6 — Thursday, November 21, 2019
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts

Classifieds

Call: #734-418-4115
Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com

Help needed removing snow
periodically for elderly father
near North Campus
Contact Cheryl
773-403-4245 or
clf@umich.edu
$25+ per job

By Brian E. Paquin
©2019 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
11/21/19

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

11/21/19

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

Release Date: Thursday, November 21, 2019

ACROSS
1 Many big reds
5 Namely
10 X-ray units
14 Honolulu
happening
15 Lacking
significance
16 Music halls of old
17 Directive on an
env.
18 Play lightly, as a
guitar
19 Apt. part
20 Upscale boutique
22 Holden Caulfield’s
little sister
24 Constellation
near Scorpius
25 Bookstore
category
26 Personal records
29 Tire spec
31 Divest (of)
32 Berkeley
Breathed’s
cartoon penguin
33 Old money that
looks new
37 Bark
38 Handle
39 Purpose
40 Small craft on the
deep sea
43 Big fishhook
44 Way to go: Abbr.
45 He broke Lou’s
record for
consecutive
games played
46 Accolades
47 Valedictorian’s
time to shine
49 Purpose
50 Liquids
51 Quarrel of yore
56 Work to get
57 In an aloof way
59 Twice tri-
60 Exec’s helper
61 “Try someone
else”
62 Vienna-based
oil gp.
63 “Luke Cage”
actor Rossi
64 It helps raise
dough
65 Bridge position

DOWN
1 Applaud
2 Mercury or Saturn,
but not Mars

3 Cricket clubs
4 Summery
headwear
5 Campbell-Martin
of TV’s
“Dr. Ken”
6 Aboard
7 Lumber defect
8 Shiba __:
Japanese dog
9 Pace
10 Stiffly awkward
11 Fear of
poisonous
snakes
12 Churchill Downs
event
13 Unchanged
21 Some discount
recipients: Abbr.
23 For madam
25 NBA great “__
Pete” Maravich
26 Limerick lad
27 Herculean
28 Outstanding prize
money
29 Say the Word
30 School near
Albany
33 Trig function:
Abbr.
34 “The Raven”
writer

35 Facts and
figures
36 Some emailed
files
41 Diminished
slowly
42 Shortage
43 Private eye
46 DIY purchase
47 Seriously reduce
48 Forensic drama
set in the Big
Apple

49 To date
50 Significant
achievement
51 Pocket bread
52 Donation to the
poor
53 Rap’s
Salt-N-__
54 Hacking tools
55 Peacemaker’s
asset
58 Olympic runner
Sebastian

HELP WANTED

HEY.

YOU'RE
DOING GREAT
AND WE
know you
can do it.

Don't give up!

Over the course of the past 24 hours, I’ve
become transfixed by a T-shirt. It’s a simple,
oversized,
one-size-fits-all
cut
with
an
unraveling American flag embroidered on the
chest, contrast stitching and a skeleton design
printed on the back. The front and back sides are
different colors (one iteration pairs faded black
with eggplant), both of which highlight the
quality of the fabric and the dye itself. Kapital,
the Okayama-based brand that makes it, offers
the shirt through its Kountryline, which
focuses on handmade goods and builds on a few
key ideas, such as tie-dye, smiley face patches,
bandana
prints
and
the
aforementioned
skeleton motif. The company’s whimsical
nature, backed by the arguably unmatched
quality of its product and the recognizability of
its perennial styles, has contributed to its cult-
like status in the menswear sphere. The shirt
itself communicates something that I can’t
quite put my finger on. Maybe it reckons with
the hollowed out husk of Americana, a design
aesthetic and an iconography steeped in mid-
century propagandic nostalgia and a certain
ambitious naivete. Or maybe it just looks good.
Regardless of why it speaks to me, it fits neatly
in the space that Kapital has burrowed out for
itself — a space that plenty of labels go out of
their way to imitate.
Kapital’s “secret sauce,” so to speak, is not
that they were the first label to screen print
a smiley face or a pile of bones on a T-shirt,
nor is it the consistent output of quality
craftsmanship (though it surely doesn’t hurt
the cause). There’s a whole smattering of
things that they do right, but chief among
them is a strong brand identity. The company
has spent decades articulating its philosophy
and will continue to reap the benefits of that
labor. To develop a self-referential oeuvre over
a lifespan that people come back to without
flashy marketing tactics, without trying each
season is no small feat. It takes a community
of creatives that know who they are and what
they do, and it contributes to what people refer
to as “authenticity.”
Authenticity is a fraught concept. Sounding
it out it in my head as I type is like hearing a
plastic spoon scrape the bottom of a styrofoam
cup for the last pinch of soft-serve. It reminds
me of Amazon ambassadors and corporate
Twitter accounts trying to recreate viral
memes. The behind-the-scenes: we’re all just
people who could maybe be friends, and the
big-brother-loves-you-basket
of
marketing
strategies is inescapable from any viewpoint.
To reject it and chase whatever lies at the
opposite end of that spectrum is a tricky game
too, though, because that grass can only get
so green. It’s one of the reasons that brands
with cult followings like Kapital can feel more
like beacons than companies that operate in

