Some mind-bending stuff this last week, no?
We read about a performative act as an expression that does or accomplishes something beyond describing or referring to something else.
We read about how performative utterances aren't true or false but felicitous or infelicitous--they work or they don't work based on the context, the person uttering it, etc.
We read, finally, about how performative acts--the conscious and unconscious habits and actions we do every day--can help to create a sense of self, a sense of gender, a sense of identity. From "It's a girl! Let's buy pink" to "Ladies don't sit like that" to "You make me feel like a natural woman"--our sense of who we are (masculine, feminine, queer, straight, bi, trans-, cis-, Methodist, Hindu, Atheist, Vegan, ginger, whatever) comes from a lifetime of repeated acts that performatively consolidate a sense of gender identity and sexuality.
But, Butler says, if identity is based on performances, then that opens the possibility that we may perform differently than expected. We can change or alter (or, to use the verb form, we can queer) performative acts in ways that undermine or subvert how they're "supposed" to be performed. She links this performing-differently to performances of citizenship, such as the instance of protesters singing the USAmerican national anthem in Spanish.
For this week's post, I want you to describe or link to an example of someone tweaking a performative act or utterance to mean/do something other than it's originally supposed to. If I pledge allegiance to the American flag, that's one thing (I pledge allegiance by reciting the words, "I pledge allegiance..."). If I recite that pledge, however, as I salute--say--the flag of the evil Galactic Empire from Star Wars--then I'm doing something else, perhaps suggesting that the U.S. is like the Galactic Empire (note: I'm just using an example here, not actually making that suggestion. I could just as easily use the flag of Equestria from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic).
Something similar happens if I tweak (queer?) a famously patriotic action captured in art, like Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima
(as the pics I've included here do). Note how these tweaks could be
taken in a number of ways: funny, clever, disrespectful, or offensive.Aside from your standard "reflect/discuss stuff from this week," give me the example of a performative act/utterance intentionally performed to mean something else. Then explain your example. Reflect on if/how that intentional misperformance could be interpreted in contradictory ways.
Post by Tuesday.
See y'all in class!
JF
I read Henry's blog post on political cartooning and "queering" performative acts. He said that he wasn't sure if satire fit uniformly in the umbrella of queering. I believe his assertion stands. According to one dictionary Satire is
ReplyDelete" he use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues."
So it is defined by the purpose or target of the humor rather than the execution of it. So one could say that "queering" as an act performed in the creation of satire but isn't satire by it's nature.
Also I propose that we canonize the term "coloring in" as the antithesis to "White washing"
I also read Henry's blog and really like the idea of performance (or theatre) being observed from an angle of "representing something that is supposed to be this way, but actually is made the other." However, a thought came into my mind, that it's not necessarily a performative act that Henry is referring to, it's rather a choice of a director which actors are following. Butler says, if identity is based on performances, then that opens the possibility that we may perform differently than expected. In this case, actors are not performing differently...they are performing in original way that director created this show. So for them, as characters it is not an act of "doing the opposite", it is in fact "doing what is initially planned".
ReplyDeleteI misunderstood the responding to articles part of blogging, so here is the response I posted to Alan's blog directly, for this second blog assignment:
ReplyDeleteThe example from Westside Story is a perfect example of infelicitous performativity. The song "My Country 'Tis of Thee, Sweet Land of Liberty." This example is people using the performative act of singing a national anthemic song ironically, because they are being kicked out of a place that should be free and open.
Your second post is a wonderful example that links to that previous one. The short film does just that in many ways, turning "I Want You" on its head, and other American symbols that that people engage in on its head.
Now I am curious how you think this could be on if/how this intentional misperformance could be interpreted in contradictory ways. Expanding on that would make this feel a little more in depth.