Lots happening in visual politics this week. Here are a few Friday thoughts of the dashed-off variety...
(1) Racist New York Post cartoon controversy continues. My response can be reduced to two questions: "How stupid are you, cartoonist and editor?" and "Really? You had no idea this might 'offend' anyone? Really?" Ignorance, feigned or real, is no excuse; your ignorance does not make my response "my" problem. If ever there were an advertisement for why folks need to study American visual history, this would be it. I'm teaching a graduate seminar on this very topic next spring; you're more than welcome to join us.
(2) Pentagon lifts ban on photographing flag-draped coffins. This week in my visual politics class we talked about the ambivalent role of visibility in public culture. The lifting of the ban has produced a host of arguments, most of which are about visibility. On the one hand, we have those who argue that the ban needs to be lifted. Two arguments dominate here: freedom of the press and freedom of information. The press should be allowed to cover news; death in war is news. In addition, freedom of information arguments emphasize the role of images in informing the public of the real cost of war; in this era of a volunteer military, all Americans need to be made to see the costs. Visibility=information. On the other hand, those who argue against the lifting of the ban say that families need to be protected in their grief; lifting the ban would make their loved ones' deaths more public and therefore make them more vulnerable. In addition, others worry that increased visibility will "politicize" the war dead. Some folks have even argued that lifting the ban will be a financial burden on families in a time of economic crisis. While many families meet their loved ones when they come off the plane, others cannot afford to. How does this relate to visibility? I think it goes something like this: if families know media are likely to be present, then they may be more compelled to be present too, feeling obligated to bear public witness to their loved one and complete the visual narrative of "coming home" the media are sure to construct. Visibility=burden in more ways than one.
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