Reviews for Popular Front Paris and the Poetics of Culture

The average rating for Popular Front Paris and the Poetics of Culture based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2011-02-06 00:00:00 James Matras OK, this is one of those books that I can't put down. It is filled with kick-ass essays analyzing the movie Crash. It is taking me much deeper than I had been before. I was recently in a discussion of Crash with my anti-racism group, and I wish I had read this first - it would have changed how I participated in the discussion. Bottom line argument of all essays so far? That the ultimate message of Crash (and let me remind you it was written and directed by 2 white men) is that it reinforces the liberal message that whites love to hear: everybody is racist. Racism is everywhere and no where. It isn't located in the society, or in institutions, or in policies, laws or practices. It isn't a multi-layered system that privileges whites over people of color. Its just a natural "feeling", located in individuals, randomly emerging at unexpected times. So heck, what can you do? And becuase that is the message, Crash reinforces, rather than challenges racism. Of course the fact that it is so popular among whites and was so highly regarded by whites is a major tip-off that its reinscribing an important white ideology. But these writers REALLY LAY IT OUT.

Review # 2 was written on 2015-10-18 00:00:00 Carol Ace so, i attended a panel discussion that included a couple of contributors to this book at a critical race theory conference at my school. it was pretty amazing. one of their main arguments included an analysis of how the movie "crash" functions to perpetuate the idea that we all now somehow live in a "post-racial" society, one that places accountability for race-based oppression "equally" on everyone, but one that nevertheless offers opportunities for "redemption" solely to folks with white privilege. hence the reason that white liberal folks have jumped up and down about this movie, claiming that it is such a "great way to 'start' the conversation on race." and--case in point--it won the academy award for best picture! (i mean if watching "crash" absolves white people of responsibility for white supremacy, then no shit it won best picture...) i have yet to watch this movie, but i know a lot of folks who have expressed how harmful it is. perhaps i'll read this book first. and then perhaps i still won't watch the movie.