Enjoy the Silence

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As someone who enjoys the music of Depeche Mode, I would love to think that they aren't oppressing anyone.

Too bad for me!

Depeche Mode is frequently guilty of oppression in the form of powerlessness.

Part of making people powerless is through--you guessed it--SILENCE.

Image from: martingore.proboards.com

ENJOY THE SILENCE

Words like violence break the silence

Come crashing in, into my little world

Painful to me, pierce right through me

Can't you understand, oh my little girl?

All I ever wanted, all I ever needed

Is here in my arms

Words are very unnecessary

They can only do harm

Words are spoken to be broken

Feelings are intense, words are trivial

Pleasures remain, so does their pain

Words are meaningless and forgettable

All I ever wanted, all I ever needed

Is here in my arms

Words are very unnecessary

They can only do harm

X3

Enjoy the silence

X3

Songwriters

GORE, MARTIN LEE

Published by

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Wait, isn't this just a romantic song about a love that is so intense that they have/need no words to express it? Maybe? I wish. And it COULD be that. But I need to step away from this as a fan and examine it from a critical point of view.

There are quite a few issues with this song.

This is told only from the singer's perspective. We can't know if the feeling is really mutual unless we hear from both parties involved. In fact, it may be argued that if he thinks the words will "come crashing in" to ruin his perfect world, that perhaps he knows that any words would be words of objection. The whole point of the song, it could be argued, is to eliminate any potential dissent.

Note also that he uses the word "I" instead of "we." That could be a sign that he is really in it for his own needs, not for the both of them.

Additionally, by saying, "Can't you understand, oh my little girl?" the singer is implying that she:

1. Doesn't understand, probably because she is simple-minded
2. Is his property
3. Is small, probably unimportant (except to him)
4. Is child-like, reliant upon others to take care of her and make decisions for her

Infantilizing someone like this is definitely a move to put them in less of a position of power.

The singer says that anything that could be said by the other person is "trivial," "forgettable," "meaningless," and will only "do harm." This is forcing powerlessness upon the other person. She is told, under the guise of romance, that her words don't matter. It is better for her to not speak at all.

She should enjoy the silence-- the powerlessness.

It's also worth mentioning that the imagery in the music video is him as a king, as showed above. This is important to consider, because people cannot question the king. The king can do what he wants, and enjoy the silence--the lack of power to question him--of his subjects.

I think we can agree that this is wrong. After all, silence is not consent!

gif from solarstation.tumblr.com

And this is just one example of Depeche Mode's oppression through forcing powerlessness upon others. I won't get too in-depth here, but just to make my point, let's look at some other questionable DM moments...

BLUE DRESS

Put it on

And don't say a word

Put it on

The one that I prefer

Put it on

And stand before my eyes

Put it on

Please don't question why

Can you believe

Something so simple

Something so trivial

Makes me a happy man

Can't you understand?

Say you believe

Just how easy

It is to please me

Because when you learn

You'll know what makes the world turn

Put it on

I can feel so much

Put it on

I don't need to touch

Put it on

Here before my eyes

Put it on

Because you realize

And you believe

Something so worthless

Serves a purpose

It makes me a happy man

Can't you understand

Say you believe

Just how easy

It is to please me

Because when you learn

You'll know what makes the world turn

Songwriters

GORE, MARTIN

Published by

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

gif from wulztan.tumblr.com

It COULD be the singer marveling at the beauty of his lover in his favorite dress of hers.

But it could also be silencing a woman, once more, because all he needs from her is her beautiful appearance. It appears that he has selfish motives, saying that she should do this just to please him and not question why.

Then then there's this gem... I'm not posting the whole song, just clips from it.

MASTER AND SERVANT

...

Forget all about equality

Let's play master and servant

...

It's a lot like life

And that's what's appealing

If you despise, then throw away feeling

...

Domination's the name of the game

In bed or in life

They're both just the same

Except in one you're fulfilled

At the end of the day

Let's play master and servant

Let's play master and servant

... 

Songwriters

Gore, Martin

Published by

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

gif from depechemodegifs.tumblr.com

I don't think I need to explain this one. 

And I don't have to stop there. Take my word for it, I could probably show you oppression in almost all of their songs.

So, how can I still be a fan of Depeche Mode?

I think the important thing is that I am aware of the dark nature of a lot of their music, and I choose not to make the darkness a part of how I live my life, even though I choose to continue to listen to it. 

And as I hinted at before, I could also give them the benefit of the doubt when it comes to some of their songs. We can choose how to interpret things sometimes--maybe it is totally creepy, but maybe it is actually just supposed to be romantic. 

It may be a stretch, but you get what I'm saying.

Basically, I enjoy their sound and tune out a lot of the lyrics. Call it a guilty pleasure, if you will. But if we were truly going to limit ourselves to media that included NO oppression whatsoever, I honestly don't think we could find anything to watch, read, or listen to. Sometimes, we have to just ignore the crappy facts of the things we enjoy. Whether or not that's morally acceptable, I'm honestly not sure. Many times I have wondered whether or not I should even listen to Depeche Mode, but despite my reservations, I still do. 

