A few disparate strands of thought

• Whether Britain is in fact Great.
• Most people vote for a party based on self-interest.
• Most crime news is sensationalist which capture the public's imagination.
• Some people struggle with calculating risks in percentages.
• Daniel Kahnemann's book Thinking Fast and Slow is very instructive.
• Unemployment is not funenmployment.
• Single ticket fares costing more than return ticket fares seem absurd.
• Running technique is as important to running as swimming technique is to swimming.
• The news is very fickle.
• It's a shame that some people think doing an MBA is essential to their career progression.
• Healthy food makes you feel better, once it becomes part of your daily habit.
• People post far too many selfies - including people who should know better.
• Sporadic luxury is pretty good.
• I never want to never worry about money.
• To run fast you must be light and run man miles.
• Having children is a form of gratifying self-sacrifice.

And for the final act of the evening... the American Dream!

Current or near current manifestations of the American Dream gone wrong - Breaking Bad, Wolf on Wall Street, Mad Men, American Hustle. The continued art of faking it even when you make it. You may disagree with my comment - especially if you are any kind of feminist.

The American Dream is almost aways looked through a male prism - unless you're Oprah, Sheryl Sandberg, Hilary Clinton, or Beyonce - and this is sad and unjustified. To an extent. The American Dream is indeed just a 'dream' - one wakes up and realises one is living the American Mediocrity, the American Poverty or the American Nightmare. This is not everyone of course, and it goes to show the strength, durability and innovation of the American Dream. It is in fact to be admired with all its flaws and in its many forms.

In other words, the American Dream speaks to the hope in every one of us; none of us can ever more than survive without hope or a [certain community] dream. They are our modern forms of superstition after all.

The Military and the Internet

Some things seem contradictory. How could such a prosperous country such as Korea advocate the discipline of military service but allow the docile danger of internet addiction to fester? Because it doesn't.

Such an assumption is simplistic to say the least but also wrong. Why? Because for someone ignorant to Korea's traditions, culture, victories and sufferings, I cannot even begin to understand how two things such as this co-exist in relative harmony. It still leaves me wondering what the effect of these two 'institutions' of Korean culture (the military and the internet) are on young people today.

Our late teens, early twenties encapsulate our formative years into adulthood. It is with hope and trepidation that 18, 19 year olds step out into the world.

I cannot imagine being anywhere near an army - unless it was a cosmopolitan, international, pacifist, intellectual one - and I cannot imagine a world where the Internet replaces the real world. Otherwise I would fear losing two of the beliefs I hold most dearly - peace and nature.

Perhaps I am on the 'slippery slope'/pessimistic side to express an alarm at this imaginary reality I have conjured up. But at the age of 26 and in the sphere of regular, long-term employment, I am acutely aware of how things can very much start to slide without you even noticing - your values, beliefs, philosophies, basically your whole life. YOLO all you like but it's worth being conscientious and momentarily thinking about the extraordinary value of idealism and natural beauty, in other words, a world without institutions and super-structures.

Donna Tartt's Goldfinch

Chance is a wonderful thing - Donna Tartt claims she did not know the Goldfinch painting would be in New York at the Frick Museum; the Dutch masters exhibition opened on the same day as her book was to be published in the US.

Frickin' genius on behalf of God I say.

Tartt does write very well and I hope to re-visit her writing in the form of "The Secret History" at some point. Reviews of her book have ranged from highly acclaimed to sentiments of disappointment. But for me, it stands out "visually". The worlds she creates are outstanding. And the characters are fucked-up, just as you might expect real people to be sometimes. She encapsulates the idea of life being an adventure; the tragedy and comedy of it all - she is a very human writer and someone who would be quite good honest company at a dinner party. So basically the opposite of Emile Zola who would probably not stop talking in his decidedly naturalist and caviar gauche manner.

In any case, Tartt should be commended for her anonymity - it would be quite hard to write fiction of her level without anonymously researching many small details about antique furniture, Dutch art, Las Vegas etc. The antithesis of celebrity, i.e. celebrity deadens the senses in its mass-market consumerist public relations fudge.

My life has been enriched by reading this book. And so should yours.

The Social Animal by David Brooks

Fantastic book on recent psychological studies emphasizing the importance of the irrational/sub-conscious in our decision-making and how we develop as human beings, in priority of rational thinking. Here's a link to a review from the Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/jun/01/social-animal-david-brooks-review

The overbearing of ...Isms

Recent events have shown how ...isms must be presented and articulated clearly. It is all too easy for these umbrella terms to be misused. 'Cultural marxism' and 'islamification' are among the terms which have been used with such astonishing ease that it is simplified into merely an emotional gut instinct.

As with any kind of debating, if you must argue against something, the strongest points of the opposing argument should be tackled. This involves searching the depth of the argument and the complexity behind it. It is all-too-easy to score that open goal.

Misinterpretation or the lack of critical analysis is also a regular symptom of our information age. The most ironic perhaps being the Norwegian killer's writings on Jacques Derrida. He acknowledges the concept of 'the death of the author', and the fact that literature can be twisted away from its original meaning, citing the emergence of feminist critical theory for example. But then he does not acknowledge his own twisting of history - what of Norway's historical development into one of the most open and tolerant societies in the world? His focus on the medieval past betrays his lack of attention towards the more recent past - after all, Norway is the home of the Nobel Peace Prize.

N.B. - The attacks in Norway were indeed barbaric but should not be merely described as the acts of a 'madman'. Mad men do not write about Antonio Gramsci in a 'manifesto'.
Susumu Shimazono's work on new religions (particularly Aum Shinrikyo - the organisation responsible for the terrorist gas attacks) in late 20th century Japan is particularly instructive in trying to decipher how such atrocities came about - the revenge of religion reacting to the disorientation of modern society,  the apocalyptic/armageddon-like vision of the world (the need to start anew), the lack of trust in the public and political world, the role of highly educated individuals. This is not trying to condone or explain this barbarism; merely the conditions in which such mindsets could potentially emerge.

Relevant links:
2083 Manifesto
Conversations with Susumu Shimazono

Equality before the law

Perhaps this is all too obvious, but it is true that our judgment is somewhat clouded when different factors coincide with each other. It is also difficult given our personal affiliations, biases and preferences - however hard we try to suppress them. And it is especially easy for 'neutral' newspapers to influence us.

