“continuously praising those who succeed is an insult to those who have been left behind” very well done video! i am always in awe of your ability to link so many intersecting ideas so cohesively!!
This only comes from the narrow definition of success our culture uses. If success was more broadly defined it won’t be an insult to those who haven’t succeeded because they would have in their own way. But as long as we all just have a money, babies and looks as definition of success, we will all be lacking at some stage! For eg. I don’t find it insulting when Ye talks about his success because to me he is successful in his own way of fighting for his values and not caring about losing his money and opportunities. That is success to me. And I know I am successful because even if I don’t have money, I have values that will always keep me safe and protect me. See it’s just about seeing the inner more than the outer. Reframe success and this stops being an issue. By highlighting that comment you are continuing your slavery to the superficial world. If others success bothers you, not only are you jealous, you also haven’t seen the value in yourself.
Great video! I couldn't tear my eyes way from it. I do have one request. Everyone is focused on the struggle of the citizens of Ukraine which is understandable. But, I also think it is important to showcase the double standard of treatment that Ukrainians have received compared to refugees of African and Middle Eastern Countries.
Agree, we shouldn't give up in demand a diplomatic approach to the armed conflict, gotta be better ways of endind the war than buy a ton of weapons and let the people kill each other, Libia ended up ruined because of this approach and his people just got poor, even more after Gadafis death, after that "win" ... 😐
Unfortunately, they are not "civilized" and they do not have "blond hair" and "blue eyes"... Imagine how many of people are thinking like this. It is so disheartening.
Yes! Thank you! It's been disturbing to see the covert racism become so loud and shameless.. Why isn't all human life viewed equally? Why aren't we doing these (absolutely important) humanitarian things for ALL victims of war and disaster?
This is our daily reminder that ‘Meritocracy’ originated from Satire but privileged people took it too seriously and have marginalised people in a chokehold.
@@maocharlisme I think they are refering to Dunlop writing? In recent times that's a satirical take for sure, but the concept is older. Not that taking Plato's political ideas from more than 2000 years ago and trying to apply them to the modern landscape is smart, but the concept is indeed older and calling it "originated from satire" is probably wrong
@@Hyperversum3 okay, first of all: thank you ofcourse! However, I am not familiar with the Dunlop writing so please go ahead and properly womansplain this to me! 😅😉
Every day I try to break the capitalist conditioning that many people have taught me growing up, and I don't have a hard time believing I'm a product of and for my society because that's simply how the system is intended currently. At 10:15 you talk about the protestant work ethic becoming secularized and how it ties into the common trope of people "finding their purpose" and I hadn't thought it about like that before. Why do I want the things I want or to become the person I want to become, as some duty? Thank you for breaking more of the molding, and I am always refreshed by your videos.
If you'd like to go deeper, you should take a look into "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism" of Max Weber, or even in chapter 23 of "Capital" of Marx, The accumulation of capital, the subject is adressed.
Your dream will only be the end of you and people that think like you. If you want to thrive and be part of the ever advancing society then you must integrate further, not distant yourself from it. Read "The Industrial Society and its Future" by Ted Kaczynski
There's a mythologist / author I really like, Michael Meade, who has been saying that we need to let go of the hero myth, and instead cultivate the Genius myth, speaking of Genius in the sense of the original Greek meaning, which is sometimes regarded as our divine nature but Meade emphasizes more it being our most authentic expression.
The hero myth is just people finding a resolution to their problems, I don’t see anything wrong with that. If you want to see it as inflated ego, go right ahead. Yes, personally, I can tell when people are fake about it and just using it for gain, but I don’t pay attention to those people. They are not on my radar cause they are shallow and boring.
This is great. I dont know if you have made a video on this, but to follow this one, I suggest making a video on how, generally in western countries, trauma is perceived by culture. Some trauma is ok to inflict to people, some behaviors from trauma survivors are shamed and shunned, and some violence and behaviors are not perceived as trauma. How people who have trauma are let down and not helped at all, often times claiming its "their responsability". We know tho those persons need the most help, because they litterally dont have the tools to deal with that "responsability".
True! Would love to see this tied potentially with the recent Kanye/Kim social drama - how it was triggering as it was done in public for the ones struggle with abuses. But still incredibly amplified on Kanye side by so many people? Anyway keep up the good work Alice!
yes, but since a few years trauma (and mental health) is widely documented/popularized on instagram, youtube, marketing.... BUT it says we have to be "resilient" lmao
The timing of this video! 👌🏽👏🏽 I'm currently immersed in a depressive episode not entirely unrelated to growing up in the lie of meritocracy and the need to "find your calling". Thank you for reminding me to be a bit kinder to myself. ❤️
this thing "find your calling" was always very contradictory to me, and it made me suffer a lot before some readings and videos, and also this channel, which opened my mind to this problems. Because the things I truly like don't give me money enough to survive, so I cannot pursue them as a career right now. At the same time, i have to do something I don't really like, I mean, it is not my "passion" but it has to be done, because it's my job and I survive from it.
Aahh my favorite type of content, smart feminist anticapiatlist and leftist girls with an accent, talking about things extremely specific and researched (Happy to have finally found a fellow French in this category lol)
It’s interesting to me when you give a French point of view about modern and old culture (ex: movies, cancel culture, french girl aesthetic, etc).. i mean it feels like i also learn something about France as well
Im honestly so shocked you managed to make a video on the aesthetic of trauma with Taylor Swift and Kanye West, and not mention whatsoever the entire reputation album that came directly as a result of trauma Kanye and Kim sent Taylor’s way, and how she completely flipped it into an aesthetic and marketed it to her full advantage. The definition of a power move.
basically monetizing pain with art. that's how we function as humans. it's beautiful to see what we can do with art when we're in pain. that's why in my comment i said i disagree with people liking psychological pain in art. we create art via our emotions because that's what art is. art is an extension of our emotions and it's extremely cool with tech now how we can make an empire out of it money wise
Such a good vid. Some of your examples with Kanye and Taylor made me think of the original delta Blues music created by African slaves centuries ago, as these were songs about hardship and trauma that were sung/played to tell stories, pass the time, and as a kind of catharsis. I discovered this kind of music through the musician Jack White, who described it as something like one of the truest forms of art and I think he may be right. seems typical that it took somebody like Elvis to bring the blues to the mainstream and make a ton of money from it, but the archetype invented by the slaves paved the way for so many artists now getting rich singing about heartbreak and adversity. sorry I've gone on & on! I just think its a prime example of where art has been created from trauma but really for its own sake/the sake of a larger community than just one accumulating wealth.
Alice, I'm absolutely adoring your latest work. I'm glad I discovered you when you were small. It's so nice to see you grow into the person you are today.
I agree a lot on the harm of Meritocracy. But that's what the whole rap industry is building on, success, money, pride. There is a hidden sting behind the hiphop culture that really corrupts its moral, that it is at its core not encouraging accepting weakness, but simply trying to eliminate the weakness in oneself. I'm very skeptical of a lot of "empowering" speeches and praises of "pride" as if it's some sort of virtue, we need confidence but not pride. People seem to never be satisfied with the havoc pride brings to our lives. When Kanye said "slavery is a choice", I think that's what he is trying to express, and even if he's right about that statement, he does not make the right choice either.
