In this unit we examined the concept of spectacle through American disaster films. We watched a clip from the 1954 Japanese movie Gojira by Ishiro Honda as well as a clip from Independence Day. Gojira represents the "imagination of disaster" and the anxiety and fears of the Japanese people following the nuclear attacks in WWII.
Sontag claims that the science fiction film is "concerned with the aesthetics of destruction, with the peculiar beauties to be found in wreaking havoc, making a mess" (102, Sontag). She discusses the different aesthetics of destruction between high budget films and cheap sci-fi films. They have similar themes and sequences but differ in believeability. "Destruction movies" like Gojira provide an outlet to release anger and anxiety about tragedy and war.
The 2009 science fiction film District 9 uses spectacle to display cultural anxiety about Apartheid. The film uses the themes of xenophobia and social segregation to depict events that took place during apartheid in South Africa. One sequence in particular shows this anxiety about integration when the government brings the "prawns" (the aliens that represent the native South Africans) illegal eviction notices and tells them they must move to a new government camp.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Unit 7: Propoganda
In this unit we examined film techniques that create power and cater to political objectives. We looked at historical and contemporary political propaganda such as documentary, political ads, and educational films. We watched clips from Leni Reifenstahl's 1935 film Triumph of the Will as well as other clips of Nazi propaganda. We watched an educational film from the 1950's and early 1960's called "Duck and Cover" that was shown in American public schools. "Duck and Cover" showed the "proper actions to take in the case of a nuclear attack". Clearly the actions to "duck and cover" are absurd strategies to take if there was a nuclear attack but the films main goal was to persuade child audiences to trust authority.
We learned which film techniques such as camera angle and editing force a persuasive visual mode. The goal of studying propoganda and deconstructing propoganda images is so that we can better understand political images and be able to look at them from an objective standpoint.
Once again I think the artwork of Shepard Fairey really displays contemporary propaganda. In particular, I want to discuss the Barack Obama "Hope" posters. In 2008, Fairey created a series of posters supporting Obama's candidacy for President. The posters were stylized stencil portraits of Obama in red, white, and blue, with words like "progress", "hope", or "change" below the portrait. The art was initially independent of the Obama campaign but eventually it gained official approval. The Obama "Hope" posters became widely recognized as a symbol of Obama's campaign message of change and hope. The Guardian's Laura Barton wrote that the image, "acquired the kind of instant recognized of Jim Fitzpatrick's Che Guevara poster, and is surely set to grace T-shirts, coffee mugs and the walls of student bedrooms in the years to come". The New Yorker art critic, Peter Schjeldahl called the poster, "the most efficacious American political illustration since 'Uncle Same Wants You'".
Fairey's "Hope" posters became synonimous with the Obama campaign, whether or not Fairey or the Obama campaign meant for that to happen. By making thousands of copies of this image and displaying it around the country, Fairey was successful in getting the attention of American's everywhere. This poster is not just displayed in America, however. I remember seeing it last summer when I was in Israel and I've seen pictures of it hanging from street walls in London and Paris. The mass production of this image in itself makes it a powerful piece of propoganda. The messages it conveys are spelled at clearly at the bottom of the poster-"hope", "change", "progress". However, there are other messages that one can derive from the image. According to Marita Sturken and Lisa Cartwright, the image draws on the "iconographic pose, attire, and framing we associate with portrayals of JFK in the popular media" (228, Practices of Looking). Kennedy is known for his work as a purveyor of visionary progress and democratic social change and President Obama was often compared to him during his campaign. Just the angle of Obama that the poster shows and the serious and concentrated look on his face can be compared to the iconographic pose and framing that is often associated with JFK. Sturken and Cartwright write that, "the graphic newsprint-like reproduction gives the work a sense of political urgency" (228, Practices of Looking). The posters reflect the feeling of an immediate need for change and the hope that Obama could bring about a new era.