Whatever is in fashion at the time, the law will always hold some sort of certainty and stability - especially in criminal cases. To be presumed innocent until proven guilty; to be guilty beyond reasonable doubt - these foundations are essential. Why are these so essential?

Let us consider the recent case of DSK, the head of the IMF, and compare the situation of Julian Assange. The similarities - sexual offences, massive media coverage, cries of conspiracy. The prime difference - politics.

Although there is the added spice of cultural differences - the French 'seducer' and the Australian/Cyber-national nomad, we are sometimes instructed to think in a certain way due to our political beliefs. Is this the end of a creditable Socialist challenge in France? Or does this threaten the resurgence of technology-led anarchism?

But nevertheless, serious criminal charges must be investigated - the wider political milieu will have to wait or if it gets fed up of waiting, go on without them.

Examining the philosophical link between law and economics

NB: This is not about the discipline of Law and Economics, as espoused by the likes of Ronald Coase or Richard Posner.

A more general discussion about the foundational basis of both law and economics is something much underestimated. Why? Because understanding the basics of law in different will change your outlook on economics, and vice-versa.

The most obvious examples are property and taxation. How private/common should property be? Strictly speaking we are not talking about people holding property, but people having rights over property. This would perhaps elude to the conflicts between the capitalist/communist economic models.

Furthermore, taxation is enshrined in law but is ultimately determined by economic conditions and government policy. Fiscal conservatism, libertarianism, economic liberalism - these are labels attached to economics which have a profound impact on not just financial regulation, but more fundamentally contract law.

Take the ideas of Andreii Schleifer, a Harvard academic, on the historic development of different legal systems. According to his research, the Common Law system has developed in such a way that the countries adopting it have become economically more dynamic and advanced compared to their Civil Law neighbours.

Not forgetting the complications of politics and the practical manifestations of international and national policy, it is evident that there is much to think about in trying to devise the structures that underpin our modern societies. It will be particularly interesting to see how emerging economies will try and develop their own law along with their own historic traditions - Islamic Law, Confucian School of Thought, and colonial influences but to name a few.

How to sense meaning of the public consciousness

There is a problem in talking about a public consciousness when two juxtaposed events are not exactly cohesive in our understanding of the world.

The Royal Wedding had dominated the press for the best part of a week. Then suddenly, no photos of smiling Brits waving flags; replaced by the new story - the 'Osama bounce' that Barack Obama was enjoying.

Despite the enthusiasm on our screens, there was a quiet grumble from the republican minority. Was it surprising that American tourists were aplenty in the London parks? Who exactly are taken in by the pomp and circumstance of it all? In the party atmosphere, many of the questions of constitutional significance and the British soul were all but forgotten.

And for those who are not politically inclined, what does the death of Osama Bin Laden mean? It depends what you make of the Arab Spring I guess. Or perhaps whether you think the soft power idealism of Obama is more effective than those in the Kissinger school of realism or even the Leo Strauss school of neo-conservatism.

If the media had an overriding narrative, it may be slightly schizophrenic.

What's wrong with the pettiness of the middle classes?

There has always been a certain hoarding element of the middle classes, but two forces make this an altogether different beast - globalization and financial technology.

Globalization is exporting the aspiration of the middle class to new territories, bringing them modern problems that many would have not anticipated. From the eternal problems of hunger and cruelty, different nuances are required to see ostentatiousness or materialism as just as threatening to happiness.

In emerging economies such as China and India, this is very much prevalent as disparities in wealth become wider and more visible in societies that have prided itself on spiritual/philosophical depth. Evolved over millenia, India is perhaps one of the most spiritual countries in the world, while Confucianism has long underpinned all that is great and cultured about China.

It is not much of a stretch to imagine these societies starting to contemplate in the oft-surreal, existential way that Japanese has raced through the modern age. After you have your assets comfortably protected by property and education, then what next?

But developments in finance will also exacerbate the position the middle class will find themselves in. This is because it is perhaps the natural tendency to securitise the assets (hard and soft) one already has. It is most recently evident in the Financial Crisis - with financial instruments taking advantage of the 'safest' asset there is: property. A few CDOs and CDSs later, sub-prime mortgages become front page news.

The next big bubble may come in the form of defaulting student loans, according to Peter Thiel. This is epitomised by the Harvard MBA being described by the Economist as a leveraged bet on someone becoming a finance director at a blue-chip company. Education becomes an asset, albeit a soft one, and a commodity which can be treated and marketed as such.

In safeguarding our own interests, we have quantified our most important social and capitalist values in a way that wider moral and cultural stability is at threat.

It will be just like playing COD!

As an internationalist, it is with a sense of envy and confusion that I look upon those who are so proud of their country. It must be quite comforting to know that the nation is an unwavering part of your identity. But then again how limiting it is to not go beyond borders, as some forms of culture and finance have done so successfully.

This is why I do not take much interest in military affairs as it compounds the power of the nation state despite those alliances and regimes people attach a lot of importance to - e.g. the UN or NATO. But take the nation-state out of war for a second, the picture looks to me a little more interesting.

Cyber security
Protecting information and computer systems around the world has become paramount to national security across the world. Since the first proper 'cyber-war' in Estonia in 1997, attacks on government data systems have become more commonplace and threatening in the future. This may not be war as such, but it is one of the striking examples of how warfare is changing.

Drones/robots
Robots will be increasingly sophisticated in the space of our own lifetimes. Although drones are slightly different, it raises many ethical questions about the 'dehumanization' of war. Can an army officer remotely controlling a drone be directly responsible for those innocently killed by a drone they were controlling? To them, they are looking at a screen and pressing the red button to fire their weapons. Not dissimilar to a computer game I suspect. Perhaps there is too much psychological damage from infantry using bayonets in close-combat - such drones would save them from the emotional scars of physically having to kill another.

Private contractors
Possibly one of the most controversial areas of warfare is the hiring of private contractors for different kinds of military and security operations. I wonder if Reagan and Thatcher envisaged this development when they talked of de-regulation... But nevertheless, the traditional sphere of national governments have been replaced in some quarters by private security firms. By winning lucrative government contracts, private security firms have grown considerably in the last decade. Whether their operations have been properly regulated or controlled is another matter altogether. One can only take a quick glance at the Blackwater security firm changing its name to Xe; a great piece of re-branding to wash over scandals.

The developments above mainly concern developed states and do not apply much to war-torn states with less sophisticated means of military conflict. Child soldiers and guerilla warfare are the name of the game in some regions.

