[Vwoolf] staging female author suicides

Wed Jun 19 14:22:37 EDT 2013

Perhaps some of you were able to see the photographs on the VICE website
before they were taken down. I had only been able to find a few out of
context (without captions), and so reserved my response until I could get a
copy of the print edition, which I have now done. I think I am somewhat
informed now to discuss it.

Purely aesthetically, I would like to say that these are beautifully
arranged and photographed images. They are dramatic, and evocative. They do
not seem to me exploitative, or at least not in a way that is inconsistent
with any other contemporary art.

Most importantly they are depictions of tragic events, with any narrative
enforced only by the small caption stating the subject and a brief line
about their death. For example, for Woolf the caption reads:

VIRGINIA WOOLF, 59
> *Born: January 25, 1882
> **(London, England)
> **Died: March 28, 1941
> **(Lewes, England)
> **Cause of death: drowning*

 Kimberly, you had said the spread is being used to sell fashion. This is
really not the case. Although this series is indexed in the magazine under
"Fashion", I think that is an incredibly subjective term, and the general
intention of the magazine needs to be considered. This is not a commercial
fashion magazine. The entire tone of VICE is artistic and/or experimental
(I don't know of many other free national publications that devote entire
issues to contemporary fiction). It should not be considered along side
Cosmo and the like.

It seems the primary reason this spread bothers most of you is that the
clothing designers are specifically credited for the examples of their work
that appear in each photograph. Let me clear up that these credits are
minimal, and provide no information on how or where to buy this clothing.
It is no more an advert than any other credit is an advert of the
contributor. Clothing design is a valid medium of artistic expression, and
it seems to me these designers were credited as artists, just as the
models, stylist, and photographer were. There is nothing explicitly for
sale in these photographs.

Let me put it another way. The clothing we wear, often overlooked, is an
essential part of our existence. Every shirt, dress, or pair of pants you
put on was designed and made by someone. Should a designer of something not
rightfully be credited for their work if the thing they designed is for
sale? Or do you all consider "fashion" too flippant a form to be taken
seriously? Or, conversely, should no one involved in a particularly heavy
subject be credited at the risk of distracting from, or devaluing their own
work? (The film "Apocalypse Now" was originally shown without opening or
closing credits for this reason--but it is a rare instance).

If the distaste is that the images use the theme of suicide as a point of
interest, I am reminded of a recent experience I had. Last year I attended
an exhibit at the New York Public Library that included some Woolf
artifacts. One item was a diary. Another was her walking stick.
Interestingly, the exhibit made particular note that the walking stick
displayed was the one Woolf had with her when she walked into the River
Ouse the day she killed herself. I wonder what additional enticement the
curator felt describing the item by its final use would create. Was the
simple fact that the walking stick was owned by Virginia Woolf not enough?
Was some additional allure manifest in its passive connection to her
suicide? I don't know the answer to this, but I also do not remember anyone
being bothered by it.

Greg

On 18 June 2013 19:55, Jean Mallinson <annaj at telus.net> wrote:

>  I'm glad it was taken down but the apology  shows a failure to grasp jut
> how deeply offensive the whole scheme was. It is a kind of suicide porn and
> suggests a very depraved taste. It made me feel sad and angry.
> Jean
> On 6/18/2013 1:24 PM, Melanie White wrote:
>
>  Apart from VW, the characters in The Hours were fictional, and VW’s
> death was decades ago, whereas Iris Chang’s family and loved ones probably
> are still very much processing their grief over her suicide. The image of
> her was breathtakingly insensitive and offensive to me for that reason. **
> **
>
> ** **
>
> *From:* vwoolf-bounces at lists.service.ohio-state.edu [
> mailto:vwoolf-bounces at lists.service.ohio-state.edu<vwoolf-bounces at lists.service.ohio-state.edu>]
> *On Behalf Of *Kimberly Coates
>
> *Sent:* Tuesday, June 18, 2013 12:27 PM
> *To:* Gregory Jordan Dekter; Anne Margaret Daniel
> *Cc:* vwoolf at lists.service.ohio-state.edu
>
> *Subject:* Re: [Vwoolf] staging female author suicides****
>
>  ** **
>
> Greg:****
>
> ** **
>
> There is no comparison. The VICE spread is using suicide to sell fashion
> and in doing so it glamorizes and aestheticizes female bodies in pain. It
> also takes our attention far away from the amazing work all of these women
> accomplished. You would think that in an issue announcing itself as
> covering Women's Fiction that the work would be their concern. Whatever you
> want to say about Michael Cunningham and/or the film version of his novel
> The Hours, he isn't guilty of promoting suicide to sell shoes and vintage
> attire!****
>
> ** **
>
> Kim****
>
> ** **
>
> Kimberly Coates, Ph.D.****
>
> Associate Professor of English****
>
> Affiliate Faculty Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies/American Culture
> Studies****
>
> Bowling Green State University****
>
> Bowling Green, OH 43403****
>
> Office Phone: 419-372-9189****
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> *From: *Gregory Jordan Dekter <jdekter at gmail.com>
> *Date: *Tuesday, June 18, 2013 3:08 PM
> *To: *Anne Margaret Daniel <daniela at newschool.edu>
> *Cc: *"vwoolf at lists.service.ohio-state.edu" <
> vwoolf at lists.service.ohio-state.edu>
> *Subject: *Re: [Vwoolf] staging female author suicides****
>
> ** **
>
> I'm just wondering of those who oppose this, are you equally offended by
> the portrayal of the same event in "The Hours"?****
>
> On 18 June 2013 15:03, Anne Margaret Daniel <daniela at newschool.edu> wrote:
> ****
>
> VICE has removed the online photos, not apologizing very much ("to anyone
> who was hurt or offended") and stating, defensively, that their "main goal
> is to create artful images, with the fashion message following, rather than
> leading."  Taken down online, but still in print.    ****
>
> Here is the Vice statement:
> http://www.vice.com/read/last-words-000741-v20n6****
>
> And here, still online at Inquisitr, is the photo of the model portraying
> Woolf, standing in water and holding a large stone.  No words for it,
> really.****
>
> http://www.inquisitr.com/793059/vices-suicide-fashion-apology/****
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> On Tue, Jun 18, 2013 at 1:59 PM, Melanie White <melanie.white at comcast.net>
> wrote:****
>
>
> http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/06/18/193014174/book-news-vice-draws-ire-by-staging-female-author-suicides?utm_source&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=20130617
> ****
>
>  ****
>
> Someone said this has been taken down now. ****
>
>
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> ****
>
> ** **
>
> -- ****
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> Best,****
>
> AMDaniel****
>
> www.annemargaretdaniel.com****
>
> ** **
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