I can't tell you what "authentic" is about [insert any experience] it, but I know it when I see it. This response has been adequate to define our legal system for what restrictions can be placed on obscene material:
In 1964, Justice Potter Stewart tried to explain "hard-core" pornography, or what is obscene, by saying, "I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced . . . [b]ut I know it when I see it . . . "[1]
And it will certainly suffice for my understanding of what authentic means. What I like about Grazian's article is he gets past what authentic means, and takes a look at how it figures, operates, and transforms. He operates under the assumption that what is authentic in any situation is always a contrivance; a show for the benefit of the producer and the consumer, authenticity does something to resonate with those that paticipate in the act. If the resonation falls short, something is quickly deemed "in-authentic." (Grazian turns to literary critic Stanley Fish for his definition of "interpretive communities."
It seems to funny that people get so uptight about wanting a unique experience when "authenticity" would indeed point to some higher ideal that all other attempts can only hope to imiate. It seems funny until I realize that I am guilty of this all the time. What comes to my mind immediately is planning for a wedding (Kevin and I will be married in 13 short days...so sorry, it's really all I can manage to think about right now!). In this planning phase, we are pressured at every corner to define who we are and how we want to be "introduced" as a couple. For starters, this whole marriage things assumes that this would be our first day married, so, we can't really be expected to know what that is supposed to look/sound/be like yet, can we? Further, neither of us having been married before, our experiences for weddings simply have to be pulled from second hand experiences. We rip pages out of magazines (okay yes, me more than him), we watch hours of trashy wedding shows (again, all me), and attend weddings with a notepad in our heads jotting down things that resonate well with us, and things that don't quite sit right. I have no idea what my "ideal" wedding is, but I certainly know what it is now. And how else could we really be expected to craft our own uniquely "Kevin & Krystal" authentic wedding? We cannot pull cells from our bodies, strings from our hearts, or nerves from our brains to lay them out and select out "authentic" selves, so we must rely on what we experience from others.
What I mean by this then, is it seems quite harsh to call something "inauthentic" right away, even if it is just a simply act of judging a downtown night club; it seems obvious that people should understand that their expectations may be illsuited to the experience at hand, and that you should either check your expectations at the door, or walk away when something doesn't sit right with you. Be selective in your consumption of culture; you don't have to eat everything on your plate, you are allowed to make your own decisions without lamenting that everything isn't as perfect as you dreamed up.
Okay, a bit of a rant, but luckily I am not impugning one single individual or group, just responding to some of Grazian's observations. Another thing I'd like to bring up is from page 21 where Grazian brings up some long held belief that some races have innate talents that other races cannot posses, therefore reaffirming the assumption that some authenticity should be gleaned from race alone. A contemporary critic of this idea would be Malcolm Gladwell (not really a critic so much as author). His book Outliers points out that to become a professional at any one thing requires about 10,000 hours of practice. A recent book Moonwalking with Einstein also affirms this belief. I like that Grazian pointed out that this idea has been debunked; practice may really make perfect here, not some handed down genetic code to an innate talent.
Signing off for tonight :) it's been a great semester! I am sure you are all drowning in final papers (or grading, or life in general) so I wish you all a great week!
In 1964, Justice Potter Stewart tried to explain "hard-core" pornography, or what is obscene, by saying, "I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced . . . [b]ut I know it when I see it . . . "[1]
And it will certainly suffice for my understanding of what authentic means. What I like about Grazian's article is he gets past what authentic means, and takes a look at how it figures, operates, and transforms. He operates under the assumption that what is authentic in any situation is always a contrivance; a show for the benefit of the producer and the consumer, authenticity does something to resonate with those that paticipate in the act. If the resonation falls short, something is quickly deemed "in-authentic." (Grazian turns to literary critic Stanley Fish for his definition of "interpretive communities."
It seems to funny that people get so uptight about wanting a unique experience when "authenticity" would indeed point to some higher ideal that all other attempts can only hope to imiate. It seems funny until I realize that I am guilty of this all the time. What comes to my mind immediately is planning for a wedding (Kevin and I will be married in 13 short days...so sorry, it's really all I can manage to think about right now!). In this planning phase, we are pressured at every corner to define who we are and how we want to be "introduced" as a couple. For starters, this whole marriage things assumes that this would be our first day married, so, we can't really be expected to know what that is supposed to look/sound/be like yet, can we? Further, neither of us having been married before, our experiences for weddings simply have to be pulled from second hand experiences. We rip pages out of magazines (okay yes, me more than him), we watch hours of trashy wedding shows (again, all me), and attend weddings with a notepad in our heads jotting down things that resonate well with us, and things that don't quite sit right. I have no idea what my "ideal" wedding is, but I certainly know what it is now. And how else could we really be expected to craft our own uniquely "Kevin & Krystal" authentic wedding? We cannot pull cells from our bodies, strings from our hearts, or nerves from our brains to lay them out and select out "authentic" selves, so we must rely on what we experience from others.
What I mean by this then, is it seems quite harsh to call something "inauthentic" right away, even if it is just a simply act of judging a downtown night club; it seems obvious that people should understand that their expectations may be illsuited to the experience at hand, and that you should either check your expectations at the door, or walk away when something doesn't sit right with you. Be selective in your consumption of culture; you don't have to eat everything on your plate, you are allowed to make your own decisions without lamenting that everything isn't as perfect as you dreamed up.
Okay, a bit of a rant, but luckily I am not impugning one single individual or group, just responding to some of Grazian's observations. Another thing I'd like to bring up is from page 21 where Grazian brings up some long held belief that some races have innate talents that other races cannot posses, therefore reaffirming the assumption that some authenticity should be gleaned from race alone. A contemporary critic of this idea would be Malcolm Gladwell (not really a critic so much as author). His book Outliers points out that to become a professional at any one thing requires about 10,000 hours of practice. A recent book Moonwalking with Einstein also affirms this belief. I like that Grazian pointed out that this idea has been debunked; practice may really make perfect here, not some handed down genetic code to an innate talent.
Signing off for tonight :) it's been a great semester! I am sure you are all drowning in final papers (or grading, or life in general) so I wish you all a great week!
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