Alex Shakar’s “The Savage Girl” gave us a narrative to read rather than having an article or thesis essay to examine. One particular aspect of the story I noticed was that it seemed to incorporate many of the themes we have been reading about over the course of the semester. This is seen mainly through two of the characters, Javier and Ursula, as they go about trendspotting new clothes, looks, etc. to market to younger people. Eventually, there came to be so many philosophic discussions on life, behavior, etc., it started to become overwhelming! Through their many conversations and observations of the world around them, it was easy to point out at least some of the ideas we have read about so far.
One of the first themes I noticed in the story was from Dick Hebdige’s “Subculture: The Meaning of Style.” To foreshadow the use of the theme, Javier says at first that he saw a sorority girl reading a book (the same one perhaps?) called “Subcultures.” In looking for a new style to market, Ursula shows her boss her observations of the “savage girl,” to which he asks if it is some sort of “punk hippie.” Just by observing one chosen person, Ursula is trying to market a new subculture to anyone it might appeal to. In a sense, the savage girl’s aura will be lost if her look is made available to the public. Javier expands on this later when he tells her about how “niche marketing” can allow anyone to learn about anything and use it to shape their identities – every life experience can be customized by choosing “everything that makes us who we are from a vast array of choices” (Shakar 24).
He later states that using beauty in marketing inspires people to be better, and that it is the “PR campaign of the human soul” in which beauty will ultimately bring love. This reminded me of the seventh essay in “Ways of Seeing,” where advertising and publicity seem to give people the “choice” to better themselves and be loved by buying a product. Mulvey came to mind when Ursula mentions a patient of her plastic surgeon mother who wanted to look exactly like Betty Boop. She was so obsessed with her image that she wanted to become what the story calls her “Boopleganger” (much like the appeal of Superman in the presentation Laura and I gave). More of Mulvey’s analysis of visual pleasure was reminiscent in the supermarket scene, when the ever-observant Javier looks at the way a female shopper’s choice of long salami becomes her “dream phallus,” sustaining her with the long-term security it gives by lasting for many meals. Further innuendo comes in the form of ice cream and malt shop discussions as well.
Bordieu’s “Distinctions” comes to mind in discussions about consumption in the way “muzak” encourages people to keep shopping. Also, our discussions of national culture seemed to come up with Chas’s (Ursula’s boss) observations on Soviet advertising vs. America’s, where anything Soviet was seen as propaganda, while American marketing was meant to be a good thing.
As for the story itself, Shakar has thought up some unique ideas. One fascinating idea was “paradessence,” which allows two opposing desires to simultaneously satisfy. Examples of this include air travel (sanitized adventure & exoticism and familiarity) and fine dining (animal needs are divine). Positrony seems to refer to the ways people create an artificial life for themselves, and choose to live in a bubble, ignoring the rest of the world. Essentially, Chas says, positrony is schizophrenia. This is part of Chas’s new campaign, “The Lite Age,” designed to allow people to create their own identities through consumerism. This reminded me of our discussions on collections from the Clifford reading. I did find this story very entertaining and thoughtful, and I’ll be curious to see what other themes from the semester highlighted in the story that I might have missed.
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14 comments:
I really enjoyed the ways you've analyzed this reading. I honestly couldn't really make a connection between this reading with the other readings except for, as you said, the Subculture reading by Dick Hebdige.
You make very clear and valid points--with examples to support your opinions. =)
I especially liked, and agreed with, your analysis between this reading and the Mulvey reading we were assigned to read.
I, as well, enjoyed reading about Shakar's idea of paradessence--as exemplified with the coffee offering both stimulation and relaxation. I also liked, but thought it was kind of silly, how Chas makes such a simple thing as ice cream appear to be something sexual. Ice cream is just something that you don't expect to be made out to be a sexual product (at least not to me). When I think of ice cream, I think of children--playing, being happy, I think of their innocence, and now ice cream is "exposed" as this sexual..thing. It's just weird--in an interesting way.
