The East Is Red, The West Is Bending (1977)
Rosler uses the format of a cooking demonstration (as in Semiotics of the Kitchen) to address cultural transaction--the meeting of Eastern and Western cultures. Reading directly from a West Bend Electric Wok instruction booklet, Rosler wryly comments upon the Oriental mystique conjured by the West Bend manufacturers, a mystique evoked and then "improved" upon through Western technology--i.e. non-stick surfaces and electric power. Drawing attention to the choice of the color red on the wok, Rosler, in typical deadpan fashion, raises the bogeyman of Communist China, holding up a pamphlet of Chairman Mao Tse-Tung and saying, "Remember this guy?"
Director: Martha Rosler
Runtime: 20 min
Release Date: February 8, 1977
Original Language: en
More Films by Director: Martha Rosler
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is The East Is Red, The West Is Bending about?
- Rosler uses the format of a cooking demonstration (as in Semiotics of the Kitchen) to address cultural transaction--the meeting of Eastern and Western cultures. Reading directly from a West Bend Electric Wok instruction booklet, Rosler wryly comments upon the Oriental mystique conjured by the West Bend manufacturers, a mystique evoked and then "improved" upon through Western technology--i.e. non-stick surfaces and electric power. Drawing attention to the choice of the color red on the wok, Rosler, in typical deadpan fashion, raises the bogeyman of Communist China, holding up a pamphlet of Chairman Mao Tse-Tung and saying, "Remember this guy?"
- Who directed The East Is Red, The West Is Bending?
- The East Is Red, The West Is Bending was directed by Martha Rosler.
- How long is The East Is Red, The West Is Bending?
- The East Is Red, The West Is Bending has a runtime of 20m (20 minutes).