✨Yes, I believe this is a subconscious narrative that we keep playing out as we try to assimilate ourselves with the 'main character'✨ Unfortunately in our reality this character is a traumatised being. I really have to ask why? And where did this desire for trauma first come from... And why does it make such an impact? 🌱 Great video ✨
@@olenabogdanov I haven't watched that show. Can you explain what you mean? Is it toxic to watch it Or It gives examples of toxicity happening? (THANKS IN ADVANCE)
Where did the desire for trauma come from? Um maybe it’s from hearing how people get slaughtered to death, how kids are raped and murdered, or others commit suicide, or face debilitating conditions? The human condition has a lot of trauma in its past, and just because your mental state says there is nothing wrong with you, your body remembers your previous incarnations. The collective psyche remembers all the injustices that happened to humans in the past and are still happening. That’s where trauma comes from, and unfortunately you can’t just hit the exit button just cause you don’t feel like feeling the human condition today. Trauma is there to be revealed and healed, when one wants to reject it and push it away they only create more trauma, they don’t resolve anything. You have to see and feel trauma to resolve it.
There is a book "What they did to us. Lithuanian life from the point of view of trauma psychology" (it's unfortunately still only in Lithuanian language, but I think it will be translated into English soon. I'm Lithuanian and the war in Ukraine opened the old wounds. Every day I see a new phase of how 3mln country is going through collective trauma and it's shaping our lives in both positive and negative ways. Thank you Alice for your topics, phenomenal research and attitude ! Greetings from Lithuania.
Thank you for mentioning Ukraine at the end. As someone who had to escape from the country, I am very thankful to creators, who not only produce interesting high-quality content, but also don’t look away from the terrible political situation in the world. Sending you love 💙💛
You’ve probably already seen Khadija Mbowe’s most recent vid on Liberation, but the themes tie in very well with success in a system for an individual being an exception, and the tendency to ignore the harm it causes many, many more people (In this case, sex work). Very good points made!
This is a very complicated argument, but you brought every piece together very well with a solid conclusion. I too, hope through a collective emotional communion that change can be brought about to release marginalized groups from suffering.
5:04 The same notion is true with respect to Mainstream Hindi Cinema but as Zoya Akhtar, a director and writer put it that in a country where you are conditioned to believe that love marriage is not a possibility, people will gravitate to happy endings as something aspirational.
Oh, this really reminds me of Killing Eve. Villanelle is an assassin who was groomed to be a murderer, rejected by her mother and her family, the people she worked for constantly told her she was a monster and that being a murderer is the only use she has for anyone. And the boom, she dies in a very supposedly aesthetic scenery. They explored a deeply traumatized storytelling and turned it into an aesthetic visual art of her killing people to then end up being killed, as if "that's what she deserves".
Great topic! Daft Punk is the opposite of KW, just focus on the music, no soap opera behind the message, love that. Also funny thing is the evolution of Bon Iver, even with a great personality behind the whole project like Justin Vernon (KW old pal by the way) has managed to dissolve it into a more collective effort, using collages and a symbolic imagery as a representation of the band, all while contributing to the community, love them. Love your videos Alice, keep going, we need you.
Ok, I just want to say… I truly love you and your work. Thank you thank you thank you for breaking down philosophy, sociology, political science and mythology in such a fun and aesthetically pleasing way. Takes me back to my university days 🙏🏾
I believe the whole thing ties up in politics. The story arc being born in ancient Greece, one of the most known empires we have in modern society (Roman Empire), also serves as a paradigm for contemporary empires. Culture is the way the discourse gets introduced, through stories, and the idea of individualism and heroism in mainstream narrative aims to adjust our minds to the normalization of the sole ruler in a monarchy, or the sole scapegoat in a republican democracy. We need to vote for the one who is going to save us all. To me, Kanye understood the way religion is hijacked and turned into something that it shouldn't be. Catharsis became invasive with the exponential growth of the internet, of technology, of everything being unavoidable. Soon technology will enter our bodies, ads will give us electroshocks, etc. Aggressive marketing is not being controlled (because that would be "communism"), neither is the work relations and the way they desire to invade private life and impose their tyrannic rule over people. Our law doesn't draw the line between professional and civil infractions, which is crucial in a moment when people get fired over tweets. What is a tweet? An opinion, but on which sphere? Professional or civil? How is that not discussed before action is taken? My point is that catharsis should be an individual release, but it has become a collective release under the mob mentality of online lynching. Only the majority matters on the internet, and the companies will choose which majority they wish to turn to. On the topic of meritocracy and social Darwinism, I would be of the opinion it is all a mask. The same way we act "happy" or "normal" in social environments, the meritocracy kind of dictates we act like we are already what we aim to be. Black people from the rap industry being covered in jewelry, having daring names, maybe pretentious names, feels almost like one of those coaching classes of "reprograming your brain". A lot of successful stories I've come across end up having moments where the producer/manager of an artist faked the idea the artist was successful. Even the "trope" of lying on your resumé pretty much sums that logic up. I don't think being a famous artist is good for your mental health, especially not in today's society. Kanye West calling himself a genius is not a bad ego move, but a good ego move, a shield, a suit of armor, against the millions who call him crazy every day. The editing in this video is pretty cool. Well done!
As a Ukrainian I was wondering if the ongoing war will be brought up (thanks for that) and was not surprised to see that most likes in the comments are for superior treatment of Ukrainian refugees. Among all the possible topics, this is exact one Europeans will choose to discuss, that`s so telling.. Hope topics of "westsplaining" will be sometime addressed, just as mansplaining currently are. Haven`t had any talks with a foreigner who after hearing nationality starts to say - negotiate and give up your land. Hope when your time comes, you`ll defend your countries longer than in WWII. And by the was I reside in Ukraine and don`t take up your work perspectives) sorry for the Ukrainian rage though, it`s close to becoming a term now
No crisis no change, that's why catharsis works... And when you discover you can engage through your own pain by showing it to others... Boom! you have power.
There should be a word for being old and not being able to communicate your experiences with younger people. Religion and culture has been ways of mediating this, but language is not able to. There are many things language cant do, and it can even cause more problems than necessary; as when people adopt words like "trauma", "depression" or "narcissism" to explain their experiences.
Positive discrimination, Humanity keeps disappointing... Where did my hope come from? Oh right, wanting to blend in and avoid being butchered by the people practicing peaceful, loving, mercyful and forgiving religions... Ideologies rather... Such a great business model. Ain't we all parasites on earth, no? How much do you produce/give back vs how much you require to be content, happy, function, belong, not be depressed? I think the price is high. Delusion. Negating reality. No wonder people drug and numb themselves. No wonder... The more you really open your eyes. The harder to unsee what goes on. System is worse than far from perfect. If you happen to be stable. Do not be a hero. Stay hidden. Nothing is worth it. Unless you want to and believe it. Then, use your "free will" sam harris has some interesting insight on that topic. I think there is no such thing as free will. We are all heavy conditioned and unaware for the most part. But hey... I'm just another random bot or human? You might never now, yet thanks for reading this!!! Now a word from our sponsor, suffering industries, would you like yo experience aimless pain and unspeakable soul crushing emotions? Welcome to planet earth! Where humans ran around hitting each other to survive somewhat naked and rather than leave out their primitive practices they continously find more complicated ways of asserting dominance over other groups on individuals. My favorite one is the reincarnation system, just like being born in a low income or non rich family, enjoy being told Jesus already payed the spiritual mortage only to find yourself repeating its all your fault the very first time you have a sunday celebration. And still gotta get taxxed... Ain't this a yolly experience??! Wooo hooo sing me up can't wait to trap my soul in a pile of decaying meat that is constantly being measured and criticized in order to others to value me as a human being. And if trauma isn't enough, don't worry! We will cure you by discovering how much worse than you think things are actually are!!! Please do not google Geophrey Epstein, Child Indoctrination/education techniques, Kill to party female dynamic, the implications of having a nervous system or anything designed to empower you in a system that tribes on having healthy underpaid horses moving fat and or lazy owners. Remember kids, the ties are just for slaves who already gave up on freedom, thats why they hang on their torso. No need to secure them to a post or fixed object. Who's the good doggy. Ahhh catharsis, such a bliss. Not really. May you live forever. I wish you everything you deserve. Fuck meritocracy. Subjecting yourself for 20+ years of your life to work at walmart and being told what to do when your boss cant even open or send a pdf... What theeeeee fuck planet earth. Actually, not the planets fault. Who can we blame? Why scream if no one hears or does anything? Violence, revolution, action is the answer. Unless you are not powerful or rich. Convinently, you are a criminal. For doing the same things the elite have already systemized. What a wonderful life. Keep paying subscriptions. Keep paying for thing you don't own! Keep working, its your purpose. Moral highgrounding. Tell me Im wrong, lets make this entertaining. (Sarcasm)
Quick moam for myself "Pseudo meritocracy" taken to it's extreme meritocracy is absurd because it hits up against the absence of free will. There is no "self" to deserve things. What does one mean by "pseudo" then. People children becoming ceos and then pretending its based on merit would pseudo meritocracy. The thing is that if your pseudo meritocracy is just vaguely suggestive of competence then it could be a net good as opposed to alternatives. I feel there is a demand for pefecruin in meritocracy.
