WS 211 Discussion 7 initial post and reply to peer

1. Watch this Volkswagen car commercial. Take note of how the figure of the terrorist is represented. Note how violence unfolds in remarkable and unremarkable ways.

2. Check out the work (below) of Afghan-American artist Aman Mojadidi and his pieces Conflict Chic 1: Soldiers and Conflict Chic 2: Suicide Bombers (2011). Note how masculinity is being represented in the two works. [Aside: see the work of Nawad Elias.] 

Take a few moments and think about how Mojadidi is addressing notions of style, fashion, humanization, terror, queerness, and perversion. How is Mojadidi playing with expectations about Afghanistan and Afghan men? If you’re interested, see this short piece about Mojadidi.

Conflict Chic 1: Soldiers (2011) (“soldier issue bullet-proof vest, Afghan fox fur”)

Conflict Chic 2: Suicide Bombers (2011) (“traditional Afghan chapan cotton, designer suicide vests with 10 internal pockets for explosives”)

In your discussion post:

Compare and contrast the suicide bomber car commercial and the two works from Conflict Chic by Aman Mojadidi. Consider how they represent the figure of the terrorist (or do they?). What do these pieces say about masculinity? About popular culture, war, and violence?

What things or elements stand out for you with these images or clips? What seems strange?

Do these images undermine, enable, or reinforce the ways in which we (or you) think about terror, masculinity, and war?

Or, how to you think about terrorism and terror today after 20+ years of a ‘global war on terror’?