But even with this discrepancy between the means available to developed and broken states, it is hard to 'win' a war. It was perhaps bizarre for some to conclude when discussing the Pacific War that Japan were actually the real winners due to its economic transformation after the war. Equally, the real winners of current conflicts may change just as history is re-written in different ways.

Imagination and Frameworks

Blue sky thinking or something a little more practical? People across the world have different processes and motivations in their lives, but many try to contribute towards making the world a better and more interesting place to live. Better and more interesting do not always coincide or overlap quietly, but it is clear that both imagination and frameworks are essential in this fragile relationship between creativity and practice.

Imagination

There are countless examples, but here I choose to focus on the infinity of the universe. Despite the Cold War background of the Space Race, for many people it opened up a huge realm of possibility about our planet and the rest of space. With 21st century technology, commercial trips offered by Virgin Galactic will soon make it possible for ordinary souls (with a bit of money) to enter space. Private enterprise is on the cusp of entering space. The longstanding TV series, Thunderbirds, was inspired by the possibility of man in space.

Space has further advanced the study of science, especially in the area of physics. The CERN Hadron Collider for example, has made the ongoing search for the Higg's Boson become a holy grail regularly discussed outside merely scientific circles.

But it seems most of our interests lie close to concerns a little closer to earth. Despite the physicality of sculpture, this mode of art has strived to reconceptualise our notions of art, and by extension the notion of ourselves. Henry Moore's "Reclining Figure" is an outstanding example of the power of sculpture in re-imagining ourselves.

The flowing figure tells us of the human being's fluidity. Although not directly linked to Sartre, its post-WWII background is evident in its assertion of the individual. Looking at the sculpture, you can interpret the smooth lines and curious arcs as you want. Thus you can also decide what you are yourself, without anyone telling you otherwise. It was also Moore's attempt to return to art's "pre-cultural", "pre-rational" origins. To imagine this in sculpture is exceptional.



Henry Moore's "Reclining Figure"


Frameworks

Development - there are an abundance of theories which population development studies, with many focusing on economics. Development economics is not within my understanding, but on the basic level of reconstructing countries from the debris of war and conflict, there are a few essentials.

One fundamental issue which is regularly misunderstood is institutions. Without the right institutions, a modern state cannot function. All these quite boring things such as the civil service, 'bureaucracy', army, national banks, courts and tax authorities - must be competent and accountable. Then can follow schools, hospitals and other aspects of welfare. Becoming 'institutionalised' has now become the way to say that you are 'no longer cool', but in the aspect of developing a modern state, it is both the 'hard' and 'soft' institutions which must be established in a developing country.

It is particularly interesting the re-building of some parts of Afghanistan that policing and rule of law have been emphasised in priority of development aid. No water pumps or generators just yet; "stabilization" seems to be the buzzword.

Despite the occasional tedium of the law, any legal system should protect basic rights of individuals - something that a number of emerging economies are dragging their feet on. This will gradually become a pressing issue for many countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa - how to establish rule of law.

And finally, everyone's best enemy - free market capitalism. It is perhaps quite telling that only 30% in France agree that the free-market system is the best. Perhaps a German-based stakeholder model is better, or an economy with heavy state involvement. While I am not in the Chicago School of thought, I maintain that markets which are transparent and relatively free are important. The brutal number-crunching that accompanies the least-worst option that the West have chosen should not be accompanied by exploitation or abuse of the system - as is regrettably common in the modern age.

This is why a lot of work has been done following the ideas of Ronald Coase. Institutions, regulations and legal systems can make a fundamental difference in the way in which a free market model can work. This is none more so demonstrated when an absence of law means cynicism of capitalism ensues. The most prominent recent example is the debacle which has become BP's supposed tie-up with Russian oil giant Rosneft, and its continuing litigation with its joint venture partners in TNK-BP. Corruption and closed-door deals should not have a place in any kind of economics.

Politics
Sadly elite politics can get in the way of these imagination and frameworks, but for the personal politics that involve us, it is what spurs our contributions to the world.

Culture v. Politics Round x

The x in the title should be an x, denoting that this is an eternal debate discussed for centuries. This is my own minute comment on this topic. 

My focus here is on museums in China, which have come into existence just as fast as the country's economic boom. With the current Chinese Communist Party's uneasy relationship with history, it is with widespread interest that one sees the construction and curation of museums in China.

It is important to note that museums as a concept is a Western idea, which expressed power, civilization and education. It was open specifically for the public to learn and be in awe of the displays and artefacts on display. A powerful tool and permanent place of learning if there ever was one.

Thus it is with these considerations in mind, that we curiously look at the newly renovated National Museum of China in Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Having recently re-opened, it displays the vulnerability of the ruling party about the past and how it should be narrated and presented. As a New York Times article states:

"It is also an example of how China finds it difficult to create cultural institutions that prove equal to its economic achievements."

Culture, as Habermas has traditionally put it, is all about a public sphere, which the public are essentially in control of. Although his concept has been rubbished to varying degrees, it is clear that the Chinese government has struggled to back away from Chinese culture developing its natural course. 

The socialist aesthetics of the Soviet era are still prevalent in many of China's museums. The stark columns, the clean and geometric lines. And not to forget the sheer size of the museums themselves - the new National Museum is supposedly the biggest in floor area in the world. 

But in terms of museums as an institution, they have always received significant public support and funding, especially in the U.K. Perhaps there is some implicit politicisation of museums in 'liberal democratic' countries too. 

It is worth thinking twice when you next enter into a museum. Its architecture, atmosphere, design and perhaps its implicit politics. The study of museology - of which I knew little until a year ago - has developed in many different ways in the last 50 years, for example with the rise of 'eco-museums'. If ever there was a clash between culture and politics, the museum would definitely be a suitable venue.

See relevant link:
New York Times article on the National Museum of China

National legacies in fiction

Everything must be taken in context. The field of 'World Literature' adheres to this especially, as otherwise it may be difficult to understand the peculiarities which are obscured by the universality of themes that pop up in literature time and again, tragedy, love, revenge, family etc.

It is with this stream of thought that I put down Lu Xun's short stories, which may be pretty unremarkable to the average reader who do not know about his involvement in the New Culture Movement in Republican China in the 1920s, or that he was the figurehead of China's new literary modernism. Furthermore, the political background of China at the time which had recently absolved itself from almost two millenia of imperial rule is of significance.

