How Relevant Is Context?

[redbrunja]

This is probably not a surprise to most of my flist, but I'm a big believer in the Death of the Author, that a text should be taken on its own, without the creator stepping in to explain or justify his/her creative choices. (That said, I deliberately try not to know details about authors/actors/etc, because if I learn things I don't like it will forever taint the text for me).

Last night, I was listening to Not Ready To Make Nice:

(please give this song a listen, especially if you are not familiar with the Dixie Chicks or the specific background of this song).

What I was wondering was, does this song make any sense without the context of the Iraq War? If you don't know that the Dixie Chicks spoke out against Bush and had a lot of hate-mail because of it, what do you think this song is about? Even if you do know, does the song's overt political bias make it easier/harder to relate to?

Inquiring minds want to know. Speaking personally, while I greatly enjoy this song, I think it's cementation in one particular time period of American history is actually a weakness. I think Unsteady Ground:

has a much more nuanced touch with the politics of the Iraq War and For What It's Worth is a much more universal protest song.

Although, granted, neither one of those has the anger or righteousness of Not Ready To Make Nice, which I certainly don't want to devalue.

Comments

[fonsetorigo.livejournal.com]

I have always felt that context is extremely important, works should stand on their own, but without it a work usually becomes meaningless. My ex and I were discussing a art exhibition that we went too, and I said that I don't really go for modern art, its nice some of it, but I prefer older works, pretty much everything after the Impressionists just didn't do it for me. He said that the older works didn't have any meaning, that they were just pretty status symbols. I proceeded to drag him by the ear to the old art gallery and prove him wrong. Anyone with no knowledge of era of such things cannot see it, they see some beautiful paintings that don't say anything, because they don't know the context of the painting, and the symbols used in it.

Like take the works of Machiavelli, a 'Machiavelli' is now used to describe a power-hungry ruthless tyrant, based of a single one of his works. Machiavelli was a writer of politics I can't remember how long ago, he wrote a book that was how he became used as this title saying things like "end always justifies means, even if you have to starve and kill hundreds of your people". Etc, etc. He is remembered as one of the cruelest thinkers in memory.

What everyone forgets? The work was entirely sarcastic. Every other one of his books talks about helping and saving people, how rulers should be compassionate. But everyone forgot that and the context in which he was writing, now only remembering this one book.

Context is very important x_x

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

I'd know that Machiavelli himself was a good guy, but I had no idea that The Prince was satire. (And I just learned via cracked.com that Machiavelli was such a proponent of free republics that he had his arms broken by the Medicis.)

[fonsetorigo.livejournal.com]

Yeah, my teacher mentioned it in passing whenever ago, and the same cracked article reminded me of it. It seriously sucks man, if the guy was alive, I'm pretty sure he'd shoot himself for everyone getting it wrong all these years.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

t seriously sucks man, if the guy was alive, I'm pretty sure he'd shoot himself for everyone getting it wrong all these years.

I'd like to think he'd get a job with the Daily Show and issue epic smack downs instead.

[fonsetorigo.livejournal.com]

BAHAHA. Probably XD Man sometimes I wish Voltaire interviewed celebrities. Or Julius Caesar had a talk show with politicians. Pffffft I would laugh so hard.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

I totally want Julius Ceasar hosting talk show. That would rock.

[fonsetorigo.livejournal.com]

Yeah a legit reason to use my Caesar icon! He totally bug them an hurry up and invade Gaul or sommat.

"Caesar no one does that any--"
"LOSER, PFFT."