5/27/2009
Indie Culture
New work: "Indie Culture: In Pursuit of the Authentic Autonomous Alternative" Cinema Journal 48.3 (Spring 2009), 16-34 (pdf; I gave a portion of this paper at the 2007 SCMS in Chicago). Abstract: American independent cinema since the 1980s has in common with other forms of "indie" culture its construction as an authentic, autonomous alternative to mainstream media. "Indie" is contradictory insofar as it at once serves to oppose the dominant culture but also to produce cultural capital that distinguishes its consumers.
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3 comments:
Read it yesterday and found the argument completely convincing. I really like your introduction of the VW commercials and the Mac ads as examples of constructing indie distinction (the map you'd drawn made it easy to anticipate that you'd mention them Apple ads).
Your example of Happiness also made me think about a similar tactic that was used to distance Disney/Miramax from Michael Moore's F9/11. Although the latter was far more acrimonious, Moore was able to position himself as an outsider, which clearly fed his outsider credibility.
At any rate, a really thought-provoking piece that helped me think throigh some questions I'm mulling as I turn to a project on indie.
Thanks, Chuck. As I recall, the Apple ads were included on the suggestion of an anonymous CJ reader. They must have anticipated them too. Anyhow, thanks for reading and I hope to see your indie project one of these days.
thanks ...
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