Provide a brief description of your idea and why you think it’s relevant (what’s the news peg?)
- The usage of the Vietnam analogy to describe current events & in popular culture. My undergraduate thesis and ongoing 50 days project explores the multi-faceted narrative of Vietnam and how the name of a country, a war, an event have long been embedded into the US's pop culture as a euphemism for "a really stupid mistake".
- Displacement of Vietnam in popular culture
When do you need to publish (how long will the topic stay relevant)?
- The topic is particularly relevant in 2021 due to the coverage of Afghanistan, but it has been an ongoing and integral part of US history. Due to US's expansive involvement in foreign conflicts and war, it's common to see the names of countries with complicated political ties to the US, namely Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, casually tossed around and reduced to funny punchlines (within the first few hours, Afghanistan is already referred to as "the second Vietnam") It's also interesting for me, a Vietnamese born after the war and now studying in the US, to experience both sides of a shared narrative with a contradicting point of view, and how my identity constantly switch back and forth to fit in with the country I'm residing in.
Examples of how it’s been covered in the news
Getting the Vietnam Analogy Right in Afghanistan
The use and abuse of Vietnam analogies.
The misleading Vietnam analogy
Opinion | The Vietnam Analogy (Published 2004)
Foreign Policy: Munich Versus Vietnam
The misleading Vietnam analogy
How a misguided Vietnam analogy sealed the Afghanistan disaster
Expert sources (bonus points if you find contact info!)
- TBD
What visual materials and data are available?
What format would you use?
- Video/sound installation
- Interactive web
- Infographic
- Data visualisation
Visual inspiration and references
https://belowthesurface.amsterdam/en/vondsten
PRINTER IN LOOP | Installation by Gilad Baram
Barcodes Function as Techno Instrument That's Played with Reused Scanners