I got this shirt in 2008 outside of Soldiers and Sailors when Michelle Obama came to speak there!
We learned which film techniques such as camera angle and editing force a persuasive visual mode. The goal of studying propoganda and deconstructing propoganda images is so that we can better understand political images and be able to look at them from an objective standpoint.
Once again I think the artwork of Shepard Fairey really displays contemporary propaganda. In particular, I want to discuss the Barack Obama "Hope" posters. In 2008, Fairey created a series of posters supporting Obama's candidacy for President. The posters were stylized stencil portraits of Obama in red, white, and blue, with words like "progress", "hope", or "change" below the portrait. The art was initially independent of the Obama campaign but eventually it gained official approval. The Obama "Hope" posters became widely recognized as a symbol of Obama's campaign message of change and hope. The Guardian's Laura Barton wrote that the image, "acquired the kind of instant recognized of Jim Fitzpatrick's Che Guevara poster, and is surely set to grace T-shirts, coffee mugs and the walls of student bedrooms in the years to come". The New Yorker art critic, Peter Schjeldahl called the poster, "the most efficacious American political illustration since 'Uncle Same Wants You'".
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| Shepard Fairey's Barack Obama "Hope" poster |
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| Jim Fitzpatrick's Che Guevara poster |
Fairey's "Hope" posters became synonimous with the Obama campaign, whether or not Fairey or the Obama campaign meant for that to happen. By making thousands of copies of this image and displaying it around the country, Fairey was successful in getting the attention of American's everywhere. This poster is not just displayed in America, however. I remember seeing it last summer when I was in Israel and I've seen pictures of it hanging from street walls in London and Paris. The mass production of this image in itself makes it a powerful piece of propoganda. The messages it conveys are spelled at clearly at the bottom of the poster-"hope", "change", "progress". However, there are other messages that one can derive from the image. According to Marita Sturken and Lisa Cartwright, the image draws on the "iconographic pose, attire, and framing we associate with portrayals of JFK in the popular media" (228, Practices of Looking). Kennedy is known for his work as a purveyor of visionary progress and democratic social change and President Obama was often compared to him during his campaign. Just the angle of Obama that the poster shows and the serious and concentrated look on his face can be compared to the iconographic pose and framing that is often associated with JFK. Sturken and Cartwright write that, "the graphic newsprint-like reproduction gives the work a sense of political urgency" (228, Practices of Looking). The posters reflect the feeling of an immediate need for change and the hope that Obama could bring about a new era.
I got this shirt in 2008 outside of Soldiers and Sailors when Michelle Obama came to speak there!
Shepard Fairey video
A cool video of Shepard Fairey explaing his art.
Really interesting to hear what inspires him. His ideas of what constitutes art and how it affects a consumerist culture really embody what this unit was about.
Really interesting to hear what inspires him. His ideas of what constitutes art and how it affects a consumerist culture really embody what this unit was about.
More Consumerism!
Since this was my favorite unit, I decided to expand on the concept of consumerism and what it means personally to me. The discussion board post from this unit really got me thinking about how I use retail therapy in my own life.
I find myself facing the divide between anxiety and pleasure nearly every time I go clothes shopping. It will start when I receive my monthly paycheck. With a newly cashed check, I convince myself that I deserve to go clothes shopping. Part of me (the part that speaks in my parents voices) says that I should save the money for groceries and other expenses. However, I tend to quiet that voice by looking through Urban Outfitter's magazines and convincing myself that I have absolutely no clothes to wear out this weekend. I brush aside the anxiety I feel about not having enough money to get through the month, and make my friends go to the story with me so I wont feel so guilty spending money alone. I tell myself that its almost spring and therefore I will need new spring clothes. Or I'll think to myself that I worked hard this month and I deserve a new shirt to go out in. I'll also remind myself of how good I feel when I have new clothes to wear. I definitely get a "shopping high" when I see new clothes hanging in my closet. These are all ways that I try and cover up my feelings of guilt and anxiety.
