| Subject: Free Tibet movements: criticism |
Author:
Steven Melling
|
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
Date Posted: 20:53:44 10/16/02 Wed
Maggie Sheets recently sent me (along with many others) an article about the crowing of "Miss Tibet". Obviously, such a title seems to contradict the modesty usually associated with the Tibetan people.
This issue interests me for two reasons: 1) It represents an intersection between Western and non-Western values; and 2) It calls into question recent efforts in support of the Tibetan people, which have taken place throughout the United States. Presently, I will focus more on the latter issue.
(It is important to note that any discussion of the American movements in support of Tibet will be inevitably postmodernist. Most participants have only encountered the country and its people through representations.)
It seems Tibet is largely seen as an abstract concept -- not a people, not a nation. (The joke is frequently made that many who attend a Tibetan Freedom Concert could not locate it on a map.) The real question is whether Tibet has become a meme or a cipher. I tend to believe it has become the latter.
Just for sake of clarification, I should probably discuss the meaning of the term cipher. A common example of a cipher is Disney's use of Pocahontas. She is understood to embody abstract ideas, such as feminism and the Native American lifestyle. However, she has been repackaged in a sexualized manner. Disney's Pocahontas is ultimately just a marketing tool. The repackaged image was able to sell a variety of products, which seemed to perpetuate values quite contrary to the values that made her so attractive. Since many people were not aware of the true story of Pocahontas, Disney was able to ascribe these values. (1)
***
Previously, I had read of Jason's frustration over a guy whose satchel displayed a representation of Che Guevera and an American flag lapel. Whether the American flag is a cipher is debatable. It certainly has been used as a marketing tool. I do believe that Che Guevera (2) has become a Cipher. No, his image will never appear on Burger King cups, but it has been able to operate on a much smaller level. When Rage Against The Machine decided his image would make a good album cover, they changed the prevalent representation of him. Instead of educating the public about Guevera's life, they transformed him into another marketing symbol. I'm sure they did not mean to do such a thing, but that's what has happened. The kid probably does not think too much about the guy whose face sits next to Old Glory on his satchel. To him, both represent vague ideas.
So what does any of this have to do with Tibet? I am afraid that an entire country is going down the path of Pocahontas, Guevera, and others. In the 1990s, the Beastie Boys and other musicians brought forth the Tibetan freedom concerts. For awhile, it seemed as though these would be a great vehicle for educating the public on the plight of the Tibetan people. To some extent, that has happened. But it is the fact that we are so uneducated about Tibet that makes it an ideal cipher. Without a basic understanding of the country, Tibet stands the risk of being transformed into something else.
When Westerners are shocked by a Miss Tibet contest, they should evaluate why they are shocked. Is it because the culture of the Tibetans is being desecrated? Or, is it because the abstract concept of Tibet is being compromised? Though some participants in Free Tibet movements understand the profundity of the issue, others seem to only see excuses to congregate.
(1) Ono, Kent A. and Buescher, D.T. Deciphering Pocahontas: Unpackaging the commodification of a Native American woman. Critical Studies in Media Communication. Vol 18, No. 1, March 2001, pp. 22-43.
(2) Of course, Che Guevera died in Bolivia. By mentioning him in the present tense, I am referring to the media representations of him.
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
| |
Feedback: 