#Notes on “Camp”

[thirdity]

There is taste in people, visual taste, taste in emotion — and there is taste in acts, taste in morality. Intelligence, as well, is really a kind of taste: taste in ideas. (One of the facts to be reckoned with is that taste tends to develop very unevenly. It’s rare that the same person has good visual taste and good taste in people and taste in ideas.) Taste has no system and no proofs. But there is something like a logic of taste: the consistent sensibility which underlies and gives rise to a certain taste. A sensibility is almost, but not quite, ineffable. Any sensibility which can be crammed into the mold of a system, or handled with the rough tools of proof, is no longer a sensibility at all. It has hardened into an idea.

Susan Sontag, "Notes on “Camp”"

[blossomingbooks]

Chappell Roan through the lens of Susan Sontag's Notes on "Camp"

When reading her 1964 essay Notes on "Camp" — in which Susan Sontag tries to pinpoint the titular phenomenon — I couldn't stop thinking of rising star Chappell Roan, who's so easily identifiable within this concept. So, I decided to analyze the artist through the lens of Sontag's essay.

Drawing a sketch of the origins of Camp, the author starts with the 18th century's appeal for artifice, surface, symmetry, the picturesque and the thrilling — expressed through the likes of Gothic novels, chinoiserie, caricature and artificial ruins. But it's in the 19th century that Camp starts to emerge through artistic movements such as Aestheticism and Art Nouveau, being defined as "often decorative art, emphasizing texture, sensuous surface and style at the expense of content".

Now let's talk about Chappell Roan, stage name of this artist that I've been following for the last 2 years and whose career recently skyrocketed — following the release of her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess (2023), and her live performances. Her visual identity draws a lot from the quintessential Camp phenomenon that is drag culture. Chappell herself has stated that her drag persona honors her inner child who loved to play dress-up, wear makeup and dance.

From the exuberant clothing and scenery of her music videos — such as "My Kink is Karma" and "Red Wine Supernova" (described by herself as a "campy gay girl song") —, to her on-stage dress-up and performances, she's bringing to this decade's pop music what Sontag calls "the love of the exaggerated, the 'off'", the concept of "Being-as-Playing-a-Role".

Many characteristics that, according to Sontag, define Camp can be found in Chappell's work: "flamboyant mannerisms", "the visual reward - the glamour, the theatricality", "the spirit of extravagance." But a major part of her Camp expression is definitely her queerness. Sontag states that "homosexuals, by and large, constitute the vanguard - and the most articulate audience - of Camp":

"Homosexuals have pinned their integration into society on promoting the aesthetic sense. Camp is a solvent of morality. It neutralizes moral indignation, sponsors playfulness." (Sontag)

Chappell's lyrics evoke the nuances of lesbian experience, one that hasn't been widely portrayed in pop music. Through what Sontag calls "the theatricalization of experience", Chappell uses the Camp aesthetic (which neutralizes morality), as a conduit for lesbian expression and exhibition.

This doesn't mean, however, that Camp is merely a vehicle for a moral or sociopolitical objective; Roan seems uninterested in doing that. When asked if she ever feels pressure as an artist to be morally perfect in her music, she denies, stating that she doesn't think any artist should. Her force consists not on content per se, but on form: her delivery of the lesbian narrative is what gives it its impact. The inner cosmos of her feelings is conveyed by her unabashed, at times angsty, theatricals. Her declared love for drag testifies that performance and extravagance are king.

"Camp is the glorification of 'character'. The statement is of no importance - except, of course, to the person (...) who makes it." (Sontag)

"Camp is playful, anti-serious", and Chappell Roan perfectly embodies this "proper mixture of the exaggerated, the fantastic, the passionate and the naïve" that defines the concept so well. With her glittery, feathery and shimmering universe, this "Femininomenon" is bringing what Sontag theorized 60 years ago to the sphere of popular discourse. In the artists' own words, "you really have to lean into the Camp".

If you liked this first part in my short series of comparative analyses on Sontag versus pop culture, check out part 2 about Charli xcx's Brat!

[thekidsfromyestergay]

Just saw a video like "um actually rocky horror isn't good queer representation because frank sexually assaults janet" girl he kills and eats people. It's called the rocky HORROR picture show not the rocky cute gay rep tw t-slur picture show

[xiaq]

Everyone, please meet Sheila. Sheila is the cleanest, nicest, vault toilet I’ve ever encountered and she is conveniently located at a trailhead that’s a quarter mile from our camp site. Thanks to Sheila, I have not had to poop in the woods this week. All hail Sheila.