I recently was accepted into a study abroad program in Rome, Italy for next fall. Naturally the first thing I thought of was what kinds of clothes I should by for the trip. I began feeling anxiety when I thought of how fashionable Italians are and how my clothes don't measure up. I started putting together a list of clothing and other material goods I would need if I were to live in Italy. The expenses were piling up fast. And then it hit me....was I really more concerned about buying material goods then saving up my money to travel while abroad and really experience a foreign culture? I had to realize just how much consumerism was affecting my life.
Consumerism is everywhere. Brand names are so common that we call tissues "Keenex" and soda, "Coke". Can you think of one place where you aren't confronted by brand names or consumerism? For example, last summer I went to Israel and while in the middle of the Negev Desert I found a McDonald's "big mack" wrapper. There really is no escaping it! It literally influences every part of American life. Advertising images constantly confront us and encourage us to buy products to improve our lives. Do you guys think that our society could function without consumerism or brand advertising? I think if we want to continue to live in a capitalist society, it is impossible to be without brands or advertisiing.
A great example of the concept of counter-bricolage and phenomenology is the OBEY campaign by street artist, Shepard Fairey. Phenomenology is defined as "the process of letting things manifest themselves. It attempts to enable people to see clearly something that is right before their eyes but obscured; things that are so taken for granted that they are muted by abstract observation."
(From the OBEY website manifesto)
The campaign questions the difference between advertisements and street art. It brings to light the consumptive nature of American society. The marginalized concept of street art is taken and represented as a consumerist concept. You can literally find the OBEY giant symbol in almost every city in America. The style is street art but because it is so widespread and has gained such a popular cult following, it has encouraged consumer culture. As the website says, "by purchasing an OBEY sticker, or piece of propoganda, it gives the consumer a feeling of belonging".
See how many places you can spot this image around Pittsburgh:
I find myself facing the divide between anxiety and pleasure nearly every time I go clothes shopping. It will start when I receive my monthly paycheck. With a newly cashed check, I convince myself that I deserve to go clothes shopping. Part of me (the part that speaks in my parents voices) says that I should save the money for groceries and other expenses. However, I tend to quiet that voice by looking through Urban Outfitter's magazines and convincing myself that I have absolutely no clothes to wear out this weekend. I brush aside the anxiety I feel about not having enough money to get through the month, and make my friends go to the story with me so I wont feel so guilty spending money alone. I tell myself that its almost spring and therefore I will need new spring clothes. Or I'll think to myself that I worked hard this month and I deserve a new shirt to go out in. I'll also remind myself of how good I feel when I have new clothes to wear. I definitely get a "shopping high" when I see new clothes hanging in my closet. These are all ways that I try and cover up my feelings of guilt and anxiety.
I recently was accepted into a study abroad program in Rome, Italy for next fall. Naturally the first thing I thought of was what kinds of clothes I should by for the trip. I began feeling anxiety when I thought of how fashionable Italians are and how my clothes don't measure up. I started putting together a list of clothing and other material goods I would need if I were to live in Italy. The expenses were piling up fast. And then it hit me....was I really more concerned about buying material goods then saving up my money to travel while abroad and really experience a foreign culture? I had to realize just how much consumerism was affecting my life.
Consumerism is everywhere. Brand names are so common that we call tissues "Keenex" and soda, "Coke". Can you think of one place where you aren't confronted by brand names or consumerism? For example, last summer I went to Israel and while in the middle of the Negev Desert I found a McDonald's "big mack" wrapper. There really is no escaping it! It literally influences every part of American life. Advertising images constantly confront us and encourage us to buy products to improve our lives. Do you guys think that our society could function without consumerism or brand advertising? I think if we want to continue to live in a capitalist society, it is impossible to be without brands or advertisiing.