But it is evident, especially in his famous short story, "The Madman's Diary", about how this 'call to arms' - to face a new political landscape shaped by the people themselves - has been misconstrued and interpreted to suit the interests of various factionalised groups, such as the Communists. Instead of the status quo being right, it is in fact everyone else who is insane - it is a particularly seductive way of embracing the new, without really thinking about if there was anything to salvage from the old. The feudal system that supported imperial China was indeed parasitic and must be uprooted from Chinese society, once and for all.

Looking closer to these shores, Martin Amis' latest novel, "The Pregnant Widow" merits a deeper understanding of the English novel and how it has evolved. From his regular references to Jane Austen, to the protagonist's observation of social freedoms in the fashionable 60's London, Amis must be interpreted through a certain lens to be fully appreciated. Comical satire- of which I know little - exposes that very British type of humour, that perhaps foreign readers may not grasp, for example. And it is in this way, Amis tries to take an image of Britain's national psychology, up until the 2000s, where the old age of the main character sometimes clashes with the modernity of the new millenium.

But national understandings may not always be necessary, thankfully, but as with international relations, the nation always rears its ugly head in some shape or form, whether one would like it to be there or not.

The White Ribbon

Patience is sometimes rewarding. It was difficult to become engrossed into this film at first, but as the film wore on, it was difficult not to become involved in this story of rural Germany just before WWI.

Other reviews have mentioned the 'quiet violence' and 'the socialization of rage' which the film depicts, but this film stands out in its subtlety. It is all too easy to be cynical about the present age, and idealize history in all its Mad Men-esque glamour and glory.

But this film is not just a forewarning of the nation-state-led violence which scarred the first half of the twentieth century; it really questions our own relationship with history and how susceptible our moral lens is to specks of dust that distort our perception of the big picture.

The White Ribbon is supposed to be a symbol of innocence and purity, but it is clear this obvious symbolism should be treated with more care. But despite the slogans and mission statements which we ourselves live by today, it is important to note how far society and humanity has learnt from its mistakes and strives to progress even further, even if that path is not always a smooth one.

Notwithstanding the cold, concrete figures of economics or legal-political structures that all-too-often dominate our lives, the arts remind us of what life is all about - curiosity, learning and connecting with others.

When life gets in the way

Contemplation is healthy but not altogether always a very simple process. One's life becomes a diary full of dates and times and places to be. Tasks, to-do's, never wanting to waste those precious minutes. Efficiency, etc.

Similarly, you buy new things which are new and shiny, whereas the emotion-laden objects of old are swept away. You walk past the same set of photos everyday but never register the feeling, the eternity of that time when you took that photograph. Birthday cards, christmas cards are collected into a shoe-box to be hidden under your bed. 

As one gets older, time seems to fly and hard work becomes more commonplace. You become more functional, robotic in the sense that sentiment hardly registers a heartbeat. In all this time, the clock is ticking away, with the seconds hand seemingly going slightly faster than you want it to. Salaries and mortgages - head down, getting on with the job. 

The 'Shard': looking to an urban and technological future 

With the new orderliness of personal space and rigidness of professional time, one wishes they had time to write - to be more accurate, think and then write.

As an advocate of the thriving blogosphere, it is with a sort of melancholy that I look at blogs which haven't been updated at all recently. It reminds me of photos depicting the lost world of post-mining, post-industrial rust-belt regions in the U.S. Excited by opportunity and technology, a place (whether that be tangible or not) is infused with soul, and then it is abandoned.

Old and new memories, old and new objects, old and new experiences - these are indeed eternal struggles.

I'd rather live in the shadows, thanks.

From Plato's Allegory of the Cave to more contemporary imageries of brightness and dimness, light has played an important role in which we understand ourselves and our environment. As post-Englightenment beings, we see it as far too simplistic to imagine how knowledge is supposed to represent light, and ignorance darkness.

But is it so uninteresting to live in the 'darkness'? Of course, many in the Middle East would profess that living in the darkness of repression and corruption is no way to live. But let us consider highly developed, democratic states, where peoples choose to live in darkness in one way or another, for one reason or another. For those who fear they are to be blinded by the lightness of outside, they take comfort in their insular and familiar surroundings. They are content in their lot, never wondering what it is like to live in other parts of the world, or even how the people in the next village live. If they were to denounce something, they would not bother to challenge its legitimacy on its strongest grounds, but on its weakest grounds. It is all too easily to criticize religion, for example, on one of their more outrageous grounds.

It is also evident that for some people, the light is too painful in its all-consuming brightness. The harsh light of reality shows the world in its true essence - both fascinating and terrifying. Perhaps this is one mechanism to cope with loss or tragedy, you try and block out what is all too crystal clear under the light. For the rehabilitating drug-user opening their eyes to the squalor and terror around them to political philosophers reading ever more deeply into theories which continue to discuss imperfect visions of the perfect society, this does not necessarily make you happier, but makes the world seem less comprehensible in its different varieties and complexities. If you find yourself in a country, you discover your continent, other continents, the world is not an oyster - but a incomprehensible sphere which you cannot even start to understand. One ray of light might enthuse your curiosity but a brilliant sunshine? It is often from the midsts of darkness, that people grow to be the people they are.

This is worth remembering, both on an individual level, and also on a broader socio-political one.

Francis Bacon and the 'Self' in Politics

Francis Bacon is one of the most acclaimed British artists of the 20th century, and continues to drive debate and drop jaws to the floor in awe. Similar to art, politics strives to reinvent itself - reconceptualising modes of thought which were previously taken for granted.

It is with this in mind that I found a critique of Francis Bacon that further reflected political 'self's' in the Middle East. As with Bacon's work, it is the violence as the subject-matter which has been most often studied - it is the horrifying communication of an isolated individual; the pain in the paintings reflects back to Bacon himself.

This can be said about images of political violence and social upheaval today, it is a reflection of that country's problems and clearly there is some explanation for why this has happened.

But momentum in this political day and age is an underestimated quality, and this is also illustrated in a reinterpretation of Bacon's work. It is important to note the instinctive and emotional reaction the viewer feels when seeing his work - the pain of the viewer is key as it is his work's moving quality which captures the sense of our self.

