Newitz and Wray write, “[C]lass in the U.S. has always been a tricky category, often used metaphorically to designate forms of pathology and taste rather than literally to designate economic position. In the popular imaginary, there is often a confluence between white poverty and white criminality, deviance, or kitsch” (63). Discuss Newitz and Wray’s statement in relation to Bruce Gilden’s photoessay, “Two Days in Appalachia,” Vice News, July 8, 2015. In framing your response to the images, you might also consider this critique of the photoessay as “poverty porn,” which was broadcast on West Virginia Public Radio.
March 4, 2019 at 1:12 pm
Bruce Gilden’s photoessay for Vice, “Two Days in Appalachia,” is a perfect example of Newitz and Wray’s claim that popular imaginary used to represent class in the US has less to do with actual socioeconomic position and more to do with forms of pathology. They argue that these forms of pathology associate white poverty with criminality, deviance, or kitsch, and Gilden’s photoessay plays into this narrative. It is apparent that Gilden went to Eastern Kentucky with this idea of how he wanted to portray the people who live there. The photos are primarily taken at religious events, as he wants to portray the people’s relationship with god. Gilden states in his introduction: “The pot has nowhere to overflow, so every person in Appalachia has a relationship with God, intentionally or otherwise.” That statement, which essentially reads that the people of Appalachia are only religious because they have nothing else, is the first hint of how Gilden will try and portray his subjects, and the story he wants to tell about them. The photos are high resolution images of very unhealthy, unhappy looking people. Faces are weathered, scabs and bandaids appear often, and the subjects are typically overweight to the point of obesity (including children). These people emanate defeat, tiredness, and despair, not at all the prototype of success in America. This is a clear example of Gilden trying to portray the “deviance” from societal norms or aspirations seen in the people of Appalachia, that Newitz and Wray describe. The desire to portray the lower class as kitsch, that Newitz and Wray describe, is also seen in Gilden’s photos, specifically in a photo of the bottom half of a woman wearing an out of date floral skirt and a pair of silver sequined pumps. The focus on the outfit of the woman makes it apparent that Gilden is trying to portray the stereotype of poor people as kitsch. I think that Gilden’s photo essay portrays the “popular imaginary” constructed around the lives of the lower class more so than the actual reality, and that the critique of his photoessay on West Virginia Public Radio was warranted. Gilden’s photoessay depicts what people want to see and believe, creating a confirmation Bias, which leads to the claim that it is not art but “poverty porn.”