The New York Sophist

Well the past few days have been awesome. I’ve been putting together a very difficult syllabus on Feminist rhetoric for a small independent study with three students. Fun and challenging at the same time and also with a large sense of dread about leaving something out. However, I think that a syllabus is like a map of a larger argument. Courses are like arguments, with the claim “This is what you need to know” twisted and altered to fit the conditions of the instructor and students and the time. So there’s no perfect coverage, just the instructor’s perspective as an expert in the field.

Everyone is way too excited about the inauguration. I didn’t think it was very interesting until I started looking at the cultural response to it instead of the political/news-cycle response. Here’s a great music video about the inauguration:

Now if you watched that three things should come to mind. First, you should want one of those hoodies. Secondly, where can one purchase a blue Lamborghini? Finally, you might notice the visual quotes in that video from this one:

The differences are stark – people protesting versus people protesting. But both look like parties. And the names and geographical locations that are celebrated on signs are a bit different – not just because of the time, but perhaps other reasons? And both have a contradiction with the push to work within the political system forwarded, as well as some direct and subtle claims that one should be a subversive.

I wonder what other cultural products will be produced by this inauguration and administration?