Stealing the Signifiers

Do not let the title fool you, I will not use this time to debate conceptual theories of signs. Instead I wish to discuss two practical examples of these theories.

Last week a bizarre situation in Germany met with international outrage. The famous sign outside the Aucshwitz concentration camp declaring "Arbeit Macht Frei" (or "Work Sets You Free") was stolen in the middle of the night. This act was branded as atrocious, with some Israeli ministers going so far as to call it an "act of war". Putting aside the ideological concepts behind these acts and reactions it is useful to look at the specific act involved. A group of people scaled a fence and stole a sign. How could this illicit such a furious response? A physical act has threatened an ethical and ideological concept.

A similar question arises at this time every year in relation to Christmas. The use of the word 'Xmas' to talk about this time of year has become a point of contention between religious and secular, materialist and anti-capitalist for years. By taking the word 'Christ' from the signifier, many believe that the season has lost its original religious causes. By changing the name this time becomes less about religion and more about spending and gift-giving. When in a generous mood, many religious people would call this mis-appropriation and when in a more fervent mood, they would call it theft. The simple re-arranging of letters has in this case, threatened an entire religious concept.

In both of these situations the degradation of a signifier has damaged the signified. When we put so much belief and importance on these signifiers they become focal points for the original causes that created them. That makes them very obvious targets for those with contrary agendas or opinions. We would readily admit that these focal points are merely representations that can never fully encompass the originating situations. But we must also realise that the destruction of these focal points can never fully destroy these originating situations either.

If we can understand this as a society our communication will become far more comfortable and more importantly, far more honest.

-The English Student

Social Grotesque II

This week the grotesque was obvious from the international news to the streets.

Chinese etiquette and social niceties came under international scrutiny as a policeman died from alcohol poisoning while negotiating with local business people. Politeness demanded that the policeman equal his companions levels of alcohol consumption and this resulted in his death. It has also become international knowledge that many companies employ people that are greater capable of drinking in these occasions in China. Value it seems, is given to those that can consume the most. This consumption is overt, obvious and disgusting.

The streets of many major cities have been mimicking this pattern in the past week. The 'Christmas Rush' has begun, with thousands flocking to consumer centres. An absurd amount of money is being spent during every opening hour of every opening day, with many shops extending their hours in an effort to encourage the insane flurry of spending. The streets are literally jammed with people and there is no sign of this abating until at least the end of the year. The level of consumption again is overt, obvious and disgusting.

Each of these situations highlights more aspects of this social grotesque. While they may be in an effort to impress and help each other, the luxury of these situations is getting to a sickening level. We are glutting ourselves in the consumerist temples that we have created. It is becoming obvious that this consumption simply cannot be sustained. I have heard the theory that humans are one of the only animals on the planet that will stop eating or drinking when they are full, rather than say, dogs that will keep eating so long as their is food. Perhaps we can resist this urge on a personal level. But we are truly failing on a social level.

Which brings us to the major example of social grotesque this week: the failure of Copenhagen makes our failure all the more inevitable.

-The English Student

Social Grotesque I

Sometimes you just have to be disgusted at our grotesque society.

The recent buzz around the Copenhagen conference on global warming touted this as the time that environmental problems will be solved. Or at least, a coherent and importantly, fair method of approaching a situation would be outlined. Of course, thus far this has been a massive failure and a farce. Should the most influential world leaders have their way developing nations will take more of the burden relative to their carbon output. They will pay more for a world wide problem that they had a smaller hand in causing.

Along with this conference has been an increasingly obvious dialogue related to population sizes. A documentary featuring David Attenborough highlighted the issue very succinctly by highlighting that we currently need one and a half planet earths to maintain the consumption of our increasing world population. Is not this ridiculously over-use of natural resources disgustingly grotesque? Surely we have to directly address this problem of over population as it is becoming a very practical issue.

However, answers to this grotesque problem have been even more grotesque. The previously mentioned documentary discussed the policies of many past governments in their efforts to keep their population down. These range from a limit on the number of children legally allowed by the government, to the forced vivisection of males across the country. Every solution to this problem is naturally sickening. If we cannot find an answer to this problem that is not as vile as its origins then we need to look elsewhere.

Copenhagen is failing because we have not recognised the grotesque society we have created. It is borne out in the environmental problems we face, the solutions we have proposed and the manner in which our world leaders are dealing with it.

-The English Student

Album Review: Them Crooked Vultures

Another year, another super group?

I must admit that I have been following the progress of Them Crooked Vultures since the news first broke of their inception. The combination of Josh Homme, John Paul Jones and Dave Grohl had such vast potential. A list of their combined bands (Queens of the Stone Age, Kyuss, Led Zeppelin, Nirvana etc.) reads like a list of the most influential bands spanning the last four decades. Apparently I was not the only one whose musical heart rate increased with the announcement of Them Crooked Vultures. Music fans and critics alike waited with baited breath for the release of the album.

