Anti-Social Practice Against Communicative Capitalism?
Political philosophers often use terms like “having a voice” or “legibility” to describe an individual’s or group’s relationship to power and to hegemonic institutions. But these terms, “voice” and “legibility,” they’re aesthetic terms used to describe political phenomena. Why, in…
Aesthetics & The Politics of “Philosophical” Respectability
Christy Mag Uidhir has recently posted some observations and concerns about the relative absence of aestheticians (faculty with an AOS in aesthetics) in “top” philosophy doctoral programs. What these numbers suggest is that the very best philosophy PhD programs in…
On PRISM, or Listening Neoliberally
So, here’s a rough, first pass at theorizing one aspect of what’s significant about PRISM. It’s very preliminary, and I would love your thoughts and feedback, as it’s part of some larger projects I’m currently working on. “Nobody is listening…
Nietzsche, Wagner, Biopolitics, Race, & Music
“Wagner makes music sick” (Nietzsche Contra Wagner, 664). “Life itself has become a problem” (Nietzsche Contra Wagner, 681). To mark Wagner’s bicentennial, the Guardian published this essay on the connection many of his contemporaries made between his music and mental…
Not A Piece of Cake: Ethics, Aesthetics, & “Chris Brown & Rihanna” Problem
“It’s too close for comfort…So If you must falter be wise” (Disturbia; written by Brown, performed by Rihanna) The recent ink (or, more often, binary code) spilled over Chris Brown (sometimes in relation to Rihanna) raises a lot of interesting…
My first TV interview!(??!!)
So, the local cable news channel interviewed me today about the idea that listening to violent music can cause someone to murder cops: http://charlotte.news14.com/content/top_stories/630138/trial-brings-up-debate-over-music-s-influence-on-behavior The short version is: The idea that “the gangsta rap made me do it” rests on…
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