Event Title
Ethical and epistemic identity norms: Exploring the “freakish” in Michael Jackson
Start Date
26-6-2010 9:00 AM
End Date
26-6-2010 10:30 AM
Description
This presentation is part of the Constructing Race and Sexuality track.
The ability of science to shape our ethical consciousness and dictate standards of normativity appears prevalent. Whether we hear of Asian Americans enduring surgeries to open up their eyes and “fix” their noses, or if we see yet another Hollywood star pull back their loose skin to give the illusion of youth, science is shaping our sense of normativity. While there are many true-life examples that we can explore, there is no one example which stands out quite as dramatically as pop star, Michael Jackson. But for many, Jackson’s decisions move beyond aesthetics to ethics.
It is upon Jackson’s death that the media made several not-so-subtle assertions which have caused a sense of outrage among fans and observers around the world. After his sudden death, the media displayed photos of Michael Jackson, seen in a montage that trekked his physical changes from a brown skinned little boy to a white skinned, straight haired “freak.” When the media kept flashing his face – emphasizing the many, many structural changes to his face – his humanity became refracted through the lens of the “freakish other.” The freakish appearance of Jackson was noted by the whitened skin, the failed plastic surgeries and the altered pink lips. The montage surreptitiously played in the background as reporters reminded news listeners, again and again, that Michael Jackson was accused of sexual child abuse. The multiple reminders served as a veiled challenge that Jackson was, indeed, a pedaphile and not an innocent man. Little attention was paid to the reports of blackmail which prompted the charges, nor was there any mention of the little boy who recently recanted his statement as part of his father’s ploy to extort money from Jackson.
It begs the question as to why a man, exonerated by the courts, continues to have his legacy tainted by such charges, even after his death. Does a feminist ethic force us to advocate on behalf of the children as our first priority? Does feminist philosophy engage on behalf of those who appear to be “freakish” or disfigured? Jackson appears to continue in condemnation through the media and even some former fans. Since both boys and girls were invited to Jackson’s Neverland, and allegations emerged only from little boys, it would appear that Jackson’s very sexuality was at the heart of the stubborn refusal of many to accept a verdict of innocent. Indeed, most people do not believe a straight man will ever be guilty of molesting little boys.
Allegations against Jackson were predicated, in part, upon assumptions that he operated outside of gendered and racialized normatives. In this way, Jackson functions as a troupe for both racialized and genderized alterity. Additionally, science plays a pivotal role in: 1) determining the normatives to which we ascribe; 2) causing alterations for women and men who seek to create a sense of self-normativity which may exist outside of conventional parameters. While this has ramifications for transgendered persons, my goal is to evaluate the ethical approach to the epistemological relevance of racial and gendered definitions. I would also like to analyze the means by which science either lessens or enhances these normative standards.
I will argue that Jackson was a post-race and post-gender (albeit tragic) figure which troubles both feminist and even womanist normatives. At the heart of this discussion are epistemological imperatives that are intertwined with our feminist sensibilities. Helpful to this task is a postmodern framing offered through Michel Foucault, who challenges standards of normativity and the power to create such normatives. Foucault’s work offers particular insights into the larger social structures which create our sense of race or ethnicity and gender. Within that understanding, however, are the methods of censorship which occur within oppressed groups. Equally important are the systems in place within communities and groups to reproduce this knowledge. James Scott, author of Hidden Transcripts, is particularly helpful in helping identifying the violated taboos of a man like Jackson which pushes him beyond the pale of redemption for so many. Finally, a feminist ethic interrogates the assumptions and practices which violate the well being and humanity of a community. By closely analyzing patriarchal assumptions about identity, a feminist ethic will move us beyond the montage of photos to consider the whole measure of a man or woman. Margaret Urban Walker in her article, “Moral Understandings: Alternative ‘Epistemology’ for a Feminist Ethics,” is important to this task. For Walker, feminist ethics both challenges male domination while also battling “moral perceptions” and “self images.” Here, I will explore the way feminist ethics can help us move toward a more productive discourse regarding racial and gender normatives.