As an art, a performance, an event - the political theatre in recent weeks in Tunisia and Egypt reflect this second interpretation. Having been inspired by images of political change elsewhere, they identified themselves in the scenes they saw on the televised medium - the faces on the screen are not others' but theirs. It is this moving quality of political theatre which has created the momentum that few world commentators could have envisaged at the start of the year.

9 and Little Big Planet

Although the video games industry is just as big as the film industry worldwide, it is often seen as something of a mystery to the older generations. But it seems the conversation has moved on to such an extent that it is not remotely silly to consider video games as a form of art.

This is perhaps why I watched "9" with some interest and looked at its similarity with "Little Big Planet" - the fun interactive game I have played on occasion. The absurdity of cotton figures with a soul - surely this is the realm of video game fantasy? There is no conclusive evidence as to if there was indeed any influence from art to video game, or vice-versa - but it does give us a starting point into discussing video game as art.

Even with my limited knowledge, it is evident that computer games have come a long way. From my earliest memories of Super Mario, the target market for games has steadily evolved to include older players in their 20s and 30s, changing the nature of games - a game like Grand Theft Auto would have been unimaginable in the Zelda-dominated world perhaps 10-15 years ago. The older computer game player has also led to different demands in the video game, with narrative especially being an important part of a game.

With "cut-scenes", the Metal Gear Solid series has developed a powerful back-story which engages the player into the character and conflicts within the protagonist. Furthermore, history and fantasy commonly combine in different ways in reinterpreting how we bring stories to life.


Top Gear track on Gran Turismo - video games are becoming increasingly life-like.

Thus it is with excitement that I am excitedly anticipating reading a friend's study of interactivity and narrative in video games. But it is evident that the artistic study of video games is only just emerging and will be increasingly prominent in the decades to come.

See relevant links:
9 Trailer Similar to PS3s Little Big Planet
Wikipedia entry for Metal Gear Solid

Take a leaf out of my (famous) book!

For most laymen, the answer is probably a resounding no. But for those (un)fortunate enough to be at law school, the reply might be a little different. With the legal labour market on both sides of the Atlantic at derisory levels, some students might need a bit of inspiration in contemplating other careers.

The following studied law to various levels - the worst perhaps being the legendary filmmaker, Federico Fellini, who apparently enrolled into law school to please his parents but never actually went to any classes.

• Sergei Diaghilev
• Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
• Honore de Balzac
• Leo Tolstoy
• E.T.A. Hoffman
• Henri Matisse
• Wassily Kandinsky
• Gabriel Garcia Marquez
• Federico Fellini

It is probably a good thing these figures did not become lawyers. The world would be a less interesting place without their contributions!

"Malaysia My Second Home" and Price Relativity

The clash of the historic legacy on society and optimism of a better economic future was highlighted previously. It demonstrated the potential avenues of tension and fusion between the forces of the nation and globalization, but let us consider the example of Malaysia and their MM2H visa programme.

Promotional video for the MM2H programme

"Malaysia My Second Home" encourages foreigners to set up their homes in Malaysia in return for the consequential economic stimulus that their stay will provide. In return for a £70,000-100,000 deposit, one can obtain a 10-year resident visa, providing one with a lifestyle that may be out of reach closer to home. With many coming from Europe and North America, spacious apartments, warm weather all-year-round, low taxes, good food, English spoken widely, lower cost of living, and domestic help are something akin to expected.

But what is surprising here is that the age of those applying for this programme are those over 50, closer to retirement age. It is not just the younger generation, but the older one too which have seemed to realize the economic potentials of a globalization. There are opportunities for a younger generation of manufacturers, of course, with relative high levels of education, a low-cost labour force, and the advantage of English being spoken. But it has been suggested that the older generation is not part of globalization as such, but a sort of curious group epitomising 'neo-colonialism'.

A sense of exotic adventure, to leave your dreary homeland and live in a previously unaffordable luxury; is this not familiar at all? Perhaps this is just the uneven consequences of a globalized economy, but it is relatively easy for the West to take advantage of the price differentials that come about when going to a poorer country. There are economic benefits for the host country of course; since these lands of potential are commonly known as 'emerging markets'.

The characters you might well find in a Poirot mystery. But where is Mesopotamia? Sounds exotic in any case!

But that familiar group of expat misfits is not so dissimilar to a century ago in Malaysia, or even around the world today. Let us visit the Shangri-La hotel in KL, Dubai, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Moscow - delete as appropriate. As the Scotch flows, there is the accountant who goes very red with his inability to hold his alcohol, the housewife with immaculate dress talking about haute couture as if people actually know what its all about, the eccentric but odd German whose laugh lingers a little too long, and of course the 30-something woman who fidgets with her long, narrow cigarettes looking distinctly out of place in older company. This is not just the characters of a Poirot thriller, but the peoples in an International Racing/Cricket/Golf/Women's Association in a generic, cosmopolitan city in a land far, far, away...

With the knowledge that this is some sort of extended holiday - they will return to their 'homeland' at some point - no real effort is made to integrate with the locals. Well, only if they happen to live in the same gated community perhaps. The sprinklers of the immaculately mown grass hiss in isolation, as noone would bother to actually play sports on it... Perhaps they are more interested in the culture? The unimaginative captions in Mandarin are not of much use of in the local aquarium.

The economic benefits are clear to see, but is this a life worth living - with servants and sun, but without emotional connection or a recognisable cultural milieu?

Yes, if this were me or you, we would do exactly the same - indulge in the exotic with a glass of 'New World' Chilean wine while looking out from the balcony at the sun and those poor souls sweating every sinew in pulling rickshaws who will become slightly richer. There is at least something to look forward to in older age!

See relevant links:
MM2H - The Official Website

Identity and a Globalizing Economy

Coca-Cola - The Symbol of a Globalizing Economy

Everyone now takes globalization for granted. It is like dust gathering in a room you don't go into that much, and suddenly you realize this room is there, instantly coughing when you enter. For those who do not travel that much, it is perhaps difficult to imagine how the tentacles of capital have reached to such far-flung places.

And in turn, identity has been deconstructed and to a certain extent reconstructed in a totally new way. Nations continue to define most of us, but increasingly the globalizing economy is changing what identity means. And although it shouldn't be considered a problem to be a 'global nomad' type, it does impact on how some perceive their purpose. The cultural politics of the regions encompassing formerly glorious empires such as the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian ones reflect this uneasiness of a 'Golden Age' which has long past. Other revolutions in the second half of the 20th century ousting symbols of monarchy or autocratic power have also contributed to the questioning of purpose - especially in the Middle East (Turkey, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran).

