Structure, Audience and Soft Power in East Asian Pop Culture, Essay Example

It appears that art has historically existed in a kind of tension with various institutions of power. The quotation from Plato that shapes our discussion in this case, clearly argues that the artist, in particular, the poet may possess a subversive message, which undermines the objections of those who hold power, such as the political state apparatus. Such a conception of the artist immediately comes to mind when we reflect on the counter-culture of the United States and the image of this movement, for example, in terms of its music and the lifestyle it promoted, as something that is dangerous to the state and traditional institutions of power.

However, perhaps this itself is an overstatement of the controversial nature of art, in at least two senses. Firstly, for example, in art history, many of the great works of art have been sponsored by religious institutions. A classic historical example of this is the close working relationship that existed between the Vatican and Michelangelo. It is, therefore, not necessary for art to always be at war with the state and other institutions that hold social power.

Secondly, and on a more counter-intuitive level, there is another reason why the controversy of art may ultimately be an illusion, namely, to the extent that particular art movements may come to define a given culture, despite their “counter-culture status”, those in power appropriate this “subversive” culture as its own cultural export. From this perspective, what was once subversive now becomes a tool to maintain the hegemony of those in power or what is called in the academic literature “soft power”, namely, “influencing others through different modes of persuading the other that your views on the situation at hand are attractive views and they should or do indeed desire the same thing as you.” (Chua, 2012, p. 120)

A classic example of how cultural subversion becomes a tool of soft power and therefore how even controversial art may benefit those who hold political and social power is rock n roll. Consider Elvis Presley’s performance on the Ed Sullivan Show. This combination of music and dance was condemned by critics as the promotion of the “devil’s music.” With his music and dance, Elvis Presley promoted unwanted norms for this group, such as the opposition to racial segregation, the beginnings of a more open sexuality and a more independent youth culture. In response to the controversy of his art, Elvis Presley answered “I’ve tried to lead a straight, clean life, not set any kind of a bad example.” (Osborne, 1999, p. 98) However, what the rock n roll movement created was a worldwide phenomenon that was attractive to young people the world over. In the context of the Cold War, in which the “controversial” form of art emerged, the music became an advertisement for the American way of life against the opposing ideology of communism. As Robert A. Isaak (2004) writes, “Soft power is all about creating a social and political reality that everyone would want to join –not run away from….Soft power is Elvis Presley, Humphrey Bogart, the old “American dream.”” (p. 239) From this perspective, the very concept of controversial art from the perspective of its antagonism with dominant social institutions can be reversed, so that these institutions, such as capitalism promote themselves as free and open, instead of restrictive, exploitative and inegalitarian. In short, this is a scenario of soft power and controversial art, such as music and dance, which Plato could not dream of.

References

Chua, B.H. (2012). Structure, Audience and Soft Power in East Asian Pop Culture. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.

Isaak, R.A. (2004). The Globalization Gap: How the Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Left Further Behind. Belmont, CA: Pearson.

Osborne, J. (1999). Elvis: What He Said, Exactly as He Said it, Word for Word. Memphis, TN: Jerry Osborne Enterprises.