Imposing Classism: BFM Night School March 2013

My favourite BFM programme since What the Flick, Night School by Sharaad Kuttan and Ahmad Fuad Rahmat attempts to "explore fundamental concepts in social studies".  The 5 episodes in March 2013 were especially potent, which has led me to delve into the history of significant philosophers and their respective ideologies.  Summarising my reflection, I think Classism is deeply embedded in our environment than history acknowledges.

Breaking conventions: Édouard Manet - Le déjeuner sur l'herbe (1862)

This is because history was recorded by the upper class; Upper class persons display the interesting characteristic of romanticising a lower class, and promote culture and values as they understand it.  Formal education contributes to classism where a class stamps its superiority (I know) by stating the inferior (You don't know).  This superiority complex is reinforced by documentation (e.g. historical accounts) of this superiority, hence my theorising of why class has been around a long time, but no one recognises it.  This trait of servitude / deferment becomes the basis of a class hierarchy, where the characteristics of a class is stated only by the opposite class, e.g. "Haha you should have heard him pronounce 'Louis Vuitton'" vs "That fella speaks with an accent, must be those rich people".  This cycle of class-ist despair is reinforced continuously by a particular class, e.g. when David Chew snidely comments on Khoo Hsu Chuang's spoken english during BFM Morning Run, he is defending his class.

Discriminating the voiceless: Kim Ng - City Dweller #19 (2011)

Philosophising itself is an activity that reinforces classism, where even the Sceptics can be accused of doing so (I know that I know nothing).  Another episode talks about the legitimisation of power based on a myth, which can also be applied to the Bible or Qur'an.  Is this not the upper class reinforcing classism?  This discrimination is part of the elite's arsenal to establish an intangible source of power, which is even more prevalent now that physical prowess and rule by fear, is less significant in defining power.  Children generally care less about what others think, hence class mobility is easier to achieve amongst them.  But it is not so for adults - taking Louis Vuitton again as an example, Lady LC works hard in life and eventually is able to afford an LV bag, which she thinks is the characteristic of an upper class.  However, Lady UC states that Lady LC has a low-class LV bag (white with colourful monograms), thus reinforcing her upper class status by adding to the characteristics of a lower class.  It does not matter whether Lady UC even owns any Louis Vuitton bags.  Class is not a measure of material possessions, in this case.

Imposing classism

Which leads us to what Theodor W. Adorno seemed to have understood and warned about, a popular culture developed by the retail industry.  By doing so, he too reinforces his classism by stating that the popular will be swayed by marketing schemes and a preoccupation with material possessions.  He is not denying the pursuit of wealth, but what he discerns and classifies as the right kind of culture.  I see this critical attitude as being similar with FR Leavis, who attempts to discern originality from an artistic expression, that he perceived as having been inundated with unoriginal approaches.  He sounds like a patron saint for aspiring critiques, and I take inspiration as I indulge in my recent interest of documenting the Malaysian visual arts scene.

Incising perception: Sabri Idrus - Untitled 1 (2013)