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".