The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Thursday, November 21, 2013 - 3B
Revival of Deleuze
Jay Z stands for
fa iaj
New philosophy
group to bring
speakers to campus
By CARLINA DUAN
Daily Arts Writer
"The shame of being a man
- is there any better reason to
" write?" These were the words of
Gilles Deleuze, a renowned phi-
losopher and writer whose ideas
and theories have influenced
multiple disciplines across centu-
ries, including music, literature,
film, architecture and fine art.
Deleuze's work, spanning from
the 1960s until his death in 1995, is
often taught in University classes.
The Rackham Interdisci-
plinary Workshop - titled the
Deleuze Interest Group - has
created a forum space and "Mate-
rial Encounters" lecture series,
centered around untangling
Deleuzian principles and extend-
ing academic conversation. The
Deleuze Interest Group will bring
several guest speakers onto cam-
pus throughout the year, as a way
to invite the campus and broader
community to think critically
about Deleuzian philosophy.
"(His ideas) are fresh," said
American Culture Ph.D. student
and Deleuze Interest Group co-
coordinator Stephen Molldrem.
"They're new readings of works
that a lot of people are familiar
with."
Deleuze and French philoso-
pher Felix Guattari often part-
nered together to create a new
landscape in the field.
"What they tried to do was
make a radical break from some
of the defining features in phi-
losophy," Molldrem said. "They're
(inviting) you to think with them.
That's actually quite joyful and
does a lot for you if you're working
with them."
The Deleuze Interest Group,
sponsored by the Rackham
Graduate School Interdisciplin-
ary Workshop program, began in
winter 2012, after several students
had taken an English literary the-
ory seminar during the fall. After
several discussions in and outside
of class, students came together
and proposed the idea of a work-
shop centered around Deleuze.
LSA junior and co-coordinator of
the Deleuze Interest Group Nate
Gallant noted that the class was
an effective gateway course to
further dissecting philosophy and
theory.
"That class was a really great
place where a lot of people who
were interested in continental
philosophy and literature could
come together," Gallant said.
"There aren't a terrible amount of
classes that could offer a (focus)
on just one theorist or philoso-
pher."
After the class ended, the con-
versation continued in Deleuze
Interest Group meetings, which
served as forum spaces where the
group would discuss readings.
This year, the Deleuze Interest
Group established a speaker series
to introduce Deleuze's philoso-
phy, as well as the multi-dimen-
sional feature of Deleuzian work
in other fields.
University of Wisconsin-Mad-
ison Geography Prof. Dr. Keith
Woodward gave a Deleuze Inter-
est Group talk on Nov. 1, titled,
"Affect, State Theory, and the
Politics of Confusion." Woodward
applies Deleuzian concepts in his
study of political consequence and
socialtheory, andcentered his talk
around an example of the 2004
Republican National Convention
in New York. Regarding occu-
pations and social movements,
Woodward noted the applicability
of Deleuzian thought.
"He subvertsthe 'normal' read-
ing of the history of philosophy,
and he also subverts the canon in
philosophy," Woodward said. "So
his project in part was to read the
minor thinkers rather than the
major thinkers."
This interdisciplinary phi-
losophy has generated further
conversation among scholars and
students alike.
"You can have Deleuze be
reframed through this other sub-
ject matter too," said co-coordina-
tor and LSA senior Taylor Portela,
"There's that possibility to have
multiple viewpoints be in flux
with each other."
However, the group empha-
sized that the Deleuze Interest
Group does not center on Deleuze
himself, but rather the discussions
that derive from Deleuzian ideas.
"It's the conversation that we
can have because of Deleuze, not
necessarily Deleuze's work itself,"
Gallant said. "He offers up the
philosophical space for interdis-
ciplinary conversations that we're
hoping to have in these forums."
Furthermore, group members,
who come from a diverse back-
ground of different fields, years
and majors across the Univer-
sity, stress that their studies on
Deleuze allow them to both fur-
ther enhance their own projects
in their individual areas of study,
as well as find common ground to
engage in philosophical conversa-
tions with one another.
"This is such a great opportuni-
ty that Rackham and the Univer-
sity of Michigan give us, so even
just to have the chance to bring
in these speakers and to part-
ner with other departments - it
just really speaks so highly of the
amazing community that we have
here at the University," Molldrem
said. "It's about what (Deleuze)
lets all of us come together and
do."
t's easy to look like a boss
when everything is going
your way - when you have
one of the biggest music empires
on the planet,
one of the_
most ador-
able babies
in the world
and your wife
is freaking
Beyonc. But
it's when the -
goingget LENA
tough that you FINKEL
really have to -
prove what
you're made of. And in this case,
Jay Z passes with flying colors.
It's no secret that the super-
glamorous Barneys New York
recently came under fire for racial
profiling. Two separate Black cus-
tomers filed complaints against
the store when police questioned
them after making lavish pur-
chases. One individual was even
accused of credit card fraud.
This wouldn't be the first time
that a top-line store was accused
of such actions - surprise, sur-
prise. Just last month, actor
Rob Brown also claimed police
detained him for possible "credit
card fraud" after shopping at
Macy's.
But this time, the racist charges
affected more than just the store
in question. Because this time, the
accusations were filed just before
Jay Z intended to bring his exclu-
sive BNY SCC clothing collection
to Barneys. Oops!