the same systems as everyone else. It’s almost
like there’s a special crop of organizations
that manage to fly above the closed loop of
identity-based trade. Maybe it’s because some
of them built themselves up before the internet
boom (Kapital was established in 1985), or
because some companies are so entrenched
in
their
perspective
that
newer
modes
of communication don’t erode their self-
presentation. The question remains, however,
especially in fashion: Given that there’s no
such thing as an original idea, only new ways
of reinterpreting existing ones, what is it that
gives a brand authenticity or a sense of truth?
It’s a stereotypical question and a highly
subjective one, but it lingers. It’s unanswerable,
at least not empirically. It’s one of those things
that just is and there’s no accounting for it
in any tangible way. It’s one of those things
that disappears if you pursue it, and the
mere awareness of it creates a delicate and
problematic game of intentions. The same can
be said for good style, good taste and artistic
talent. It pays to be gifted and naive. To put
effort into one’s craft is honorable, but to put
effort into being good, to being genuine or
“real,” is to submit to the Euthanasia Coaster
of public opinion, invalidating oneself in the
process. Je ne sais quois is a condition doomed
to permanent change.
Kapital and brands held in a similar regard
aren’t blithely unaware of what it means to
produce for a prospective consumer, of course.
There are certain stipulations that come with
seeking to survive, but adherence to trends and
shifting with stylistic demands of the market
doesn’t seem to be a part of their lexicon.
Rather, ensuring that seasonal offerings both
meet a wide range of needs and fit in the
evolution of their own tried and true patterns
is paramount.
The fashion industry can be exhausting
to deal with. After spending my formative
years wading through trend reports and
wondering how designers seem to show the
same styles and color palettes without hosting
secret council meetings, or how cultural
significance can be achieved without really
bringing anything new to the table, finding
companies with a strong sense of self is a rare
and rewarding experience. They remind me of
what I stand for. They also act as something to
look to, even if those qualities can’t be attained
in myself. As individuals, we hoard things
we’re attracted to and cultivate an identity
around them. There’s a constant question of
how much of oneself is innate and how much is
determined by experience, simply adapting to
different environments and relationships like
designers do to consumer demand. It’s hardly a
question worth spending time on, as there are
few things more transparent than striving to
be unique. We can’t forge ourselves out of thin
air or self-actualize in a vacuum, but we can
take our personal experiences, our own little
product formula and push forward.

Velveteen Dreams: On the
idea of authenticity, part 1

STYLE COLUMN

SAM KREMKE
Daily Style Columnist

Reading Susan Choi’s “Trust Exercise” is an
exercise in itself, one that requires enormous
amounts of patience and endurance. As an impatient
and easily agitated person, I was almost defeated.
The novel is a finalist for the National Book Award
and has received critical acclaim from sources
including The New York Times, TIME Magazine
and The Atlantic. Naturally, my expectations
for this novel were high, and I felt comfortable
trusting Choi to deliver a
transformative
reading
experience. Little did I
know that “Trust Exercise”
would utterly betray me,
leading me to question not
only the establishment, but
my own sense of self as a
reader.
The
first
part
of
Choi’s novel explores the
relationship
between
Sarah
and
David,
two
students at a performing
arts
high
school,
and
their
relationships
with
their
fellow
classmates
and popular teacher, Mr.
Kingsley. Within a few
chapters, it becomes clear
that the characters in this
novel are static and boring.
It is, frankly, difficult to
conjure up interest in any
of them. Sarah and David’s
relationship is unrealistic and confusing because of
its total lack of chemistry (even if Mr. Kingsley takes
a creepy interest in it). Later in the first section,
matters become complicated when a group of
visiting drama students from England cause tension
and rifts between the American students. Most of
the first section of “Trust Exercise” is presented as a
bildungsroman young adult novel. The monotonous
narration combined with a dull plot make the
reading process both tedious and difficult to endure.
Midway
through
the novel, Choi slaps
readers with a surprise
shift in the narrative,
presumably
intended
to offer an exciting
re-orientation
of
the plot. This tactic
may work for some
authors,
but
the
decision to uproot the
narrative
structure
unintentionally comes across as a cheap attempt to
re-invigorate the plot. In fact, it ultimately has the
opposite effect, forcing readers to go through the
painful process of becoming acquainted with a new
cast of characters who are identically insufferable as
those of the previous section.
A criticism of “Trust Exercise” would be
incomplete without addressing its sex scenes, one
of the most condemning aspects of the entire novel.
Within the first ten pages, the two main characters,
both barely adolescents, are fondling each other in
the middle of theater class when their teacher dims
the lights for a demonstration. This is indicative of
how the rest of the novel will play out, written in the
style of a cheap romance novel one might find in a
supermarket. Although upon further consideration,