Orhan Pamuk's part-memoir, part-homage to Istanbul

The suicide of Alireza Pahlavi, the son of the former Shah in Iran, who was ousted in 1979 during the Islamic Revolution, is indicative of this sense of national mourning. Materially he was absolutely comfortable - living and studying in the U.S. - but with personal tragedies a further burden on his young life, he had terminally lost his purpose:

“It’s not a matter of luxury, it’s a matter of loss of identity, loss of connections … and all the time seeing something really unusual and strange [unfolding inside Iran]."

This is not however an apology for the repressive measures taken by these powers which left their population with no choice but to herald a new era of government and political power. It is the cultural and social mourning which accompanies such paradigmatic shifts to a nation's character, and the uncertainty surrounding the renewal of such a country. Coupled with this national renewal, the pervasive character of a globalized economy makes this pivotal period of cultural and social development especially fragile.

It does not help that the study of international relations - despite its advances - still uses the nation-state as the standard unit of study. Thus it is important to take smaller case studies to demonstrate what uncertainty can be created in such renewal. In the next post, I will concentrate on Malaysia, its post-colonial development and the impact of its visa system.

The designs of Dries Van Noten: "Being considered and labeled a “Belgian” designer is an integral part of my story. It is something I wear with pride, lightly, and is in no way a burden. It is always more pleasant however when it is used to describe rather than “box in”. Maybe we have finally got “what we were wishing for…” Fashion is now a global phenomenon rather than simply a “national one”. The globalization of images and aspirations has gone a long way to making this the case."

'Going global' has impacted on all aspects of life, and for the most part has been accepted in all its bewildering and exciting beauty. It is just the dregs of the past which persistently remain that continue to haunt those with any reminders of history around them.

From Said to Poiret: Orientalism in another guise

Having previously come across Orientalism in politics and literature, it is with surprise that I flicked through an '...isms' book on fashion. Edward Said's paradigm has been used in all sorts of academic fields, and I have been particularly interested in applying it to the social/cultural politics of modern Turkey, and diasporic literature in Germany. The common theme throughout was the almost omnipresent, pervasive nature of power that extended through language and other symbols, which were ingrained into Western historical discourse.

But although Orientalism in the realm of fashion has the potential to be as prejudiced and misplaced as Chinoiserie was, its positive influence on style and aesthetics deserves attention. And furthermore, Orientalism as a cultural trend came to the fore at one of the most important and intricate periods of modern European history - at the turn of the 20th century. The nation-state project which would lead so disastrously to the First World War, was accompanied by a Communist revolution in Tsarist Russia and the final collapse of the Ottoman Empire. The modernist movement that followed the Great War came to epitomise the exciting yet vulnerable times that epitomised the whole of Europe in flux, politically (as documented extensively), but also socially and culturally. The commercialist instinct of the industrialised nouveu riche further complicated existing aesthetics and regional ideas of beauty - style marketing had arrived.

Paul Poiret's 'Sorbet' evening dress, 1912

The short-lived Orientalist trend that came and went in under two decades still has resonance today, with Paul Poiret and Serge Diaghilev being key proponents of it. While political history and ideology seeks to forget this short period in favour of a longer master narrative of the 20th century, it is a relief that remnants of the cultural history of this period survive to this day, and continue to be reinvented and reinterpreted. Powell and Pressburgers' classic, "The Red Shoes" was based on the wonderful colour and vigour of Diaghilev's Ballet Russes ballet productions; while Paul Poiret is commonly recognised as one of the most influential designers in the 20th century. Art is often submerged into history but can offer solice and meaning to one's life journey, as epitomised by this classic dialogue in "The Red Shoes":

- "Why do you want to dance?"
- "Why do you want to live?"

See relevant links:
Criterion Collection essay on "The Red Shoes"
Metropolitan Museum of Art essay on Paul Poiret
Diaghilev at the V&A

Nicolas Provost's "Stardust" - Blurring reality and fiction

Having visited the Haunch of Venison gallery, I was taken aback by the tension and credibility of the thriller story told in Provost's "Stardust". I then watched the disappointing "My Blueberry Nights", which did not have half as much mystery or suspense as one would expect from Wong Kar Wai. Films ultimately must toe the fine line between reality and fantasy, where one relates to and is curious about the scene in front of us.

The 'cinematographic and narrative codes of Hollywood' which Provost uses to film footage from everyday life in Las Vegas and turn it into a story is impressive in questioning our pre-existing ideas about what we derive from cinema - escapism, voyeuristic insight into the lives of others, another meaning to one's life story, or merely a different perspective of the reality surrounding us. By including the likes of Jack Nicholson and Dennis Hopper, we question if it is the man himself or a film character we see in front of our eyes. Biopics are especially interesting because it is hard to imagine anything revolutionary being explored in them - take Mohammed Ali or Serge Gainsbourg, for example. Their narrative(s) have been told numerous times in various guises already.

A screenshot from Provost's "Abstract Action"

Provost's "Abstract Action" also warrants attention in its partially pixellated approach to show the distorted fragments of a gun battle. It reminded me of how realistic shoot-em-up video games have begun in becoming cinematic experiences themselves, while the pixels distorting the picture visually expressed the anger, power and chaotic destruction that guns are capable of. While epic gun battles between police and villains have long been experienced in cinema, it is the almost nonchalant way that these violent scenes are consumed by the younger generation - almost immune to the reality of the film/video game, it further scrutinises our perceptions of reality. Just like Facebook and 2nd Life has created the concept of an 'online' identity, digital technology in this way shows how easy it is to become detached from the tangible things which bore us due to their standardisation, mundaneness, and 'traditional' reality. Why go all the way to Vietnam to use shotguns and the like when one can safely do that in front of a HD screen in the comfort of your own home?

See relevant links:
Dazed Digital: Interview with Nicolas Provost

Hibernation = An Abundance of Films & Operatic Delights

A number of films I have enjoyed in the past few weeks:

• It's a Wonderful Life
• Antichrist
• Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
• 12 Angry Men
• Inglourious Basterds
• Thin Red Line
• Le Diner de Cons
• The Hurt Locker
• Red Shoes

Bits of opera I have enjoyed listening to:

• Hansel and Gretel: "Komm tanz mit mir"
• Rinaldo: "Lascia Ch'io Pianga"
• La Fille du Regiment: "Ah Mes Amis"
• Marriage of Figaro: "Sull'aria"
• Serse: "Ombra mai fu"

See relevant links:

Criterion Collection essay on Lars von Trier's Antichrist

Comical scenarios

How To Play Golf Against The Man Whose Wife You're Banging On The Side


Fake Italian

Now thats what I call Art... 2011!