-Evelyn Chin
msa_musician@livejournal
I love the "story" quality of this reading, I found many of the other articles had a strictly "essay" layout which made them a bit drab to read. This actually kept your interest, following lively characters and conveying the main points creatively through narrative. I think this reading really shows how materialistic our culture has become and how easy marketing to different classes of consumers based on clever marketing schemes has become. It is common and successful to use sexuality, comfort, self-improvement, adventure, and other things promoting good feelings or thoughts, to coax people into buying things. I own two cats, so I really liked the reference to advertising pertaining to cat food, and hold it to be very true. Like is implied in the reading, our choices in what we consume definitely construct our identity. Seems you took alot of time going through this reading and relating it to the material in class, it was done very well, props for that.
I enjoyed reading Alex Shakar's "The Savage Girl," as well. I also liked reading this aritcle becasue it wasn't an essay for a change, which I found much more interesting.
"He later states that using beauty in marketing inspires people to be better, and that it is the “PR campaign of the human soul” in which beauty will ultimately bring love."
I agree with this statement. It is certainly true that when we see beautiful people marketing things to make you beautiful you buy into it as well, at least I do.
I also agree that in trying to sell a product sexuality comes into play as well. Beautiful women are always on display at car shows for example.
Well I enjoyed reading your ideas.
:]
"He later states that using beauty in marketing inspires people to be better, and that it is the “PR campaign of the human soul” in which beauty will ultimately bring love."
I agree with the statement he had made because it is completely true we will buy a product that benefits us the best or most sufficiently regarding beauty. It kind of reminds of the Dove advertisements and how they use "real women" for their commericals and magazine ads, to show that you don't need to be glamourous to be beautiful. The last line does describe the superficiality (if thats even a word) of people and how love is conveyed through the works of being beautiful, we feel that if we look better someone will love us more.
-jmurphy
I liked how this reading was in the form of a story, it was more easily interpreted, as you have shown in your response. I agree that the reading exemplified most of the themes we've talked about in class; it was interesting to see them in different lights.
The theme of subculture though, seems to be most prominent, at least to me. The fact that the character of Ursula has the responsibility to take note, and communicate trends to the general public is a great example of creating subculture.
Another thing I found interesting about the story , was that this "savage girl" became the muse for the up and coming trends. Though she most likely had no prior knowledge or cares for trends, she unknowingly became the basis of a developing subculture. Which is why I agree with your statement, "In a sense, the savage girl’s aura will be lost if her look is made available to the public." Her look will no longer be the result of her struggles and scavenging but the newest fad.
It an interesting point, the idea of the Savage Girl becoming less of who she is if her style caught on as a trend.
It reminds me of when Wiccanism became incredibly popular in High School, I feel like I'm slightly biased now when someone says they are Wiccan, are they actually Wiccan? Or did they just try a few rituals and spells in High School.
Same with the Savage Girl, it's kind of sad how the idea of something that truly makes an individual becoming a trend makes them no longer an individual but maybe even a poser.
The idea of paradessence is quite unique I think. I really think its a fascinating concept, I would have never thought of Fine Dining as bestial but it is!
Great analysis:)
-James Dier
Cubstar
I really enjoyed this reading as a change of pace. I think you did a great job comparing the themes of the reading to our class discussions and previous readings.
I think it's very interesting the way Shakar talks about how people trend set, and make things popular because they like them. I can actually relate this to my own experiences in High School. I never really dressed exactly like everyone else, and I wore things no one else did. I remember one specific morning I put on a skirt with black leggings on underneath, and a long sleeve shirt under a t-shirt. When I left my room my mom said "You look like a fucking clown, I'm not letting you out of the house like that." I remember that specific instance, because what I was wearing that morning is now a popular fashion trend that A LOT of people have picked up. I think it's funny that 4 years ago she told me to change because I looked crazy, but it is now a popular fashion trend.
