Remember my friend Bennett? The one who inspired my first photo journal entry of the clock tower because it reminded me of Big Ben? So the other day I asked him, “Bennett, am I too cynical for my age?” He responded, “Zohar, we’re the same age. I think you’re just too cynical in general.”
Yeah, so I am…and I’m working on it, okay? But for now, my cynicism affects and influences my opinions, and particularly on the “artsy,” often non-conventional works we saw this semester. I like things that are down-to-earth, real, speak from the heart, so it was difficult for me to relate to some of the pieces that were less…standard? Whose main points or messages weren’t as clear on the surface? I guess that’s one way of describing it. I’ll admit, class often helped explain the messages, and I often did gain somewhat of a greater appreciation for them as artistic works, even if I didn’t agree with the method through which that method was expressed. But it was interesting nonetheless.
Anyways, so because of this mindset, I really loved Intringulis. Okay maybe I’m a little biased because Intar liked my post, but honestly, I liked Carlo’s one-man show even before that happened. Nicki and Ebrahim can attest to that. It’s that purity, that simplicity, the heartfelt story that impressed me, and the various methods he used to tell it. The acting, singing, drawing on the board, video clips–all that multi-media made it such an interesting show– I doubt anyone can say he/she was bored. How Carlo connected the elements, guitar comin’ outta nowhere, chalk out of his pocket, I think Ebrahim would call that “magical.” Also, I had never seen a one-man show before, and I was impressed with the abilities one person could have to run an entire show on his own while intriguing and entertaining his audience. It wasn’t anything fancy–low budget, minimum props, but that simplicity just worked so well because he was so honest. And the message was current, relevant, made me feel something–among those feelings, sympathy. It was definitely successful for me as a work, and as a “cynic,” I couldn’t be cynical. Sensible and realistic, you did amazing work, Carlo.
It’s this immigrant view of New York that I find the most truthful, with bits and hints of the post 9/11 views, and the Eden/Inferno ones. The city is a city of immigrants, and even if you were born here, and your parents were born here, and your grandparents were born here, ultimately, one of your ancestors came here from elsewhere. Unless you’re Native American, but that’s a subject for another post. The immigrants–all of us–are the foundations of this great city. In New York City, I would definitely say that it’s the people who make the city, not the other way around. What’s more, the immigrant view is different for each immigrant here, so it allows for unique, individual experiences of the city, all which are correct. The diversity of New York City is reflected in these individual views, and I think that’s what makes our city what it is. September 11th has created new views and shaped our city for the past 10 years, so I think that that view is also truthful now, in our time. Furthermore, NYC as an Eden/Inferno is a view that’s present in our everyday lives; you can see aspects of both sides all over the city (i.e. the glitz and glamour of Upper East Side vs. the poor and homeless sleeping on front stoops). What’s more, immigrants have often been faced with this divide, often because of their expectations vs. reality of the city, so ultimately, I believe it comes back to them, and other views are often secondary to theirs…ours.
Finally, thank you to everyone for the class that it was. I really enjoyed hearing your various opinions; even if I didn’t agree, I found it very interesting and many of you actually changed my opinions on certain things or pieces. I really enjoyed this time we had together and it was a great start to my college career 🙂
