Sex with your parents (and other notes on the ccp controversy)

Enough’s been said about the Mideo Cruz/CCP/Kulo exhibit controversy, so it seems superfluous or just useless to add to the din. However, since the Senate has thought it worth their interest and ours to tackle the issue, it would be remiss for this column not to weigh in and offer some comment on the matter. After all, local art has been a staple of this space for the past 15 years. If anything, unlike most legislators or government officials, we actually go and see local exhibitions.

But let me come clean. I’m not that interested in the issue. In fact, I can’t say that I’m invested at all in either side. Admittedly, I’m bored with it all. Or rather my thoughts, at the moment, are more concerned with the things that our government should really be more concerned about. (I suspect that the majority of our people are more concerned about the same things as well.)

Proof of the above is that I’ve just amassed a series of opening sentences, notes, quotes, and whatever else to use for this piece. But I can’t manage to pull them together to write a sustained article connecting them all. Maybe the time I spend on Twitter has made my ability for prolonged thought atrophy to the size of 140 characters. So, consider the following a compendium of observations, supplemental material, addenda and stuff that didn’t quite come together on the page. Which, if you think about it, might just qualify it as art.

I believe that anybody has the right to call themselves artists or what they do as art. It’s also the right of an audience to disagree with that. 

If the work doesn’t manage to arouse any reaction, however, it might not be art. Even bad art manages that.

More often than not, these days, if it causes offense, it’s probably art.

“If someone vomits watching one of my films, it’s like getting a standing ovation.” (John Waters.)

Defacing a painting isn’t necessarily bad. Make sure you pay up, if not own up to it, though.

Even a bad work of art has its defenders.

“If the goal is to talk about censorship and freedom of expression, if the task is to fight for our right to our creation of and consumption of our own art, then it seems the first step is to begin talking about art beyond the penis, yours and mine. Mine is figurative, of course.” (Katrina Stuart-Santiago, “Kulô before/after the hysteria,” GMA News Online.)

“In truth, we’ve built a version of hell here, and it’s pretty clear who the devils are.” (Check out radikalchick.com for more intelligent opinion on this issue and others. Bookmark the site, damn it.)

I’ve never had a problem with listening to or reading opinions in direct opposition to mine. But I do mind if it’s stupid.

“Is that picture yours? It’s rubbish.” “It’s a mirror.” (Rimmer and Lister, Red Dwarf)

Of the many ugly things that have come out of this whole mess, the worst might be the resignation of Karen Flores. She was really making art matter at the Cultural Center of the Philippines again.

“Sa loob ng isang daang siglo ang dami nang tumuligsa sa simbahan Katolika. Mula kay Martin Luther hanggang kay Rizal. Mula kay John Lennon hanngang sa mga death metal bands. Karamihan sa kanila patay na. Pero ang Iglesia Katolika andiyan pa.” (Lourd de Veyra.)

Tom Araya, lead singer and bassist of Slayer, was raised and reportedly remains Roman Catholic. Their recent albums were “Christ Illusion” and “God Hates Us All.” “People have these heavy issues and ask, ‘Isn’t this a problem for you?’ and I say no. I’m well-rounded, I have a really strong belief system and these are just words and they’ll never interfere with what I believe and how I feel,” he said in an interview. “People are not in good shape where they have to question their own belief system because of a book or a story somebody wrote, or a Slayer song.”

Sex With Your Parents, Lou Reed, from “Set The Twilight Reeling.”

Emily Abrera is brilliant. She’d also be great to head the Department of Tourism, I think.

Paris Hilton’s in Manila.