I spoke with The Korea Herald last quarter — already a few months ago — and this article came out. I had invited the reporter, Kim So-hyun, to visit the Gender Studies class I was teaching, and it must have left an impression on her because she leads the article talking about my class.
“A Volvo Trucks commercial featuring actor Jean-Claude Van Damme doing the splits, stretching his legs between two reversing trucks with Enya’s “Only Time” playing in the background, is shown to a classroom full of nearly 100 undergraduates at UCLA.”
Professor Ju Hui Judy Han asks the students what are the first words that come to their minds as they watch the clip. Some say “masculinity” while others mention “physical ability,” “control,” “power” and “engineering perfection.”
What the article leaves out is that after I show the Van Damme video, I always show the following “Palestinian version,” a spoof from Gaza.
That was the first class of the quarter on October 3, 2023. So. Much. Has. Changed.
#ceasefirenow