Kylie is a media personality who represents multiple aspects of mainstream culture/ ideology for the masses, such as the music industry, camp, anglo-austrainlian relations, the significance of soap stardom in our culture, and audiences identify with her as a pop princess, fashionista, gay icon, girl next door made good - whatever. One could argue that the exhibit represents these aspects of our national identity and popular culture, which are just as valid as high-brow notions such as some of the ones Che represents, and Kylie democratizes a place like the V&A making it accessible for the masses.

Che Guevara was a man of revolutionary politics yes, but the exhibition was not just a celebration or exploration of left wing Marxist ideology, but a celebration of his capacity as a cultural icon (as is the Kylie one). I am guessing, but I suspect that not all of those people that visited the Che one care too deeply about socialism or its legacy. Che has also been celebrated as a figure of popular culture ( in the folk sense of the word), and in the representation and mediation of his image, within media culture i.e Motorcyle diaries, the iconic ‘Korda’ photo of him on posters, club flyers and T-shirts all over the world. I brought him into the discussion because he has come to signify a ‘pop’ version of a peoples’ hero, the handsome face of revolution, political subversion etc

No 404 I don't think you sound boring at all ~ I'd like to know more of your views on this.
I think it is a really interesting debate about 'the place' of popular culture in our society vs high brow culture.
So many people are about the exhbition being in the V&A, yet there was a Che exhibtion there not that long ago I seem to remember & that got a from the general public. I know the Che gig was extremely popular but I suspect thee Kylie exhibition will be a sell out & lets face it, has given the V&A more press than they've had in years.

I for one will be making a visit to the V&A at some point - but I am interested to know peoples views on the hoohaa over the exhibition being placed at the V&A. Do you think the critics are right to argue that it's the wrong venue and should remain a bastion of high culture?

very well done. xx

Agree with Si-Ki, in social science it's quite hard to get published in the 1st instance, and you almost need a PhD behind you before you're considered worthy of publication

Hello & welcome.

Happy Birthday Bobby. Have a great day.

Hi Jojo glad you found it interesting, even if it's not that useful. Latour is a bit leftfield ( polite way of saying at times quite loony), but I agree really interesting.

Its not entierely my area but I think he is fascinating. He is a key note speaker this year at the B.S.A. conference along with Giddens.

hug for piglet. x

sorry to hear you are feeling a bit low. take the day off - it's friday after all and have a long w.e. Try and do something nice for yourself today like go and get a blow dry or nails done, or cook yourself something really yummy for lunch. Remind yourself you deserve it.

you have my sympathy Sue. I hate those sorts of forms too, always so inflexible.

Hi Bobby - I wanted to tell you I went & what an amazing & interesting time I had in Havana . I ended up staying with a family in Vedado. Every day locals stopped me in the street to chat and say "you're the girl staying with the "x" family aren't you" & the reaction I got from others when I said I was staying in a casa and not a state hotel was amazing - people shaking my hand. Cubans are soooo lovely.
However I did find the hotel national you mentioned, one afternoon & I sat and drank the best mojitos on the veranda and watched the sunset -was absolute bliss.
Also had some very funny 'hitchhiking' experiences. One ride in a car that was almost entirely held together with gaffer tape through Centro during a power cut - scarey but funny. Also went to Santa Maria beach - beautiful. Its so horrid being back in the UK.

Here's the Latour ref:

Latour, B (1992) Where are the missing masses ? The sociology of a few mundane artifacts? in Clarke D, Doel M, A & Housiaux K 2003 The Consumption Reader Routledge

Its quite a quirky extract about the ideological nature of objects, where he discusses his car and seat belt.

Hi Jojo - sounds very interesting.
Do you mean inanimate objects? I know there is a book called the social life of things by Arjun Appadurai but I think that is coming more from a cultural commodities p.o.v.

Also I think Bruno Latour -but tell us more.