THE POWER OF THE BODY
TEXT 1:
Owner of a distinctive, harsh voice (even if considering the conspicuous Armstrong mannerisms), Elza Soares is one of the most swinging samba singers. Having appeared in 1959 with the samba "Se Acaso Você Chegasse," Soares always had her artistic career complicated by her personal life, which certainly impeded her of enjoying a more widespread popularity. Having gotten married at 12 and having lost three children who died of hunger, she later became the wife of Garrincha, one of the most genial soccer players ever, and also a chronic alcoholic. The peak of her career was in the '60s, with albums like O Máximo em Samba (1967). In that decade she had several hits like "Boato," "Edmundo" (a version of "In the Mood"), "Beija-me," "Devagar Com a Louça," "Mulata Assanhada," "O Mundo Encantado de Monteiro Lobato," "Bahia de Todos os Deuses," "Palmas no Portão," and "Palhaçada." In the '70s, she still had success with "Salve a Mocidade" (1974), and "Malandro" (1977, this song launched Jorge Aragão as a composer). But it wasn't enough to prevent her from facing huge economical adversities and, at the same time, she was being systematically turned away by recording companies. Trying unsuccessfully to develop a career abroad, she returned to Brazil in 1994, poor and depressed. Finally, she was rediscovered in the '80s by the younger generations of Brazilian rockers (Os Titãs, Lobão) and MPB artists like Caetano Veloso, having been awarded with a Sharp Prize award as the Best Samba Singer of 1997. Her life was depicted in the musical Crioula, which had several songs written specially for her by Chico Buarque, Chico César, Nei Lopes, and others. In 2000, she was appointed Singer of the Millennium by London's BBC. Despite all the critical events of her life, Soares continues to challenge her destiny, performing shows in every venue available.
TEXT 2:There was once a day when black slave women that were put up on the auction block would have their blouses ripped open by their owners for prospective buyers to see the suppleness of their breasts. How interesting that now, although the auction block looks a bit different, women are ripping their own blouses open and selling themselves down the river. The raping and using of black women solely for sexual purposes during slavery ultimately led to the sexualization of black women in all forms of media. But as the pattern of history shows us, the representation of black people in media has a direct correlation with how we are viewed by society.
TEXT 3:
A Carne
(Elza Soares)
Composição: Seu Jorge, Marcelo Yuca e Wilson Capellette
A carne mais barata do mercado
é a carne negra (5x)
Que vai de graça pro presídio
E para debaixo de plástico
Que vai de graça pro subemprego
E pros hospitais psiquiátricos
A carne mais barata do mercado
é a carne negra (5x)
Que fez e faz história
Segurando esse país no braço
O cabra aqui não se sente revoltado
Porque o revólver já está engatilhado
E o vingador é lento
Mas muito bem intencionado
E esse país
Vai deixando todo mundo preto
E o cabelo esticado
Mas mesmo assim
Ainda guardo o direito
De algum antepassado da cor
Brigar sutilmente por respeito
Brigar bravamente por respeito
Brigar por justiça e por respeito
De algum antepassado da cor
Brigar, brigar, brigar
A carne mais barata do mercado
After reading the three texts and watching the video above, try to relate their content with the purpose of discussing how the body is important to represent us socially, that is, politically.
(Focus on the image of Elza Soares)
Unhappily, the society in the which we are inserted always makes a previous judgement of the people based in his/her physical appearance. I don't know if that would be a form of animal behavior, where it would be necessary to form conclusions regarding somebody for his/her physical form, independent of that the worst is that many concepts formed starting from a physical vision of somebody are pejorative and prejudice concepts, and that does with that it happens social segregation, where for reason with feel explication the people are separate in tribes inside of a society and the social diference of those social tribes it doesn't happen because several factors limitants that impede that relationship exist, therefore we owed before everything, we have in mind that we belonged in all of the songs of the world the only one species and that should collaborate us for terms success as biological species exalting in all moment the respect, once we lived in a society that feels fair and humanitarian.
ResponderExcluirOne of the greatest oportunities of human being is to coexist. Living together we learn. No body can develop alone.