A great example of the concept of counter-bricolage and phenomenology is the OBEY campaign by street artist, Shepard Fairey. Phenomenology is defined as "the process of letting things manifest themselves. It attempts to enable people to see clearly something that is right before their eyes but obscured; things that are so taken for granted that they are muted by abstract observation."
(From the OBEY website manifesto)
The campaign questions the difference between advertisements and street art. It brings to light the consumptive nature of American society. The marginalized concept of street art is taken and represented as a consumerist concept. You can literally find the OBEY giant symbol in almost every city in America. The style is street art but because it is so widespread and has gained such a popular cult following, it has encouraged consumer culture. As the website says, "by purchasing an OBEY sticker, or piece of propoganda, it gives the consumer a feeling of belonging".
See how many places you can spot this image around Pittsburgh:
Unit 4: Consumption
This unit focused on consumer culture, the power of ads, and the manufacture of desire. As an avid shopper, this was one of my favorite units! I could definitely identify with the topic and I was able to relate it to my own life.
Some important definitions from this unit:
Bricolage: The practice of working with whatever materials are at hand, "making do" with what one has. Used by Dick Hebdige to refer to the activ ity of taking commodities and making them ones own by giving them new meaning.
Counter-bricolage: The practice used by marketers and advertisers to "borrow" and sell as commodities aspects of bricolage style.
Example: when counter-culture styles of the "hippie" movement of the '60's were redesigned and resold to consumers.
Panopticism: Concept used by French philosopher Michel Foucault to chracterize the ways that modern social subjects regulate their own behavior. Borrowed from nineteenth century philosopher Jeremy Bentham's idea of a panoptic prison, in which the prisoner can always be observed by the guard tower yet not know when that gaze is directed on him and when its not. Foucault suggested that in contemporary society we behave as if we are under a scrutinizing, panoptic gaze and that we internalize the rules and norms of the society as we imagine ourselves to be always under a watchful eye that expects us to perform this way.
Retail Therapy: Shopping with the purpose of improving the buyers mood or disposition
Consumer culture: the theory that human society is strongly influenced by consumerism.
definitions from Marita Sturken/Lisa Cartwright's book, Practices of Looking: An Introduction to Visual Culture
For this unit I decided to focus on the concept of "panopticsm" (see above for definition). Panopticism encourages self-surveillance and enforces a sense of societal disciple and punishment. The first thing that came to my mind was the idea of traffic light cameras. This program affects me personally as the city of Rochester, NY where I'm from, recently installed these traffic light cameras in the downtown area. Although I don't live directly in the city, I drive through there a lot and would definitely be affected by these cameras.
This website further explains the program: traffic light cameras
The concept of traffic light cameras has been criticized by some and promoted by others for a variety of reasons. Many dislike the "big brother" feel of the cameras and think that it is an invasion of privacy. Others feel that the cameras are necessary for enforcing safe driving. I think both sides of the argument would agree that the cameras reinforce a system of power and the knowledge that there is always the potential that someone is watching their actions.
I personally feel that the traffic light cameras are useful in that they encourage safe driving and enforce traffic laws, but I definitely see both sides of the argument. It does feel sort of creepy knowing that you're being watched by someone you cant see. Just like in Bentham's idea of a panoptic prison, there is the potential of someone of power witnessing your actions, although you cant always see them. However, the data that has come from this program really shows that the concept works. In the first week of the program in Rochester, 518 violators were caught on camera. More than 500 people ran the red light at a busy intersection. No doubt, this number decreased dramatically in the following weeks.
Do you guys think that the traffic light cameras are an invasion of privacy or necessary to enforce safety?
Is it more important to enforce safety than the individual rights of motorists?
Something to think about: the intersection in downtown Rochester where the camera's are installed is extremely busy and is next to a popular row of bars.
Also, most camera's have a sign that warn people that they are being photographed.
