Assignment: "The work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction"

"Art is after all communicated through a kind of language even if it is a pictorial or symbolic language just as music is considered a language. Evaluating or judging the status of mass culture in contemporary society is still one of the most controversial aspects of modern life. Many, like the Frankfurt School believe that mass culture only has a harmful and regressive effect on the population – even if they are willing to admit that consumer impulses still contain a distorted demand for respect and dignity". Walter Benjamin: The work of art in the age of mechanical reproduction.

INTERPRETATION:

I believe the passage is vividly telling us how art can communicate to us in different forms. What is being portrayed in most arts are messages that need to be decoded or are just portrayed so easily for even a layman to understand. Therefore, to me the pictorial depiction as indicated in the passage might mean; art in a form of photos. And it is obvious that most pictures give direct meaning to the object in them, others give indirect meaning. The symbolic language might be a depiction of symbols and other technique that needs to be interpreted. All in all, art can be satirical, mysterious, complex or simple, natural, artificial and all other elements can be made up of, as a way of expressing messages in them. That is why the passage also talks about it as “one of the most controversial aspect of modern life.”

How art is related to one photograph from the passage:

Photograph chosen: Dorothea Lange, Migrant Mother, Florence Owens Thompson, 1939

 Looking at this art or photo, we are able to see the message it is conveying. The face of this woman is telling us so much from this piece of art. She looks worried, the future is uncertain, and other meanings can be equally attributed to it. And her kids are still dependent on her for comfort. This is how art tells the story. 

Assignment: WEIMER REPUBLIC

WEIMER CONSTITUTION: First Part

Article 7
The Reich is responsible for legislation in the areas
1. civil law
2. penal law
3. jurisdiction including the execution of sentences as well as judicial
assistance between government offices
4. passport affairs and the registration of aliens
5. welfare for the poor and the migrants
6. press, clubs, assemblies
7. population policy, motherhood, baby, children and youth welfare
8. health care, veterinary affairs, protection of plants against diseases and parasites
9. labour legislation, insurance and protection of workers and employees as well
as certification of employment
10. the establishment of institutions representing occupations within the Reich territory
11. welfare for combattants and their surviving dependants
12. the law of expropriation
13. the nationalization of natural resources, of economic enterprises, of the production, distribution and pricing of merchandise for the social economy
14. trade, measurements, the distribution of paper money, construction and stock markets
15. the sale of food as well as other goods of daily consumption
16. industry and mining
17. insurances
18. merchant shipping. ocean and coastal fishing
19. railways, inland navigation, motor vehicle traffic on land, water and in the air, the construction of overland roads, as far as these serve general traffic and national defense
20. theatres and cinemas

INTERPRETATION AND EXPLANATION:

The article 7 section of the constitution gave "Reich" a greater power over the people and their affairs; implementation of laws with regards to labour, civil right, judiciary, social welfare, health care, export and import, and other related laws. These rights are important to humanity because, like civil right; it protect the people from being discriminated with regards to religion, race, gender, sexuality and so on. Also, citizens knowing that these rights are there to safeguard their wellbeing tend to feel at eace because they enjoy the freedom of being protected by the law ( nation) at all cost. These laws as; freedom of the press, civil laws, welfare for the poor, passport affairs and registration of aliens, etc are all somewhat protected to this day. For instance, in the U.S, there are still a greater number of population that are poor or into economic hardship still enjoy government social welfare programs as food stamps, unemployment benefits, insurance, bankcruptcy, and more. I am able to tell they are rights because the legislation of the land has made it so, and citizens have to understand what is expected from them and what the States is willing to give back.

Article 128 All citizens, without discrimination, are to be admitted, according to their talents and accomplishments, to public office. All regulations discrimination against female Beamte are abolished. The status and working conditions of Beamte have to be regulated by Reich law. INTERPRETATION AND EXPLANATION This law is self-explanatory. Citizens especially women were discriminated in work places and other positions before this legislation was passed. "Beamte" literally means a civil servant in German language. Therefore, female Beamte are the female civil servant that are discriminated in their workplace.However, Reich laws made the law somehow equal with their male counterpart so far as they have the same talent, skills and knowledge to work in public office. Such laws are still applied. The U.S. in particular passed the equal pay rights in this regard. It is a right because it saves the interest of the female that have long been discriminated in terms of wages, salaries and payments.