[ofswordsandpens]

I fear that "fire bending didn't come easy to zuko" and "zuko isn't a prodigy" (both true) has somehow snowballed into "zuko is a bad or at best average fire bender".... which simply isn't true, especially by the end of book 3

[harmoonix]

Backcountry

(Random Astrology Observations)

🎶: Virgo Moons/Virgo Placements are the maiden, the M symbol in their zodiac sign ♍, indicates the circular nature of karma, love these placements so much 💞

🎶: Capricorn Jupiter/Jupiter in the 10th house or at Cap Degrees 10° 22° grants the native with luck in their careers/jobs

🎶: Midheaven in Leo Degrees 5°, 17°, 29° makes the native to be in the spotlight from a young age, they can get all attention and to be seen as someone very confident

🎶: Venus in Air Signs and Air houses (3rd, 7th, 11th houses) tend to flirt a lot, if they don't flirt they will definitely wait for a good opportunity to do it

🎶: Cancer/Capricorn/Moon/Saturn in the 4th house will love to live a traditional life style, they may also keep in touch with their traditions

🎶: Pisces Moon/Moon in the 12th house are so powerful in their subconscious world, most of these natives can have dreams as a form of signs to warn them about things happening in their lives

🎶: Don't argue with me but Saturn/Capricorn/Scorpio and even Pluto in the 12th house can be indicators of having an difficult/harsh/rough father, and is not your fault in case you have it 💞💞💞

🎶: 8th house ruler in the 12th house or vice versa is extremely karmic, basically you have periods of rebirth after rebirth and evolution I guess in a past life you couldn't expand or evolve that much

🎶: Scorpio/Pluto/Venus in the 3rd house can make the conversation more spicy when you talk with them, like you know talking about a random subject and they throw something spicy into the conversation

🎶: Aries Risings, they have a perfect chart in form of having every sign in their homes and everything can work perfectly at times, of course depends on the placement of planets but your house placements are ✨✨ chef kiss

🎶: Venus in Earth signs have 2 specific love languages (or even more who knows) most earth Venus signs I know love words of affirmation and quality time and I love that about them 💞

🎶: In my ascendant persona chart I have Venus conjunct the ascendant and one specific thing about this placement is that it gives you time to love yourself 💞 is healing

🎶: Mercury aspecting Neptune is an artistic placement, the native is blessed at any types of arts, like design, painting, etc.. they may love music too

🎶: I may not be that much into the draconic chart but I realized some people have a different draconic chart?? and I got soo confused because my draconic chart literally looks like my vedic chart but at different degrees, i checked my sister's draconic chart and is totally different from her vedic chart...

🎶: Saturn in the 2nd house/Saturn in Taurus, there is some sort of anxiety about their worth and value here, both at money and their self worth, they are so worthy but don't realize that 😕

🎶: Moon in Taurus Degrees 2°, 14°, 26°, the native might have a soft inner child, kind, generous, can be very passionate about their dreams and can be sacrificial at times

🎶: Those with Saturn - Jupiter aspects (especially conjunction very rarely find in a chart) can attract succes in the later ages of their lives, succes can be at any type like in love life, maybe in career or something else

🎶: Ascendant at 6°, 18° (Virgo Degrees), They are peaceful and loved natives, Princess Diana had these degrees on the ascendant and she was seen as holy/pure, exactly as Virgo's definition

🎶: Cancer in the 7th house/Moon in the 7th house/Jupiter in Cancer/Jupiter in the 7th house (if you like or are attracted by men) those placements really give the type of husband is who very attached to you/can be a mamas boy and definitely clingy

🎶: Ascendant at 9°, 21° degrees are wild spirits, they are the most outgoing people you will met, definitely that one person who knows how to enjoy life 100%, blessed

🎶: Capricorn Moons/Capricorn Risings are not always cold as some people say, most of the times they want to protect themselves from people and to not get hurt again

🎶: 11° or 23° degrees on the Midheaven indicates someone who may work a lot in online and maybe being successful/known in online

🎶: Jupiter in the 3rd/9th house axis, might be the most curious placement for this planet. Jupiter explores a lot in these houses, makes the native very talkative and open-minded (Also you're really blessed if you have Jupiter in the 9th house)

🎶: Moon in Gemini/Moon in the 3rd house, these natives always have the best advices when it comes to conversations and socializing, they may also talk a lot about their hobbies or things that make them happy

🎶: Mars in Leo/Sagittarius/Gemini/Libra makes the native to be a chaser or to be chased when they're in love especially at flirting

🎶: Midhaven in Libra Degrees 7°, 19° these natives can be known for their beauty or fashion style/maybe for their talents or maybe they can work in a artistic field

🎶: Asteroid Kalisto 204 aspecting Venus bless the native with a lot of love, beauty, passion and talents, is something about their eyes or their voice

🎶: Asteroid Bacchus 2063 aspecting Juno, the native desires a very sensual/sexual relationship, very lusty, maybe even kinky when they're in a relationship

