Cultural Studies

"Culture is an instrument wielded by professors to manufacture professors." — Simone Weil

So Long, Marianne: From the Bare Breast to the Burkini
Robert Zaretsky examines Marianne, the symbol of French Republic, and the debate over the burkini.
Robert ZaretskyOct 20, 2016
Bobos in Paris: The Rise and Fall of a Multicultural Fantasy
Michael C. Behrent interprets the bobo dream of multicultural France in “Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud” by Géraldine Smith.
Michael C. BehrentOct 20, 2016
- Cultural Studies
Being Black and Breathing: On “Blackpentecostal Breath”
Jean-Thomas Tremblay on Ashon T. Crawley's "Blackpentecostal Breath."
Jean-Thomas TremblayOct 19, 2016
Vulgar and Unsightly: Adrian Nathan West’s J’accuse Against Extremely Degrading Pornography
Houman Barekat delves into “The Aesthetics of Degradation” by Adrian Nathan West.
Houman BarekatOct 17, 2016
From “Hell’s Hundred Acres” to “Bloomingdale Types”: The Story of SoHo
Stephen Petrus appraises “The Lofts of SoHo” by Aaron Shkuda.
Stephen PetrusOct 12, 2016
This Memetic Moment: Ridiculously Photogenic Guy and the Perils of Internet Fame
Ryan Milner on the ethics of the internet meme, with particular attention to Ridiculously Photogenic Guy.
Ryan M. MilnerOct 10, 2016
- Cultural Studies
- Science & Technology
Dark Fruit: A Cultural and Personal History of the Plum
Anca L. Szilágyi finds more in the history of the plum than meets the tongue.
Anca L. SzilágyiOct 6, 2016
Oliver and Sarah: The Story of the Winchesters
A history of the Winchester family and fortune.
Colin DickeySep 28, 2016
- Cultural Studies
- History
Gentrification
A satirical piece by Yxta Maya Murray about the Boyle Heights artwashing controversy.
Yxta Maya MurraySep 19, 2016
- Cultural Studies
- Politics
A God Who Let Us Prove His Existence Would Be An Idol: Archie Rand, “The 613,” and the Slippery, Vexing, Kafkaesque Problem Of the Jewish Visual Imagination
Are murals kosher in Brooklyn? Robert Anthony Siegel talks to Archie Rand to find out.
Robert Anthony SiegelSep 19, 2016
Žižek’s Trans/gender Trouble
Che Gossett responds to Slavoj Žižek’s essay “The Sexual Is Political,” published in "The Philosophical Salon."
Che GossettSep 13, 2016
How Japan Invented Los Angeles — and Reinvented American Style
Colin Marshall takes the measure of “Ametora: How Japan Saved American Style” by W. David Marx.
Colin MarshallSep 12, 2016