Of course, the mobs took to
Twitter, demanding that Jay Z cut
ties with Barneys. But after a lot
of consideration, and (probably) a
ton of negotiations with Barneys,
Jay ann:
ing dow
Mr. C
to proc
move fo
of BNY:
conditio
role and
cally cor
issue ofI
uniquer
affect ch
issue."
From
point, th
look like
to use al
ence toE
luxury s
Hip
kn
res
But if
inely ta
I honest
already
eral bus
a new sp
his Shav
dation a
look aftE
role mo
in an
wrote, "
have be(
policy-n
that son
lem."
ounced that he's not back- And he's completely right. Bow-
n. ing out of the project would have
:arter took to his website been the "easy" route. He already
aim: "I have agreed to had millions of fans and support-
rward with the launch ers demanding that he end the
SCC collection under the project. It would have been simple
n that I have a leadership for him to walk away - it's always
seat on a council specifi- easiest to do what everyone
nvened to deal with the expects you to do, what everyone
racial profiling. I am ina is telling you is right.
position to use my voice to And if the roles were reversed,
hange to this disturbing and Jay Z had caused such a
controversy, Barneys New York
a public relations stand certainly wouldn't have hesi-
is is genius. It makes him tated to walk away - remember
the hero, like he's going how quickly Nike dumped Tiger
his power and influ- Woods amid his troubles? But Jay
end racial stereotyping in is bigger than that.
tores like Barneys. This isn't to say that walking
away from the project would have
necessarily been "wrong." If Jay
Z had decided to take his business
)-hop m ogul elsewhere, he still would have sent
the message that he doesn't stand
Ow S pow er for this kind of behavior. But his
.~ actions would have been passive,
mes w ith and wouldn't have actually dealt
with the problem at hand.
,OflS) b lity. In times when so many celeb-
rities are claiming to use their
influence for good, Jay Z is actu-
ally showing them how it's done. I
Jay Z is going to genu- admire him for stepping up to the
ke on this cause - which plate and facing this very serious
ly can't speak to (He problem of racial profiling.
has his music label, sev- Jay posted: "I will not leave
iiness ventures including the outcome to others. Iwill take
ports management group, this into my own hands with full
wn Carter charitable foun- power to recommend, review
nd a growing familyto and revise policies and guidelines
er.) - then he really is the moving forward. Iam choosingto
del he claims tobe. take this head on."
online statement, he More eloquent words were
The easy position would never written.
en to walk away and leave
aakingto others hoping
neone addresses the prob-
Finkel is shopping at
Barrneys. To tag along, e-mail
Ijljfinkel aurnich.edu
TH E D'ART BOARD
Each week we take shots at the biggest
developments in the entertainment world.
Here's what hit (and missed) this week.
xUnconditionally bizarre
Katy Perry releases "abstract"
(read: nonsensical) music video.
/9
someness
" spinoff, "How
Design by Nick Cruz
SINGLE REVIEW
Armed with little more
than a piano and vocals,.
Majical Cloudz has produced
"Savage,"
a very per-
sonal and
pain-stricken Sage
track that
the Canadian Majical Cloudz
duo has been Matador
performing
during their
live sets over the past year.
Upon its.release, Devon
Welsh wrote a brief note
detailing the vague circum-
stances which led to the
* song's conception.
While the explanation
reveals little, as Welsh
believes "what the song is
'about' is less important than
how and why it is meaningful
for you when you listen to it,"
0 he does divulge that it centers
around a friendship affected
by drugs.
The track's raw approach
It's hard to deny that Kanye
West is a visionary artist, an
expert innovator and quite pos-
sibly the
most sig-
nificant pop
icon of our BOund 2
time. But for
a man who Kanye West
wields such Deflam
enormous
cultural
influence, Kanye sure has a
track record of making puzzling
decisions. Go ahead and add
the recently released "Bound 2"
music video to that list of head-
scratching Yeezy creations.
The recently wed couple"
pulsates sensually as stock foot-
age of an expansive prairie and
sunset-topped canyon plays on
the green screen backdrop.
It's impossible to explain
what prompted the multi-
millionaire to create something
so dullyunimaginative and fake
looking. Maybe it's a critique
heightens the emotional
intensity of Welsh's voice as
he sings "I love you / But I
have to let go, let go." Sad-
ness and distress plague the
song in its entirety through
his vocals, lyrics and somber
melody.
While overtly personal, the
song lacks the specificity to
MATADOR
detach the listener's reliabil-
ity to it.
Welsh's own experience may
pertain to a friendship tor-
mented by drugs, but as he
admits "Shame on me for it
/ Shame on me for you," it's
impossible not to find empa-
thize with his heartache.
-ERIKA HARWOOD
on love in the time of hyper- some elusive meaning that
vigilant surveillance, the reality - as the video is damn near
TV starlet's nude silhouette an unwatchable - will remain
effigy for the loss of personal unplumbed in this review.
privacy? The video for Yeezus closer
or perhaps the meaning "Bound 2" is not only baffling:
lies in Ye's blank expression, It's downright boring, failing
his hands never leaving the to engage the viewer in any
motorcycle as Kim looks long- meaningful or challenging way.
ingly into the camera - acom- Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
mentary on the rapper's shaky Sometimes a bad music video is
relationship with the public? Or just a bad music video.
else it's something else entirely, -JAKE OFFENHARTZ
0
t
I