Art as a Means of Resistance

I never thought I’d find myself ardently defending Jimmy Kimmel, of all people.

However, when ABC cut “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” following a comment about Charlie Kirk’s death, I became Kimmel’s staunch advocate alongside many others across the country.

His swift, albeit temporary, removal raised resounding alarms about the state of free speech in America. For me, the incident elicited a reminder that artistic avenues for free speech, like comedy, are essential to our collective wellbeing.

The arts often receive short shrift, especially with this administration’s gutting of federal funds. Artists aren’t necessarily known for their profitability — Taylor Swift notwithstanding — many regard the arts as a secondary frivolity in life. 

If anything, the arts are one of society’s biggest necessities, now more than ever.

While it’s my responsibility as an informed citizen and political science student to stay up to date on the news, it becomes draining even just keeping up with what’s going on domestically. 

In spite of the current political climate, I maintain my mental health by engaging with the things I know to be beautiful.

Art, which I define broadly as any expression of creativity and emotion, is undoubtedly useful for entertainment. When the news overwhelms people, there are always creative avenues to turn to for a distraction, expression and a reminder of hope in the world.

The social impact of art extends even further.

When grief suffocates, when love overwhelms and when words fail, art serves as an alternative way to articulate complex emotions. Sometimes a visual or musical representation reveals more personal truth than verbal descriptions can.

Engaging with creative works reminds people of collective humanity. The performing arts especially provide insight into diverse perspectives, often encouraging empathy and reflection as a result. Much like body language is largely universal, art provides an avenue for communication which transcends language barriers. 

Critical thinking skills develop as a byproduct of engaging with art since deeper symbolic messaging takes intentional thought and interpretive speculation to unravel. American society direly needs critical thinking as the public has to parse through increasingly rampant misinformation marketed as fact.

Art serves as a representation of attitudes during historical events. It exemplifies what was important to a culture and what each generation found creatively interesting within that social setting. 

More importantly, these actualized products of creativity function as a record from people who lived through cornerstone events. Art as activism transcends time. Its power passes from movement to movement across the globe, providing a voice for change.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s writing exposed the horrors of labor camps he experienced in the Soviet Union. Pablo Picasso’s paintings condemned fascism in the Spanish Civil War. Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed revolutionized political theatre. Frida Kahlo’s portraits defied societal norms. Bob Marley’s music championed civil rights. Pearl Primus’ dance piece denounced racial inequality in the South. Maya Angelou’s poems advocated for intersectional justice. 

Banksy’s street art publicly criticizes war. Jon Stewart’s comedic reporting politically satirizes current events. Doechii’s hip-hop platform comments on taboo truths about fame, race and mental health. Zanele Muholi’s photography spotlights South Africa’s Black LGBTQ+ community. Holly Blakey’s choreography destigmatizes raunchy sensuality. Tony Kushner’s playwriting portrays queer truth during the AIDS crisis.

Governments can try to shape history to fit their narratives favorably, and creative vessels of raw emotions become a rare source of truthful consistency. 

As seen with the recent cancellations of Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert, Donald Trump’s administration increasingly censors statements which paint him in a negative light. The result is a dangerous encroachment on free speech which creates dark implications for the future of the First Amendment. 

Public figures who openly criticize Trump or his conservative values face swift retribution, and the same is proving true for commonfolk. Conversely, the administration is repeatedly allowed to excoriate opponents without facing meaningful consequences. 

If the media cannot critique political figures, specifically the party in power, what’s left for the public to see is a one-sided story in which there is no room for diversity of thought or opinion. A censored media creates echo chambers in which critical thinking and common ground suffocate.

The federal government is an unreliable narrator. Rhetoric, whether verbal or visual, can seem especially convincing when employed as propaganda by those in power. What is real must be determined and preserved through an examination of perspectives across diverse mediums.

Different forms of art can produce a direct call to action or can evoke intense emotions that fundamentally change people’s perspectives, especially in visual and fine arts. Once an audience member recognizes and intellectualizes an injustice, it’s onerous to convince them to ignore it. They can no longer remain passive. 

The visceral reactions elicited by creative expression can move people to awareness and action. Once in motion, such a collective holds tremendous social power. The people are responsible for directing this power towards necessary change.

Art is an unabating form of resistance. Not only is art universally accessible through its many channels, but its home within the human spirit makes the powerful emotions it produces effectively untouchable. Artists communicate through a language anyone can understand and which no one can permanently silence. Creative products can be destroyed, but ideas cannot be quelled.