Tuesday 16 March 2010

Reading Up A Storm While Waiting For The Rain

I find myself in Kamphaeng Phet, 350kms from both Bangkok and Chiang Mai, however, while I am staying in the coolest place ever, Three J Guest House, the air is a very unbecoming scent due to the locals burning stuff. I am told the rainy season will be upon the north in 1-2 weeks... undecided whether to go directly to CM or meander around, I have been taking advantage of my (supposedly) free internet connection to catch up on my reading... here's what has been catching my attention:

While this piece employs an overtly modernist discourse, it also has shades of postmodernism.

And while you're thinking about feminism and gender, I invite you to check out Lady Gaga's unexpectedly innovative video, Telephone. It's the sequel to Paparazzi, and directed by the same director, Jonas Akerlund. Lady Gaga herself linked to the following discussion of the video from the perspective of cultural theory. There is a Part 2, which is just as impressive.

The discussion mentions the playful criticism of product placement at the same time as engaging in it, however to me the most obvious ways in which Telephone breaks new ground is in its distractingly in-your-face lesbian themes. Cellophane-wrapped pop packages rarely come with a guilt-free celebration of homosexuality, and the clip is already incredibly popular, no doubt due to the presence of Beyonce as well. 

Happy reading,
Epiphanie

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