[lit-ideas] Re: 21. century European anti-Semitism
- From: John Wager <johnwager@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 19 Apr 2004 21:23:32 -0500
What continually surprises me is how UNCONNECTED fear and violence seems
to be with what I expect the "culture" to be. It would make sense to me
if a culture's religious or ritualistic "values" determined how fearful
a culture was, but often what I EXPECT is not what I see. For example:
Some brands of conservative Christianity are very judgmental and even
xenophobic. But there are examples of groups of people from this
tradition that are accepting and not fearful. I'm tempted to cite the
village of Le Chambon in France; Phillip Hallie wrote about this in LEST
INNOCENT BLOOD BE SHED. And parts of the Catholic tradition are
pacifistic and very interested in other cultures; the Jesuits were often
passionately attached to the "primitive" cultures they were supposedly
converting; often they were converted as much as they converted others,
despite the traditional image of Jesuits as carriers of the
inquisition. I WISH the world were so simple that ideas determined
actions but unfortunately our actions are often quite at odds with our
beliefs, for both good and evil.
And, unfortunately for advertising, I suspect the same is true in this
part of the world: What we expect to "work" doesn't, and what we don't
expect to work does.
John McCreery wrote:
>On 2004/04/20, at 1:23, Scribe1865@xxxxxxx wrote:
>
>
>
>>fear of, and violent defense against
>>what is strange or unusual
>>
>>
>
>This is precisely the sort of assumption that I have been questioning
>all along. The strange and unusual invite a wide range of responses,
>from touristic enjoyment, to giggles, to voyeuristic obsession (plus,
>of course, scholarly interest--the anthropologist's usual excuse), as
>well as fear and violence. That is why, for example, people in
>advertising have endless debates over whether this or that new twist in
>the creative has (1) not gone far enough, remaining dull and boring,
>(2) has gone too far, thus likely to offend the client, customer,
>critic or government censor who sees the ad, or (3) strikes (ideally at
>least) just the right balance to attract and hold the attention of the
>desired target audience.
>
>My point is a general one, having to do with the character of
>historical (or sociological or anthropological) explanation: Fear and
>violent defense occur in specific social, cultural, historic
>circumstances that any decent theory must provide an account for. That
>human beings are capable of infantile rage or calculated cruelty is too
>general a potential to account for why specific acts of barbarity occur
>in specific times and places.
>
>Cheers,
>
>
>
>John L. McCreery
>The Word Works, Ltd.
>55-13-202 Miyagaya, Nishi-ku
>Yokohama, Japan 220-0006
>
>Tel 81-45-314-9324
>Email mccreery@xxxxxxx
>
>"Making Symbols is Our Business"
>
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