Every Filmed and Televised Performance by Joy Division (1978–79)

https://www.openculture.com/2025/10/every-filmed-and-televised-performance-by-joy-division-1978-79.html

I think a lot about this scene in Dead Poets Society these days. The scene begins with Robin Williams getting fired for having taught "banned material" (i.e., poetry) to these kids. The fascist-coded dean of the private school shows up in class and ushers him unceremoniously out the door, and one by one, each child this teacher instilled with a love of literature stands on their desk, facing him, saying "Oh, Captain, My Captain", which is a reference to a poem by Walt Whitman about the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.

Here is the first stanza, for those interested:

O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done,
The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won,
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring;
But O heart! heart! heart!
O the bleeding drops of red,
Where on the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.

Here's the point I want to make:

Standing changed nothing.
They stood anyway.

Standing arguably made their lives worse.
They stood anyway.

There was nothing, absolutely *nothing* the students could do to stop the actions of the dean or the teacher's dismissal from the school in disgrace.
They. stood. anyway.

When you stand up for trans people, it will change nothing. They will still come for us. When you stand up for black and brown people and immigrants, it will change nothing. They will still come for us. When you stand up for women, it will change nothing whatsoever. They are in full and complete power. They will still come for us. They will still drag us away. They will still punish you for your actions.

Stand anyway. Oh Captain, my captain.

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