[...]ose


on Sa'edi’ short lss="trms">story “Dandil” <lgc clss='lgc'>[lgc><lgc clss='lgc'><lgc clss='lgc'>--lgc>>lgc> grotesque cultural dislss="trms">affection of the masses within Sa'edi's Dandil<lgc clss='lgc'>]lgc>
lss="prgrph">-depicting the lss="trms">horrors of daily life within a semicolonized atmosphere of a red-light district of a northern lss="nms">Iranian city
lss="prgrph">-there is an imagery of closure and suffocation
(Sa'edi revealing<lgc clss='lgc'>:lgc>) the lss="trms">material despair of a colonial condition leading (in high speed) to the entropy of cultural-individual ethics
under the overwhelming weight of tangible misery
<lgc clss='lgc'>--lgc>cognize<lgc clss='lgc'><lgc clss='lgc'>--lgc>>lgc> the immediate lss="trms">material urgency of the third lss="trms">world subject
(Dandilian gathering around to watch the taking of the picture <lgc clss='lgc'><lgc clss='lgc'>--lgc>>lgc>) the third lss="trms">world subject has assumed the lss="trms">schizophrenic role of a voyeur himself, lss="trms">spectating his own lss="trms">literal-lss="trms">symbolic rape but not fully understanding it as such, while the real lss="trms">agent of power remains camouflaged in semi-invisibility
(l clss="ppl">Mohagheghl><lgc clss='lgc'>:lgc>) the ideological content of Dandil stands lss='thdf'>the notion that the lss="trms">technological advancement of the western lss="trms">world has turned the peripheral individual into its unknowing accomplice همدست, a vital participant in the abuse and mutilation of his own locality
(a Dandilian policemen remarking<lgc clss='lgc'>:lgc>) “They <lgc clss='lgc'>[lgc>westerns<lgc clss='lgc'>]lgc> are not beggers like us. they all have private cars. their whores spend four or five hours a day just playing around in the beauty shops.” <lgc clss='lgc'><lgc clss='lgc'>--lgc>>lgc> for Sa'edi that is the pathological fantasy endemic to the inner workings of a colonized mind. the third lss="trms">world subject perceiving itself as the negational instantiation of occidental greatness <lgc clss='lgc'>==>lgc> swallowing down the civilizational hierarchies of its oppressor's self-projecting image

<lrg clss="large lg2" stl="font-size:112%"> (preparing for the coming of rapist colonizer) the Dandilians rush to make the Madame's house clean and tidy<lgc clss='lgc'>:lgc> “<lgc clss='lgc'>[lgc>...<lgc clss='lgc'>]lgc>the curtains had been drawn aside. Pots of geranium had been placed on the wall and beside the steps<lgc clss='lgc'>[lgc>...<lgc clss='lgc'>]lgc>” <lgc clss='lgc'><lgc clss='lgc'>~lgc>->lgc> l clss="ppl">Baudrillardl>'s theory of simulation <lgc clss='lgc'>:lgc> the Dandilian lss="trms">presenting to the colonizer a Disneyland, ls clss='strcls'>*ls>a play of illusions and phantasmsls clss='strcls'>*ls> <lgc clss='lgc'>[lgc><lgc clss='lgc'><lgc clss='lgc'>~lgc>->lgc>lss='qstn'>? Dubai<lgc clss='lgc'>:lgc> self-affirmation via the domination of the constructed other<lgc clss='lgc'>]lgc>

(the american officer leaves the next morning with a mocking lss="trms">laughter and he refuses to play and the Dandilians can't do anything)<lgc clss='lgc'><lgc clss='lgc'>--lgc>>lgc> the civilizational dichotomy remains intact in spite of the horrifying events that have transpired, with the trafficked deflowered lss="trms">child serving as a lss="trms">lss="trms"nttrm="metaph,metamorph,metabol,metal">metaphor for the cultural-political mistreatment of the third lss="trms">world under colonial rule
lrg>


on Akhavan's “Adamak” (“Stick-Figure”) <lgc clss='lgc'>[lgc><lgc clss='lgc'><lgc clss='lgc'>--lgc>>lgc> lss="trms">historical treachery committed within Akhavan's nostalgic Stick-Figure<lgc clss='lgc'>]lgc>
demonization of the television's arrival
lss="prgrph">-television as a “magical box” an artificial lss="trms">phenomenon that “entrances” its audience
again lss='thdf'>the idea of authenticity is largely emphasized here, as the television is perceived as a “foreign” entity and therefore an enemy to the millennial lss="trms">history of the province
new medium <lgc clss='lgc'>=/=lgc> indigenous modes of lss="trms">communication/expression (of which the roving lss="trms">storyteller is the ultimate instantiation)
(poignancy of the) lss="trms">poet's lss="trms">anthropolss="trms">morphic profile of the new lss="trms">technologically oriented media
lss="prgrph">-Akhavan's relss="trms">presentation lss="trms">symbolizes the lss="trms">storyteller himself, lamenting his own erasure from the moment of the now (or it is his prophecy for the imminent destruction of the new media in the coming islamic regimelss='qstn'>?)
<lgc clss='lgc'><lgc clss='lgc'>--lgc>>lgc> lss="trms">aesthetic testament to the possibility for a third lss="trms">world revolutionary lss="trms">imagination to emerge from the ruins of the colonial era <lgc clss='lgc'>[lgc>, ls clss='strcls'>*ls>from the ruins of the empirels clss='strcls'>*ls><lgc clss='lgc'>]lgc>
<lgc clss='lgc'><lgc clss='lgc'>--lgc>>lgc> relss="trms">presenting the third lss="trms">world as in a state of complete existential-cultural atrophy (tahlil تحليل رفتن) lss='at'>@lss="frds scrmbld">Hoda

