This is a short article from the New York Times about the student uprisings in Paris during May 1968 and their lasting effects on French culture and psychology. The title alone, “Barricades of May ’68 Still Divide the French” says a lot about the content, namely that the uprisings were not wholly supported by French society, and that there is a distinct split in between how they are remembered in French society; the Right calls them “the events”, while the Left calls it “the movement.” The article cedes that youth revolt was common throughout the West, but that France was unique in its potential to foment a political revolution, with 10 million striking workers. The article notes how the desire behind May ’68 was unfulfilled, as the right is now in power. It quickly summarizes a chronology of the events, namely that the student uprisings spread out from Nanterre University to the elite Sorbonne, and eventually to the workers of the nation. A former participant in the uprisings says, “the revolution was social not political,” and that while students spoke of revolution they never intended to carry it out. The article also lists the social transformations that French culture has undergone since 1968, and claims that the “anti-authoritarians of the time were fighting against a very different society,” in effect disabling the notion of any future social revolution.
    The article provides a useful historical context for the ramifications of the uprisings in 1968, as well as a critique of, essentially, the ambiguity of Vigo’s conclusion to “Zéro de Conduite.” If Paris in May 1968 was a realization of a theory of anarchist pedagogy, its final results were disappointing, because the nation now has a conservative government. The end of Jean Vigo’s film offers an apparent victory, but no steps further than that, something that many anarchists love to do, while not realizing the damage to the credibility of their movement. Perhaps it is for this reason that the protestors of Paris spoke often of revolution in romantic, lofty terms such as the surrealist rebellion presented in Vigo’s film, but in actuality, never attempted to complete that vision because the vision itself was incomplete, a simple specter of the meme that revolution had become in the collective consciousness of French society. Regardless, the article is valuable to my thesis because it challenges the apparent victory of subversive creativity over entrenched power structures, because power always adapts, whereas visions of the revolution have remained anachronistic.

full citation: Erlanger, Steven . "Barricades of May ’68 Still Divide the French - New York Times." The New York Times. 30 Apr. 2008. 30 Nov. 2008 <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/30/world/europe/30france.html?_r=2&oref=slogin>.

            In this article, Karen Lurie acknowledges the wide array of interpretations of The Graduate (1967) ranging from a sex farce to a generation gap comedy to a “ballad of alienation and rebellion.”  These different interpretations affect the way in which viewers receive and react to the elements of the film itself.  Lurie offers a plot summary and touches briefly on a number of the themes and symbols that permeate the film.  After this hasty plot summary, Lurie delves into a more critical analysis and assessment of the film, mostly concentrating on its ending and the meanings that viewers impose upon this ending.  Lurie argues that the widely accepted view of The Graduate as having a happy ending is forced upon the film by those who are determined to make it a romantic comedy.  The way in which Benjamin and Elaine flee the suburban life that they have been restricted by further contributes to the cursory assumption that the ending implies happiness and triumph, but the final scene is actually much more profound and ambiguous.  As Benjamin and Elaine sit on the bus driving away from the church, their smiles become forced and then disappear altogether.  They do not say a word to one another as the lyrics of Paul Simon’s song “Sounds of Silences” fills the air, “Hello darkness, my old friend…”  If one were to critically assess their relationship, though they claim to be in love, Benjamin and Elaine barely know each other.  They do not have the support of their families and Benjamin does not have a job.  With Paul Simon’s “darkness” foreshadowing a dark future, the ending is not one of bliss and contentment as so many viewers mistakenly believe.

            Another misconception that Lurie addresses is the view of Benjamin as the figure that is rebelling against the status quo, when actually, Lurie argues, it is Mrs. Robinson.  Benjamin seems to enjoy and make use of the very culture that he is supposed to be rebelling against.  He is closely associated with his new flashy Alfa Romeo, a graduation present from his parents, and his parent’s swimming pool.  Both the car and the pool represent the materialism and superficiality that he supposedly fears and despises.  In addition, Benjamin ends up with Elaine, the girl that his parents chose for him.  Mrs. Robinson is the true rebel, refusing to accept her submissive role in the patriarchal suburban family and demonstrating her sexuality, confidence, and power.

Argues that since its inception, popular music has been a product of mass media and consumption. The audience of rock music is influenced by the media and their own experiences, particularly the distinction between "street" and "suburban" cultures. Relevant to my paper, many Latino Morrissey fans, especially in the LA area, seem to relate to both identities. He cites class and ideologies, as well as ethnicity, as critical for understanding the contexts of rock music.

Though Strausbaugh's volume is essentially a diatribe against aging rock artists who continue performing through middle age, it is a sentiment echoed by many critics and fans alike. His main argument is that rock has essentially been a music of political rebellion (though Morrissey as a "rock" artist is debatable, for these purposes he qualifies under this definition). Interestingly, though Morrissey has been often criticized, using Straughsbaugh's definitions, Morrissey is still "rebelling": his beliefs have never seemed to be controlled by a record label or manager, and he claims to still have the beliefs that he sings about in 20-year-old songs.