ResponderExcluirFor many people today to have is more important than to be. That is the reason of the body cult, instead of cultivating values and knowledge,they spend most part of their time worried about beauty.
In my opinion that is one consequence of the moral decadence of the actual culture.
I´m not able to say about black people in society because I´m afraid to be unfair. I know that peolpe (black or white) that feel indiscriminate must try to change this position by then selves. I mean, changing firts their point of view about world, himself, his deficiences... being at firts free thinkers.
Certainly it is not easy and it was not theached at all.
Many ONG´s are working to grarantee social rights all over the world. Many things have changed for the betterment of society but peolpe still thing that figthing is the best way to achive their objetives.
I know that the true work of self betterment starts our inner world.
Este comentário foi removido pelo autor.
ResponderExcluirAccording Mary Douglas (1970) the body is a “text” upon which social meanings are inscribed. Our bodies transmit an array of complex information about ourselves, with or without our intention, and we and other members of our culture tend to be expert at reading those culturally specific meanings. The importance of our body is not just physically, we hold it the pressure of discrimination because of our color, gender, aesthetics and sexuality. For example, the syphilitic nose that marked the body as corrupt and dangerous and the racial nose of the “Jew,” the “Irish,” the “Oriental,” and the “Black,” which signal difference from the master race and suffered and suffer prejudice. Unfortunately, the physical form of our body is crucial to be accepted or not by the society.
ResponderExcluirSeriously teacher I've wrote a giant text which suddenly disappeard!!This is the 2nd time I do this, I am idiot!!!Just expressing my frustration...
ResponderExcluirOk,so...
Every human being are the same, has 2 arms, 2 legs, 10 hand and feet fingers, the same number of bones and so on...So why the hell prejudice existes??
These features that makes us different and interesting are reason to harm and discriminate people when they should be exalted for making us so unique!
The body is the first impression to everybody, the way you look it's important once that what you wear and how look lead people to picture you without actually knowing you. So you might be pictured as a hore or a saint even if you are none of them.
Along history white people always were "above" the other races, causing harm and pain and judging them as less valuable than themselves. Still there is some of this thought rooted around 'cause black people still suffer for the same reason and they aren't alone. With them indians, asian's, mexican's, cuban's, muslims and several other groups of people suffer because of what they represent to the world.
This is wrong, people matter and what we see is only the tip of the iceberg. If the respect existed in first place a lot of pain could be avoided, as long as it doesn't happen prejudice will exit!
Ariadne Gomes Carvalho
Hello people.
ResponderExcluirAfter read the comment, I have read Joao's comment and I agree with him about the body cult, when we spent most part of live worried about beauty.
For me, it is important to grow up learning values, and developing with others.
Thinkig together with Ariadne, people should be praised for their achievement instead of their color or social class. We should not have prejudice, but know people by their moral values.
Kisses.
Gabriela (bafão)
Hello to all!
ResponderExcluirI'm not very excited to write this time in the blog. I wouldn't like to write but I should write. It is not because of the theme but because I'm not inspired to write and I would like to discuss more to have some good ideas to explore. But I should write... and I have to write today! This is my last opportunity. So, let's go!
Well, body! Body has a lot of mean in the society. Body is the first thing that people see when look to us. So we have some ideas when we see some person body. For example, if person ins black, we will imagine something about the person, like prejudice related to slavery or poorness.
Sometimes, ours actions are related to this judgment, and we persist in "judging the boob by its cover"
It is all that I get. Sorry!
Hugs to all!
I don’t give thinking or talking about the importance of the body nowadays without reflect about a body’s history.
ResponderExcluirIn humanistic societies like ancient Greek, body was valorized. In this context, physical and athletic development was than important that intellectual qualities like write (rhetoric) and speak well. So, a person considered beautiful, was who has got join both qualities. While Middle Ages, whit Christianity ascension body was scorned and depreciated. For medieval man, body was like abominated soul place. Then, sexual and nourishing restrictions were way to heaven.
Nowadays, there is a body’s cult. But, different of ancient Greek the beauty of body is restrict to physical aspects. People became our bodies, and do everything to give the ideal body. Thus, feed disorder, diseases and plastic surgery became common way to give it. And those don’t have a body considered perfect (fat, tall, small people, etc.) suffer a social segregation.