Kanye catching strays everywhere smh. Not surprised black men always tools for others to make their point while u can clearly see the lack of respect for his reality.
I recently donated money to UNHCR, with the idea of helping Ukraine. I've been able to donate a fair amount of money from my social security check. It's no biggy. I was taught to be frugal by my mom, and I'm really not hurting because of it. There are temptations to spend my money, and it is very easy to get started on a buying pattern. You can buy a couple of candy bars at a convenience store without any strain, but then you want to do it again the next time you walk into that store. Money quickly evaporates when you do that. One thing I was glad that my parents taught me was how to be frugal. ...... I liked your presentation of "the aesthetic of trauma". It helped me with my own ambitions to write. But I'm having trouble with my short term memory. I wrote three 5,000 word short stories last month, but without checking my flash drives I couldn't tell you what they are about. ..... As for the meritocracy, that is only partially true. I've found that luck plays a large part in success, but if you have good character you are likely to overcome any bad breaks. I read this short story by Thomas Hardy where there was this janitor working in a church in London. I think they called him a "vicar". Anyway, in the course of business it became apparent that the vicar couldn't read. That wouldn't do in a Church of England, so they let him go. As he was walking home he walked by a tobacco shop. He'd noticed that there were other shops like that, and they were doing well. He'd saved some money, so he bought a tobacco shop. He did well, so he bought another shop, and another. He became quite wealthy. So, one time he was in a business meeting with this man, and it came out that the former vicar couldn't read. The other guy was amazed by this, and he said, "Wow, just think where you would be if you could read." The man responded, "Well, I can answer that. I would be the vicar at the Church of England." But very few people just happen on a way to suddenly become wealthy. Maybe drug dealers do. But in the case of Bill Gates and Microsoft, Bill Gates did happen to be in the right place at the right time, but he also worked very hard for his success. They said that the workers at Microsoft could work any eighty hours of the week they chose. That's the way it is with most successful entrepeneurs. They might have a good idea, but they also work very hard to get their success. I've seen people who started a business, with the financial burden that ensues, and they were really getting ground down. If you're going to start a business, for God's sake, know your market! But then again, they could have just been caught by the cycles of an unpredictable market. That is the way it is with most people. They work very hard to get what they have. ... But just to show you my total lack of character, I was contemplating spending the later years of my life with a morphine habit. Don't worry, there is no way I could get any morphine, but there have been writers who wrote fantastic stories while they were doing opium. One of them was Edgar Allen Poe, but, in spite of his literary success, he died alone on the street. That is not one of my ambitions. Personally, I make good starts, but I don't go very far. I have my writing to keep me company. I'm currently living at an assisted living center for the mentally ill.
Alice, I’m not sure why it’s necessary to mention everyone else’s trauma when discussing your own. The pain we know best is our own. It is not your business to discuss someone else’s trauma, your business is to discuss and understand your own. If you do that well, others connect to it. And yes this is a lonely journey one takes on their own. No one can grieve for you. My traumatic journey has nothing to do with strippers so not sure why I would talk about their trauma when discussing my own. Yes, it is good to be aware that others are suffering too, I actually believe everyone is suffering, whether they want to admit it to themselves or not. We live in an insane world that promotes injustice, I don’t understand how no one should be traumatised by that. As you said it’s been talked about in stories and myths since the beginning of time, but one is not allowed to be the protagonist of their own journey? It’s self involved to do so, is that what you’re saying? Again, the solution to that is to normalise people discussing their trauma so we can all understand each other & the human condition better, not to shame & criticise people when they are brave enough to speak about it. I found your analysis of Ye’s Donda album completely unfair. That album gives me so much strength when I feel alone due to my disability. I’ll chalk it up to ‘You are young and havent really seen life yet.’ Disappointing that you are the young voice of these new generations. You are smart, but find your heart. Suppressing our collective trauma will only continue the hell trajectory this world is on. It will only continue the war and injustices that exist. I’m interested in moving beyond that, so stop getting in the way!
Alice touched on a fascinating direction for the trauma discussion, not the aesthetic of trauma, but the monetisation of trauma. That would be a great topic to explore - who benefits and who suffers from the revelation of trauma to an audience? What factors affect the valence of the impact of revelation? Is monetisation worth it to an author if the revelation does nothing to resolve the trauma? What about incentivisation to never actually heal, if one has a career in being wounded? Or to inflate lesser wounds/grievances when the well starts to run dry? I followed Alice's implication that Protestantism assumes meritocracy. Protestantism must rely on the belief that hard work can yield proportionate (or disproportionate) positive outcomes, or people would easily be dissuaded from the efforts required. However, I'm not sure that meritocracy is about Protestantism in the way that Alice seems to link the two. An argument could be made that meritocracy can emerge from religiosity, but a work ethic linked to Protestantism seems only adjacent to a consideration of meritocracy. Likewise for "purpose", I don't see it as exclusively linked to achievement or Protestantism. People feel called to all manner of pursuits, including those which do not directly advance their role in society, nor directly benefit society itself. Artistic endeavours are often of this nature, as are countercultural movements (in the sense that the resistance is to the best interests of a society as-it-is, and is not rewarded by those with authority within the existing structure. As for the reference to "positive discrimination", it's a bit like "reverse racism".... it's still just discrimination and racism. "Still just", except for the hypocrisy such positions require. At what point do you consider inflicting loss or damage upon someone for their characteristics as "enough", if you support it in the first place? At what point does it not just become a new hierarchy that is simply an inversion of a former hierarchy? When do people achieving power by excluding others determine that balance has been achieved? Or is it the case that once aggrieved means forever entitled? Maybe that kid who pulled your hair and called you names in kindergarten should forever after be subjugated to you? The solution to imbalance is not imbalance, it's acknowledging the past and working to achieve balance, fairness, and upholding the highest values. Viktor Frankl speaks to the tragedy of falling short of this in Man's Search For Meaning.
I'm going to summarize this video according to my understanding. Please let me know if i understood it wrong in anyway: she states that she would like to see ongoing collective societal trauma be represented by artists in their art rather than artists being rewarded just for their own trauma representation, self praise success flexes, and meritocracy. how its best to move away from the “only sad traumatized people make good art” to “any real artist knows how to convey personal or collective emotions/thoughts/situations through art” She'd like to see such collective catharsis in art and the way our society + system will reward that (if it even does reward that is) .... If i am correct with this understanding of the video, then i do have an example of exactly such artists in mind, who are also immensely awarded by their society too. But they aren't western. They're both Asians.
J'ai noté un faux raccord avec le pendu sur le tableau, à 7:15 sa tête disparait. C'est avec grand regret que je dois m'abonner à la chaine pour pouvoir me désabonner devant ce manque de sérieux.
