Are we going backwards?

Chanel 4 and dispatches have done it again; pointing out obvious flaws in our society we are unwilling to acknowledge. The programme called Dispatches: Fashions dirty secret aired on Monday and looked at high street fashion prices, and the consequences that come from that bargain. The most fitting response to the question “do you think this is the inevitable price of cheap fashion?” was about consumers sharing their part in it, “buying a shirt the price of a lunch clearly there’s a problem there.”  

It followed an undercover worker in a factory in Leicester called Sammi Leisure Wear and was in clear violation of the health and safety act for this country. The programme absolutely obliterated New Look retailer and quite rightly as they use sweatshops to produce their goods. The average wage for the immigrant worker was £3, and lower if the immigrant was here illegally.

On our own doorstep is where the reality hits home as we are all aware that these cheap frocks come from factories abroad and we fool ourselves to believe that the poor wage given to them in their country will be enough for their means. They don’t have the ‘luxury’ of sky TV that we have to pay, so we need that garment and we need it cheap; therefore it could be seen as a win win situation. Well my friend went travelling to Cambodia (Southeast Asia) and found that the children’s mothers would chop off parts of their child’s limbs and send them out begging; as they got more money from begging than work in factories. These factories might not be used by UK retailers but John Hilary, director of ‘War on Want’ charity who has witnessed these types of factories says that the Leicester conditions are, “Certainly something we would associate more with the type of conditions you see in Bangladesh, India or China.” The conditions at Sammi’s were equally as poor as some in the developing world and that the fire exit was even “Locked”, not something we would even consider hearing about in this country. These companies using these sweatshops wouldn’t let their shops or their offices violate these regulations because they are under constant checks. It goes by the rule of what you can’t see won’t hurt you.

They get away with it because it gets lost under this supply chain and the people at the top are questioned about their company’s suppliers and it drops down and down and down to an outside supplier who on the surface has the right certificates, yet they have a drop down system as well. This is exactly how they get away with it because the work gets subcontracted to illegal textile manufactures that are unaccounted for. So much work for such a small manufacturer and no questions asked seems to be the case here. These sweatshops are making high street retailer clothing even ones under the arcadia group limited owned by Sir Philip Green (Owner of Topshop). They have their own code of conduct that talks a fair game about decent working conditions and also states, “This code applies to the manufacturer or any other person involved in supplying goods to our company.” So how do places like Sammi’s slip under the radar? Simply because it is all illegal and very hush hush. So Sir Philip Green gets knighted and becomes a Sir and the immigrants are invisible, and if your invisible you are not a threat to this ‘SIR’ govern society.

It seems like we are still living in this Marxist economy where we are all shying away from the rich exploiting the poor. The idea of the superstructure (the ones with the ideas) exploiting the base (the ones with means of production) should be a distant memory. As the UK’s border agency assistant director say, “People on the very top assume because they dealt with one company down that everything is okay.” We are living in a don’t ask don’t tell society and how is the consumer meant to know what goes on behind closed doors. We have too much trust in our government to do the right thing, yet I do believe we have a responsibility to have a better common sense when buying a cheap product to think where it came from. If we knew I would hope we would have the better judgement not to buy and save up for an item of clothing that would be more gratifying. I understand both sides of the argument but I do think it is possible for us to have cheap clothing that does follow ethical guidelines; especially when the workshops in this country give them nothing to live on.

These illegal manufacturers use illegal immigrants here on various visas. The most popular being a student visa, they live/work in the country illegally and are therefore left powerless. If they spoke up or try to sign on they would be caught and deported, so fear drives them to work for so little. It is a catch 22 situation with no clear answer. “The sewers are churning hundreds out by the hour” so that £3 for the hours work becomes hundreds/thousands within days of sales. The illegal immigrants realise they are being exploited and know they are powerless and if the investigation has to be in the fear of deportation. If conditions of living are the same in their country as in the UK then why have they got this fear of deportation? This is where the programme could have extended as it left questions in my mind as to where they stand; either pay the illegal immigrants a fair wage and let them live legally in the country or shut down these sweatshops and deport the workers as well.

One to watch??

Already toured with the likes such as The xx is this the new sound we are going to be hearing in 2011? Her name is Glasser... well Cameron Mesirow from America who is currently signed to True Panther Sounds. I have been a bit of a skeptical fan of hers since I read about her in JUNE! Christ a long time ago, only when she had two songs that I could catch on YouTube; Apply and Tremel.