What do you think? Are guilty pleasures just a part of life? Or do we have the moral responsibility to identify and reject anything that contains or may contain oppressive material?

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the lukewarm-feminist vs. Firestone

The label feminist is loaded with other beliefs, which may not be true for all people who believe in equality for all. BEFORE YOU ALL TEAR ME TO PIECES, let's see whether or not Shulie Firestone can set me straight! Thanks... 

CT: You know what’s funny about what you say? You want to liberate people—but in doing so, you’re really just restricting them to your vision of what the world should be like and what people should want for themselves.

SF: I don’t follow your logic, kid.

CT: You say you want to eliminate gender differences? Well, pardon me, but I am actually pretty fond of my gender… if you want me to ignore that I’m different than my male counterparts, you’re taking away something that is vital to my identity. And the things you say about not giving live birth… about living in collectives instead of with your real family! The greatest advantage I’ve had in life is the fact that I was raised well by my parents. You can’t just decide what structure others should live in!

SF: So my opinion on how the world should be is invalid, but now yours is right? Oh please.

CT: What?

SF: So your parents raised you well?

CT: Yeah.

SF: They didn’t favor your brothers above you? They encouraged you to follow your ambitions in life?

CT: If anything, I was treated better than my brother, and I’m studying to become a harpist—

SF: A harpist? Must be a hard life…

CT: Hey!

SF: Whatever. So you’ve had it pretty good, huh?

CT: I mean… I’m probably one of the luckiest people on the planet.

SF: OH. Well then you probably have a great perspective from which to see what is best for most of humankind. I, on the other hand, wouldn’t have a clue? Huh?

CT: …

SF: The ones who aren’t quite so lucky—most of us—didn’t grow up the way you did. Just because the traditional family structure worked for you doesn’t mean it works for others. I can tell you from experience! Living in collectives—that’s the future.

CT: Maybe I don’t have the best perspective on some of these issues, but you once said, “I’m an intellectual—I don’t sweep floors.” If you can’t even do the basic household tasks to be courteous to others in your collective how could expect all us lowly, non-intellectuals to do it?

SF: Give me a break… What is this, a political ad? Do you want to piss and moan about some stupid thing I said one time, or do you give a shit about the fate of humankind? Look, kid. I can see you mean well. There’s a good heart buried under all that ignorance.

CT: Oh, gee... Stop, before you make me blush.

SF: We both want the same thing don’t we? Don’t you want to help women?

CT: Yeah, but collectives and gender elimination isn’t—

SF: Stop. You don’t know that. Obviously, the current state of things isn’t working. We need to make some kind of change to eliminate the problem instead of waiting for some miracle to happen! Eliminating gender will-- 

CT: …

SF: I won’t convince you, I can see that. Ah, well, I’m sure you’ll pray to God that she’ll show me the light and I’ll realize how great family and childbirth is… but until then we’re both going to have to suck it up.

CT: …

SF: Come on. Can we agree to help women… together?

CT: I don’t see why not… well I can actually but—

SF: Ha! Let’s not start again.

CT: Good plan.… Okay, it’s going to bug me if I don’t say this— I do have to admit you’re probably right that I don’t have the best perspective to understand where less-privileged people come from. I may have to reconsider some things...

SF: That’s not much but it’s a start. 

CT: Of course.

*CT & SF shake hands*

What's that I hear? I think it's all the feminists in foundations typing comments. ;-)

MOTHER GINGER'S GUIDE TO A BETTER LIFE

Dearest reader,

I may not be a real mom, but sometimes I feel like it. Somehow, I ended up as the go-to person for advice, reality checks, or pep talks. So please, allow me to share with you a condensed(?) version of all of the motherly advice I have doled out over the years. 

Here we go...

IT’S ALL ABOUT ATTITUDE

Your attitude shapes the results of everything you do, so it’s always a good place to start if you want to improve your life. Stop worrying about whether or not your blog post is going to be good enough. Start thinking about how much fun you could have writing it! Even if you have to fake it at first, going at something with the attitude that you care and are excited to do it will improve your productivity and the quality of your work.

Next time you visit a professor, are you going to walk in with a concerned look on your face and nervously voice your concerns about your grade? Or will you walk in with a friendly smile and a list of tricky some concepts from class you would like to discuss? Think about how you can use a great attitude to positively influence the outcome of any situation you face.

APPEARANCE MATTERS

If you look good, you feel good. Dress in a way that makes you feel confident in your ability to take on the world. If you always hate how you look in that one sweater… throw it out! The way you feel about your appearance will influence the way you perceive yourself, so don’t let something as seemingly trivial as clothing make you feel bad about yourself.

You may feel super cute in an oversized hoodie—or that may make you feel like a mess. You may feel like a superstar in a suit and tie—or that may make you feel ancient and stuffy. Own your own style, and remember that beauty goes beyond what you wear. But ask yourself this: why do people choose to dress nicely for interviews? What kind of a message are you sending to the world based on your clothing choice?