Some important definitions from this unit:
Bricolage: The practice of working with whatever materials are at hand, "making do" with what one has. Used by Dick Hebdige to refer to the activ ity of taking commodities and making them ones own by giving them new meaning.
Counter-bricolage: The practice used by marketers and advertisers to "borrow" and sell as commodities aspects of bricolage style.
Example: when counter-culture styles of the "hippie" movement of the '60's were redesigned and resold to consumers.
Panopticism: Concept used by French philosopher Michel Foucault to chracterize the ways that modern social subjects regulate their own behavior. Borrowed from nineteenth century philosopher Jeremy Bentham's idea of a panoptic prison, in which the prisoner can always be observed by the guard tower yet not know when that gaze is directed on him and when its not. Foucault suggested that in contemporary society we behave as if we are under a scrutinizing, panoptic gaze and that we internalize the rules and norms of the society as we imagine ourselves to be always under a watchful eye that expects us to perform this way.
Retail Therapy: Shopping with the purpose of improving the buyers mood or disposition
Consumer culture: the theory that human society is strongly influenced by consumerism.
definitions from Marita Sturken/Lisa Cartwright's book, Practices of Looking: An Introduction to Visual Culture
For this unit I decided to focus on the concept of "panopticsm" (see above for definition). Panopticism encourages self-surveillance and enforces a sense of societal disciple and punishment. The first thing that came to my mind was the idea of traffic light cameras. This program affects me personally as the city of Rochester, NY where I'm from, recently installed these traffic light cameras in the downtown area. Although I don't live directly in the city, I drive through there a lot and would definitely be affected by these cameras.
This website further explains the program: traffic light cameras
The concept of traffic light cameras has been criticized by some and promoted by others for a variety of reasons. Many dislike the "big brother" feel of the cameras and think that it is an invasion of privacy. Others feel that the cameras are necessary for enforcing safe driving. I think both sides of the argument would agree that the cameras reinforce a system of power and the knowledge that there is always the potential that someone is watching their actions.
I personally feel that the traffic light cameras are useful in that they encourage safe driving and enforce traffic laws, but I definitely see both sides of the argument. It does feel sort of creepy knowing that you're being watched by someone you cant see. Just like in Bentham's idea of a panoptic prison, there is the potential of someone of power witnessing your actions, although you cant always see them. However, the data that has come from this program really shows that the concept works. In the first week of the program in Rochester, 518 violators were caught on camera. More than 500 people ran the red light at a busy intersection. No doubt, this number decreased dramatically in the following weeks.
Do you guys think that the traffic light cameras are an invasion of privacy or necessary to enforce safety?
Is it more important to enforce safety than the individual rights of motorists?
Something to think about: the intersection in downtown Rochester where the camera's are installed is extremely busy and is next to a popular row of bars.
Also, most camera's have a sign that warn people that they are being photographed.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Pamela's and Obama
Speaking of iconic images and iconic people and Pamela's diner in Pittsburgh....President Obama made an appearance at Pamela's Diner in the Strip District during his campaign in 2008. It's pretty ironic that Obama made an appearance at this diner that celebrates iconic images from the '60's. I say that because many people see Obama as an icon of change himself. He is often compared to JFK, who was president during the early '60's.
Read about President Obama's famous trip to Pamela's here!
Some pictures I found on the Internet of President Obama and his wife, Michelle, enjoying their breakfast at Pamela's:
Read about President Obama's famous trip to Pamela's here!
Some pictures I found on the Internet of President Obama and his wife, Michelle, enjoying their breakfast at Pamela's:
Unit 3: Copies
In this unit we examined the culture of copy and the circulations of cultural cliches. We explored icons and identified their cultural meanings, icons through the culture of stars, and celebrity worship, parody, and pastiche.
Some important definitions from this unit:
Icon: Often perceived to represent universal concepts, emotions and meanings.
Parody: Cultural productions that make fun of more serious works through humor and satire while maintaining some of their elements such as plot or character.