The only triggering thing in that video (I am someone struggling with PTSD, C-PTSD now to be exact) was seeing the Harry Potter cover. Please Alice, be mindful about that, and I am not just saying that because I'm trans, those novels should be avoided as much as possible so you don't keep making a hateful person relevant. Thank you. EDIT: For a video about aesthetics and trauma, it didn't really talk about either btw. It is still good content and informative though.
Sorry I just thought of something else. Isn't trauma subjective? Meaning that one person's trauma isn't the same as another person's trauma although they experienced the same event? And one event that traumatized one person may not have traumatized another person? So how can we say that a break up song is "trauma aesthetic" when it might not even be traumatic for the artist? You don't decide whether or not someone is traumatized from something.. especially something like a break up or divorce.
If i was a public figure who liked to make art for public consumption and I went through something traumatic, and i wanted to make art about it, and my art is for public consumption, then I guess you would end up romanticizing trauma, but I don't think it's something that's inherently wrong. People have made art and music and popular music about trauma for a while, small and big artists make music about their personal lives and people listen to it and relate to it. Sometimes aesthetics are used as an ideal, but sometimes they are something relatable, right? Why is it that people don't just relate to feelings of pain and divorce and sadness? I don't it feels weird to make it like it's bad to make music about trauma because it might be popular? I'm not out here wanting a divorce or waiting for one to happen so I can cry to a song, i cry to the song because they are portraying some intense emotion.
About the "Protestant Ethic", I can say that Max Weber only captured a side of it but not the entirety. A Protestant's gratest desire is God Himself, and that does not guarantee worldy success and gains. Sure, God may provide "signs" of favor through the material blessings one has, but even in the lack of it, a Protestant will have assurance that he/she is saved from God's judgment because they hold on to what Jesus Christ has done on the cross - to redeem them from the consequence of their sins (which is eternal damnation). Thus, this assurance gives them freedom from striving so hard to "earn" salvation. I mean, the true Protestant does not look at their hard work or their blessings as signs of their salvation. If they do, they are being led by a false Gospel. Anyway, it is an interesting thing to know how the "ethic" has been viewed as a contributing factor to modern capitalism.
I really had this artist in my country that talking about sensitive topics on his lyrics, since old day, music are probably become some Cathar media that people are find comfort to
i disagree with people liking psychological pain. the beauty of art is expressing your pain. they do say the best works come from pain. there's a new movement of musicians (marina diamandis for example) who say you don't have to make great work in pain. you can make it while you're content. you can choose when you want to create art depending on your mood. back to my point, art is an extension of our emotions. negative emotions flow easier when we create and i believe that's why there's a lot of art centered around negative emotions. it's how we are as humans. it's how we are socialized. it's not inherently bad. i can see why it exists ya know what i mean. it's okay to base your art on pain
We should also consider the myth of the tortured artist when talking about the "aesthetic of trauma", the idea that only sad people can produce good art. I hate that myth and find it really dangerous. It may prevent people to take care of their mental illnesses for fear that they would lose their artistic talents. For instance, Hayley Williams has struggled with depression and she has stated that, initially, she was reluctant to get treated for fear of losing acess to her sadness, the thing that had inspired her songwriting for all her life.
you could also continue the theme of using kanye as an example, considering how many of his current problems have been caused by him not taking his meds
@@marnenotmarnie259 “Taking your meds” is just innuendo for shutting up and fitting in an insane world. Only narcissists and sociopaths care about someone else ‘taking their meds’ as they cannot see the damage they are causing that person by saying that. They are trying to gaslight that person into conforming Into their reality, refusing to admit there are multiple realities and ways to see the world. Why should we all act healthy when the world is unhealthy? How are we to fix this unhealthy world if we are just supposed to shut up and say ‘appropriate’ things? Change is uncomfortable.
When I was depressed I didn't have any energy to practice my art and any attempt to put the pen on the paper resulted in a messy projection of how I don't like life anymore. I don't know why people romanticise and glamorise it so much. Mental illness is debilitating not inspiring
Excellently presented video, very creative, loved it. Also, thank you for teaching me this new word (meritocracy) which I already had an understanding of but didn't have a word for it. I went through my own troubles 3 years ago and I lost interest in what I had been doing up to that point, so finding a new purpose was difficult, it was like my suffering opened more doors of opportunity to desperately explore. I only find it slightly paradoxical that I'm now studying psychology. My real strengths in childhood were in art, design and mathematics. English and writing was never something I was particularly good at. I find the social sciences a fascinating area of study that often gets overlooked because society rewards many other jobs with a lot more money, whereas for me the reward expands far more than just that.
Really great discussion! I think I was especially interested in the meritocracy angle, which I think tends to be missed when we talk about the monetizing of trauma and parasocial relationships.
boy, am I glad I haven't been raised in the west after watching this video!... I experience the internalized capitalist propaganda though thousands of daily superficial thoughts, but being able to draw from the culture deeper ingrained in my understanding of the world is saves me, every day, from becoming a victim to the system.
Let’s talk about Palestine and the hypocrisy of the west. White live is not « more civiliséd » or more « important » then other lives. Let’s stand in solidarity with all people that fight against oppression.
Your videos always motivate me to keep on studying, reading and writing my essays! (even when I actually want to throw my laptop out of the window) Also great job on pronouncing the title of Max Weber's book, sounds a bit aggressive though but I guess that's how German is :D
“continuously praising those who succeed is an insult to those who have been left behind”
very well done video! i am always in awe of your ability to link so many intersecting ideas so cohesively!!
This only comes from the narrow definition of success our culture uses. If success was more broadly defined it won’t be an insult to those who haven’t succeeded because they would have in their own way. But as long as we all just have a money, babies and looks as definition of success, we will all be lacking at some stage!
For eg. I don’t find it insulting when Ye talks about his success because to me he is successful in his own way of fighting for his values and not caring about losing his money and opportunities. That is success to me. And I know I am successful because even if I don’t have money, I have values that will always keep me safe and protect me.
See it’s just about seeing the inner more than the outer. Reframe success and this stops being an issue. By highlighting that comment you are continuing your slavery to the superficial world. If others success bothers you, not only are you jealous, you also haven’t seen the value in yourself.
@@sadiemakesmesmileunfortunately the culture of success in the modern sense strives on this
Great video! I couldn't tear my eyes way from it. I do have one request. Everyone is focused on the struggle of the citizens of Ukraine which is understandable. But, I also think it is important to showcase the double standard of treatment that Ukrainians have received compared to refugees of African and Middle Eastern Countries.
Agree, we shouldn't give up in demand a diplomatic approach to the armed conflict, gotta be better ways of endind the war than buy a ton of weapons and let the people kill each other, Libia ended up ruined because of this approach and his people just got poor, even more after Gadafis death, after that "win" ... 😐
Refugees are from India and Pakistan
Yes!! I think it may just be the algorithms on my socials and Google but I feel like I've seen very little of this discrimination
Unfortunately, they are not "civilized" and they do not have "blond hair" and "blue eyes"... Imagine how many of people are thinking like this. It is so disheartening.
Yes! Thank you! It's been disturbing to see the covert racism become so loud and shameless.. Why isn't all human life viewed equally? Why aren't we doing these (absolutely important) humanitarian things for ALL victims of war and disaster?
This is our daily reminder that ‘Meritocracy’ originated from Satire but privileged people took it too seriously and have marginalised people in a chokehold.
true!!
elaborate
elaborate
@@maocharlisme I think they are refering to Dunlop writing?
In recent times that's a satirical take for sure, but the concept is older.