Her album Ring is available and I have been playing it religiously and have been captivated by its arty melody, haunting vocals and electro vibe. It sounds similar to Bat for Lashes, in the way it doesn’t need to shout to be heard; a subtle siren is how I would describe the sound. She has set herself apart from all other female artists on the market at the moment and absolutely fits into this ‘new generation’ of artists Simon Cowell keeps mentioning. Although I think this change in attitude from Simon could be due to his young Afghanistan Fiancé. She has found this niche in the massively popular female music industry, and the album is completely abstract and deep. She is up against performers like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry in the charts but somehow I don’t think that’s her game. She doesn’t need to make headlines and stir up controversy with her attire... although she is a quirky girl. Her music speaks volumes about how unusual she is and listening to her music alone connotes freedom and liberation. So... sorry Gaga, I think Glasser’s more of a spokesperson for the abstract and arts.

I have just convinced myself of her greatness, and I hope her powerful mellow music hits 2011 with a bang. I can see why The xx wanted her to support them on tour, her name needs to be out there alongside theirs. We will see if the market can appreciate music like this especially in a very pop/dance dominated industry. Watch out for songs like: Apply, Tremel, Mirrorage and test her album for yourself on Spotify.

Waiting...

Throughout life it seems humanity has worn this idea of waiting... waiting for the next thing, be it good or bad. This idea came to me when I was looking at a medieval play called Mankind and its underlying context that we are all waiting to be judged by god. Mercy’s speech in the play captures this attitude, “Do truly your labour, and be never idle!” The meaning of the word idle is slightly different now compared to the 15^th century. Idle meant being weak and giving into temptation and folly. Alertness comes from defending yourself from these sins and waiting for God to be your judgement.

That Catholic belief seems odd today but in fact it can be put to practice in today’s society. Even though large parts of society have stepped away from religion as a dominant discourse we still have this idea of waiting... This could be applied to all of us who sit in a room, sit staring out to space wondering what the fuck is the meaning of all this. If you are one of those then, snap, join the club and I have found myself saying, “I just want something big and great happen to me”. That’s it, that’s what we are all waiting for; we are still playing this waiting game with life. This age old belief has great importance over us even if we have never considered it for a second... everything is passed down and we are all results of influences and discourses imposed onto us. This belief of waiting is shaped differently now but you can see it everywhere. Take Big Brother for example, these contestants who enter the house are there simply to wait it out, waiting for the next big thing in their life to happen when they walk out of those doors.

This raises the question whether it is just enough to sit back and wait for our life to kick start? Or should we make the most of it now while we are here and use every opportunity to our advantage? It’s easier said than done and this idea that something will just happen if we wait it out is nonsense. We need to pave our own way in life and enjoy the present, we know too well that it doesn’t last long.     

Ignorance is Bliss

This timeless saying has been reeling around my head for a long while now, basically since I read The Picture of Dorian Gray. This saying has so much gravity for three little words but it captures the very real adult feeling of; the loss of innocence.


Art and fashion is obsessed with youth and youth embodies this look that is untouched by life. Life leaves its marks on all of us mentally but most importantly visual and this is where this obsession stems from. It has been like this for many centuries and in Oscar Wilde’s novel it has this very sinister underlining message that ignorance is bliss. The whole dramatic speech by Lord Henry, “Live the wonderful life that is in you! Let nothing be lost upon you. Be always searching for new sensations.” Suddenly become Dorian Gray’s downfall. Only Dorian Gray’s portrait was marred by his sins, which today I would coin as life experience, and that “Life had come between them.” Although Dorian Gray was still youthful looking, he has lost his inner youth of innocence. This innate thirst we humans have for knowledge actually inflicts us remarkably without us really considering it for a second, yes we bear the scars and lines of our life, the more we know the more we worry and this affects our appearance. I believe this is what Oscar Wilde puts across to the reader, “Yes, life had decided that for him – life, and his own infinite curiosity about life... The portrait was to bear the burden of his shame: that was all.” This is the narrator’s voice, it is not coming from a character so as a reader and a critic I get a strong sense that Wilde is voicing a similar concept to the phrase, ignorance is bliss.

The more I read and the more I learn, the more it frightens me. My youth was spent much on being young and enjoying this blissful world given to me and in a way it was the most happiest and frustrating situation to be in. I wanted to rush it... I wanted to be an adult and have my independence but independence can be a lonely place. Alone with my thoughts, reading more and learning more, gaining more life experience, coming to conclusions about life. It is not worth the rush. Life is temperamental and this came to me like a smack to the head when watching Ultimate Big Brother’s Jade Goody snippet. This was a young girl who seemed blissfully unaware of the dramatic aspects of life, she was there to enjoy it and that is why we could warm to her. I know she had an unorthodox upbringing but she never showed that publically and we loved her for it, she lived for the moment, something a lot of us cannot do. It wasn’t until she hit the brutalities of life that it became her downfall and anxieties about the future hit home. This life experience scarred her terribly and she was no longer the Jade we knew and this stress and anxiety is what life makes us face.

