Reading Response Five

Mary Jordan Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis
1. Jack Smith was obsessed with Maria Montez because she was the ultimate diva of her time. She wasn't know as an especially great actress, but to many others she represented something much more than an actress. She was a major icon in the gay community and because of her presence on screen, she became the idolization of drag queens. This makes sense when one views scene's from Cobra Woman, especially the scene where she commanding a huge crowd around her. She is walking around on stage in a glorious glittery dress and everyone below her is cheering as she commands them with her arms. This scene helped me understand Smith's obsession with her, and why he named Mario Montez after her.

2. During this time the art community gave the people something to live through. In the past films had been conservative, but with this new era, people were witnessing things on screen that they'd never seen, or been allowed to see. In the 60s, filmmakers like Smith allowed people to stop conforming, a spiritual awakening. White literally used trash from dumpsters to make his films.

3. Flaming Creatures was banned all over the country and it causes controversy between Jonas Mekas and Smith. Mekas used Smith's film to defend avant-garde films and fight censorship. Smith resented Mekas for this because he never wanted his film to be a symbol of defiance. Mekas made money from Smith's film, money that should've been Smith's. The saying "lobsterism," which means taking something for yourself came from this controversy.

4. John Zorn argues that the actual filmming of Normal Love should've been the film. It is argued that Smith opened the door to this whole new way of looking at things, this whole new way of filmmaking, and Warhol and other filmmakers wouldn't have been able to create without him. He himself states that what he made was "real magic"; his films were more real than documentaries. It seems Smith was in it for the right reasons, to put it simply.

5. Smith was arguably more true to himself than Warhol. Andy Warhol was a more commercial than Smith. He was "part of the club" whereas Smith was in a league (and universe) of his own. Andy owes all his famous followers to Smith, who made them superstars to begin with. Jack and Andy clashed because Jack wanted to have control, but Andy collaborated with him in order to stay on people's good sides. Jack resented Warhol because Andy was a capitalistic artist, a manufacturer. Jack felt that those two couldn't go hand in hand; he looked down upon artists who sacrificed their personal visions for popular aesthetics. He wasn't against making money, but he was against what filmmaker's like Warhol were willing to give up in order to do so.

6. Jack decided that if he didn't make any more masterpieces, no one could take them for themselves. In order for a film to remain truly his, he was going to have to go with it everywhere. Jack did everything himself: editing, playing the music at the viewings, etc. It was all him. He even spliced Normal Life live. This way, he resisted commodification and the film was all his, no products, just art.