Not that taking Plato's political ideas from more than 2000 years ago and trying to apply them to the modern landscape is smart, but the concept is indeed older and calling it "originated from satire" is probably wrong
@@Hyperversum3 okay, first of all: thank you ofcourse! However, I am not familiar with the Dunlop writing so please go ahead and properly womansplain this to me! 😅😉
Every day I try to break the capitalist conditioning that many people have taught me growing up, and I don't have a hard time believing I'm a product of and for my society because that's simply how the system is intended currently. At 10:15 you talk about the protestant work ethic becoming secularized and how it ties into the common trope of people "finding their purpose" and I hadn't thought it about like that before. Why do I want the things I want or to become the person I want to become, as some duty? Thank you for breaking more of the molding, and I am always refreshed by your videos.
Yes this part sparked some new curiosity in my mind! I want to explore more ways that this belief has shaped our idea of “normal”
If you'd like to go deeper, you should take a look into "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism" of Max Weber, or even in chapter 23 of "Capital" of Marx, The accumulation of capital, the subject is adressed.
Your dream will only be the end of you and people that think like you. If you want to thrive and be part of the ever advancing society then you must integrate further, not distant yourself from it. Read "The Industrial Society and its Future" by Ted Kaczynski
Interesting
@@davidsilverfield835 Are you refering to my comment? I mean since that is the most interesting one here.
Omg at 3:58 I initially heard “and pathetic Beyoncé” instead of “empathetic Beyoncé” and did a double take
😂😂😂
Well it says so in the subtitles, soooo
I heard the same! Lol!
There's a mythologist / author I really like, Michael Meade, who has been saying that we need to let go of the hero myth, and instead cultivate the Genius myth, speaking of Genius in the sense of the original Greek meaning, which is sometimes regarded as our divine nature but Meade emphasizes more it being our most authentic expression.
*Roman, not Greek meaning :)
What about the ‘we are all imperfect’ myth? Maybe that will help people chill a lil
The hero myth is just people finding a resolution to their problems, I don’t see anything wrong with that. If you want to see it as inflated ego, go right ahead. Yes, personally, I can tell when people are fake about it and just using it for gain, but I don’t pay attention to those people. They are not on my radar cause they are shallow and boring.
This is great. I dont know if you have made a video on this, but to follow this one, I suggest making a video on how, generally in western countries, trauma is perceived by culture. Some trauma is ok to inflict to people, some behaviors from trauma survivors are shamed and shunned, and some violence and behaviors are not perceived as trauma. How people who have trauma are let down and not helped at all, often times claiming its "their responsability". We know tho those persons need the most help, because they litterally dont have the tools to deal with that "responsability".
True! Would love to see this tied potentially with the recent Kanye/Kim social drama - how it was triggering as it was done in public for the ones struggle with abuses. But still incredibly amplified on Kanye side by so many people? Anyway keep up the good work Alice!
yes, but since a few years trauma (and mental health) is widely documented/popularized on instagram, youtube, marketing.... BUT it says we have to be "resilient" lmao
The timing of this video! 👌🏽👏🏽 I'm currently immersed in a depressive episode not entirely unrelated to growing up in the lie of meritocracy and the need to "find your calling". Thank you for reminding me to be a bit kinder to myself. ❤️
this thing "find your calling" was always very contradictory to me, and it made me suffer a lot before some readings and videos, and also this channel, which opened my mind to this problems. Because the things I truly like don't give me money enough to survive, so I cannot pursue them as a career right now. At the same time, i have to do something I don't really like, I mean, it is not my "passion" but it has to be done, because it's my job and I survive from it.
Aahh my favorite type of content, smart feminist anticapiatlist and leftist girls with an accent, talking about things extremely specific and researched (Happy to have finally found a fellow French in this category lol)
Says the same person who is using an electronic device to post this comment which is also created by a capitalist market what the irony
It’s interesting to me when you give a French point of view about modern and old culture (ex: movies, cancel culture, french girl aesthetic, etc).. i mean it feels like i also learn something about France as well
Im honestly so shocked you managed to make a video on the aesthetic of trauma with Taylor Swift and Kanye West, and not mention whatsoever the entire reputation album that came directly as a result of trauma Kanye and Kim sent Taylor’s way, and how she completely flipped it into an aesthetic and marketed it to her full advantage. The definition of a power move.
basically monetizing pain with art. that's how we function as humans. it's beautiful to see what we can do with art when we're in pain. that's why in my comment i said i disagree with people liking psychological pain in art. we create art via our emotions because that's what art is. art is an extension of our emotions and it's extremely cool with tech now how we can make an empire out of it money wise
Props to Alice’s seminar setup, which is absolutely fabulous 👏🏽
Such a good vid. Some of your examples with Kanye and Taylor made me think of the original delta Blues music created by African slaves centuries ago, as these were songs about hardship and trauma that were sung/played to tell stories, pass the time, and as a kind of catharsis. I discovered this kind of music through the musician Jack White, who described it as something like one of the truest forms of art and I think he may be right. seems typical that it took somebody like Elvis to bring the blues to the mainstream and make a ton of money from it, but the archetype invented by the slaves paved the way for so many artists now getting rich singing about heartbreak and adversity. sorry I've gone on & on! I just think its a prime example of where art has been created from trauma but really for its own sake/the sake of a larger community than just one accumulating wealth.
Happy Women’s Day! Alice, stay awesome and continue being a great content creator. 👏🏽
Alice, I'm absolutely adoring your latest work. I'm glad I discovered you when you were small. It's so nice to see you grow into the person you are today.
I agree a lot on the harm of Meritocracy. But that's what the whole rap industry is building on, success, money, pride. There is a hidden sting behind the hiphop culture that really corrupts its moral, that it is at its core not encouraging accepting weakness, but simply trying to eliminate the weakness in oneself. I'm very skeptical of a lot of "empowering" speeches and praises of "pride" as if it's some sort of virtue, we need confidence but not pride. People seem to never be satisfied with the havoc pride brings to our lives. When Kanye said "slavery is a choice", I think that's what he is trying to express, and even if he's right about that statement, he does not make the right choice either.
As a recently graduated Sociology Student, I’m so happy to see the Sociologists in this video and the theories. Thank you!
Was this video aired live?
@@dudette7681 No.
Im an undergrad and i was so stoked seeing Protestant Ethic… by Weber! V cool!
✨Yes, I believe this is a subconscious narrative that we keep playing out as we try to assimilate ourselves with the 'main character'✨ Unfortunately in our reality this character is a traumatised being. I really have to ask why? And where did this desire for trauma first come from... And why does it make such an impact? 🌱 Great video ✨
This is exactly why Euphoria is so toxic
Sooo interesting
@@olenabogdanov yesss
@@olenabogdanov I haven't watched that show.
Can you explain what you mean?
Is it toxic to watch it
Or
It gives examples of toxicity happening?
(THANKS IN ADVANCE)
Where did the desire for trauma come from? Um maybe it’s from hearing how people get slaughtered to death, how kids are raped and murdered, or others commit suicide, or face debilitating conditions? The human condition has a lot of trauma in its past, and just because your mental state says there is nothing wrong with you, your body remembers your previous incarnations. The collective psyche remembers all the injustices that happened to humans in the past and are still happening. That’s where trauma comes from, and unfortunately you can’t just hit the exit button just cause you don’t feel like feeling the human condition today.
Trauma is there to be revealed and healed, when one wants to reject it and push it away they only create more trauma, they don’t resolve anything. You have to see and feel trauma to resolve it.
This revolves around phycology (trauma) meritocracy ( social classes) and capitalism (sociology) this is great !!!!
There is a book "What they did to us. Lithuanian life from the point of view of trauma psychology" (it's unfortunately still only in Lithuanian language, but I think it will be translated into English soon. I'm Lithuanian and the war in Ukraine opened the old wounds. Every day I see a new phase of how 3mln country is going through collective trauma and it's shaping our lives in both positive and negative ways. Thank you Alice for your topics, phenomenal research and attitude ! Greetings from Lithuania.