Assignment: The German Revolution of 1918 and Spartacus Uprising 1919

"THE JUNIUS PAMPHLET"

"Business thrives in the ruins. Cities become piles of ruins; villages become cemeteries; countries, deserts; populations are beggared; churches, horse stalls. International law, treaties and alliances, the most sacred words and the highest authority have been torn in shreds. Every sovereign “by the grace of God” is called a rogue and lying scoundrel by his cousin on the other side. Every diplomat is a cunning rascal to his colleagues in the other party. Every government sees every other as dooming its own people and worthy only of universal contempt. There are food riots in Venice, in Lisbon, Moscow, Singapore. There is plague in Russia, and misery and despair everywhere".                   By Rosa Luxemburg

The meaning of the passage

Luxemburg's criticism of Modern Capitalism and World War I relate to nihilism in the following ways:

First and foremost, she made us aware that the only interest and motivation of businesses in modern capitalism is for profit. In her own words, "Business thrives in the ruins," is a statement I have re-considered. I think these industries that made profit or were gaining during the War were the military industrial firms that were producing weapons; machine-guns, bombs,missiles, and other war-type equipments for the war. It was such a big irony to note that, when people were dying as a result of the war, these companies or businesses were still so concern in making profit out of it. Therefore, Rosa Luxemburg was making the criticism to say that the bourgeoisie interest at the time was his selfish desire for wealth without any concern to the proletariat or any other group of people that would suffer as a result of his desire. Such are the cases in modern capitalism where countries like the United States engaged in war with other countries like Iraq, Afghanistan and every motivation would change from political to economic gains. Industries that produce weapons for these wars never wanted to see the end of it despite the live lost because they would gain their supply of military weapons and would make huge profit out of it.
  In addition, we get to picture the drastic effect of the War from her essay. People desperate for food, no respect for international laws, authorities, homelessness, instability, and so forth. This is a universal truth with respect to all wars.

Assignment 5 : The Blue Angel

Description and interpretation of a scene in the Blue Angel:

The scene in the classroom where Professor Rath sees one of his student in possession of Lola's photo, confiscated it and tries to look deep the sensuous it portrays, leading to after-school session when a student he regards " favorite pupil" is blocked by others and fell off the ground. Subsequently revealing other pictures of Lola and the disclosure of the Blue Angel club by a student he considers a "favorite pupil"where most of other students go at night. He starts to think about how to get there, perhaps meet her, see how things will go from there.

The theme of nihilism was the choice he made to go to the Blue Angel and meet Lola, though under the pretext of looking for his students. He started taking drinks or alcohol from the club and enjoying the company of Lola at all times.

The theme of sexual is seen in how Lola is able to use her feminism to make him feel so closer and  fall in love with her despite knowing very well that she is a 'club-girl'. She kisses him and asks him to come back again. Thus, she uses her sexuality; a very powerful tool to get what she wants.

The theme of gender norm is the point where he marries her but lost his job and couldn't provide. His responsibility and authority as a man was overlooked because at that time, Lola has to go flirt with some other men for money or to provide their needs.

PART TWO : WEIMAR REPUBLIC: Cabaret Songs

"It's All a Swindle" (Alles Schwindel), by Mischa Spoliansky and Marcellus Schiffer (1931)

Lyrics:
Papa swindles
Mama swindles
Grandmama's a lying thief
We're perfectly shameless
but we're blameless
after all it's our belief
Nowadays the world is rotten
honesty has been forgotten
fall in love but after kissing --
check your purse to see what's missing
Everyone swindles some
my son's a mooch and so's the pooch

---

Alles Schwindel

Papa schwindelt,
Mama schwindelt,
tut sie auf blob ihren Mund!
Tante Otilie,
und die Familie
und sogar der kleine Hund!
Und besieht man’s aus der Nähe:
Jedes Band und jede Ehe
jeder Kub in dern Betriebe
und sogar die grobe Liebe!
Und die ganze heut’ge Zeit ja,
sogar die Ehrlichkeit!

INTERPRETATION

---

 The song is clearly talking about how corrupted everybody has become; from top to bottom. It is telling us to be careful with the people around us, and the issue of trust has now become an illusion. From small to big business, to our relationships with one another, everyone is looking for an opportunity to deceive the other person.I chose this song because it is precise and addresses social problem; corruption in our society and in our everyday life.

