Object Culture

Writing Journal Prompts

• Worms

Back in the day, I was a really, really, really weird child. It showed in my beloved collection, worms. Yes, you read that right, worms. I would collect worms and play with them as if they were barbie dolls. I would make them homes, and storylines; families, failed marriages, the whole nine yards. I don’t know how my mother dealt with me, actually I don’t know how my grandmother dealt with me. Growing up my grandmother, aka Mimi, would babysit me while my mom was at work, she hated my worm friends, she would yell at me and make me take a bath, I would still go outside and play with the worms. I think I had three baths one day. I actually played with worms so much that I had an imaginary friend that was a worm, his name was Wormy. I believe my mother thought I was going to turn into one of those serial killers who would kill animals when they were children, because there is no way that those worms were still alive after kissing each other and having a whole family all in one day. My mother would always say, “You can tell me anything, okay, anything at all.” So, looking back, I was really weird, and it concerned my mother a lot. I unfortunately don’t collect worms anymore, but in other news I’m not a serial killer.

• Dresses

Paul Brockmann, loves his wife, Margot, very much, and never wanted her to have to wear the same dress twice. So he collected 55,000 dresses, all for Margot over the span of 54 years. He now has decided to sell the dresses for at least $100 dollars a piece. Each dress is different in size, length, and design, there are no two the same. Paul currently holds the Guinness world record for most dresses collected. The dresses are in a warehouse and are organized by color and shade. I find this one of the most bizarre yet adorable collections every. Imagine someone doing this for you just to make sure you never wore the same thing twice, like what. That’s some real love and the couple is so cute together, you can really see their love through the photos. This probably the cutest couple I have ever seen. And the dresses are just as beautiful. I went through their web page, and yes they are expensive but for good reason, they are all vintage dresses, all from different eras and events. They have meaning and have only been worn once, so basically brand new.

• Wiccan Pentacle

Fetish (3)- an object that is believed to have magical power. The pentacle in wiccan culture is considered the pinnacle symbol of the religion/spirituality. As many religions view this symbol as satanic or a bad curse, this symbol actually represents good and all things nature in the world in the wiccan religion. Each point of the star represents a different element; earth, air, fire, water, and spirit. I myself am part of the wiccan religion and I put this symbol everywhere; it wards off negative energy and bad spirits, it is more of a protection symbol than anything else. It wards off evil and brings the spirits of each element forward into this realm. The pentacle’s actual origin was from Mesopotamia, the symbol was on tombs to ward off bad spirits and danger to the dead. It is made of white magic and is associated with high mental power. The mental power being intellect with spirits and the ground beneath us. The position of the pentacle can mean two different things in the wiccan culture. Upside down is bad energy and is basically welcoming the negative in, right side up is the white magic and good energy side. The pentacle is a big part of the wiccan culture and is basically the symbol of the religion.

 

 

 

• Mullets 

Kitsch (1)- something that appeals to popular or lowbrow taste and is often of poor quality. Let’s all be honest, mullets were never cool and never will be, unless a woman does it, but like correctly. For example:

And even then it isn’t that great. It is an okay hair cut at best, last resort of I need a cool haircut but don’t know what to get. I don’t even understand why the trend came back, it isn’t cool, it doesn’t look good. Its like a bad seasonal allergies, it just keeps coming back. Business in the front, party in the back, more like okay in the front and disgusting in the back. It is like the fo-hawk (flat mohawk) trend back when I was a kid, it just doesn’t work. I miss the days of regular haircuts, get a trim, maybe a bob, but never and I repeat, never, a mullet.

 

 

 

	Cultural Icons   Uncle Sam, though disputed, is associated with a businessman from New York, Samuel Wilson, known as “Uncle Sam”. y the armies He would supply the armies with barrels of beef during the War of 1812. Uncle Sam is a national symbol of the united states, mostly the government, his popularity is right next to lady liberty.
	Fashion & Identity Some of the craziest fashion comes from right in our own backyard, but I will focus on hairstyles. How people express themselves are usually is through their hair. For example, in the 80s, big frizzy hair was the trend, today flat ironed, pin-straight hair is the trend. Even different cliches have their own hairstyles; emo, preppy, hippies, etc.
	The Century of the Self: Part I “Happiness Machines”   https://watchdocumentaries.com/the-century-of-the-self/ (53 mins)   This documentary explains how American society was deliberately manipulated from a needs based to a desire-based culture, where objects became an important vehicle for self-expression; this transformation was accomplished essentially by one man—Edward Bernays (Sigmund Freud’s nephew). This contextual overview provides valuable information about our consumer relationship with objects. Task: Choose one aspect of Edward Bernays’ work that intrigues you, and briefly summarize it. Then respond to the implications of that work, by reflecting on its impact on our contemporary consumer culture, and/or your own consumer relationship with objects, especially regarding the acquisition of objects as a mode of self-expression/identity. What do think about Edward Bernays’ impact on our culture?   Objects/materials of Desire   Man’s obsessive desire for certain objects/materials often brings with it death & destruction. Take gold for example. Gold mining is one of the most destructive industries in the world, destroying the Amazon Rain Forest, poisoning water supplies, displacing communities and endangering wildlife. https://earthworks.org/campaigns/no-dirty-gold/impacts/water/   Another example is cheap fashion, giving rise to the most appalling sweatshop industry: https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-sweatshops   For this writing journal entry, pick an object/material man is obsessed with and investigate the destruction this desire brings with it. Female Inventors and Small Objects that Revolutionized the World   Gladys West: the global positioning system (GPS)  Amateur Curators   This is where you get to showcase the objects you were asked to start collecting at the beginning of the semester. In this journal entry you will provide an introduction to the objects, why you were interested in them and the rationale behind collecting them. Document your collection using photographs and explanations.