Database Notes

Here is a summary of the notes that you took in Friday's library session. You should be using these specialized resources in place of general databases, like ProQuest and Academic Search Premier.

America: History & Life Easy to use
More results than JSTOR
Majority not full-text

Anthropology Plus Advanced search is better than basic

Art Abstracts Truncation: *
Same interface as other Ebsco databases
Has film information

Historical Abastracts Lots of interesting articles
Commentaries on art for Atomic use
Mostly citations, but you can link to the full-text in another database

International Index to Film Periodicals Good for film reviews
ProQuest interface
1972-present

JSTOR Works well—great interface
Jump to your key terms in an article
Easy to email citations
Scholarly journals
Goes far back but only as recent as 3-5 years ago

National Security Archive Declassified documents
US government documents from 1940’s—1970’s
Truncation: *

New York Times (Historical) Full-text
Washington Post (Historical) Archival access
Same interface as ProQues
Truncation symbol: *

Periodicals Archive Online Not a lot of full-text
Great index
Truncation: *

Project Muse Some full-text
Scholarly articles
Truncation: *
Coverage is similar to JSTOR

PsychInfo Truncation symbol: $
Some full-text
Updates weekly

Reference Universe Good for background info
Articles from reference books
Some full-text
Truncation: *

the politics of "cuteness"

Not too long ago in class, I mentioned the possibility of examining the so-called infantilization of Japanese pop culture in light of its origin, having grown out of the post-WWII era when memories of catastrophic death, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the American occupation still reeked of spilled blood. Helloooo, Hello Kitty, Doraemon, and other symbolic creations of sheer (and sometimes, downright weird) cuteness - instead of wielding weapons, often they'll blink you into a wild mesmerism of "Awww's" with those impossibly large and watery eyes. But what do these creatures signify? Do they speak to a time of stunted individual and national growth following the wartime traumas of being both perpetrator and victim? Do they illuminate the ways by which the U.S. as a kind of father-figure created a system of dependency with Japan by removing/replacing its former imperial system and re-writing its Constitution to erase "war as a sovereign right"?

This is where Takashi Murakami, a Tokyo-born and trained artist, steps in. A few years ago he showcased an exhibit called "Little Boy: The Arts of Japan's Exploding Subculture" - the "Little Boy" of the title serves as a direct reference to the name of the first atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. In an art review from The New York Times, Roberta Smith suggests that Murakami's intention is to somehow reveal that not only is his country's national psyche reflected in its popular culture, but "the psyche of its chief protector, the United States." Do I buy this completely? Yes - and - No. But I think the success of the exhibit lies in its ability to jumpstart thinking of this breed, and extend what we usually associate with "cuteness" beyond the seeing eye. Murakami, it seems, turns "cuteness" on its head by adding another layer of the monstrous and violent to it. Below are a few examples of his work... what do you think "cuteness" as Murakami utilizes it means?