Consumer society – back on the agenda
One of the reasons why the 1960s can be classified as “optimistic” was that they had a clear topic in mind – “consumer society”, and what to do about it. Change seemed possible. Later, the topic turned into “capitalism”. This short essay tells why this was not a good idea. Consumer society – back to […]
Mobbing and drawing
Some pictures revisited Øystein 14.12.20 I was born in 1952. I remember my early school years as bad. I was mobbed, due to living in a non-traditional family. In the 1950s, having a career mother was enough to qualify for deviance from the norm, and parental divorce did not make it better. Later, I paid […]
Glitrende om Dylan og 60-tallet
Jorun Solheim: Shakespeare i smuget, John Grieg forlag. Anmeldt av Øystein Gullvåg Holter, oktober 2020 Jeg tenkte først: dette blir spennende. Så merket jeg, jeg la boka bort. Dette blir for heftig, tenkte jeg. La meg vente til jeg er på hytta, og har tid, fred og ro. I mellomtiden leste jeg meg litt opp. […]
Heavy rock revisited: Mellow at the core of heavy
You might think, at the root of Heavy Rock lies power and chauvinism. Misogyny and male supremacy. Judging from some excess trends in heavy rock, later. With lyrics like “the soul of a woman was created below” (gleefully sung – though not written – by Led Zeppelin on “Dazed and confused”). The truth is different. […]
Den største forbrytelsen?
I et innlegg i Aftenposten impliserer Bernt Hagtvet at Mao var den største forbryteren i det 20. århundret, eller iallfall, at han skapte den største forbrytelsen, ut fra at “Det store spranget” skapte sult og ledet til kanskje 45 – 70 millioner døde. Mer enn noen annen humanitær katastrofe i århundret. https://www.aftenposten.no/meninger/kronikk/i/Op9kWA/et-diktatur-speiler-seg-selv-bernt-hagtvet Hagtvet bygger særlig […]
Corona, class and gender
Author at the Margareta Church ruins, in the Maridalen valley north of Oslo, early March 2020 Blog post written March 16, updated March 22 and April 6, 2020 “There is no such thing as society” – ? The social profile of Covid19 A virus does not have any idea of social class, status, and […]
Harriet Holter on Metoo – long before
Harriet Holter and Erik Grønseth Norwegian and Nordic gender research was often radical and innovative in the 70s and 80s. Erik Grønseth and Harriet Holter were two of the pioneers, in Norway. In this 1987 paper, Harriet Holter discusses Metoo problems, long before more open information was available, long before Metoo. I cannot find this […]
Is gender equality a benefit for men? The case of suicide
Six years ago, in a paper called “What’s in it for men”, I published results from a new data base of 81 European countries and US states, showing that higher levels of gender equality were associated with better health for men, not just for women. One noteworthy finding was that men’s rate of suicide, compared […]
The banality of evil
At last, very delayed, I have read this 60s classic: I am embarassed, I should have read it long before, this is glittering analysis, a beacon of a book, everyone should read it, its a true classic of the 60ies. What does it say, more exactly? Eichmann did not start out as a killer. […]
Alternative Americas
Take as example – Iron Butterfly. How strange, now, to listen to this American music, compared to today’s developments. How strange to hear so much relevant about today, even long before. Try “In the time of our lives”, “Filled with fear”, and “Real fright”. Check “Unconscious power” on their first album Heavy, and “Possession” (avoid […]