What about art that's leaving the message unsaid so as to allow the audience to do the working out, reinforcing and making stronger the idea they draw from it?
well yes - I’m not saying that good art has to hit you over the head with a message, it’s just that a work of literature for example without any empathy or anything to say about the human experience would leave me feeling cold and unsatisfied
I missed the essay by the "your fave is problematic" creator, but love how you framed your piece with it. I remember that blog's heyday so well. I'm not surprised to find out the creator was trying to find certainty and justice. That kind of tragedy has such a grip on the psyche. I've certainly gone through phases of being obsessed with justice followed by apathy and choices I regret that don't align with my values, and then beginning all over again. The challenge is returning to compassion and kindness.
💗 i empathise. it’s so easy to give in to the punitive, reactive side in all of us when we’re hurting, or to just go totally nihilist and declare that nothing matters - the challenge is recognising those impulses in ourselves
Your writing is so sharp and engaging. I think about this particular era of discourse (YFIP) often, and how it turned out two camps that I think we see still today: those that never grew out of or away from the most basic, un-critical thinking of YFIP and will use the word problematic for as you say anything from racism to spelling a name wrong, and those for whom that discourse dissuaded them from ever being critical of things or people they enjoy (everyone is problematic! so what! what does that even mean!)
truly a manifestation from all angles of the internet (~and culture consumers~) ‘s biggest issue - nuance deficiency.
Anyway sorry for the essay and thanks for writing this!
thank you so much !!! you’re right it’s so polarised and with how short-form most media is nowadays it’s only getting worse - thank you for sharing your thoughts!
What about art that's leaving the message unsaid so as to allow the audience to do the working out, reinforcing and making stronger the idea they draw from it?
well yes - I’m not saying that good art has to hit you over the head with a message, it’s just that a work of literature for example without any empathy or anything to say about the human experience would leave me feeling cold and unsatisfied
Fantastic read.
I missed the essay by the "your fave is problematic" creator, but love how you framed your piece with it. I remember that blog's heyday so well. I'm not surprised to find out the creator was trying to find certainty and justice. That kind of tragedy has such a grip on the psyche. I've certainly gone through phases of being obsessed with justice followed by apathy and choices I regret that don't align with my values, and then beginning all over again. The challenge is returning to compassion and kindness.
💗 i empathise. it’s so easy to give in to the punitive, reactive side in all of us when we’re hurting, or to just go totally nihilist and declare that nothing matters - the challenge is recognising those impulses in ourselves
What a phenomenal piece. I’m going to be thinking about this for a while. Thank you 🖤
💗💗 thank you
Your writing is so sharp and engaging. I think about this particular era of discourse (YFIP) often, and how it turned out two camps that I think we see still today: those that never grew out of or away from the most basic, un-critical thinking of YFIP and will use the word problematic for as you say anything from racism to spelling a name wrong, and those for whom that discourse dissuaded them from ever being critical of things or people they enjoy (everyone is problematic! so what! what does that even mean!)
truly a manifestation from all angles of the internet (~and culture consumers~) ‘s biggest issue - nuance deficiency.
Anyway sorry for the essay and thanks for writing this!
thank you so much !!! you’re right it’s so polarised and with how short-form most media is nowadays it’s only getting worse - thank you for sharing your thoughts!