Of course life is full of wonders and excitement, all these joys can be known and just living expects us to feel all these emotions, but it is at a cost. We human beings are the most complex animal and we are burdened with this dilemma of knowing too much that it scares us, but so well evolved that we are able to enjoy all that life has to offer. Therefore my advice to anyone is to spend as long as you can in that youthful state and enjoy it while it lasts... I know I will.


Percy

Elite rule?

So the last time I checked, we were supposed to be living in a liberated country, freedom of speech and opportunities for all; yet why am I finding myself stuck in this elitist predicament?

Working back at my old job on the checkouts I see this all the time with the majority of customers treating you like you couldn’t rub two sticks together. A perfect example being a ‘gentleman’ coming to my till and asking for silk cut MOAVE cigarettes? I felt like saying hang-on earlobes... but I replied saying you mean purple, of course he had to get on his high horse and call me colour blind. So I handed him the cigarettes and said oh my mistake, me and silk cut must have got it all wrong. He either could not stand to be corrected by someone on a checkout or someone younger. Kind of makes me laugh because those beliefs will hopefully die out, but it seems unlikely as they get passed down through generations. This is where the media needs to change attitudes and I think Channel 4 do this brilliantly and let the viewer step back and think for themselves. Just like their recent documentary ‘My new brain’, where a bright young student fell from a 20ft wall drunk trying to gain entrance back into a club and was in a coma for 5 months. When he woke he had to start from scratch like a toddler and it was very upsetting and effective. They aired it right before big brother (large teenage audience) and made it relatable. It was there on screen laid out with no judgements; no plea for others to stop drinking, just the story of what happened and that was all that was needed. You tell someone not to do something and they are going to want to do it. I think this documentary caught onto this and engaged the viewer to think for themselves.

I have been at Southampton Solent University for a year now and got an impressive 2.1 for my overall grade, so typically I was in the minority of fellow peers who didn’t have to retake any units. Still why is there this rivalry between the established university and the new? The simple answer is that they think they are better than us, it is a common misconception passed down from generation to generation of elitist attitudes. I have studied a unit like this at my university which consisted of looking at the literary ‘canon’. This is basically a measuring table of literature that is supposed to make you a more educated and cultured person, which nowadays seems like a pretty prehistoric theory, yet it still holds importance. These writers earned their place on the ‘canon’ by either conforming or rejecting the hegemonic (most popular belief) ideology of the time it was written about. Although the ‘canon’ is forever changing it is still bound by the white upper-middle class man’s 20th century ideas. This is why you still get these pompous busybodies trying to make everyone conform to what they believe and rejecting those who don’t or who have different ideas about life and politics. This is what has been passed down to a high percentage of top university students and it therefore becomes a monotonous cycle. Life experience has to hold for something and none of us have the same and we should listen to every voice, not just these rich canonized authors.

That is why I think it is important to have universities like Solent who have different/less routine outlook on this and educate in a way that we have to use our own minds and not rely on what has gone before. I don’t want to rely on what’s gone before I want us to explore ideas; I want us to be creative and innovative. This is what I want and not what they want, and that is why I cannot understand people who are quick to judge. They may call us dumb and I can see why because there are such wasters in the world like the girl I walked past and overheard saying, “I don’t know why my mum’s so mad, at least I got something in the alphabet.” I’m guessing her results weren't... great. But we should not get tarred with the same brush, we try, we are innovative and creative.

Life Imitates art.

My mind has been growing with ideas and aspirations for the future, a quote that entices me to push forward is, “Live! Live the wonderful life that is in you! Let nothing be lost upon you. Be always searching for new sensations.” This quote from The Picture of Dorian Gray really speaks to me and hearing it spurs me on to fight and chase what I am after in life.


My friends will tell you that I am always thinking and that my mind will not switch off. This personality trait makes me very observant as well as being a key speaker in debates. I believe thinking and reading critically is somewhat innate to me but is a technique we are constantly learning and that language is a manipulative form of expression.