Just discovered your channel and I feel like I'm back in school (in the best way possible). Keep it up! Merci beaucoup 💜
Merciii
Thank you for mentioning Ukraine at the end. As someone who had to escape from the country, I am very thankful to creators, who not only produce interesting high-quality content, but also don’t look away from the terrible political situation in the world. Sending you love 💙💛
one of your best videos EVER. very easy to understand for the layperson. Thank you
You’ve probably already seen Khadija Mbowe’s most recent vid on Liberation, but the themes tie in very well with success in a system for an individual being an exception, and the tendency to ignore the harm it causes many, many more people (In this case, sex work). Very good points made!
This is a very complicated argument, but you brought every piece together very well with a solid conclusion. I too, hope through a collective emotional communion that change can be brought about to release marginalized groups from suffering.
Great work as always Alice! Keep it up.
Thanks 🥰
5:04 The same notion is true with respect to Mainstream Hindi Cinema but as Zoya Akhtar, a director and writer put it that in a country where you are conditioned to believe that love marriage is not a possibility, people will gravitate to happy endings as something aspirational.
Oh, this really reminds me of Killing Eve. Villanelle is an assassin who was groomed to be a murderer, rejected by her mother and her family, the people she worked for constantly told her she was a monster and that being a murderer is the only use she has for anyone. And the boom, she dies in a very supposedly aesthetic scenery. They explored a deeply traumatized storytelling and turned it into an aesthetic visual art of her killing people to then end up being killed, as if "that's what she deserves".
I know your focus is as a researcher and commentator but your editing and video production has improved so much. That definitely deserves a praise :D.
This is really interesting and your editing style and production are amazing
Great topic! Daft Punk is the opposite of KW, just focus on the music, no soap opera behind the message, love that. Also funny thing is the evolution of Bon Iver, even with a great personality behind the whole project like Justin Vernon (KW old pal by the way) has managed to dissolve it into a more collective effort, using collages and a symbolic imagery as a representation of the band, all while contributing to the community, love them. Love your videos Alice, keep going, we need you.
Do you mind explaining further on the narrative, DP or BI, people may find it useful, thanks
Ok, I just want to say… I truly love you and your work. Thank you thank you thank you for breaking down philosophy, sociology, political science and mythology in such a fun and aesthetically pleasing way. Takes me back to my university days 🙏🏾
I believe the whole thing ties up in politics. The story arc being born in ancient Greece, one of the most known empires we have in modern society (Roman Empire), also serves as a paradigm for contemporary empires. Culture is the way the discourse gets introduced, through stories, and the idea of individualism and heroism in mainstream narrative aims to adjust our minds to the normalization of the sole ruler in a monarchy, or the sole scapegoat in a republican democracy. We need to vote for the one who is going to save us all. To me, Kanye understood the way religion is hijacked and turned into something that it shouldn't be.
Catharsis became invasive with the exponential growth of the internet, of technology, of everything being unavoidable. Soon technology will enter our bodies, ads will give us electroshocks, etc. Aggressive marketing is not being controlled (because that would be "communism"), neither is the work relations and the way they desire to invade private life and impose their tyrannic rule over people. Our law doesn't draw the line between professional and civil infractions, which is crucial in a moment when people get fired over tweets. What is a tweet? An opinion, but on which sphere? Professional or civil? How is that not discussed before action is taken? My point is that catharsis should be an individual release, but it has become a collective release under the mob mentality of online lynching. Only the majority matters on the internet, and the companies will choose which majority they wish to turn to.
On the topic of meritocracy and social Darwinism, I would be of the opinion it is all a mask. The same way we act "happy" or "normal" in social environments, the meritocracy kind of dictates we act like we are already what we aim to be. Black people from the rap industry being covered in jewelry, having daring names, maybe pretentious names, feels almost like one of those coaching classes of "reprograming your brain". A lot of successful stories I've come across end up having moments where the producer/manager of an artist faked the idea the artist was successful. Even the "trope" of lying on your resumé pretty much sums that logic up. I don't think being a famous artist is good for your mental health, especially not in today's society. Kanye West calling himself a genius is not a bad ego move, but a good ego move, a shield, a suit of armor, against the millions who call him crazy every day.
The editing in this video is pretty cool. Well done!
Nicest teacher ever!
Thanks! You’re welcome to my lectures anytime 😎
Protestants believe that God has predestined who is saved and who hasn't? Isn't that Calvinism?
I don´t get it, did she actually do that in a clasroom full of people?
As a Ukrainian I was wondering if the ongoing war will be brought up (thanks for that) and was not surprised to see that most likes in the comments are for superior treatment of Ukrainian refugees. Among all the possible topics, this is exact one Europeans will choose to discuss, that`s so telling..
Hope topics of "westsplaining" will be sometime addressed, just as mansplaining currently are. Haven`t had any talks with a foreigner who after hearing nationality starts to say - negotiate and give up your land. Hope when your time comes, you`ll defend your countries longer than in WWII. And by the was I reside in Ukraine and don`t take up your work perspectives)
sorry for the Ukrainian rage though, it`s close to becoming a term now
No crisis no change, that's why catharsis works... And when you discover you can engage through your own pain by showing it to others... Boom! you have power.
Je t'adore.
I just wanna binge-watch all of your content.
There should be a word for being old and not being able to communicate your experiences with younger people. Religion and culture has been ways of mediating this, but language is not able to. There are many things language cant do, and it can even cause more problems than necessary; as when people adopt words like "trauma", "depression" or "narcissism" to explain their experiences.
Positive discrimination, Humanity keeps disappointing... Where did my hope come from? Oh right, wanting to blend in and avoid being butchered by the people practicing peaceful, loving, mercyful and forgiving religions... Ideologies rather... Such a great business model. Ain't we all parasites on earth, no? How much do you produce/give back vs how much you require to be content, happy, function, belong, not be depressed? I think the price is high. Delusion. Negating reality. No wonder people drug and numb themselves. No wonder... The more you really open your eyes. The harder to unsee what goes on. System is worse than far from perfect. If you happen to be stable. Do not be a hero. Stay hidden. Nothing is worth it. Unless you want to and believe it. Then, use your "free will" sam harris has some interesting insight on that topic. I think there is no such thing as free will. We are all heavy conditioned and unaware for the most part. But hey... I'm just another random bot or human? You might never now, yet thanks for reading this!!! Now a word from our sponsor, suffering industries, would you like yo experience aimless pain and unspeakable soul crushing emotions? Welcome to planet earth! Where humans ran around hitting each other to survive somewhat naked and rather than leave out their primitive practices they continously find more complicated ways of asserting dominance over other groups on individuals. My favorite one is the reincarnation system, just like being born in a low income or non rich family, enjoy being told Jesus already payed the spiritual mortage only to find yourself repeating its all your fault the very first time you have a sunday celebration. And still gotta get taxxed... Ain't this a yolly experience??! Wooo hooo sing me up can't wait to trap my soul in a pile of decaying meat that is constantly being measured and criticized in order to others to value me as a human being. And if trauma isn't enough, don't worry! We will cure you by discovering how much worse than you think things are actually are!!! Please do not google Geophrey Epstein, Child Indoctrination/education techniques, Kill to party female dynamic, the implications of having a nervous system or anything designed to empower you in a system that tribes on having healthy underpaid horses moving fat and or lazy owners. Remember kids, the ties are just for slaves who already gave up on freedom, thats why they hang on their torso. No need to secure them to a post or fixed object. Who's the good doggy. Ahhh catharsis, such a bliss. Not really. May you live forever. I wish you everything you deserve. Fuck meritocracy. Subjecting yourself for 20+ years of your life to work at walmart and being told what to do when your boss cant even open or send a pdf... What theeeeee fuck planet earth. Actually, not the planets fault. Who can we blame? Why scream if no one hears or does anything? Violence, revolution, action is the answer. Unless you are not powerful or rich. Convinently, you are a criminal. For doing the same things the elite have already systemized. What a wonderful life. Keep paying subscriptions. Keep paying for thing you don't own! Keep working, its your purpose. Moral highgrounding. Tell me Im wrong, lets make this entertaining. (Sarcasm)
merci pour le support de l’Ukraine
2:40 Talking about "trauma"... you seem a bit insecure about your hair, could be trauma related? 😉
Quick moam for myself
"Pseudo meritocracy" taken to it's extreme meritocracy is absurd because it hits up against the absence of free will. There is no "self" to deserve things. What does one mean by "pseudo" then. People children becoming ceos and then pretending its based on merit would pseudo meritocracy.
