Defining Jes Grew
In class, we spoke in great detail about our definitions of Jes Grew. After listening to each other’s definitions and pondering it myself, I essentially came to the conclusion that it is an undeniably contagious spread of culture. Yet, it cannot exist on its own. It needs an organization like The Wallflower Order to present an opposition. The success of a spread of something despite blatant opposition inherently makes that culture far more attractive to others, and furthers the idea that it is mysterious and uncontrollable.
Reed deliberately portrays Jes Grew as mystifyingly uncontrollable through his symbolism of Jew Grew as jazz, blues, and slang. At the very beginning of the novel, he writes, “The spirit hits them and they follow” in regards to large groups of people being infected by Jes Grew (7). Reed never explicitly states what about Jes Grew makes it so contagious, but rather highlights the white people’s struggles in terms of handling it. In this way, it seems like no one can really tame Jes Grew. However, this depiction was obviously at a time when jazz and blues were relatively new cultural revolutions, still making them “cool” or “trendy” in the most reductive terms. Currently, jazz is seen as a refined music, something even more targeted to older generations. Doesn’t the fact that jazz is globally embraced as “good taste” and the idea that it can be taught at universities take away the very components of Jes Grew (that it is uncontrollable and doesn’t follow any rules)?
Thus, Jes Grew is more of an idea rather than a depiction of jazz or blues music. It’s anything that serves as a kind of “inside joke” but obviously not a joke. It has to empower groups that have been discriminated against and exclude oppressive ones. Though, as seen with jazz, I would argue that everything Jes Grew has some sort of timer on it. Eventually, older generations are listening to jazz in addition to young people, no longer making it exclusive. I agree with Papa Labas that Jes Grew “never dies out” in that it is a staple of culture that will literally never be eradicated. Someone will always be playing/studying jazz. However, Jes Grew dies in that manifestations of it lose all of their “Jes Grew” qualities over time (ex. uncontrollability).
Overall, Jes Grew is more of an adjective to describe isolated trends, but each of these trends ultimately die out. Jes Grew itself doesn’t die out because it is a descriptor that can be used for so many cultural phenomena today as well.
That's an interesting way of thinking about the end that I hadn't considered - the idea that Jes Grew vanished because the "Jes Grew" at that time, or Jazz culture, stopped being Jes Grew as it became more of a cultural norm.
ReplyDeleteI think you manage to get to the core of it, and that is that Jes Grew needs opposition. For that to be possible, it's actual contents needs to be ever-changing, and that's where the examples we came up with in class come in. It's interesting to think that one day even modern music and slang won't have that same character to them. They won't be revolutionary or radical anymore, they'll just be the norm or even uncool and retro. Put's things in perspective a little. Nice job.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I really like your style of writing. I think the change in line spacing after the first paragraph helps give depth to your post. I also like your use of evidence; I think it adds good support and credibility to your argument.
ReplyDeleteHello Rithika. I really like the points you make in your post. I especially like your point about how Jes Grew cannot be tamed. Not only is there no real way to stop a trend once it starts, but there is no way to predict how culture will develop in the future. Jes Grew is something that just causes these random, sometimes completely unexpected, developments in culture. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI think Jes Grew really represents this concept of change and evolution. Something new comes into the world that changes our understanding of that art form or that subject, but it's not written how exactly that change will play out throughout history - how it will be received, how it will adapt, etc. When a new trend comes about, I think Jes Grew represents that time frame where the new idea spreads and influences people and other things in society. When that trend ultimately becomes more accepted and part of mainstream society, than we tend to look for other places where Jes Grew may be rising. I think this was what Papa LaBas was largely referring to in his last statement regarding whether Jes Grew will really disappear forever. Nice post :)
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to think of our modern versions of Jes Grew through this lense. What will hip-hop look like when everyone has grown up listening to it and there are no parents to complain about it? Will that even ever happen?
ReplyDeleteMy experience with blues and jazz music is similar to most people our age I'm sure - it's nice to listen to occasionally. Everyone knows about it, but very few people love it, especially not like how people love hip-hop nowadays. At the same time, nobody is against jazz or anything that goes along with it.
Trying to imagine hip-hop in the position jazz is in now is hard, but jazz used to be huge, hype, and controversial. It's an interesting thing to think about. I'm pretty excited to see what the next Jes Grew will sound like, although maybe I'll be so old that I'll end up hating it when it finally comes around.
Hi Rithika, I enjoyed reading your blog post and I agree with your take on Jes Grew. I found the way you explained its "timeline" makes a lot of sense, and its interesting to think about how in some ways, Jes Grew will never die out, because it has no concrete structure.. it just *is*. Like the jazz metaphor that a lot of people use: no matter how hard someone tries, they cant kill jazz. It's entwined into cultures and communities, and has been documented extensively.
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