CHOOSE AND CULTIVATE YOUR FRIENDSHIPS WISELY

Friendship can be the best thing in the world, or it can suck the life out of you. Sometimes good-hearted people mistake toxic relationships for friendships. If you have a “friend” who intentionally makes you feel bad about yourself… they aren’t a good friend! If you have a “friend” who is constantly coming to you for help, but never shows interest in your life or problems… they aren’t a good friend!

Remember that you are not obligated to maintain a friendship with someone who isn’t returning your kindness—you deserve better! Think about the people who are the closest to you. If you became just like them, would you be happy with yourself? Consider that answer when choosing the people you form the deepest connections with. To avoid only playing the blame-game here, this is probably also a good time to ask yourself—are you the sort of friend you would want to have?

FIX YOUR LANGUAGE

Life can be happier and more efficient if you replace your lame common phrases with awesome ones.

Example: “I don’t know.” This is unhelpful and oozes apathy.

Instead say: “Let me find that out for you!” This demonstrates respect to the person you are talking to, and also forces you to assume responsibility to figure it out in a timely matter.

Something as simple as changing your words can make a positive difference in you interactions. What are other common phrases you can switch for something more effective?

TALK TO PEOPLE—THERE IS NO DOWNSIDE

If you are naturally outgoing this may not be a problem for you. But I think a lot of us are senselessly afraid to approach fellow human beings. Here is what can happen if you decide to talk to someone:

They are nice to you—great! This made your day a little bit brighter, here’s a person you will now smile and wave at as you pass by. Perhaps you would like to befriend this person, too! AWESOME!

They are so-so—alright. Sometimes there’s just a lot on a person’s mind, or they’re having a hard time for some reason you don’t know about. All of us have responded to people in this way at some point, and it’s nothing against you personally. On a better day, you might have a nice conversation with this person. It could still be AWESOME!

They are rude to you—okay. That was a little unpleasant, sure. But that’s their problem, not yours. The upside is that now you know this person is a downer, and you can be sure not to waste any more time on them. Their loss. And you’re still AWESOME!

So don’t be afraid to talk to people! You have so much to gain and nothing to lose. 

FIND YOUR PASSION

Live it. Love it. Share it.

TAKE YOUR OWN ADVICE

If you are like me, you are generally much kinder to your friends than you are to yourself. Would you let your friend walk across campus alone late at night? No! You would force them to call ACES. But when the sun goes down and you need to get home by yourself, you think: “I’ll (probably) be fine.” Should you really do something under the same circumstances you wouldn’t allow your friend to do it? NO!

You care about your friends, and you try to help them make the best decisions possible. So why don’t you treat yourself with the same affection? Your friends can’t be with you 24/7, so you need to be a friend to yourself. 

TO SUMMARIZE....

You are awesome and deserve nothing but the best. 

Also, DON'T WALK ALONE IN THE DARK! JUST DON'T!

All my love, 

Mother Ginger

Harping Hands

Yes, they are skilled in making music on a 47-stringed instrument. But the “harping” I want to talk about is the argument my hands are making. 

If you have been hovering outside of my practice room lately, you may think the argument my hands are making is the angry-sounding passage in the Hindemith Harp Sonata I’m learning.

Not quite.

You would be right to think that the music made by my hands could be an argument. I believe that music is powerful enough to assume a life independent of the performer. The music is its own argument, and it is an argument of infinite possibilities—too broad for me to appropriately address here.

So what are my hands arguing?

You will notice that my hands are quite small. My petite hands are practically shouting:

“Hey world! Clearly, I can’t cause too much harm to anyone. And if I’m this small, the rest of me probably won’t be very strong, so physical labor is out of the question. Maybe I could be more useful at something that requires a little more finesse?”

The mere size of my hands advertise my non-threatening nature and suggest the kind of activities I might be well-suited towards—the fine arts.

My commitment to the arts, specifically the harp, is argued by my hands as well. As seen in the picture above, I have extremely short fingernails. This is characteristic of a serious harpist. You may also observe the blisters on my fingers. These blisters are the result of diligent practice (although sometimes all it takes is a loud glissando) and will soon toughen up to form calluses. The physical qualities of my hands confirm that I am harpist, but they also suggest a bit more. What kind of harpist? The kind of harpist who applies maximum effort. My hands argue that I am a hard worker, ready to meet any challenge.

Know this before I reach my last argument. The hands of a harpist bring beauty, comfort, and inspiration to the world. I hope we can agree that these are all good things. It is evident that my hands are particularly suited to bringing these good things into the world. If my hands’ skills for music is utilized to bring goodness to others, I think it is the greatest thing they can do for the good of mankind.

Now, the most important argument my hands make:

If my small, beat-up hands are capable of making wonderful things happen, so are the hands of everyone else.

Look down. You have hands, too!

In fact, your hands are probably bigger than mine, stronger. Or maybe they are smaller, capable of the utmost precision. It takes hands of all types to make the world turn. Your hands—and you—have a purpose in this world. You have the power to make a difference.

So now you have to ask yourself: what are your hands arguing?

Are you listening?