Friedrich Hollaender, “Raus mit den Männern” (1926). Performed and recorded by Ute Lemper, Berlin Cabaret Songs  (Decca 1996).

Lyrics:
The battle for emancipation's been raging since history began
Yes, feminists of every nation want to chuck off the chains made by man
Hula girls and housemaids and wives in Maribou
hear all our voices thunder in protest
Anything that men do women can do too
and more that that we women do it best

Raus mit den Männern!
(für Claire Waldoff)
Es geht durch die ganze Historie
ein Ruf nach Emanzipation
vom Menschen bis zur Infusorie
überall will das Weib auf den Thron.
Vin Hawai-Neger bis zur Berliner Range
braust ein Ruf wie Donnerhall daher:
Was die Männer können, können wir schon lange
und vielleicht ’ne ganze Ecke mehr.

Interpretation of the song:

It was addressing the issue of gender inequality at the time, and advocating for women to rise up and fight for their right.It went ahead to say that what men can do women can do it even better. And so, the time had come to wake up and act. I love the message in the song, that is why I chose it. I understand the protest and other struggles women had gone through to be recognized equals when I read the lyric.

A National Provision of Paragraph 175: A penal code in 1871

Paragraph 175 under the penal code prohibit a man to man sexual intercourse or a human to animal sex. The punishment for offenders was 10 years imprisonment. 21 years male was still considered minor and so the law wasn't applied to him.

I can relate to the reading with this law by Professor Immanuel Kant's "theory of freedom." and nihilism. 

“ Freedom” in Kant’s sense is acting out of a sense of ethical obligation or duty, but in a way that is freely chosen by the individual, no coerced, based upon their rational awareness of ethical principles”

 Human beings can do anything when they see themselves as ‘free.’ To have sex with animal is unethical. So Kant was saying that, ethical principles are creating or shaping our rationale to do or not to do something. Otherwise, “ the illusion of freedom” without such laws to guide our moral behavior, man can do anything whether bad or worst.

Assignment 4: Max Horkheimer-The Cabinet of Dr. Calgari

“Self-awareness in contemporary society is directly connected with belonging to some collectivity: to an age group or vocational group, and ultimately to the nation. The divergence between individual and group that is now disappearing continues to show up among stunted individuals, criminals, and people who can assert themselves only by opposition to everything else.”  Max Horkheimer  Feudal Lord, Customer, and Specialist.

Max Horkheimer was born on the 14^th February, 1895 in Stuttgart, Germany.  He was a director of the Frankfurt School and very influential in most of the social and cultural research in line with the understanding of capitalism. He was a philosopher and social scientist. He was greatly influenced by Karl Marx works even though he analyzed the contemporary society in his own way. Some of his books are: Dialectic of Enlightenment  (in 1944 when he collaborated with his colleague Theordor Adorno), Towards a New Manifesto, Eclipse of Reason in 1947, Critique of Instrumental Reason, Between Philosophy and Social Science among others. He did a great job trying to enlighten society how working class are only part of the production process that would never be a tool for the social change needed. And he thought, only great ideas and theories could liberate society. He died in Nurremburg, Germany on July, 7, 1973.

I think his ideas could relate to the film we screened and to today’s mass culture.  The film “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” depicts the exact character of Caligari when Max Horkheimer said in his quote that “stunted individuals, criminals, and people who can assert themselves only by opposition to everything else.” This is true in a sense that, Calagari epitomizes himself as those criminals in the society who do not really recognize their sense of belonging to particular community, and could harm others without even thinking about the consequences of their actions. Such people are almost always impeding the progresses of its community or even nations at large. We saw how Caligari was conniving with Cesare to achieve their diabolical agendas knowing that such social vices as killing or murdering would only cause social stagnation and put fear among citizens of that particular society. But they both never cared even when they were seriously causing chaos and mayhem to the place they were known to belong.

     And in today’s mass culture, Max Horkheimer ideas or quote can still relate.  For instance, when people in a particular association, company, community, or society see themselves us one people, there is always harmonious living amongst them and there is a sense of responsibility in coming together to defend themselves. They see themselves as one people with common purpose. Typical example of the nation coming together was the recent ‘Boston Marathon bombing’ that saw the police and military officers going after the bomber/fugitive.