We established that through Marx’s theory of alienated labor that because of capitalist logic we are alienated from multiple things. The one that I will be focusing on is the alienation from ourselves. Through “alienation from ourselves”, Marx means that we are alienated from our true essence because we are the farthest from who we truly are when we work. In class, Dr. J put it like this: “When humans are free in leisure, we revert to animal functions, while when humans partake in human functions (work) we revert to acting like animals.” As working humans, we are not only physically exhausted but also mentally exhausted, and we are never truly ourselves.
When we learned that part of Marx’s alienated labor theory, I was wondering about the scene of professional ballerinas. Professional ballet dancers face many physical and psychological disorders because of their eating disorders. For those of you who have seen the movie, “The Black Swan”- that is the type of lifestyle I am thinking of. Most professional ballerinas face a lot of anorexia and bulimia related disorders. Many of the ballet dancers want to get a place as a principal ballerina in the company they are in, like in “Black Swan.” This dream literally leads them to insanity.
In an article analyzing the reality behind the movie, “The Black Swan,” here is a part of the analysis by Carlin Flora:
“But classical dance in particular seems to harbor more pain than gain. One recent study found that high-level ballet training is associated with "late onset of menarche, menstrual disorders, lower weight and height development, and abnormal feeding disorders." And as for eating disorders, another study found that it's not just the pressure to be thin per se that makes ballerinas susceptible, it's the interaction between that pressure and their personalities, which tend toward perfectionism and neuroticism--hallmarks of anorexia.”
From: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brainstorm/201012/black-swan-art-and-madness
These professional ballerinas do this as their career. Marx would claim that the ballet dancers are forced to be like this and deal with the mental and physical strain of their job because of the capitalist logic. Thus, the dancers are not themselves when they are at work.
Capitalist logic’s alienation from ourselves is dangerous factor. Thus, I do not understand how these professional ballerinas can ever be themselves if the mental and physically exhaustion is a permanent state that carries over even after work hours.
Do you think that professional ballerinas can ever truly be themselves if the mental and physical exhaustion that they experience as a result of alienated labor carries over into their “work-free” time?
Manali,
ReplyDeleteThis is a fantastic blog post. To answer your question, no, I don't believe that they can ever be themselves. I do believe that they can "be themselves in the mode of not being it" (if we were talking about Sartre). If it is the case that, while not performing, they are still living a lifestyle in which the primary goal is to become a better ballerina and so all efforts are geared toward this goal, then they are not truly being themselves. It seems as if their minds are bound by their labor. This reminds me of the "work" of professional singers and entertainers. Take Beyonce for example. She says that when she is on stage she is no longer Beyonce but she is a completely different person. It is as if something takes over her. This is a perfect example of the "alienation from ourselves." Furthermore, with famous singers, their lives are always in the spotlight, so that they have to kind of uphold a certain image that is not representative of who they really are, but portrays their "work selves." So, I don't really think that it's possible for people with professions that are as demanding as these to simply lay down their work behaviors and function as solely themselves in their free time...and it's kind of sad when you think about it.
Ivy, thanks for your comment! I really liked your link between ballerina and professional entertainers. I think it is a very correct connection to make. You are right to think that if these performers were to claim that they were being themsevles then it would be in bad faith. You introduced the term "work selves" which I think is a great term to use in this context because unfortunately these professional performers will always be stuck as their work selves and will never be able to truly to be themselves; their work selves are who they have to be in their free time as well. I do agree that it is definitely sad to think about.
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