performance | lullaby pit

Sochi opening ceremony: when Goebbels and Reifenstahl met Cirque du Soleil

Posted on 2014.02.08 by winterSmith 3 comments

Alexander Putin may not be preparing to invade Europe, but he understands the value of spectacle in establishing a nation’s place in the world. The Winter Olympics opening ceremonies in Sochi may have been the grandest show in history. It may also have been the grandest propaganda spectacle in history. It’s easy to get caught up in an artistic endeavor

Democracy & Elitism 2: performance elitism vs privilege elitism, and why the difference matters

Posted on 2009.12.02 by winterSmith 84 comments

Part two in a series. “Elite” hasn’t always been an epithet. In fact, if we consider what the dictionary has to say about it, it still signifies something potentially worthy. Potentially. For instance: e·lit·ism or é·lit·ism (-ltzm, -l-) n. 1. The belief that certain persons or members of certain classes or groups deserve favored treatment by virtue of their perceived