ls clss='strcls'>**ls>anticolonial lss="trms">literature reaffirms the all-encompassing grasp of lss="trms">modernity over peripheral subjectivity <lgc clss='lgc'>[lgc><lgc clss='lgc'><lgc clss='lgc'>--lgc>>lgc> marginal leader (Mamitua Saber's Marginal lss='trgt hghlght 1'href='?q=L'>Leadership in a Culture Contact lss="trms">Situation)<lgc clss='lgc'>]lgc>

(l clss="ppl">Mohagheghl> > Huyssen on l clss="ppl">Baudrillardl><lgc clss='lgc'>:lgc>)
l clss="ppl">Baudrillardl>'s notion of the ls clss='strcls'>*ls>silent massls clss='strcls'>*ls> of the lss="trms">spectators disables any analysis of ls clss='strcls'>*ls>heterogeneous subject lss="trms">position in the act of receptionls clss='strcls'>*ls> lss='at'>@lss="frds scrmbld">lss='trgt hghlght 1'href='?q=L'>Laura
any economic or institutional analysis of lss="trms">apparatuses of image production is rendered obsolete by l clss="ppl">Baudrillardl>'s notion of an almost self-generating and monolithic machinary of image production <lgc clss='lgc'>[lgc>...<lgc clss='lgc'>]lgc> (<lgc clss='lgc'><<lgc clss='lgc'>--lgc>lgc> lss="frds scrmbld">lss='trgt hghlght 1'href='?q=L'>Laura should be very aware of this)
l clss="ppl">Baudrillardl>'s lss="trms">society of simulation does not allow for such distinctions ... simulation, after all, may simply be the latest version of the ideology of the end of ideology
<lgc clss='lgc'>}lgc><lgc clss='lgc'><lgc clss='lgc'>--lgc>>lgc> part of the theoretical lss="trms">apparatus of ls clss='strcls'>*ls>anticolonial ideologyls clss='strcls'>*ls>
one immediate dlss="trms"nttrm="danger,stranger">anger of this approach is that it recklessly dismisses anything aslss="trms">sociated with the other side of the binary (of West/East, self/other, first-lss="trms">world/third-lss="trms">world, lss="trms">modern/prelss="trms">modern, etc.) <lgc clss='lgc'>==>lgc> overlook the subversive utility and democratic accessibility of certain lss="trms">technological innovation <lgc clss='lgc'><lgc clss='lgc'>--lgc>>lgc> evident in Shariati's ultra-atavistic endorsement for an lss="trms">aesthetic tradition<lgc clss='lgc'>:lgc> “intrusion of the machine into the humna-half may go so far as to paralyze man; it destroys creativity. lss="trms">imagine a type-lss="trms">written page that can be imposed upon millions of people, while before the advent of the typelss="trms">writer everyone was free to use his creativity to the utmost in calligraphy” <lgc clss='lgc'>--lgc>l clss="ppl">Mohagheghl><lgc clss='lgc'><lgc clss='lgc'>--lgc>>lgc> it is not reflecting on the lss="trms">historical reality that the exercise of calligraphy was always linked to a feudalss="trms"nttrm="listen,alist,ilist,llist,olist,ylist,ulist">list class structure, and often exlss="trms">lss="trms"nttrm="cluster,club">clusively to the confines of the palace court, whereas the printed word open to a more widesplss="trms"nttrm="already,spread">read audience independent of lss="trms">material status
<lgc clss='lgc'><lgc clss='lgc'>--lgc>>lgc> anticolonial ideology <lgc clss='lgc'>==>lgc>
<lsts clss="lsts lst1">•carries out the prelss="trms">supposed will of lss="trms">modernity by homogenizing its very own constituency, diminishing any possibility for individual initiative or insubordination
lsts> <lsts clss="lsts lst1">•prelss="trms"nttrm="cluster,club">cludes the advent of outsider radicalism independent of some lss="trms">religio-civilizational confrontation with lss="trms">modernity
lsts> <lgc clss='lgc'><lgc clss='lgc'>--lgc>>lgc> “there can be only one diagnosis <lgc clss='lgc'>==>lgc> only one elixir” <lgc clss='lgc'>==>lgc> produce an antidote that is equally colossal in scope, shape, and execution

<lgc clss='lgc'>}lgc><lgc clss='lgc'>==>lgc> ls clss='strcls'>***ls>the local is no longer accepted by anticolonial ideology as a worthwhile site of contestationls clss='strcls'>***ls>

