Everyone has their favorite energy elixir. Some folks need champagne or vodka; some prefer herbs or levitation to make them tingle with excitement. My drug of choice is interesting people, and original ideas. This week I got a powerful tonic of originality, and feel (and look ;-) 10 years younger for it!
On Tuesday, I was lucky enough to get invited to the home of a young, tech-entrepreneur, philanthropist, and Burning Man groupie to partake in his weekly SMS (Subversive Movie Series). The email invitation arrived addressed to “Dear Subversive Person” and listed four possible film options. After a rather ordinary day at work, a little rebellion seemed in order so I headed up to the Hills. After a delicious dinner and quick introductions, the group headed upstairs to the cozy and hip screening room to vote on the evening’s subversive movie. My first choice, The Business of Being Born, a documentary that claims, “you will never look at birth the same way again” was not surprisingly declined by the mostly male crowd. (I plan on viewing this alternative version of birth one day soon; check it out at www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com.) Instead, the politically and artistically diverse group voted for a silent movie made nearly 75 years ago entitled, Modern Times. I must admit that I never saw the film considered Charlie Chaplin’s greatest achievements and dubbed “the original subversive movie” by one of the guests. Take a peek:
Watching this “old” film and its witty, but unflattering portrayal of a fast paced, cold, industrial society, it occurred to me that we have actually made little “progress” in the past 75 years when it comes to quality of life. The comic scenes of Chaplin working frantically to keep up with his assembly line duties (that transformed his hands and legs into robotic organs through repetitive motion) and the greedy, inhumane captains of industry felt very 2009. Chaplin’s escapades and light humor are brilliant tools of social commentary, and make clear he was ahead of his time in so many ways. The Man vs. Machine narrative, which turns workers into nervous wrecks and corporate executives into greedy psychopaths, was straight from today’s headlines. It seems our society has been trapped into our invention of the wisdom of industry and nothing less than a total cultural transformation is needed to chart a better course. I agree that Modern Times is a brilliant, thoughtful subversive movie, but I sincerely hope that its narrative is left in the dust.
Despite the seriousness of the discussion, I was truly inspired to be part of a group of original thinkers that are searching for a way out of the status quo. The economic mess we are currently in was made possible by both greed and groupthink. It will take holistic thinking and bold action to transform the way we live and work if our goals are to lead to sustainability and prosperity. My money is on the thousands of grassroots groups across the globe (including many subversive folks) that use their imagination and originality to create common good. Let subversion reign!
Ms. Cosmopolite is a blog offering a feminine perspective on art, culture, politics, and life behind the scenes of a museum. Created by the Los Angeles Craft and Folk Art Museum, the blog is primarily written by its current Executive Director, Maryna Hrushetska (a blonde who vaguely resembles the blog's representative illustration). Written with a blend of whimsy and substance, Ms. Cosmopolite reinforces the museum’s worldview of building common ground through the universal lens of art. Discussion topics range from exhibition themes, social and political commentary, and all things Venusian.
The Ms. in the blog name is homage to both the group of women that founded the establishment in 1965 and the current all female full-time staff. Additionally, a cosmopolite is defined as someone who is at home in every culture; a citizen of the world; a cosmopolitan person; and magnificently embodies the museum’s current mission.
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