During my first year of study at Solent University I have learnt many criticism theories, my favourite being Post-Colonialism. I chose to write my essay answering a quote from Edward Said’s Orientalism on how colonised writers represent the ‘other’. The novel I chose to do this on was Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and how she represents the inhuman and middle-eastern characters. She manipulates the reader into sympathising with the monster, as he has learnt all the European discourses yet because of his deformity cannot join this Eurocentric culture. Later when a Turkish woman called Safie joins the European cottagers she is welcomed because her features are of a “regular proportion” to the patriarchal image they have learnt. Even though Safie has not learnt the European discourses she can still be included in their culture because she will always be subordinate to it and has similarities to the patriarchal image that is idolised.

This theory basically states, we take for granted how strange we must look to other cultural discourses. We take for granted that our imperialism is seen as the norm and that what ‘others’ do is bizarre.

Barthes is a favourite theorist of mine and I work hard to grasp and apply his post-structuralists ideas. Meaning is constantly deferred and we as critics learn as much as we can by reading around the text, yet it is impossible for us to know the meaning exactly. Our learnt discourses are imposed onto the text, that is why the “birth of the reader must be at the cost of the death of the author” (Barthes, R. 1968).

I believe that fiction plays a major part in the movement of cultural ideas. In George Elliot’s novel Daniel Deronda, Gwendolen behaves radically for a woman of the 19th Century, “Gwendolen rather valued herself on her superior freedom in laughing where others might only see matter for seriousness.” This satirical behaviour is popular today and goes to support fiction slowly changing attitudes realistically. Showing that fiction is a way to deal with an emotion tentatively; just like holocaust fiction helps remind the reader how terrible it was. Carol Ann Duffy’s poem ‘Shooting Stars’ supports this theory by having graphic detail so that it burns into our mind so we “Remember. Remember those appalling days which make the world forever bad.” These writers identify inequalities and help culture become more liberal. This is therefore fact portraying fiction, just like Oscar Wilde famous sentence, “Life imitates art far more than art imitates life.”

Closet Case

Thought I’d start off my blogging journey with a subject that is closest to me... being gay. No no this isn’t going to be a winey coming out the closet story gees dry your tears. I told my parents 10 minutes before leaving to go to Brighton gay pride. Got well out of there, left my mum to drink a bottle of wine, crying telling our family and friends. So being a comfortable gay guy I have no hang-ups and enjoying the fun side of this LIFESTYLE CHOICE, yes I did chose this. Never understood that comment what do they want me to reply saying, yes yes... picked it straight out of the Argos catalogue.


So the point is being out for a year now I have started my observing of course... what else? Guess it’s the gay in me, we can be a nosey lot. Being gay and meeting another out gay guy is easy, it’s an attraction based on purely what you look like... it isn’t till later on in bed when you think to yourself, arr right this is what your bringing to the table. Simples but it’s a whole new ball game (excuse the pun) when dealing with a closet case and it simply boils down to this people; they’re idiots. What happens is during the first half a year or so (can be longer) of being out and gay you think every gay guy you then meet is flirting with you or wants you, why else would they be talking to you. This is stupid people, just because the other guy is gay doesn’t mean that you two are going to have sex... but probably.

Closet cases are a strange lot and this came to me when I met a closet case and I guess he thought I wanted him... he was right. But the point is, it made me nervous around him which is so unlike me, I thought he was going to turn round and tell me to leave him alone, but that’s almost impossible when your stalking him, just have to get better at hiding. I wasn’t even bothered with him until I realised he’s cute but I would have to tell him bluntly to fuck off you walking closet you’re so far in the closet you’re chilling with Mr Tumnus... then I’d ask how he was and that it’s been a year since I saw him.

Another thing that really gets on my goat is gay men who hate camp guys and are so straight acting and live their life out like a straight guy... apart from the sex. Although a lot of you would like gay men to all conform like this and to not ‘rub their gayness in your face’, I’m sorry to tell you we don’t live in the 50’s anymore. I’m not that camp myself but I love camp gays, so much fun and if we didn’t have them that where would the west-end be?? And we certainly wouldn’t see Louis doing his high kicks and being a massive diva on TV.

Therefore I love being gay and mothers accept their gay son for who he is... apart from the sex. My biggest fear is growing old and being in the industry I am in, being gay. It seems I’ve only got until I’m 30 to be cute and after that I will just live alone with my cats. Might as well because being gay, single and over 30 is the same as being fat and gay. You’re with the drags again and its last pickings at boy bar, you have a flash back and you find yourself finally feeling sorry for the fat kid who always got picked last in gym. I wish it could be different and we should care for the person inside but that would be a bit lesbian of us now wouldn’t it. That’s it I’m blunt and realistic and lil crazy but crazy in the good way not crazy like that family member no-one really talks to and yes I’m that family member.

Thanks for reading
Percy