The thing is that if your pseudo meritocracy is just vaguely suggestive of competence then it could be a net good as opposed to alternatives.
I feel there is a demand for pefecruin in meritocracy.
Kanye is proof that we do not live in a meritocracy (as are the Kardashians).
the Zooey Deschannel of France . Bonjour cousine, montagnes du nord, Qc ; )
7:16 hashjd
amazing
Kanye catching strays everywhere smh. Not surprised black men always tools for others to make their point while u can clearly see the lack of respect for his reality.
I recently donated money to UNHCR, with the idea of helping Ukraine. I've been able to donate a fair amount of money from my social security check. It's no biggy. I was taught to be frugal by my mom, and I'm really not hurting because of it. There are temptations to spend my money, and it is very easy to get started on a buying pattern. You can buy a couple of candy bars at a convenience store without any strain, but then you want to do it again the next time you walk into that store. Money quickly evaporates when you do that. One thing I was glad that my parents taught me was how to be frugal. ...... I liked your presentation of "the aesthetic of trauma". It helped me with my own ambitions to write. But I'm having trouble with my short term memory. I wrote three 5,000 word short stories last month, but without checking my flash drives I couldn't tell you what they are about. ..... As for the meritocracy, that is only partially true. I've found that luck plays a large part in success, but if you have good character you are likely to overcome any bad breaks. I read this short story by Thomas Hardy where there was this janitor working in a church in London. I think they called him a "vicar". Anyway, in the course of business it became apparent that the vicar couldn't read. That wouldn't do in a Church of England, so they let him go. As he was walking home he walked by a tobacco shop. He'd noticed that there were other shops like that, and they were doing well. He'd saved some money, so he bought a tobacco shop. He did well, so he bought another shop, and another. He became quite wealthy. So, one time he was in a business meeting with this man, and it came out that the former vicar couldn't read. The other guy was amazed by this, and he said, "Wow, just think where you would be if you could read." The man responded, "Well, I can answer that. I would be the vicar at the Church of England." But very few people just happen on a way to suddenly become wealthy. Maybe drug dealers do. But in the case of Bill Gates and Microsoft, Bill Gates did happen to be in the right place at the right time, but he also worked very hard for his success. They said that the workers at Microsoft could work any eighty hours of the week they chose. That's the way it is with most successful entrepeneurs. They might have a good idea, but they also work very hard to get their success. I've seen people who started a business, with the financial burden that ensues, and they were really getting ground down. If you're going to start a business, for God's sake, know your market! But then again, they could have just been caught by the cycles of an unpredictable market. That is the way it is with most people. They work very hard to get what they have. ... But just to show you my total lack of character, I was contemplating spending the later years of my life with a morphine habit. Don't worry, there is no way I could get any morphine, but there have been writers who wrote fantastic stories while they were doing opium. One of them was Edgar Allen Poe, but, in spite of his literary success, he died alone on the street. That is not one of my ambitions. Personally, I make good starts, but I don't go very far. I have my writing to keep me company. I'm currently living at an assisted living center for the mentally ill.
Alice, I’m not sure why it’s necessary to mention everyone else’s trauma when discussing your own. The pain we know best is our own. It is not your business to discuss someone else’s trauma, your business is to discuss and understand your own. If you do that well, others connect to it. And yes this is a lonely journey one takes on their own. No one can grieve for you. My traumatic journey has nothing to do with strippers so not sure why I would talk about their trauma when discussing my own. Yes, it is good to be aware that others are suffering too, I actually believe everyone is suffering, whether they want to admit it to themselves or not. We live in an insane world that promotes injustice, I don’t understand how no one should be traumatised by that. As you said it’s been talked about in stories and myths since the beginning of time, but one is not allowed to be the protagonist of their own journey? It’s self involved to do so, is that what you’re saying?
Again, the solution to that is to normalise people discussing their trauma so we can all understand each other & the human condition better, not to shame & criticise people when they are brave enough to speak about it. I found your analysis of Ye’s Donda album completely unfair. That album gives me so much strength when I feel alone due to my disability. I’ll chalk it up to ‘You are young and havent really seen life yet.’ Disappointing that you are the young voice of these new generations. You are smart, but find your heart.
Suppressing our collective trauma will only continue the hell trajectory this world is on. It will only continue the war and injustices that exist. I’m interested in moving beyond that, so stop getting in the way!
Alice touched on a fascinating direction for the trauma discussion, not the aesthetic of trauma, but the monetisation of trauma. That would be a great topic to explore - who benefits and who suffers from the revelation of trauma to an audience? What factors affect the valence of the impact of revelation? Is monetisation worth it to an author if the revelation does nothing to resolve the trauma? What about incentivisation to never actually heal, if one has a career in being wounded? Or to inflate lesser wounds/grievances when the well starts to run dry?
I followed Alice's implication that Protestantism assumes meritocracy. Protestantism must rely on the belief that hard work can yield proportionate (or disproportionate) positive outcomes, or people would easily be dissuaded from the efforts required. However, I'm not sure that meritocracy is about Protestantism in the way that Alice seems to link the two. An argument could be made that meritocracy can emerge from religiosity, but a work ethic linked to Protestantism seems only adjacent to a consideration of meritocracy. Likewise for "purpose", I don't see it as exclusively linked to achievement or Protestantism. People feel called to all manner of pursuits, including those which do not directly advance their role in society, nor directly benefit society itself. Artistic endeavours are often of this nature, as are countercultural movements (in the sense that the resistance is to the best interests of a society as-it-is, and is not rewarded by those with authority within the existing structure.
As for the reference to "positive discrimination", it's a bit like "reverse racism".... it's still just discrimination and racism. "Still just", except for the hypocrisy such positions require. At what point do you consider inflicting loss or damage upon someone for their characteristics as "enough", if you support it in the first place? At what point does it not just become a new hierarchy that is simply an inversion of a former hierarchy? When do people achieving power by excluding others determine that balance has been achieved? Or is it the case that once aggrieved means forever entitled? Maybe that kid who pulled your hair and called you names in kindergarten should forever after be subjugated to you? The solution to imbalance is not imbalance, it's acknowledging the past and working to achieve balance, fairness, and upholding the highest values. Viktor Frankl speaks to the tragedy of falling short of this in Man's Search For Meaning.
hmu if you need help learning german
The MSM is entirety controlled by US intelligence agencies and is pro big government socialism.
I'm going to summarize this video according to my understanding. Please let me know if i understood it wrong in anyway:
she states that she would like to see ongoing collective societal trauma be represented by artists in their art rather than artists being rewarded just for their own trauma representation, self praise success flexes, and meritocracy.
how its best to move away from the “only sad traumatized people make good art” to “any real artist knows how to convey personal or collective emotions/thoughts/situations through art”
She'd like to see such collective catharsis in art and the way our society + system will reward that (if it even does reward that is)
....