<lgc clss='lgc'>}lgc><lgc clss='lgc'><lgc clss='lgc'>--lgc>>lgc> (Sa'edi <lgc clss='lgc'>+lgc> Akhavan <lgc clss='lgc'>+lgc> ...) <lgc clss='lgc'><lgc clss='lgc'><lgc clss='lgc'>ld>~ld>lgc>=lgc>>lgc> ls clss='strcls'>*ls>messianic defenderls clss='strcls'>*ls> of the national lss="trms">history <lgc clss='lgc'>:lgc> the sole harbinger جلودار of a ls clss='strcls'>*ls>return to the realls clss='strcls'>*ls> ☠ <lgc clss='lgc'>[lgc><lgc clss='lgc'>=/=lgc> cheerleader<lgc clss='lgc'>]lgc>

            _,-<lgc clss='lgc'>+lgc>-._
         .-’       ‘’-._
        /               \
       ‘        <lgc clss='lgc'>~lgc>.       \
      /    <lgc clss='lgc'>~lgc>`’    ) .=” , )
     |           I (   <lgc clss='lgc'>~lgc> (
     \        ‘"”   `='  <lgc clss='lgc'>+lgc>
      `.,_   `”;:lss='trgt hghlght 1'href='?q=L'>L0Ve’   ls clss='strcls'>*ls>’
          `<lgc clss='lgc'>~lgc>'<lgc clss='lgc'>~lgc>.’  )_Y_0_U!\


ls clss='strcls'>*ls>disease becomes temporary curels clss='strcls'>*ls> (<lgc clss='lgc'><lgc clss='lgc'>--lgc>>lgc> practiced by Al Ahmad, Shariati, artists <lgc clss='lgc'>[lgc>as irony and with the always problematic conception of the “masses” توده مردم mardom<lgc clss='lgc'>]lgc><lgc clss='lgc'>:lgc>)
“<lgc clss='lgc'>[lgc>let's<lgc clss='lgc'>]lgc> re-employ the same reactionary elements in order to stir the masses, to restore awareness, and to fight superstition”
<lgc clss='lgc'>[lgc>still very common within critically-minded humanist lss="trms">social lss="trms">science schollar artists is the tendency to use critical theory (as diverse as it is) ls clss='strcls'>*ls>to lss="trms">interrogate realityls clss='strcls'>*ls>
for us (<lgc clss='lgc'>[lgc>left inlss="trms">heritance<lgc clss='lgc'>]lgc> as postcolonialss="trms"nttrm="listen,alist,ilist,llist,olist,ylist,ulist">list, feminist, or biopolitician) the modus operandi of critical theory is to derealize, is to say<lgc clss='lgc'>:lgc> “this is an expression of paar.” “this is discursive formation.” “this is lss="trms">material assembly of objects.” <lgc clss='lgc'><lgc clss='lgc'>ld>~ld>lgc>=lgc> (an attempt to say) “this isn't real.” <lgc clss='lgc'><<lgc clss='lgc'>--lgc>lgc> this has been essentially a really powerful force and set of political strategies of the left lss='at'>@lss="nms">apass; this modus operandi is a killer blow for climate change from a leftist perspective (because the climate change is very real) (<lgc clss='lgc'>=/=lgc> speculative realism)<lgc clss='lgc'>]lgc>

Khomeini's cassette-tape revolution (radio medium infused with anticolonial propaganda) delss="trms">monstrates the insufficiency of l clss="ppl">Benjaminl>'s stance that “mechanical reproduction of art changes the reaction of the masses toward art...”
the lss="trms">symbolic fury of Khomeini's voice is only magnified in its cult-value through its translss="trms">mission over the air waves, testifying more to Maclss='trgt hghlght 1'href='?q=L'>Luhan's lss="trms">interpretation of the persuasive impact of radio
<lgc clss='lgc'><lgc clss='lgc'>--lgc>>lgc> lss="trms">technological media in lss="nms">iranian anticolonialism does not elicit the democratizing effect anticipated by l clss="ppl">Benjaminl>


from<lgc clss='lgc'><lgc clss='lgc'>--lgc>>lgc> lss="trms">lss="trms"nttrm="metaph,metamorph,metabol,metal">metaphysical awe <lgc clss='lgc'>--lgc>to<lgc clss='lgc'><lgc clss='lgc'>--lgc>>lgc> banalized lss="trms">horror

each year the islamic republic itself reenacts the arrival of the Khomeini in lss="nms">tehran airport through a procession of myriad cardboard lss="trms">interact and converse with these mock-images of the imam in a kind of makeshift, state-run passion play



post 1979 lss="nms">iranian cinematic renaissance
<lsts clss="lsts lst1">•medium of film achieved in the decolonized space
lsts> <lsts clss="lsts lst1">•hooked into the contemporaneity of the localized apocalyptic (inlss="trms">finitesimal becomings)
lsts> <lsts clss="lsts lst1">•lss="trms">present as close an lss="trms">interpretation of the unthinkable strangeness of reality as possible
lsts> <lsts clss="lsts lst1">•on an ongolsts>[...]