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I was doing some research for my university module on popular music, and I came across this article on Diana Ross, written for the British communist magazine Marxist Today by academic Richard Dyer.
http://banmarchive.org.uk/collection.../82_06_36a.pdf
I thought it was an interesting read!!! :)
Despite a few editorial gaffes, this is a spot-on analysis of the meaning of Diana Ross through the lenses of gender, race, class and all their intersections. Dyer is always on the mark; he's been doing important academic work for decades. I was alarmed at the age of the article and the fact that it reads like it could have been written this decade. Thanks, TT.
Interesting article on defining Diana Ross. Ta for posting Tom.
You're welcome guys. And I completely agree sans! Spot on I thought.
I don't say listening to Diana Ross and reaching, out and touching at her shows would make anyone join a movement to change the world; but at least it vividly expresses the pleasures of a better world. That goes along with the competitiveness of the success motif and the passivity of the femininity motif — no pleasures in this world are ideologically unalloyed. But with Diana, why not enjoy the best and forget the rest? There's nothing else quite like her around.
I thought it was interesting to read a left-wing analysis of, essentially, a pop star. His article 'In Defence of Disco' makes a similar case... that although something is a product of capitalism, it still has important social and cultural value. Interesting stuff! :)
This is fascinating! Thanks for sharing.
I'm actually co-editing The Richard Dyer Reader which will be published by the British Film Institute and it will include this piece on Diana Ross. He also wrote a piece on Mahogany for the magazine Movie -- but of course I couldn't put too many Ross articles in [[the disco essay, which also discusses Ross, is included, though).
Fantastic! Keep us posted on the pub date.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaap
Spot on is right we couldn’t of said it any better , thanks for posting Diana Ross is all this and more
Hopefully this fall. It got delayed a bit due to the whole COVID situation. It will include 54 essays, some classic ones [[like the disco one), some lesser-known ones, and some new ones especially written for the reader.Quote:
Originally Posted by sansradio
Great. Hopefully, it'll be available Stateside as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaap
With apologies for the shameless self-promotion, I used the Dyer article on Diana Ross for a video essay I published 6 years ago:http://mediacommons.org/intransition/success
Utterly brilliant. Love the parallels that you've so cogently laid out. Bravo!Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaap
I’d forgotten about Richard Dyer. He was a defender of disco back in the day. He understood its cultural significance. He got it.
Wow, written in 1982. Seemed it could have been written recently.