If i am correct with this understanding of the video, then i do have an example of exactly such artists in mind, who are also immensely awarded by their society too. But they aren't western. They're both Asians.
J'ai noté un faux raccord avec le pendu sur le tableau, à 7:15 sa tête disparait.
C'est avec grand regret que je dois m'abonner à la chaine pour pouvoir me désabonner devant ce manque de sérieux.
Thank you for the video and speaking out about Ukraine 💙💛
i believe the aesthetic of trauma is visceral at its root, a schadenfreude we enjoy at a comfortable distance
so we are all damned
This ideology is killing creativity.
yess taylor swift queen of catharsis!!
thank you from Ukraine 💙💛💞
The only triggering thing in that video (I am someone struggling with PTSD, C-PTSD now to be exact) was seeing the Harry Potter cover. Please Alice, be mindful about that, and I am not just saying that because I'm trans, those novels should be avoided as much as possible so you don't keep making a hateful person relevant. Thank you.
EDIT: For a video about aesthetics and trauma, it didn't really talk about either btw. It is still good content and informative though.
So what? I like Harry Potter and JK. You offend when you try to remove it. Leave people alone.
thank you so much for mentioning Ukraine!!! hugs
Ballec
The world would be a better place if we could enjoy art inspired by trauma without romanticising the trauma.
Sorry I just thought of something else. Isn't trauma subjective? Meaning that one person's trauma isn't the same as another person's trauma although they experienced the same event? And one event that traumatized one person may not have traumatized another person? So how can we say that a break up song is "trauma aesthetic" when it might not even be traumatic for the artist? You don't decide whether or not someone is traumatized from something.. especially something like a break up or divorce.
7:17 Because it was a good idea!
I like how you used Kanye & Kim as a thumbnail but didn't really talk about them / didn't use the trauma as your aesthetic - flawless
If i was a public figure who liked to make art for public consumption and I went through something traumatic, and i wanted to make art about it, and my art is for public consumption, then I guess you would end up romanticizing trauma, but I don't think it's something that's inherently wrong. People have made art and music and popular music about trauma for a while, small and big artists make music about their personal lives and people listen to it and relate to it. Sometimes aesthetics are used as an ideal, but sometimes they are something relatable, right? Why is it that people don't just relate to feelings of pain and divorce and sadness? I don't it feels weird to make it like it's bad to make music about trauma because it might be popular? I'm not out here wanting a divorce or waiting for one to happen so I can cry to a song, i cry to the song because they are portraying some intense emotion.
Very good video, I learned a great deal! Subscribed.
About the "Protestant Ethic", I can say that Max Weber only captured a side of it but not the entirety. A Protestant's gratest desire is God Himself, and that does not guarantee worldy success and gains. Sure, God may provide "signs" of favor through the material blessings one has, but even in the lack of it, a Protestant will have assurance that he/she is saved from God's judgment because they hold on to what Jesus Christ has done on the cross - to redeem them from the consequence of their sins (which is eternal damnation). Thus, this assurance gives them freedom from striving so hard to "earn" salvation. I mean, the true Protestant does not look at their hard work or their blessings as signs of their salvation. If they do, they are being led by a false Gospel. Anyway, it is an interesting thing to know how the "ethic" has been viewed as a contributing factor to modern capitalism.
I really had this artist in my country that talking about sensitive topics on his lyrics, since old day, music are probably become some Cathar media that people are find comfort to
Be careful when you think about social Darwinism, abIeism and how we work under vvhite suprennacy
between the taylor swift and abi thorn references i can already tell you have incredible taste
8:38 I don't speak german.... But i can if you like AWGHHH!!!!!!!
i disagree with people liking psychological pain. the beauty of art is expressing your pain. they do say the best works come from pain. there's a new movement of musicians (marina diamandis for example) who say you don't have to make great work in pain. you can make it while you're content. you can choose when you want to create art depending on your mood. back to my point, art is an extension of our emotions. negative emotions flow easier when we create and i believe that's why there's a lot of art centered around negative emotions. it's how we are as humans. it's how we are socialized. it's not inherently bad. i can see why it exists ya know what i mean. it's okay to base your art on pain
I am from Ukraine. Thank you very much for the words you said at the end of the video. It means a world
We should also consider the myth of the tortured artist when talking about the "aesthetic of trauma", the idea that only sad people can produce good art. I hate that myth and find it really dangerous. It may prevent people to take care of their mental illnesses for fear that they would lose their artistic talents. For instance, Hayley Williams has struggled with depression and she has stated that, initially, she was reluctant to get treated for fear of losing acess to her sadness, the thing that had inspired her songwriting for all her life.
Thank you for sharing. I never considered this.
you could also continue the theme of using kanye as an example, considering how many of his current problems have been caused by him not taking his meds
did u watch olisunvias video lol?
@@marnenotmarnie259 “Taking your meds” is just innuendo for shutting up and fitting in an insane world. Only narcissists and sociopaths care about someone else ‘taking their meds’ as they cannot see the damage they are causing that person by saying that. They are trying to gaslight that person into conforming Into their reality, refusing to admit there are multiple realities and ways to see the world. Why should we all act healthy when the world is unhealthy? How are we to fix this unhealthy world if we are just supposed to shut up and say ‘appropriate’ things? Change is uncomfortable.
When I was depressed I didn't have any energy to practice my art and any attempt to put the pen on the paper resulted in a messy projection of how I don't like life anymore. I don't know why people romanticise and glamorise it so much. Mental illness is debilitating not inspiring
it pains me, but I must unsubscribe because I have built an inappropriate metaphysical relationship with you. Sorry 😞
@billie
🖤
Wait... Tu es française ?
ily this, this channel is such a vibe
Excellently presented video, very creative, loved it. Also, thank you for teaching me this new word (meritocracy) which I already had an understanding of but didn't have a word for it. I went through my own troubles 3 years ago and I lost interest in what I had been doing up to that point, so finding a new purpose was difficult, it was like my suffering opened more doors of opportunity to desperately explore. I only find it slightly paradoxical that I'm now studying psychology. My real strengths in childhood were in art, design and mathematics. English and writing was never something I was particularly good at. I find the social sciences a fascinating area of study that often gets overlooked because society rewards many other jobs with a lot more money, whereas for me the reward expands far more than just that.
The bell representing the start of class is very nice touch.
i really like her videos, i always spand the rest of my day thinking about the theme
Really great discussion! I think I was especially interested in the meritocracy angle, which I think tends to be missed when we talk about the monetizing of trauma and parasocial relationships.
boy, am I glad I haven't been raised in the west after watching this video!... I experience the internalized capitalist propaganda though thousands of daily superficial thoughts, but being able to draw from the culture deeper ingrained in my understanding of the world is saves me, every day, from becoming a victim to the system.
I used to love it when the teacher would have us play hangman as a class (a very dark concept in hindsight). Nice touch, Alice!
Let’s talk about Palestine and the hypocrisy of the west. White live is not « more civiliséd » or more « important » then other lives. Let’s stand in solidarity with all people that fight against oppression.
Your videos always motivate me to keep on studying, reading and writing my essays! (even when I actually want to throw my laptop out of the window)
Also great job on pronouncing the title of Max Weber's book, sounds a bit aggressive though but I guess that's how German is :D
☝🏽THIS☝🏽
what a class...
I always leave with a new mindset
Happy womans day. You are literally my favourite RUclips. I love your nuanced opinions and perspective on thjngs
incredible video! thank you!
Listening to Alice is nice. Especially on something yo don't ever think about.
Normalise the calling out of trauma porn in the media and to stop enabling it. It’s very triggering and shouldn’t be gratuitous.
Awesome video, I will share it with my friends, thank you, Alice!
Thank you for always bringing insightful content and for offering resources to help! I hope you have an amazing day today.
Agreed