My tenth week in Egypt has involved such a jumble of events, that I don't have a unifying theme, and so it will remain title-less.
Topic One:
Judith Butler (!!!) --- Queer theory in a conservative Islamic country.
As a gender studies enthusiast, I geeked out majorly on this one.
In a shocking turn of events, Judith Butler, a leader in the field of gender theory (as well as a myriad of other theoretical fields) gave two lectures at The American University in Cairo. What deeply impressed me about her lecture on Gender and Performativity, was the diversity of those in attendance. Along with American liberals and Egyptian queer radicals, there were many women in hijab. I sat next to one such woman, who by all outward appearance, is a devout Muslim. Every time Dr. Butler said something potentially shocking about transgender or LGBT issues, or the fluidity of gender, I peered out the corner of my eye to catch her reaction. Yet she, like the perhaps thirty or more "hijabed" women in the room listened intently and open-mindedly to what this Jewish, lesbian, queer theorist had to say about the realm of gender theory. I thought about a scenario in which a group of evangelical Christians would be listening as reverently to Judith Butler, and I could not conceive of any place in space or time where that event would occur. The world does not give enough credit to the majority of Muslims.
The lecture itself was fascinating, and brought me into a realm of thinking that was elevated far beyond my normal level of contemplation. I have to admit that I agree with a lot of critiques on her work. She seems to relish being inaccessible to the common people, and she dives directly into the comparison of concepts (in this case, performativity and precarity) without first defining or providing examples to illustrate these terms.
I won't even begin to try and summarize her lecture for you, though I was better able to cling on to her argument for most of the two-hour long ride than the majority of the audience.
Perhaps of interest to you would be that she touched on some interesting debates and offered insights into current world issues. These included the banning of the niqab, face veil, in France. On this topic, she mused on the utter paradox of feminists in favor of armed police suppressing the public movement of a female minority. (Niqab-wearing women can be arrested and deported if they appear in public). Isn't this just as oppressive as the situation (a woman being forced to veil)that they wish to prevent?
Another issue was a recent rally in which a group of Mexican immigrant laborers demonstrated in California by singing the American national anthem in Spanish. She pondered on the interesting situation in which a group of people who have no rights under American law assembled, thereby asserting and creating a right they do not have, and sang an almost sacred nationalistic creed in a prohibited language. She revered this as radical and good.
All in all, the night was a success, and re-affirmed my love of gender theory.
Topic 2: A lamentation on the deplorable decline of children's television programming in the 21st century
This weekend I babysat for my Lawrence professors' children, who are bright, creative six-year-olds. That is why I was deeply saddened to have to watch the crap that television has to offer them. I remember the days when I was their age, in the early to mid-1990's when I was lucky enough to enjoy a renaissance in youth programming. The herald of this silver screen flourishing was none other than my beloved Nickelodeon. I admit that when I was a kid, I was quite a television junky. My little face would be pressed up against my dad's big screen t.v. for many afternoon and evening hours to watch "Clarissa Explains it All", "Rocko's Modern Life", "The Adventures of Pete & Pete", "Are You Afraid of the Dark?", "The Secret World of Alex Mac", "Shelby Woo", "All That", "Ren and Stimpy", "Angry Beavers", "Hey Arnold!", "Salute Your Shorts" and many other shows that have since slipped into obscurity over the last decade and half. In their place are mind numbing, poorly computer-generated (or Disney over-marketed) crapfests that make Spongebob look like Masterpiece Theater. What happened to the shows that children as well as adults can enjoy? Where are the programs that incite some brainwaves in children, and provide humorous insight into society? The world of television seems to have lost its sophistication, and we are left to witness the sad outcome.
Topic One:
Judith Butler (!!!) --- Queer theory in a conservative Islamic country.
As a gender studies enthusiast, I geeked out majorly on this one.
In a shocking turn of events, Judith Butler, a leader in the field of gender theory (as well as a myriad of other theoretical fields) gave two lectures at The American University in Cairo. What deeply impressed me about her lecture on Gender and Performativity, was the diversity of those in attendance. Along with American liberals and Egyptian queer radicals, there were many women in hijab. I sat next to one such woman, who by all outward appearance, is a devout Muslim. Every time Dr. Butler said something potentially shocking about transgender or LGBT issues, or the fluidity of gender, I peered out the corner of my eye to catch her reaction. Yet she, like the perhaps thirty or more "hijabed" women in the room listened intently and open-mindedly to what this Jewish, lesbian, queer theorist had to say about the realm of gender theory. I thought about a scenario in which a group of evangelical Christians would be listening as reverently to Judith Butler, and I could not conceive of any place in space or time where that event would occur. The world does not give enough credit to the majority of Muslims.
The lecture itself was fascinating, and brought me into a realm of thinking that was elevated far beyond my normal level of contemplation. I have to admit that I agree with a lot of critiques on her work. She seems to relish being inaccessible to the common people, and she dives directly into the comparison of concepts (in this case, performativity and precarity) without first defining or providing examples to illustrate these terms.
I won't even begin to try and summarize her lecture for you, though I was better able to cling on to her argument for most of the two-hour long ride than the majority of the audience.
Perhaps of interest to you would be that she touched on some interesting debates and offered insights into current world issues. These included the banning of the niqab, face veil, in France. On this topic, she mused on the utter paradox of feminists in favor of armed police suppressing the public movement of a female minority. (Niqab-wearing women can be arrested and deported if they appear in public). Isn't this just as oppressive as the situation (a woman being forced to veil)that they wish to prevent?
Another issue was a recent rally in which a group of Mexican immigrant laborers demonstrated in California by singing the American national anthem in Spanish. She pondered on the interesting situation in which a group of people who have no rights under American law assembled, thereby asserting and creating a right they do not have, and sang an almost sacred nationalistic creed in a prohibited language. She revered this as radical and good.
All in all, the night was a success, and re-affirmed my love of gender theory.
The crowd eagerly awaiting Dr. Butler's lecture
Topic 2: A lamentation on the deplorable decline of children's television programming in the 21st century
This weekend I babysat for my Lawrence professors' children, who are bright, creative six-year-olds. That is why I was deeply saddened to have to watch the crap that television has to offer them. I remember the days when I was their age, in the early to mid-1990's when I was lucky enough to enjoy a renaissance in youth programming. The herald of this silver screen flourishing was none other than my beloved Nickelodeon. I admit that when I was a kid, I was quite a television junky. My little face would be pressed up against my dad's big screen t.v. for many afternoon and evening hours to watch "Clarissa Explains it All", "Rocko's Modern Life", "The Adventures of Pete & Pete", "Are You Afraid of the Dark?", "The Secret World of Alex Mac", "Shelby Woo", "All That", "Ren and Stimpy", "Angry Beavers", "Hey Arnold!", "Salute Your Shorts" and many other shows that have since slipped into obscurity over the last decade and half. In their place are mind numbing, poorly computer-generated (or Disney over-marketed) crapfests that make Spongebob look like Masterpiece Theater. What happened to the shows that children as well as adults can enjoy? Where are the programs that incite some brainwaves in children, and provide humorous insight into society? The world of television seems to have lost its sophistication, and we are left to witness the sad outcome.
It takes a certain type of intelligence to be able to use Spongebob and Masterpiece theatre in the same sentence!
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