they are perhaps even worse. Take this passage, for
example:
“When he jammed his tongue into her ear she
gasped ... and twisted her head to take his tongue in her
mouth ... She tasted the bitterness of her own earwax
… He flailed; his dead white hairy limbs appeared
impaled on the stem of his unaccountably wrinkly
erection which he took in his fist and seemed to squirt
redly at her, for he’d yanked back the covering skin.”
Somehow, the other sex scenes are arguably
worse, one of them including a comparison of a penis
to “a single clammy mushroom … unwholesomely
pale and wet.” Amazingly, there is another, different
sexual encounter that involves
ear penetration for a second
time.
Not only do these parts of
the novel make me reluctant
to
engage
in
intercourse
ever again, they make me
embarrassed to even inhabit
a body. Such passages are
objectively
poorly
written,
and they are explicit in an
exploitative way, especially in
regards to how the scenes all
contain elements of nonconsent
and power imbalances in favor
of the male characters. In
simpler terms, these sex scenes
are akin to rape fantasies, and
are made even more disturbing
when one remembers that
the most intense ones largely
involve intercourse between
adolescents, further adding to
their exploitative undertones.
Several
reviewers
have
characterized “Trust Exercise” to be a nod to the
#MeToo movement, specifically in regards to
the many scenarios of young women being taken
advantage of by older and more powerful men. But
the simplistic depictions of male aggressors as clear-
cut antagonists, characterizations devoid of any
nuance, detracts from whatever commentary she
hopes to make. It is obvious who is the “bad guy;”
there is no subtlety or critical thinking involved
in examining these power imbalances and their
implications.
“Trust
Exercise”
nearly broke me. Other
readers have gushed
about an inability to put
the book down because
they were so invested in
the pace of the story, or
were so riveted by the
complex characters and
engaging plot that they
were undeterred by the
novel’s graphic depictions of sexual encounters and
harassment. My experience with this novel, on the
other hand, forced me to question if I was lacking
the level of intelligence required to fully appreciate
the apparently sacrosanct text.
But then I looked down at my open book and
glimpsed the underlined phrase, “a single clammy
mushroom” and thought, well, perhaps this novel
is an exercise in trusting oneself. Of being able
to hold an opinion and know when something is
objectively bad — even when higher powers claim
the opposite. Perhaps this is the transformative
reading experience I had initially hoped for, though
in an unintended sense of the term. Either way, two
things are clear: Do not trust the establishment, and
do not trust Susan Choi.

Do not trust Susan Choi

BOOK REVIEW

JO CHANG
Daily Arts Writer

Trust Exercise

Susan Choi

Henry Holt and Co.

April 9, 2019

SUSAN CHOI

Harry Styles is back with his new, honeyed
single “Watermelon Sugar,” and now he has
high-waisted pants up to his nipples. No one
is mad about it. Nay, the pants to the nipples
heighten excitement for the album in the
same way the steamy nature of his “Lights
Up” video sent fans into hysteria. The cotton
candy vibes of “Watermelon Sugar” induce
a similar frenzy, but one where fans are
running to find a lollipop to suck on.
“Watermelon Sugar” debuted Nov. 16 on
“Saturday Night Live,” a surprise release in
anticipation of Styles’s sophomore album
Fine Line, coming Dec. 13. The repetition of
lyrics “watermelon sugar” and the catchy
strumming pattern of the electric guitar
emulate the optimism that Styles has brought
to the table in his album promo (how could
one not be optimistic about Harry Styles
smiling in a pink ballerina outfit, which he
used to preface his “SNL” appearance?).
“Watermelon Sugar” emanates what is
voluptuous — this sexy tale of summer love

shines bright.
Billie Eilish also released a new single this
week, her first since her March 2019 debut
album When We All Fall Asleep Where Do We
Go? “everything i wanted” details a dream
Eilish had where she commits suicide, and
amid the fame no one cares that she is gone.
The cover art features an abstract painting
of the Golden Gate Bridge, one of the most
popular spots for suicide. Most importantly,
the single showcases the enduring safe haven
of a relationship she has with her older
brother, co-writer and producer, Finneas.
Eilish’s new single feels like an extension
of her debut album, as she sticks with eerie
vocals and an otherworldly investigation of
dreams. She continues to use a metaphysical
dimension to comment on her waking life.
Her sweet spot — mental health, sleep,
relationships and that which haunts us —
continues to paint a vivid landscape, braiding
the same threads as she did on her debut
album. Even though she sticks with the same
themes, Eilish creates a misty soundscape, as
if we’re standing on the Golden Gate Bridge
with her and holding her back, loving on her
until she wakes up from the nightmare.

Harry, Billie have new pop

SAMANTHA CANTIE
Daily Arts Writer

MUSIC SINGLE REVIEW

COLUMBIA