David P, yes, this re-enactment is very sobering. And I know
this isn't your point, but I thought I would mention that my
last post was probably in poor taste. Not a good idea to make
light of what was a very serious situation and a very
important moment in history.
It was prompted by a strange interview I heard with the Hoff
on NPR that morning and I googled it later that day and saw
the original video and was struck by the absurdity of the
moment - everything from the jacket to the lyrics (which
didn't seem to have anything to say) to the horrific singing
to the audience reaction (which was mildly antagonistic).
Needless to say in his interview with NPR, the Hoff painted a
very different picture of what happened (he even suggested
that they would probably invite him back for the 20th
anniversary - don't think it happened).
Anyway, apologies for the poor taste.
Best,
greg
Message: 2
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:46:30 -0300
From: David Preiss <ddpreiss@me.com>
Subject: Re: [xmca] Berlin Wall "poetry"
To: "eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity" <xmca@weber.ucsd.edu>
Message-ID: <7332D42B-50D2-4BB9-B578-8C996FEFDC3D@me.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed;
delsp=yes
Hi Greg,
Yes. This is, indeed, laughable and a mass media inspired
perversion
of a historical moment. And, surprisingly staged, for what
supposedly
was, according to these days reporting, a spontaneous
situation. Who
know how spontaneous it really was. Maybe we will know 50
years from
now.
Still, it does not make the DDR less oppressive of what it
was. Check
this contemporary artistic re-enacment:
http://www.stasi-live-haft.de/en/index.php
Certainly, it makes me think of Guantanamo and their unknown
secret
analogues.
Thanks for sharing!
David
---------------------------------------
Greg Thompson
Ph.D. Candidate
The Department of Comparative Human Development
The University of Chicago
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