I think the character of Ivy is interesting. Shakar has created this schizophrenic character that is a supermodel. I believe in some senses she represents a part of society. She is a beautiful supermodel, however hides her beauty in baggy men's clothing with no shape. As a supermodel everyone else is always seeing you as the perfection of beauty. However, I believe her schizophrenia represents the different views and emotions of mass culture. Ideals and values of mass culture change with the times, and I think that is representative of Ivy's schizophrenia. She is a beautiful supermodel one day, and another day she is hiding behind baggy clothing. I also think it's interesting that as a supermodel, you are modeling clothing, and in a sense, hiding behind that clothing also. I know that when I see a supermodel, I often do not know who they are, or anything about them. I see the clothes they are wearing, and their hair and make-up. They are made up so that their clothing is what is important, or how they look as a whole. It is not who they are, it is what they are made up to be. At the same time, when Ivy puts on baggy clothing, she is hiding herself once again. I think if you read into this more, I could be wrong, but Shakar is making a statment about how people make up who they are with fake things, such as clothes, or hair, or make- up. Those people are "beautiful" because they are a part of popular culture, and follow trends. However underneath all of the "high fashion" they are empty. When Ivy wears things like baggy clothing, she is hiding who she really is, because either she doesn't know, or because of society. Its very hard to fit in, and most people find ways to make themselves fit into society, and mass culture. However, sometimes people are very lost, and hide themselves in whatever they can to lessen the wrath of popular society's view on the individual.
I agree with everyone else who said it; this was actually enjoyable to read and it didn't feel like a chore to get through. I think it relates in many ways to Hebdige's "Subculture" essay for obvious reasons with the common themes of cultures and trends in our society and how they shape our identities. Shakar's "Savage Girl" also relates to all of the themes we discussed in class relating to aura, class, etc.
-Kate Price
I thought this reading was interesting and stimulating. I found myself referring back to most of the readings we've done in the past while reading through the excerpts. The first thing I thought about was Hebdige's Subculture referring to the "savage girl" with her animal pelts and how Ursula wanted to make it a fashion. Which made me think of advertising and marketing and how it gets rid of the original aura and creates its own aura, which also relates to Benjamin. All of this was covered in your really in depth blog of this reading, but those are also the initial things I noticed as well. I like the whole idea of paradessence and thought it was funny that we didn't really have a word already made up for it since our lives are defined by language, and in particular, assigning specific words to specific things. Good job on this blog; it really sums up the readings really well.
-Kate Price
Very well written. I Iike how you extracted the themes and paired them up with the readings we have already read.
I really did enjoy reading this reading. I like how you matched it up to Dick Hebdige's reading of "Subcultue: The Meaning of Style." Like you siad the girls aura will be lost if if her look is made available to the public. Now everyone will be able to have this look and it will not be original causing her aura to decrease, but a new one to arise.
I like how you talk about positrony and how Cha refers it to schizophrenia. That was a great connection. I loved reading all of your thoughts.
-Michelle Fetky
Your analysis was indeed good. After reading all the blogs, I realized the one quote that really stuck out for me (Javier saying "Beauty is the PR of the soul") has been covered by everybody and I think something should be said about that. The fact that the ethereal or the spiritual should make its way into marketing and public relations says a lot about how we see each other. John Berger in "Ways of Seeing" states that women are conscious of the way that they look in ways that cater to society. They dress to be seen and admired, or so the man purports. Here, it seems that Ursula is representing the new ideal of feminineness. While Ursula is on the other side of the marketing scheme, conspiring with two men who snarl and stylize everything from children's toys (guns with gum bullets) to savage girl's postironic chic, she is softer in the way that she second-guesses their crude criticisms of the world and at points, she can't help but be sucked into the marketing tactics they sketch. For example, when Javier is drawing the purple tunic on the woman sitting on the bench, Ursula shakes off the enviable urge to go out and buy a purple tunic. Mulvey might suppose that this urge to buy a purple tunic after the man's fantastic suggestion of what the world would find attractive comes from the fact that we live in a phallocentric society. Adorno would argue that these remote affinities for commodity are the result of brainwashing. Shakar goes as far as to mention brainwashing in his novel. Basically, Ursula represents a modern-day intellectual woman, a person of whom marketing and skepticism triangulate to form a sort of ambivalence to both fashion and commercialism.
-Natalie Eilbert (swan_turtle)
I have to agree that the narrative was a nice change from all the articles after articles after articles.
The story itself is strange and fascinating, and it's weird how it centers on aura as like... originality almost, with the whole way that Ursula views this 'savage girl' as something new, something amazing, when all it is, is someone doing what she has to, to live. She hunts the animals and wears pelts, and Ursula isn't seeing how that is just part of her life. I agree with your statement about how 'her aura will be lost if her look is made available to the public.' It IS her identity, no one else's. And if other people take it, she begins to lose her own identity.
- Alex Patrick
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