So is the album good and does it live up to the hype? Yes and no. While the three musicians have clearly meshed well it is quite clear that the driving force for the project is Homme, whose tones and trademark harmonies create a very 'Queens-esque' atmosphere. The opening tracks of 'No One Loves Me and Neither Do I" and "Mind Eraser no Chaser" set this tone and drive through incredibly accomplished hooks and song writing. This is continued throughout the album with songs like 'Elephants' and 'Bandoliers' maintaining an exceptional level of production and craft. While Homme may be the leading figure in the project the influence of fellow band members is obvious on songs like 'Reptiles' where Homme pushes well beyond previous ground. Overall, the album sounds amazing and is a real testament to the power of modern rock music.

The second question I posed was in relation to the expectations surrounding this album. A common criticism seems to be the previously mentioned control of the project exercised by Homme. Many people seemed to have expected Grohl to take a more centre position in the band with far more vocal duties than are actually on the album or for Jones to completely overthrow the project with his musical mastery. While these people were certainly disappointed with the end result, it is their own fault. Each of the three musicians in this project expressed how happy they are with the album and the roles that each of them took. I love these musicians and as such, I love listening to what they want to play.

That is why I'm excited to have Them Crooked Vultures in these crooked times.

-The English Student

Forcing Christmas Spirit Down Our Throats

One of the major shopping streets in our city has begun to force Christmas spirit down our throats.

I happen to work on this street at the moment and as such have to walk past the offending area every day. The loud Christmas music blaring from the building is bearable. Even the ridiculously dramatic Christmas advertisements that are shown from adjacent buildings onto the street can be ignored. But the fake snow that is blasting from the roof of the building throughout the street I simply despise.

It tastes disgusting and clings awfully to clothes. More than this, it is a completely hollow attempt to create some sort of a Christmas feeling throughout the city. I previously explained my unease around this season and while I do encourage everyone to enjoy the holiday time I myself still struggle with it. While the lights and decorations are artificial, they are mainly inoffensive. This powdery nonsense is an inescapable reminder of the coming Christmas.

It is artificial and so is the sentiment that the store is trying to create. It almost never snows around Christmas in this area. The weather is far more likely to take that turn in late winter or early spring. So not only is this fake snow an attempt to create an early commercial frenzy of spending, it is one that does not have any real context in this country. The capitalist extremes that are always bubbling under the surface at this time are increasingly overt.

Never has it been more obvious than this artificial, unintelligible gimmick.

-The English Student

Behind the Scenes of the Service Sector

Working in the service sector has shown me two different types of consumer-company relationships.

In my first service related job I saw a very common company attitude. The organisation puts up a front to its costumers and pretends to care about their opinions and lifestyles. In actuality, they do not care. Working behind these apparently benevolent scenes highlights the hollowness of the whole process. Management does not care about the public, it cares about money. Management also does not care about employees, it cares about their ability to increase profits.

My second service related job highlighted a more subtle and altogether more sinister approach. In this case, the company really did seem to care. Behind the altruistic scenes of high customer satisfaction was an effort to create an environment of high employee satisfaction. Profit really did not seem to be the overriding principle of the company. Of course, this cannot be true. On some level, almost entirely unseen, the cold and calculating basis of business lurked in the recesses of the building.

But this taint was never fully embodied by any employee. Granted, the overall manager was more concerned with income than any other person in the organisation but even this person seemed to value profit for its ability to keep his staff employed and to help provide an excellent consumer experience. Maybe someone beyond this manager is to blame. The image of an overseeing tyrant at the base of these companies is a comforting one as it places the blame on an individual person. We could blame this person for greed and theorise that they lost their way in a capitalist system designed to help create an equatable world. I fear that there is a much more harrowing alternative. Organisations like this one seem to have developed traits that are no longer represented by its staff and are completely beyond their control. There is no shrouded master controlling the cogs of the machine.

In actuality, the machine we created is controlling us and in the process, our humanity is being consumed.

-The English Student

A Rejuvenation Project

A part of the city I had written off as obsolete has taken me by surprise.

When deciding on where to place settlements, our ancestors invariably chose places with access to fresh water. The founding of our capital city was of course no exception. The advantage of the river that flows through the city and the history behind it has been detailed by many people. The nature of this transport and economic hub changed with technology and history while remaining centred around the river and port. While the obvious use of the harbour for import and export remained constant a certain dark, foreboding tone fell upon the area. It was a dangerous place.

That is, until the recent rejuvenation projects have come to fruition. I recently walked through this area, not to sight-see, but to get somewhere else. I was determined to travel through the docklands with the greatest of speed in order to avoid the usual dread and danger associated with it. I was truly ignorant of the new atmosphere that has been developed. Wonderfully modern buildings have been completed, with fascinating architecture and glorious glass-fronted façades. Brilliant lights blaze out from these new monuments and bathe the entire area in a warm and clean glow.

The turn around in this area is, for me, truly remarkable. I think the rejuvenation can be summed up by the new bridges that have been erected down at the docklands. There are various pedestrian bridges with wonderful sharp architectural lines that are lit up in fanciful ways. Significantly, these bridges are not retractable and cannot be navigated through by large ships. While these ships would very rarely have come far up the river in the past it is emblematic that this new harbour area is not focused on supporting shipping.

The river mouth has shed its original use and as a result it remains a focal point for the city.

-The English Student