Do Worry, Be Unhappy: On Sara Ahmed’s Lecture, “Unhappy Queer”
Thursday, December 4th, 2008Howdy, dear readers. To you anonymous citizens of the Internet we introduce the Peanut Gallery, manned by our wonder of wonders editor-in-chief Peter Fritch. Join him as his intellectual wanderlust takes him to all the magical corners of academe, and please, show him some comment love. We don’t even know who you people are!
Put your goddamn shirt on, Bobby McFerrin.
As if by saying, “Be happy,” McFerrin were able to erase all causes of unhappiness from the world, this ’90s hit says much more than meets the ear. Happiness appears as something to be adjudicated by others. McFerrin tells the listener to be “like good little children” and not to worry, assigning happiness like a project, with as many conditions as a preschool show-and-tell. Gold stars for extra smiles!
