becomes a statistic that festivals
>>can boast about (" Wow we are so omnicient that we reviewed 2 million
>>applications in our search for the best of whatever…." ). Any good
>>shopkeeper in a European city would know that a pastiche tray of goodies
>>from around the world will sell - as long as nothing on the tray BITES THE
>>HAND THAT FEEDS IT. Thus the number of entries reviewed, Herr Andreas,
>>does little to alter the insularity of the milieu, the cliquishness of the
>>scene, the narrowness of its aesthetic views, or the obsession of its
>>proponents to restrict their view of the history of avant garde new media
>>to the last ten years, (tossing in an occasional and unusually inaccurate
>>reference to some early 20th century European avantgarde.) There was new
>>media, intermedia, activist media and electronmic media before The Next
>>Minutes and before nettime – and alot of it continues without having any
>>contact with this milieu.
>
>
>…..i'm x.tremely n.terested in x.panding my knowledge base regarding
>arenas that predate & run parallel with a net.based environment…could u
>perhaps say more regarding this, coco?
>
>
>>I find it quite symptomatic that the high priests of No Border
>>consciousness, posthuman subjectivity, and new media chic always seek to
>>trash postcolonial theory and dismiss the art they consider to flow from
>>those ideas. The same European leftists who believe they have the solution
>>ot the "refugee problem" are the ones who do everything possible to force
>>the expressions of refugees, exiles, immigrants and their offspring in the
>>domain of intellectual discourse and art practice through their
>>CHECKPOINT. Those who step around that BORDER are condemned to be exiled
>>from the temple. We didn't pass quality control, oops. How come you don't
>>like us anymore when we leave the refugee camp and get college degrees and
>>speak your language(s)? Why might this be? Is it really about theoretical
>>weaknesses of postcolonialist thinkers (whose ideas are rarely discussed
>>in depth - all that I ever see here are blanket statements about
>>"postcolonialism" as if it were singular)?
>
>
>..also, i'd keen 2 learn further about these postcolonial thinkers…..can
>u give a rundown of some individuals that differ in their
>portrayal|participation in this singular, monochromatically-defined .ism?
>
>
>>I doubt it. None of you who
>>have responded have demonstrated enough openness, sensitivity,
>>understanding or respect for anticolonialist struggles or postcolonial
>>intellectual and cultural production for me to think for one minute that
>>you know something significant about them.
>
>
>…..i'd keen 2 learn just how yr satirically-m.bued response pattern
>encourage][d][s open, sensitive, respectful communication? or, in
>contrast, how u've procured yr immunity 2 this response pattern via yr
>preemptive knowledge|affectivity structures?
>
>
>>The resistance to any
>>discussion of institutional racism in alt.net culture adds to my
>>skepticism. Forget about dealing with the outrageously obvious racist
>>psychodynamics of internet porn and "artsy" erotica. That's another can of
>>worms.
>
>………coco, do u perceive that yr use of anglomanic|westernised
>x.position as a legitimate method of discourse [via a practical validation
>of it as yr primary communication tool] is perplexing in relation 2 yr
>points x.pressed above, & that this could further alienate any legitimate
>_PoCo_ vocality that u seem keen 2 portray yr theory [& self] as embodying?
>
>….yr proposal unpacks as an dreadful manifestation of a
>imperialistically-tinged dynamic [1 that surpasses the quasi-satirical &
>plunges straight in2 a progressively victim-discrediting|orientation
>structure, again hi-lighted by yr generalised naivete-of-response tone]
>that u criticize with such vigor above………..
>
>
>…..please feel free 2 respond my observations above, coco [& all], & i
>look 4ward 2 potential unfoldings beyond these largely ornamental +
>contradictory textings,
>mez [aka app][lick.ation][end.age]
>
>
>
>
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>app][lick.ation][end.age
>
>www.cddc.vt.edu/host/netwurker/
>http://www.montevideo.nl/www/english/current.htm
>
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app][lick.ation][end.age

www.cddc.vt.edu/host/netwurker/
http://www.montevideo.nl/www/english/current.htm

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