🎶: Asteroid Sirene 1009 in the 1st/6th house the native has this hypnotic energy in their everyday life, their mood might change from time to time

🎶: 11th house placements are very loyal towards their friendships, for them their friends can be their everything

🎶: Pluto or Saturn in the 4th house, native might have an intense family - life/household, may grew with strict parents and strict rules

🎶: Saturn in the 5th/6th/9th houses natives really need to enjoy life A LOT WAYYY more, these native can often get into a depressive state, go out and dance 🩰 🪩, have fun with your friends, maybe connecting with people

🎶: Uranus in Pisces/12th house is full of physic energy, they can have a a very tied relationship with their own subconscious soul & mind

🎶: Juno in the 11th house or Aquarius can happen a lot for people to always ship/pair them with someone, this energy manifests as people crushing over your friendships (If you have Juno at Aquarius Degrees 11°, 23° too)

🌳 - Do you like to go in the backcountry/in the nature/forest?? Especially if you live in areas with forests around, I love that!! I find these things relaxing/healing !! Take care at bears y'all if you live in a country with a high population of bears!!🐻🌳

Hope you have a good time!!🐻 Watch out for bears and be blessed with light today!❤️❤️

All the best,harmoonix ❤️❤️

[samerpal]

🚨Don’t scroll 🚨

At this time in the displacement camps, Winter hasn’t started yet, but the heavy rains have already begun to flood our fragile tent in the displacement camp, leaving my family to face the cold and water seeping in from every side. My children suffer from the biting cold, with no safe place to play or study, while we struggle to stay warm and dry in an unforgiving environment. The harsh conditions of war compound our suffering, as we live every day in fear of airstrikes that could take our lives at any moment. The lack of food and clean water makes life even more difficult, while we face physical and psychological challenges that exceed our capacity to endure. We live without electricity or healthcare, trying to hold on to any glimmer of hope in the darkness surrounding us. Each day becomes a new test of survival, and we pray for the protection and safety of our children from the threat of death that follows us at every turn.

🍉Plz help us 🚨

@mysharona1987 🌹 @luvlee1313

@buttercuparry 🌹 @three-croissants

@littlesapphicraven

[skogensro]

touch starved, heat-seeking creature, and his personal furnace <3

[explodingquails]

Sooo I heard there was some demand for more shartwolf

[lewishamiltongifs]

Looking camp right in the eye

[ottpopfic]

I like to think about Camp Half Blood and how its probably full of old hidden kid structures

It's an ancient sacred valley, that has trained and housed children for thousands of years, many of those kids coming from artisan backgrounds and gods. Kids build things, kids make forts and rope swings and tree houses. Kids need hidy holes and pretend play boxes and secrets.

I like to think about walking in the CHB woods, off the trail in a place you think dryads have only ever been to. And then you come to this tree with wooden planks nailed to it. You look up into this old oak and above you is a few more boards, just enough to make good seating hidden in the branches. There are initials carved in the bark, no one you recognize, and doodles on the boards. You don't know who built it or when, was it put up last year or fifty years ago, but someone dragged 2x4s miles and miles through the trees and made a place just for them. Your reminded that this place has always been here, that so many half-bloods have come and gone, but all throughout the valley there are still echoes of them

‘I was here’ says the little jerry-rigged bridge over the creek, ‘I mattered’ says the rope swing into the lake, ‘Even if I'm forgotten’ says the crumbling fort in the woods, ‘I left something behind’ says the initials in the tree

[thirdity]

To say things are Camp is not to argue they are simply that. A full analysis of Art Nouveau, for instance, would scarcely equate it with Camp. But such an analysis cannot ignore what in Art Nouveau allows it to be experienced as Camp. Art Nouveau is full of “content,” even of a political-moral sort; it was a revolutionary movement in the arts, spurred on by a utopian vision (somewhere between William Morris and the Bauhaus group) of an organic politics and taste. Yet there is also a feature of the Art Nouveau objects which suggests a disengaged, unserious, “aesthete’s” vision. This tells us something important about Art Nouveau — and about what the lens of Camp, which blocks out content, is.

Susan Sontag, "Notes on “Camp”"

[cator99]

"OP is a terf" yeah yeah everyone likes the gay sex post until op is gay and in other news water is wet and right now I'm learning new facts on you tube about boat disasters and the wetness seems to be the least of our problems. anyways here's my massive lats for your troubles good night everyone comment your favorite boat disaster and I'll rate it when I wake up

[melted-mercury]

a good dynamic methinks

(feel free to redraw this with whatever characters as long as i'm credited :v)

[cyberniix]

You need love, you need one, you need him.

(closeups under cut)

[arty-tardigrade]

They HUG!