thinking is the new black

A particular conundrum offered itself this week.

Orange Nike Dunks ?

A non verbal feminist resistance to the onset of old age?

Me. [thinks] I will rock these with a Twentyeighttwelve dress I’ve just bought. But are they inappropriate for the 30+?

Now my daily bread comes from posing difficult questions. Sometimes the Qs are in my head so it’s just me answering, but usually those Qs go out to large groups of students or marketingy creative folks. Normally I ask things like “ Discuss the limits of Habermas’s The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere using a case study of a new/ digital technology of your choice”.

As we were flicking through some old mags, my friend also in her 30s recently commented that she liked Alexa Chung’s style . “Hmmm” I said then thinking about Chung’s penchant for a patent loafa and side slung small handbag, ”but she’s a young woman, why be 30 when you’re 20?” You see I’m like the opposite of Alexa Chung. If I buy these sneaks am I one step a way from being the  old lady with colbalt blue-hair and crazy leggings?  (this statement is not directed at  Zandra Rhodes I like her.)

Fans of Glee might say WWMD? But me,  well it’s more likey to be  ”What would Fiske  the famous popular cultural theorist argue?” Bit much for an acronym  isn’t it.

The problem I’ve with these shoes is to do with codes. These shoes operate as a symbolic ‘sign’ and my cultural capital allows me to make certain readings and draw on other referents in popular culture.  Mainly that I associate with yoot & I am not yoot.

However in these shoes will I be committing a defiant act? Hegemony through footwear? In your face gender/ 30 + clothes nazis (such as Boden) ?

So I lost the will to blog. I’m sorry. I missed you too.

The reason in part is that I received my first dose of  heavy duty attack on my work at the beginning of the year. Right effort, right speech, means that I shouldn’t be discussing the details for now. I will admit though that when it comes to research and a thesis, I’ve been woefully naive how much ego and personal agenda comes into the examination process

Now that teaching has finished I’m about to get going on making some corrections over the summer and I’ve been astounded at the number of people I’ve met with and spoken to with who have had awful viva/ correction experiences, so there appears a gap in the market for me to come back and blog with some reflections.

For me the initial recommendations were so horrific  ( one day I hope I can detail this) but lets just say for now I had to compartmentalise and get on and do some other things. As a result of a pause from the tome I’ve picked up some other creative writing projects with success, been supervising some lovely dissertations and have plans involving ‘The fashions’ towards the end of the year.

I’ve also been giving it some ones and twos in my beloved Thailand ( despite getting stuck in  what looked to be a revolution for a bit) and practicing lots of mindfulness. So it’s all good.

Fans of Miu Miu will be happy to know that she has finally read Castells’ latest book and has started moderating 1^st year essays with me.