Lazy Mutha Fucka (LMF) – The Rebellious Band

Lazy Mutha Fucka – a Cantonese hip-hop group in Hong Kong that was in the most prominent peak in the 90s is one of my beloved bands. Actually, my prime impression to rock music was derived from LMF’s songs when I studied social science last year. Before studying this subject, I only enjoy listening the mainstream music; however, I was fully addicted to LMF’s afterward. I love their music not only because of the glamorous vocals and the enchanting melodies, but also the message behind. I started to treat LMP as my idols and their songs accompanied me throughout these two years.

LMP expressed aloofness, transgression and rebellion in both their fashions and in their songs. They dress like a punk, their rough appearance that contrasted the normally well-dressed and clean-cut performers in the music industry.

In contrast with the norm of commercialized and packaged Cantopop in 90s, LMF wrote and performed their original music. All members of the group hailed from poverty and their songs often depict life and struggle in the underclass and working class; which created a lot of controversies due to the cursing and the subject matter.

LMF highlights the economic oppression and social alienation faced by the lower class of Hong Kong, all coming from Hong Kong's overcrowded public housing.

Among all their album, the album《揸緊中指》, which published in 1996 was the pieces that most impress me. The songs in 《揸緊中指》 contained vary transgressive content such as foul language and political satire. LMF performed the songs in an alienated, wild and illusory manner. Despite the offensive lyrics and flavor, I found the album truly aesthetic as the emotions involved in the songs were perfectly expressed. This album as the site of hegemony and resistance as the name of the album“中指” represent a vulgar gesture and the pronunciation of “中指” sound as “宗旨” in Chinese. Through the album, LMF want to arouse public awareness and realize the dark side of our society. My favorite song in LMF was《數治時代》. To my cognition and interpretation, the song was telling the story about the dark face of the times and a tough living situation that we are living. Also, they criticize the injustice in the society. The following is the lyrics:

戰爭 最開心係軍火商
猛製造火槍
不斷將勢力去擴張
你死你事極權統治
點解個世界小撮人話晒事？
嗱依家
大懶堂就摑佢一巴
仆街啦 你班人渣
Mother fucking Liar I am on fire印銀紙大晒呀？
搶石油仲跟手摧毀人個家
罪行有排計
生豬肉 你最叻「砌」
製造更多問題 將真相過濾封閉
你嘅詭計 無可能得逞
因為大部份人都經已甦醒
我肯定要時刻保持清醒
拎出最有力證據將你指證
傾都費事同我慳啲
無知嘅國王再一次換上新衣
＊創造者 統治者 歷史為騙子寫
騙局世界 邊個作到最大
征服者 毀滅者 獨裁者
借歪！
恐怖世界 邊個未被嚇壞
創造者 統治者 政治由「騙」字寫
荒誕世界 一步一步變態
征服者 毀滅者 獨裁者
借歪！
極端世界 最終被極端打敗！
第一件事
打爆部電視
燒晒啲報紙狗屎用股票墊住
發生乜嘢事
呢處邊個生事
放大啲乜嘢事
邊個佔邊個便宜
多數征服小數多數靠欺凌
小數征服多數多數靠欺騙
為安全起見 最早放定一條死線
最保險建議用恐懼扣幾個零
要統治好易
要捧住好大堆數字
正正是無人正視
更無人會訴諸正義
表面上向大眾宣揚到好民主
背後咪又係匿埋一處數銀紙
一次一次無理智武器既比試
恐怖主義用恐怖手段處置
極權統治最終邊個話事
人類當棋子佢哋操控期指股市
金融風暴一小撮人當道
每次有事你都走到你既秘密通道
遍佈太多圈套
世界走到最終得到 係咪就咁算數
一個意志 幾種能源 百貨洋行 千條頻道
萬個客戶 億個奴才 一次戰爭 一切玩完
設身處地
如果大家手無寸鐵
勝利一定屬於下面
我哋 一早已經放棄武器
而你哋 只不過一部機器 

Though the lyrics contained foul language that was oppositional, but I think《數治時代》 is definitely artistic. I could fully grasp the feeling of oppression and helplessness towards the society when the lyrics 「創造者 統治者 歷史為騙子寫
騙局世界 邊個作到最大」「荒誕世界 一步一步變態」repeatedly get into my ears. 

