Sweet Nothing — Musical Logics of Intensity
The Diplo remix of Calvin Harris’s “Sweet Nothing” exemplifies a musical logic of intensity by which noise–or, “nothing”–is used to intensify/amplify/augment signal into something even more powerful than its original form or articulation. “Nothing” sweetens listeners’ musical and affective pleasure….
This is the Sound of Uncool: Spandau Ballet & the Biopolitics of Cool
So what sorts of practices would or could potentially critique or subvert neoliberalism? I agree with Jason Read’s claim that “a political response to neoliberalism must meet it on its terrain, that of the production of subjectivity, freedom, and possibility”…
A Few Quick Thoughts on “Accidentally Racist”
I just want to briefly weigh in on the “Accidentally Racist” discussion. For those who don’t already know, this is a song by Brad Paisely featuring LL Cool J. The gyst of the song is that Paisely’s white narrator is…
Philosophy as Medium & Material Practice
This past weekend at the American Philosophies Forum, I argued that philosophy is a medium and material practice, and that philosophers needs to (for reasons both philosophical and ethical/professional) engage transmedial practices. Basically, my argument was this: If philosophers are…
Visual v Musical Obscenity
X-Post from my tumblr: so, i grew up in Mapplethorpe-trial/Larry-Flynt-era Cincinnati. visual obscenity was like my hometown’s “thing.” maybe that’s the reason i’ve never really found it that interesting, philosophically. porn is always an interesting issue to teach in feminist…
My Talk/Paper on Musical Ineffability
I’m talking Saturday at the American Philosophies Forum meeting at Emory. This year’s theme is ineffability, so I’m talking on musical ineffability. In particular, I’m talking about Jankelevitch, Abbate, & Spivak.I’m also going to attempt to do some “drastic” (i.e.,…
Feminism, Neoliberalism, & Goth
I’m giving two slightly different versions of a talk on Gaga Feminism, Neoliberalism, Multi-Racial White Supremacist Patriarchy, Rihanna, & Goth, one tomorrow at Wayne State, and the other in April at Luther College. Because I usually talk rather than read, I…
Rihanna’s Melancholic Damage
Here is my looong, unedited, still-in-process post on Rihanna, “Look, I Overcame!” Gaga Feminism, goth damage, and multi-racial white supremacy. Unlike most people who talk about Rihanna, Breezy, feminism, & race, I will actually discuss her MUSIC–chords, compositional and performance…
“Just Ludacris Enough”
I’m giving a talk titled “Just Ludacris Enough” several times in the next week or two. Here are links to the blog posts & articles I’m using as the basis of the talk: My article in The New Inquiry, “Loving the Alien.”This…
“Look, I Overcame!”: Feminine Subjectivity, Resilience, & Multi-Racial White Supremacist Patriarchy
In his recent essay in Radical Philosophy, mark Neocleous argues that the ideal of “resilience” has replaced the ideal of “security,” both as a structure of individual subjectivity and a principle of social/national policy.[i]Briefly, he defines resilience as “the capacity…
Recent Comments