On the other hand, when I talk about this subject, I think about moments in the human history in which some body aspects (color, gender, etc.) were more important that human condition. For example, slavery, Holocaust, and launch atom bomb in Japan. Why U.S.A didn’t use atom bomb to destroy Nazism? Because Europeans are white person (?).
Well, i did not watch that class about Elza Soares, but i trust the whole contest was about her color, her ascension, her music, her life, blablabla... I've been reading somethings about that woman and i could take notices about her life. She was been maried with Garrincha, people! xD Anyway... I think the whole discution it was about her ascension, specially the part of she is 'black'. Well, as Ariadne said "Every human being are the same, has 2 arms, 2 legs, 10 hand and feet fingers, the same number of bones and so on..." There's no reason to be discirminate! Seriously, i think the person who discrimine someone is a stupid human being. Nowadays, most part of world is a mix os every races... Sooo, everybody has a little of "black people"... Come in (i never know how to write this on the right way.. ><), discrimination is the greatest stupid way of treat other people!!!! EVERYBODY IS BLACK... Even ME, with my translucent skin and my curled hair... Hahaha... Well, it is what i think!!
ResponderExcluirSo, i can wi]rite more... I am traveling right now, so i NEED to enjoy it, baceusa next week i will be back to my hell!!! ^^
Kisses!!!
Fabíola.
Correction: "So, i can not write more... I am traveling right now, so i NEED to enjoy it, because next week i will be back to my hell!!! ^^
ResponderExcluirKisses!!!
Fabíola.
PS.: I am in a stupid lanhouse now with a *stupid* computer, so... I am sorry about the mistakes!!! This place sucks!! =x
our body represents who we are. everybody worries about causing a good first impression, because if you do you can be accepted in society.
ResponderExcluirin contrast, society has its standards which contain a lot of prejudices, for example, it says that if you look to a black woman wearing a small skirt she is a prostitute.
politically, most of people with some power are rich, white and well educated, that's why when Barack Obama was elected it became a historical mark. certainly he is well educated but he is a black man who is now in command of one of the most powerful countries of the world.
in other words, people's minds are changing because they are finally starting to consider not only the body but also deeds.
larissa
I guess the physical human variety generated a lot of prejudices but also built a powerful tool to fight against the same prejudices. Firstly almost all resistance movements which are based in race, color’ skin or another stereotype have been using the power of their own bodies to express culture and ask respect. Beyond it there are uncountable body styles which have been rescuing minorities. The body’s power today are used to empower identities and become people more conscious about their own origins; thus people are stronger to resist and fight for more space and respect on the society.
ResponderExcluirWhen someone looks to another the first thing it sees is the body. Does not matter the part, but all body is looked and some characteristics are taking, often the most obviousness. The problem begins here, because basing in this characteristic some others are supposed to be true, when they are not. This is prejudice and this is the problem. Look to people with prejudice are a worst form to see the world and it can damage cause with a bad person wants to pass like a good person it is easy. Almost all people thinks that a well dress person have a correct behavior. Then a bad person that is well dress can be looked like a good person. There is here the power of body! It can be used for a good or bad reason. But the true is: the body is just the shell. Nothing more than this. The body can speak many things, but not all and many of these things could be not true. Actually they will be true only with the shell opens and reveal the true person inside.
ResponderExcluirEverbody say - the capitalism is a cruel sistem! But if we see its discurse, maybe we can guess that it is a good idea for us. “The capitalism say” - if you work more than another person you need be rewarded! - Then the people that work hardly need win more money! - Then this idea is very good for everybody. Right?
ResponderExcluirThis simple idea can trick unwary! Because this argument can seem logical if you forget the others things relevants of this sistem. The capitalism favors a small part of the population, that is the controllers of the means of production, political machine, tecnology, media, and others strategical means of maintaining power. Then the misery tends to increase in this sistem and the competition too. With this, the life of the people tends deteriorate because of social problems and the fight to survive, the case of the poor people, or to the power, the case of the rich people, increase the lost of human value.
Thereby do not fool yourself or another people with illogical discurse of the capitalism is good for everybody.