The zine scene

Ah, I could not resist the rhyme. Sorry this is late, I worked 15 hours today.. So we begin our zines on thursday. I have to admit, I am really excited. I like to think of myself as a creative person so I hope that I will have some good ideas. From my limited knowledge of zines, I understand them to be underground, homemade, political material. I suppose any faction can produce a zine, but we will be dealing solely with the feminist kind. In our very first reading by Rhodes we learned that the modern day feminist uses the internet as a way to produce and distribute feminist ideas and politics. The internet zine allows for increased readership, as everyone with access to a computer is a possible reader. This is a good thing. Increased viewship of feminist material makes more people aware of the cause, the ideals and maybe even breaks down stereotypes of the typical feminist. Ok, I am tired, its bedtime. Enjoy the extra hour of sleep folks!!!

Your space is my space

Hi ho, hi ho, a feministeppin we did go. It was fun, I had my doubts, but it was fun. I suppose this was my first real experience in taking up public space. I am not normally the type of person that would make myself noticable in crowd, but on Thursday, walking through HUB with my underwear over my clothes put me square in the public eye. The whole feministeppin' expereince has made we think differently about taking over public space. In the Kipnis article, she talks about women spraypainting on stop signs. This, to me, is taking over public space to the max. It is a shocking, slap you in the face type of truth that no one who sees these signs can deny. So are we WST 320 students, on our way to spraypainting signs? Maybe some of us are, or maybe not. As for me, well, I am going to try to use my voice for more, stand taller and more firm. Really fight the battles. Yeah, how empowering it can be. I sure felt it, did you?

Alright, now I have a question to pose about the midterm, can anyone explain left popular culture? I am really quite lost on this concept.

Whats a BA in history with no history to tell...

Jean Baudrillard's article on postmodernism really got me thinking. As a undergrad who will receive a BA history major in less then three months, the thought that history no longer exists is troubling to me. I have dedicated four plus years to study something that is not even happening anymore. I guess I understand where Baudrillard is coming from. History is never history, is is always subjective. The writer or whomever that is telling it is always biased, whether they know it or not. We like to think of history as simply the facts, but we are so wrong. This got me thinking about a film I recently watched, entitled Ararat. It talks about the genocide of the Armenian people in Turkey in 1914(?). A real event that actually took place. I have studied middle eastern history and was not aware of this, because the people who were telling me the story choose not to include this part. Subjective.
So when Baudrillard tells me that history is vanishing because there is no such thing as reality, I buy it.
The war in Afghanistan, a historical event, right. But who tells the story. CNN, edited. GW Bush, glorified. My best friend Steve who is stationed in Kandahar, terrified. A member of the Taliban, angry. The same reality, viewed through different eyes means a different story... Who's story is right? I and we will never get the whole story, never get the reality. Reality does not exist, it is always seen and told through some one's subjective eyes. Baudrillard says "right at the heart of the news, history threatens to disappear". In twenty years will a BA in history not exist? Will text books be replaced by CNN podcasts? Will I know be replaced by I think I know? Will nothing be authentic, Benjamin does not think so...
I think I need a drink, my head hurts...
ERIN