Finishing the year with the art of Cezanne and an opera by Engelbert Humperdinck in my mind, there are four issues which I wish to explore further in the Arts next year. These apply more to the visual arts but cover other areas too.

An example of Cezanne's chiseled and rustic depictions of farmers in rural France.

- The 'flatness' of art: How modern media can flatten our perspective and why new technology means we see traditional artistic forms such as painting as 'lacking' life and resonance. We want 3-D, not two dimensions. And how about the fourth dimension of time, how 'flat' or linear is time in our perceptions?
- Commerciality: Why does something become so valuable? Does everything Charles Saatchi and Damien Hirst touch turn to gold? And would a painting in the Renaissance period be any different? It is creating value by giving life and society meaning - we are essentially marketing ourselves.
- Meritocracy v historicity: How to reconcile the 'elite' nature of more classical forms of art with art which is free, democratic and universal. Is there such a thing as meritocracy in art at all? Or perhaps how we assert our identity is more important than thinking of ourselves as an 'equal' cog of society.
- Patience: the impermanence of today's art contrasts with the timeless and enduring power of other arts which took time, skill and perseverance.

'Trans-media Video Artist': Nicolas Provost

See relevant links:
Nicolas Provost at the Haunch of Venison
Criterion.com - For the more sophisticated film lover

2010 - it's a wrap!

Season's greetings to all those reading, 2011 promises to be just as exciting and infuriating.

It is slightly odd being in the festive season which is largely devoid of the politics and debate that dominates most of the year. The drama and hysterics which demand so much of our attention seem to hibernate, only for the world to function at its hectic pace once again in the New Year. 

Whatever your political and professional capacity may be, all is sort of irrelevant in the milieu of family and friends. A world without the study of society, absolutely. But the world without the meaning of close relatives and confidantes, this is impossible. And perhaps this is what is most important for many at this time of year. 

Among the brashness and bitchiness of the city, shards of vulnerability expose themselves as they escape from the mirror that tries to lie, deceive, deviate, promote, or enhance. After the dreaded drunken excesses wear off, those closest to you bare their naked skin from the warm, thick fur which protects their respect, dignity, status and whatever else not as important as the basic human essence. 

I started this blog to record intriguing things about our world, and question how life is lived and represented. I would hope that this will continue, as my writing matures and perhaps become more honest.

The most realistic drama this year (of life itself) is a wrap. Let the new series of the show continue next year!

A World without Society

The absence of signs in the purity of wildlife photography

Caspar David Friedrich's "Wanderer above the Sea of Fog"

As Friedrich's Wanderer testifies, man's relationship with nature is at once terrifying and exhilarating; the mastery of the environment challenged by the realization of our insignificance in the wider scheme of things.

And that is exactly how I felt having seen the outstanding Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition. Lost in thought, I quietly went from photograph to photograph, inspecting each one curiously and often in awe.

An entry from this year's eventual winner, Bence Mate

Of course, one can manipulate the picture - it is your choice to position the camera where, with what light, with what exposure - but the intention of the photograph is quite different to an artwork, like painting for example. The reality behind the camera lens cannot lie, even if it can seem deceptive - sometimes dream-like or other-worldly in its equality.
Here is a collection of some I found particularly impressive:

Of course these four examples are more of an artistic nature, and does not give a complete representation of the stunning photos on display. There were many more which showed different species, different habitats, and different natural phenomena. And like art, one could appreciate these photos in various ways which reflected the wonderful ability for the camera to capture a fleeting moment of the natural world. 

 

Jose Luis Rodriguez's winning entry was disqualified last year.

Photography competitions is not without its politics. Last year's winning entry was disqualified after an alleged 'animal model' was used. But nonetheless, it is refreshing to step outside the realm of the human and social sciences, and perhaps consider for a moment the insignificance for our average expected 82.5 years of life when turtles and cacti can outlive us by a few decades. 


See relevant links:
Veolia Environment Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Futurism, Finance and Technology

Umberto Boccioni - "The City Rises" (1910)

We use and read the word "technology" so freely that many of us do not stop to think what it actually means. This is just one dictionary definition:

"The branch of knowledge that deals with the creation and use of technical means and their interrelation with life, society, and the environment, drawing upon such subjects as industrial arts, engineering, applied science, and pure science."

Undoubtedly the concepts mentioned in the above definition had some prominence in the work of the ill-fated futurists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Derided by classicists and pacifists alike, the speed and dynamism of Futurist art showed a tremendous enthusiasm for technical innovation and a resilient faith in the future. The connotations of war and violence preceded the Fascist ideology which was partially inspired by this artistic movement. 

But what can we say of technology now? Of course military technology is just as important, although it is now being reconceptualised to include information- and cyber- security. We have embraced the digital age with online identities and our everyday life is framed by mobile phones and computers. The technology we typically think of today is practical, relevant to daily life, and electronic in nature. 

For a moment, one must move away from Main Street and consider the information technology which makes capitalism and globalisation work. It is sophisticated computer programming which makes many of the things we take for granted possible - even those sushi sets to take away for lunch! And furthermore, the whole concept of finance is built on the management of risk, something which can be done more efficiently with the use of this information technology.

Robert Shiller, an acclaimed economist at Yale University

So as Robert Shiller asserts, finance is a type of technological innovation. Those derivatives and 'black holes' that laymen cannot understand are technologies which innovate the way capital is distributed in as efficient a manner as possible. This is also what those super-clever tax accountants and lawyers do in their basement offices all day long, constantly re-aligning the interests of their clients to arrange their finances.

Lyonel Feininger - "Mouth of the Rega III" (1929-30)

"Conveying a feeling of infinity and loneliness and, at the same time, of harmonious dynamism." This describes Feininger's painting above, but arguably it could equally be applicable to the power of financial technology that is essential to modern capitalism - especially in this reflexive age of plenty and austerity.

Technology and urban society: why Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" still has prominence today.