Ethical and epistemic identity norms: Exploring the “freakish” in Michael Jackson
This presentation is part of the Constructing Race and Sexuality track.
The ability of science to shape our ethical consciousness and dictate standards of normativity appears prevalent. Whether we hear of Asian Americans enduring surgeries to open up their eyes and “fix” their noses, or if we see yet another Hollywood star pull back their loose skin to give the illusion of youth, science is shaping our sense of normativity. While there are many true-life examples that we can explore, there is no one example which stands out quite as dramatically as pop star, Michael Jackson. But for many, Jackson’s decisions move beyond aesthetics to ethics.
It is upon Jackson’s death that the media made several not-so-subtle assertions which have caused a sense of outrage among fans and observers around the world. After his sudden death, the media displayed photos of Michael Jackson, seen in a montage that trekked his physical changes from a brown skinned little boy to a white skinned, straight haired “freak.” When the media kept flashing his face – emphasizing the many, many structural changes to his face – his humanity became refracted through the lens of the “freakish other.” The freakish appearance of Jackson was noted by the whitened skin, the failed plastic surgeries and the altered pink lips. The montage surreptitiously played in the background as reporters reminded news listeners, again and again, that Michael Jackson was accused of sexual child abuse. The multiple reminders served as a veiled challenge that Jackson was, indeed, a pedaphile and not an innocent man. Little attention was paid to the reports of blackmail which prompted the charges, nor was there any mention of the little boy who recently recanted his statement as part of his father’s ploy to extort money from Jackson.
It begs the question as to why a man, exonerated by the courts, continues to have his legacy tainted by such charges, even after his death. Does a feminist ethic force us to advocate on behalf of the children as our first priority? Does feminist philosophy engage on behalf of those who appear to be “freakish” or disfigured? Jackson appears to continue in condemnation through the media and even some former fans. Since both boys and girls were invited to Jackson’s Neverland, and allegations emerged only from little boys, it would appear that Jackson’s very sexuality was at the heart of the stubborn refusal of many to accept a verdict of innocent. Indeed, most people do not believe a straight man will ever be guilty of molesting little boys.
Allegations against Jackson were predicated, in part, upon assumptions that he operated outside of gendered and racialized normatives. In this way, Jackson functions as a troupe for both racialized and genderized alterity. Additionally, science plays a pivotal role in: 1) determining the normatives to which we ascribe; 2) causing alterations for women and men who seek to create a sense of self-normativity which may exist outside of conventional parameters. While this has ramifications for transgendered persons, my goal is to evaluate the ethical approach to the epistemological relevance of racial and gendered definitions. I would also like to analyze the means by which science either lessens or enhances these normative standards.
I will argue that Jackson was a post-race and post-gender (albeit tragic) figure which troubles both feminist and even womanist normatives. At the heart of this discussion are epistemological imperatives that are intertwined with our feminist sensibilities. Helpful to this task is a postmodern framing offered through Michel Foucault, who challenges standards of normativity and the power to create such normatives. Foucault’s work offers particular insights into the larger social structures which create our sense of race or ethnicity and gender. Within that understanding, however, are the methods of censorship which occur within oppressed groups. Equally important are the systems in place within communities and groups to reproduce this knowledge. James Scott, author of Hidden Transcripts, is particularly helpful in helping identifying the violated taboos of a man like Jackson which pushes him beyond the pale of redemption for so many. Finally, a feminist ethic interrogates the assumptions and practices which violate the well being and humanity of a community. By closely analyzing patriarchal assumptions about identity, a feminist ethic will move us beyond the montage of photos to consider the whole measure of a man or woman. Margaret Urban Walker in her article, “Moral Understandings: Alternative ‘Epistemology’ for a Feminist Ethics,” is important to this task. For Walker, feminist ethics both challenges male domination while also battling “moral perceptions” and “self images.” Here, I will explore the way feminist ethics can help us move toward a more productive discourse regarding racial and gender normatives.