Pastiche: A style of plagiarizing, quoting, and borrowing from previous styles with no reference to history or a sense of rules.
Postmodernity: A term used to capture life during a period marked by radical transformation of the social, economic, and plitical aspects of modernity. Marked by the flows of migration and global travel, the flow of information through the Internet and new digital technologies, the dissolution of nation states, expansion of trade liberalization, and the increased divide between rich and poor.
Definitions found in Marita Sturken and Lisa Cartwright's book, "Practices of Looking: An Introduction to Visual Culture".
Image 1:
This iconic image is of Jimi Hendrix setting his guitar on fire on stage during a performance in London in 1967. Hendrix is iconic because of his influence on music and performance in numerous genres as well as in the fashion world. He is said to be the "greatest electric guitarist in musical history" and will always be remembered for his rise to fame during the turbulent 1960's.
Image 2:
This image depicts Jimmy Hendrix in almost the exact same position as Image 1, only this time he is burning pancakes instead of his guitar. This image can be found at Pamela's Diner in Oakland. This copy contorts the meaning of the original image and shifts it into parody. The original image invokes a feeling of the tumultuous and radical '60's. The vision of Hendrix burning his guitar on stage brings to mind the rebellious nature of the '60's counterculture. In one picture, I think the entire decade is really summed up. The anger and confusion, the rebellion against the establishment, the cultural changes. In Image 2, this powerful image is taken and made into a parody. Pamela's is a diner that is famous for its flat-cakes so the burning flat-cakes poke fun at this. Throughout the restaurant, there are other paintings on the walls depicting famous '60's singers such as Janis Joplin.
Jimmy is the only famous singer parodied, however. I don't think the diner was trying to make fun of Hendrix or the iconic image of him burning the guitar. I think their intention is to actually make fun of themselves by using an iconic image with their "iconic flat-cakes".
Some important definitions from this unit:
Icon: Often perceived to represent universal concepts, emotions and meanings.
Parody: Cultural productions that make fun of more serious works through humor and satire while maintaining some of their elements such as plot or character.
Pastiche: A style of plagiarizing, quoting, and borrowing from previous styles with no reference to history or a sense of rules.
Postmodernity: A term used to capture life during a period marked by radical transformation of the social, economic, and plitical aspects of modernity. Marked by the flows of migration and global travel, the flow of information through the Internet and new digital technologies, the dissolution of nation states, expansion of trade liberalization, and the increased divide between rich and poor.
Definitions found in Marita Sturken and Lisa Cartwright's book, "Practices of Looking: An Introduction to Visual Culture".
Image 1:
This iconic image is of Jimi Hendrix setting his guitar on fire on stage during a performance in London in 1967. Hendrix is iconic because of his influence on music and performance in numerous genres as well as in the fashion world. He is said to be the "greatest electric guitarist in musical history" and will always be remembered for his rise to fame during the turbulent 1960's.
Image 2:
This image depicts Jimmy Hendrix in almost the exact same position as Image 1, only this time he is burning pancakes instead of his guitar. This image can be found at Pamela's Diner in Oakland. This copy contorts the meaning of the original image and shifts it into parody. The original image invokes a feeling of the tumultuous and radical '60's. The vision of Hendrix burning his guitar on stage brings to mind the rebellious nature of the '60's counterculture. In one picture, I think the entire decade is really summed up. The anger and confusion, the rebellion against the establishment, the cultural changes. In Image 2, this powerful image is taken and made into a parody. Pamela's is a diner that is famous for its flat-cakes so the burning flat-cakes poke fun at this. Throughout the restaurant, there are other paintings on the walls depicting famous '60's singers such as Janis Joplin.
Jimmy is the only famous singer parodied, however. I don't think the diner was trying to make fun of Hendrix or the iconic image of him burning the guitar. I think their intention is to actually make fun of themselves by using an iconic image with their "iconic flat-cakes".
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