The LMF is really a brilliant band and I strongly recommend you to listen to the song 《揸緊中指》and《數治時代》. I am sure that you will get a special and unprecedented experience when you listen to LMF’s music.

《數治時代》

《揸緊中指》

Olympus Has Fallen

Recently, I watch a movie called “Olympus Has Fallen” which can embody the concept of Orientalism. The film is about when the White House (Olympus) is captured by a terrorist mastermind and the President is kidnapped, disgraced former Presidential guard Mike Banning finds himself trapped within the building. As the national security team scrambles to respond, they are forced to rely on Banning¹s inside knowledge to help retake the White House, save the President, and avert an even bigger crisis.

In popular culture, images of the East are constructed with reference to these biased understanding on the people in the East. According to Said, Orientalism is “A style of thought based upon an ontological and epistemological distinction made between ‘the Orient’ and (most of the time) ‘the Occident’”. In brief, it is a way to clarify the different between the Orient and the Occident. Even to imply that the Occident is superior to the Orient and the Orient have to obey the Occident. Said also said Orientalism as “a Western style for dominating, restructuring, and having authority over the Orient”. It is clearer to show that the different position between the Orient and the Occident. The Occident has authority to dominate and to construct the Orient.

Besides, Said employed Michel Fourcault’s opinion of a discourse to identify Orientalism. He thought that discourse is important in Orientalism. Under discourse, the European culture was able to manage even produce the largely systematic discipline of the Orient. Therefore, because of the Orientalism, the Orient is constructed and created by the Occident. It is under the Occident’s control and is not a free subject of thought or action.

In filming industry, Orientalism can be defined as heroism, image of oriental and image of orient. Actually, in Hollywood’s movies, the status of the Occidental is always superior to the Oriental. The Protagonist usually played by the Westerners and the subordinate role Played by the Easterners.

Also, the role of the Western actors or actresses always set with positive images; however, the role the Eastern actors or actresses set with negative images.

First, the theme of the film, “Olympus Has Fallen”, is about the former Presidential guard Mike Banning need to stop a plot to assassinate the President and his son by a group of the North Korean terrorist. Here, we can find that the protagonist, Mike Banning, is acted by Gerard James Butler, the Westerner. However, the Easterners only acted some subordinates role, such as the head of the terrorist, the killers and so on. (i. e. Rick Yune as Kang Yeonsak, a North Korean terrorist who disguises himself as a South Korean ministerial aide) The director designed the Westerner as the role of saver, and the Easterners as the one who is a terrorist. From this, it showed the status of the Occidental is superior to the oriental which able to save the others.

The image of the Easterners and the Westerners in this film it totally difference. The group of North Korean terrorist described as an evil that is crafty and wanted by the world. However, Mike Banning described as a representation of justice who is braveness, intelligence and responsibility. Although the Easterners captured the White House and killed lots of the Westerners at first, they arrested and subdued by the Westerners eventually.

Actually, Hollywood has many similar orientalized movies to draw every years and each of them has a good box office. In this sense, more and more people, or even the Easterners addicted to these orientalized movies as they believed that these kinds of movies is full of excitement, innervation and tension. However, we should realize that do not accepted the wrong imagination from occident in underlying logic and pattern unconsciously during watching the film. If not, the Orientalism is not longer produced by occident only, but also ourselves which is called self-Orientalism.

Trailer of the film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwx1f0kyNwI

 

Painting of Paweł Kuczyński

Here is a painting from Paweł Kuczyński which shared in Facebook. And I think this painting can illustrate the Barthes’ analysis on the orders of signification completely.

According to the Barthes’ analysis on the orders of signification, there should be two level of signification, and there are denotation and connotation.

The primary level is a descriptive level called “denotation” which usually signifies the literal meaning of the sign. The meaning in this level usually simple and basic, therefore, wide and most people would agree on the meaning.

First order Signification (Denotation)

And the secondary level is a conceptual level called “connotation”, which operates within the ideological terrain of society, including some general beliefs, conceptual frameworks and value system of society. The meaning in this level usually use Use “the wider semantic fields of our culture”

Second order Signification (Connotation)

However, I realized that the distinction between denotation and connotation is somewhat arbitrary as there is no solid empirical validation presented. Different people can have different interpretations towards this painting.