Monday, October 5, 2009

Think and Write

I'm wearing my Che t-shirt and a pair of chuck taylors; I'm unshaven and I don't give a fuck what you think.
 
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The weekend is past, and although it is Monday, I am feeling better than I have for sometime. Maybe suffering from the a mysterious stomach ailment on Friday and into Saturday was helpful in clearing out some of the mental blocks (i.e. I felt so miserable being sick, that once I recovered, everything had to feel better). Then Sunday was relatively relaxing and I can look forward to a three day weekend in the hills of New Hampshire in 5 short days.
 
E made an interesting point last night after the Belly Dance show. Asked why she thought that the No On One campaign might promote itself with a form of dance historically associated with inequality, subservience and servitude, E said it was possible that many of the Women likely considered it as empowering. Considering that once they were forced to dance, the fact that they now have a choice to dance, means they are controlling their involvement and reclaiming its location in their lives and in culture. This then relates well to No On One in that the campaign is equally about a marginalized group standing up and claiming equal rights under the law. Like Belly Dancers, they then choose to participate in one of the symbols of their oppression and exclusion (they choose to get married). It is not exactly apples to apples, as belly dancers were not excluded from the hegemonic community, rather they were objectified and used for entertainment (the fact that they were primarily Women meant, of course, that they were excluded from participating in community affairs). But the analogy of one marginal group (re)claiming power is what is relevant in this context.
 
I haven't seen a Belly Dance show since K left. I am still not sure how I felt watching it: there was a twinge of sadness mixed in with ambivalence about earlier association I had with it. But above all, the movements were beautiful as were the Dancers. On the night, I guess that is what matters most; that and the No On One campaign.

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