From: "Alan Cook" <alangregorycook-AT-msn.com>
To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2008 23:59:28 GMT
Subject: [Puptcrit] inescapable politics


Removing coca-cola machines & junk food from schools is an educational, nutritional political act. Anything to cut the cost of healthcare is a political act---it can be done by healthier diets or by ignoring and not caring for ill ciizens.. Keeping people healthy is a political act. Breathing is a political act. And recently a lot of religiosity at the polls in California has been more political than religious, trying to demonize a minority under the veil of being the only true religion (Mormon/Catholic/Evangelical Taliban). It would be nice if these would-be moral superiors concentrated on their OWN shortcomings and argued amongst themselves about which one of the three had exclusive connection to their Deity (I have yet to meet a Catholic who thinks Joseph Smith actually translated Golden Tablets in New York State to produce the Book of Mormon---I have yet to meet Evangelicals who think the Pope has the last word.) These three groups have been known to lie and cover up embarrasing facts about their own histories. They have also been very critical of EACH OTHER. Being far from perfect themselves, they are in no position to cast stones. And if they get some rocks returned, they should not be surprised.

In California, the backlash against the passing of Prop 8 (which affects puppeteers I know) has just begun. Winning the vote for women, endured many setbacks from "the people who had spoken" and turned out to have spoken wrongly. It was ALWAYS wrong. Same thing for the right of Black citizens to vote---all kinds of political ploys were tried to maintain unfairness. When I went to my first national Puppetry Festival in Oklahoma, public drinking fountains were still marked "white" and "colored"in that state. And they were NOT equal, either ...the ones for "colored" were older, and visibly not as good. That was 1948 (60 years ago!). I wish PROGRESS did not take so long. 

Many of us welcome a new President as a step in the new, improved direction.

ALAN COOK


-----Original Message-----
From: Steven Barr
Sent: Friday, November 14, 2008 3:09 PM
To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] politics

 When is an artistic activity Art? All Art is not even Art, let alone
Political. Much Art is Religious too.
Some artistic activities are blatantly political (B & P), some are
religious. I used to think B and P was a religious experience because there
was a clear catharsis or transcendence at the end. I tend to group this
Religious aspect with the Art aspect, but not to the Political part. It
depends what the objective is.
We look with distain upon the Bush admin. because they had a POV and went on
to implement that.
They plowed ahead in spite of opposition. Bread and puppet may be doing the
same thing. Plowing on ahead in spite of .....
But I also think B and P to be a type of Propaganda, one that is not always
welcome, nor objective.
They usually preach to the choir (I'm in that choir). I wish they would
learn from this ordeal, because it appears that they want to enlarge their
scope if they venture into the schools.
     I like to think that Art transcends Politics and Religion, yet can be
both political and religious.
I also think i better get to work.
cheers,
Steven Barr




On Tue, Nov 11, 2008 at 7:16 PM, Alan Cook <alangregorycook-AT-msn.com> wrote:

> An essential for "good politics" is fair play & honesty, and an explanation
> of what "bad politics" does to its victims.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Hobey Ford
> Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 3:07 PM
> To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
> Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] politics
>
> There are ways of speaking things political without being perceived as
> such.  Ways of speaking the truth in a way that no one can take
> offense.  These are sometimes the most powerful ways, entering the
> city like a trojen horse. They never knew what hit them.  You get nice
> letters.
>
> On Tue, Nov 11, 2008 at 5:00 PM,  <ginagambony-AT-bellsouth.net> wrote:
> >
> >
> > I'm sure this argument has been advanced before, but it bears
> > repetition in the context of this thread.
> >
> > All Art is political.____________________________________________
> > I totally agree with that, and in fact find it hard to grasp what
> unbiased literature looks like as opposed to editorializing or persuasive
> writing.  Even story is persuasive and seeks to express a world view; story,
> like all art, also unconsciously expresses fundamental assumptions and
> values and alignment (or lack of) with the surrounding environment.  We
> usually don't recognize this easily unless it is the product of a different
> culture or a different time period, we are seeped in our own time and
> culture-kind of like we don't hear the music of the stars because we have
> always heard the music of the stars.
> > As a non-tv watcher (so it is out of my culture, out of my time), when I
> see one I am overwhelmed with shock and laughter.
> > One thing I am surprised hasn't been mentioned regarding B&P is the type
> of political bias that IS acceptable for youth of all ages in any kind of
> art and every setting.   A narrow definition of patriotism is
> acceptable/encouraged in our school system and a pro-war show would not be
> questioned out loud by the most liberal viewers.
> > I think having coca-cola machines in a school building is a political
> act.
> >  Gina
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > - moynihan
> > http://blogs.bayviewnow.com/how__why/
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
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-- 
FAUST PuppenFilm by Steven Ritz-Barr
"This is a fascinating piece which uses the visual-music aspect of puppetry
to make images as puppet theatre can at it's best."
-Dr. Kathie Folie, Univ. of Cal, Santa Cruz Theatre Chair and Professor

Classics in Miniature, LLC
Metropolitan Puppet Authority, Non-profit
www.lapuppet.com
www.classicsinminiature.com
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