Thus if we are to reconfigure what financial technology means in our society today, perhaps it would be instructive to look at the Futurist movement and its reaction against it. The warning signs about the modern parable of the city have been immortalized already in both art and film - most notably Fritz Lang's excellent, epic, heavy-budget "Metropolis" - but it is time to think again about technology as we smoothly glide our fingers across the iPhone touch screens.

See relevant links:

Transcript of Robert Shiller's lecture on "Technology and Invention in Finance" 

Imdb entry for Fritz Lang's Metropolis 

Futurism at the Tate Modern in 2009

Sculpture in the 21st century

The award of the Turner Prize this year went to Susan Philipsz. Trained as a sculptor, she has taken the concept of sculpture as an art-form a long way - from even 50 years ago. Alberto Giacometti's sculptures are one of the most valuable artworks in the market right now, but it would arguably have been difficult for him to imagine sculpture leaning to the direction by Philipsz.

Susan Philipsz next to her exhibition "Lowlands Away" - 'singing as a sculptural experience'

Her concept of 'sound sculpture' is interesting in its absence of tangibility - essentially you can sculpt with sound. A bare room with speakers on a few walls. This concept of art as visual nothingness - is an area I do not profess to know much about, but in my mind represents an awkward direction in the investigation of the limits of art and how it can be represented. As with traditional sculpture, where the contours of a statue would be carefully carved, sound waves similarly shape the room with echoes and by responding to their physical surroudings.
Poetry can be found in the transmission of sound, just as colour and form represent the tools to illustrate the natural rhythm and harmony within a painting.

Nobel - An Institution

Sartre: Said no to the coveted Nobel Prize

Jean-Paul Sartre declined the 1964 Nobel Prize in Literature because he did not want to be "institutionalised".
From its beginnings in 1901, the Nobel Prize has come to be recognized as the pinnacle of any literary or academic career. No one during Alfred Nobel's lifetime had expected him to give the majority of his assets away to set up a foundation; he had, after all, made a fortune out of gunpowder. But his business prowess was balanced by a deep interest in the arts and sciences.

Alfred Nobel (born in Sweden, raised in St Petersburg, resided in France, the US, and Italy): inventor, entrepreneur, 'peace-lover'

But perhaps what has been the most politically controversial award is the Nobel Peace Prize, which reflected Nobel's own aversion to war. The last two awards in 2009 and 2010 have received much media scrutiny in recent times - which leads me to pose the question: why should such a politicised award be so important?
Nobel's own reasoning may be that having furthered so greatly the progress of military technology, one would realize the devastating effect of weapons that war in the future would be impossible. But what of the award now?

Bertha von Suttner: heavily influenced Nobel's thoughts about the necessity for peace in the late 19th/early 20th century, a period fraught with the possibility of large-scale military conflict.

Unlike the other Nobel awards, the Peace Prize is decided by just five members of a committee made up from former members of the Norwegian Parliament, despite all other awards being the responsbility of the Swedish Academy. Although the members are supposed to represent the broad spectrum spanning Norwegian politics, this is nonetheless a closed group - reflecting the uniquity of a nation outside the EU, with one of the highest standards of living in the world, the biggest public pension fund in the world, an oil/gas power, a key strategic power in Scandinavia, and one seemingly prominent in the study of global security. Although nominees are chosen by members of state, national courts, select academics, former winners, and other advisers, information about the nomination process (names of nominees, nominators, investigations, opinions) are, by statute, not disclosed for 50 years.

Jose Luis Borges: the only blot on his illustrious CV was the Nobel Prize in Literature, which he very much coveted.

One of the criticisms levelled at WikiLeaks at the moment is one which criticizes the focus being the US - and not more secretive states such as Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia or China. But I wonder what they would find in the Nobel Foundation. How Jose Luis Borges did not fit the criteria of an author with 'idealistic tendencies'? Or an assumption that  Barack Obama would be more decisive in the global arena in ensuring both traditional and newer forms of security?

See relevant links:
Alfred Nobel: Biographical Information
Nobelprize.org - Nomination and Selection of Peace Prize Laureates
BBC: What the Nobel storm says about changing world powers

I'm in the pink

[pingk] Show IPA

noun, adjective, -er, -est.

–noun

1. a color varying from light crimson to pale reddish purple.

2. any of several plants of the genus Dianthus, as the clove pink or carnation. Compare pink family.

3. the flower of such a plant; carnation.

4. the highest form or degree; prime: a runner in the pink of condition.

5. ( often initial capital letter ) Also, pinko. Slang: Disparaging . a person with left-wing, but not extreme, political opinions.



–adjective
9. of the color pink: pink marble.

10. Slang: Disparaging . holding, or regarded as holding, mildly leftist views, esp. in politics.

—Idiom
11. tickled pink. tickle ( def. 10 ) .

Sitting at one of the row of computers in a room with absolutely no insulation, a girl walks in wearing a light pink hoodie, carrying a hot pink gym bag across her arm and reeling a deep pink suitcase.

In my combination of beige, royal brown, navy blue and claret, I look upon her path with a certain distaste; just excessively girly or massive fashion faux pas. She probably has a large placard with her at all times stating, 'Look at me, I am very feminine! <3'

Different shades of pink - between red and magenta

As David McCandless' Colour Chart shows, colours are attached different meanings in various cultures, but that curious mixture of white and red is an interesting phenomenon. It seems pink was first assigned gender-specifically in the early 20th century, but pink - as analogous to red - being a masculine colour. But since then, of course, it has evolved in a myriad of different spheres - most notably in ascribing femininity.

But a quick flick through Wikipedia and dictionary.com shows it has been used for the Financial Times, breast cancer campaigns, LGBT (alternative sexuality) issues, sensuality, 'mild' political leftism, and even a name of a popstar.

In these modern times where the discussion concerning gender becomes more translucent and lucid, the colour pink has been reclaimed by a masculinity trying to redefine itself. Comfortable with their 'softer' side, it is not unusual to see businessmen in pink shirts buried under a wrap of salmon pink which is the FT. So far I have not been inclined to wear a shirt blessed with a pink tinge of some sort; it is far too multifaceted in its meaning/and 'a little poststructualist' for my liking!

* I have been implicitly criticised for not going deep enough into issues of gender. In English culture, how is wearing pink for men more socially acceptable than it used to be - confidence yet sensitivity is one answer, another is the 'preppy' Ivy League look. In the absence of further research demanded by anthropoligists, here is a link to another essay on masculinity in the 21st century.