Robert and Helen Lynd comment near the end of Chapter XIX of
Middletown that “leisure pursuits are frequently either extensions of customary
occupations to which they contribute or contrasts to the more habitual
pursuits.” Can we separate the subjects
we’ve studied so far into these two categories, or do the lines blur? How?
I think the lines blur between extensions and escapism when considering leisure pursuits in the later decades that we have dicussed. It was easy to classify certain leisure activities like Coney Island as a type of escapism. A major topic that we have been discussing in class is music and dance throughout the 70s and 80s. I would consider music and dance a leisure pursuit because it was something that people would partake in as an activity or past time (i.e. going to concerts or clubs). We saw in the article by Judy Kutulus that music started to be a platform for sexual liberation and revolutions for the younger generation. This is an extension of everyday life because of how much people identified with the messages the music expressed and the music even described what was going on popular culture. When looking at dance like breakdancing or "voguing" it was a type of activity that created a sense of community so this, too, is considered an extension of everyday life as well.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jordan when she says that the lines blur between extensions of everyday life and escapism. As she said, we have been discussing music and dance in the 70s and 80s quite extensively. I see these practices as both extensions of everyday life AND escapism. Music started to become a platform for sexual liberation in the younger generations of this time period. In a way, this is an escape of everyday life, because the "everyday" sexual practices were quite conservative. However, it was an extension of life for the younger generations who wanted to make the liberation the norm. I see this with voguing as well. For those doing it, it was an extension of their everyday life, but for those on the outside it was most certainly out of the norm.
ReplyDeleteThere is definitely an overlap when considering activities to be either extensions of everyday life or escapism, even in these later decades that we discussed. We focused on the music and dance of the later decades. For example, take disco. Disco clubs were considered to be a place where people can go and be comfortable expressing themselves regardless of their sexual identity. There was a lot more freedom. This could be considered extension of an everyday life because the people are just using that space to express who they are everyday in a more elaborate way. However disco clubs and dancing could also be considered escapism in that same context. People who may be afraid of admitting and expressing who they are to the outside world, come to these clubs to escape the harsh reality and to embrace an environment that is more accepting. The line between these two concepts are definitely vague and ambiguous.
ReplyDeleteLooking at all of the examples we provided, I think we are all agreeing that there is an overlap between extension of everyday life and escapism. It is hard to provide an example of something that is happening with these decades that can strictly be classified as one or the other. Leisure activities are undertaken for many reasons and those reasons vary between different people. Therefore the same leisure activity can be placed into either one of these categories depending on the perspective.
ReplyDeleteI still agree that dance and music are extensions of everyday life. Hanna brings up a good point about music being escapism when it became a platform for sexual liberation do to how controversial it was considered. Possibly, when it was starting to be accepted more is when we can consider that type of sexualized music to be extension of everyday life -- especially when looking at the younger generation. Music and dance was easy to agree upon but it is interesting to look at movies and television. The first time we answered these question movies were escapism but it would be interesting to see who things that changed and stayed the same. I think even though movies and television are a much more common activity done it is still a form of escapism.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Moulika when she says that there is an overlap between the extension of everyday life and escapism, and it is very difficult to find examples of a strict extension or a strict escape. I think this is due to the increasing freedom of American citizenship in the later decades of the 20th century. Music is becoming more sexualized, homosexuality is emerging onto the public sphere instead of being kept hidden, and dancing becomes a way to express one's self. I think that because of this, people are both escaping from everyday life (the conservative, typical way of life) and extending their everyday life by expressing how they want to live it. Again, the line is even more blurry than every before.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Moulika when she discusses the overlap between the extension of everyday life and escapism. There are so many examples that could be looked at as both an extension and a way to escape your public every day life. I definitely think that dances such as disco in the 70's is a perfect example of this, just as the others touched upon. I also think that the post modern music that was happening can be an example of this as well. Sexualized music was becoming less taboo, and was starting to extend into the public sphere to express how they feel in everyday life, but some people were also using the post modern music videos, such as the chaotic "Video Killed The Radio Star" one to take their mind off every day pressures and be entertained by the wild actions that were occurring in the video.
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