The Final Hire

My first inclination with this final assignment was to re-watch Freemium Isn’t Free, as I always appreciate an assignment where watching South Park is required. However, rather than doing that I decided to watch all 8 BMW – The Hire mini movies, as they very quickly grabbed my attention and relate directly to many of the learning objectives from this class. Also, I feel that these movies are a very innovative way to promote a brand while keeping viewers entertained and wanting to watch more, and thus I feel they deserve a more thorough discussion.

The very first thing that drew me into The Hire movies, was the fact that I immediately related Clive Owens character in these movies, to his character in Sin City (one of my all time favorite movies). Although the fact that I was able to relate to the character due to past experience with the actor does not really relate to an learning objective, I think it is an interesting phenomenon that made my viewing of the movies a sort of addition to my already good experience of Sin City.

Dwight McCarthy – Sin City

The Hire

Another one of the things that immediately stood out to me, was the the fact that these movies were “made for the internet,” in a way that Clive Owens goes on to describe as “a completely new approach” to action movies and advertising. Each movie was directed by very prominent directors and made to be as distinct as the cars they featured. Yet, the directors made sure to make each movie only five minutes, as they wanted to keep them accessible to a large audience (downloadable being a more accurate term). I feel that this aspect of keeping the movies accessible by using the internet, relates directly to lesson two’s goal of better understanding social media and online media.

With regards to the fact that these movies are blatantly labeled BMW The Hire, I feel the role of popular culture images and even the voyeuristic way these movies were shot (and the fact that channel was called GimmeCarPorn), play directly into the topic of persuasion. Although there was never direct salesmanship, the fact that each movie was created to highlight the different aspects of each BMW car, shows how subtle advertising can be. I believe one of the thoughts behind these movies was to make BMW cars synonymous with The Hire, thus making it so whenever a person sees a BMW they are transported into one of the movies.

Lastly, I was surprised to see that the topic of documentaries was briefly explored in one of The Hire episodes. During the fifth episode of season one, the audience gets to see a documentary photographer fearing for his life as he tries to get across a country’s border to safety. As he lies dying in the back of “the hire’s” car, he talks about how all he wishes is that his photos end up changing the world for the better. He explains how he has seen people dying at his feet, but rather than directly helping them, he takes their picture. I feel that this was a powerful episode as it talks about the struggle between exposing the truth, and directly preventing harm. In the end, I feel the photographer’s hope of creating a better world would be realized, as the photos of the atrocities he saw made it across the border, however, he did not make it to see this come true.

In the end I thought that The Hire episodes were a refreshing take on advertising, as it seems to me the directors were more focused on selling an experience, rather than the product itself. Also, I greatly appreciate the fact that the directors spoke briefly about how music played a large role in the creation of the different atmosphere found in each of the movies. I think that the addition of a very good soundtrack made for a very entertaining BMW ride.

My Own Media!

The last media project that I worked on was to create a design for Oh SNAP! Campus Food Programs buttons! The reason for creating this was to help the program create a “brand image” in order to ensure that the HSU community knows about the work we are doing to address student food insecurity. These buttons were a fun way to get the Oh SNAP! name out in the hopes that they will start conversations amongst students. I see buttons as a type of grassroots effort to inform folks about larger issues, while also being an easy way to show ones support for a cause. As for the image itself, I see it as a very basic image that will end up being reworked and redone for years to come. I believe that as program grows, and new students enter into school, the images will change but the message will stay reletively intact.

Besides the Oh SNAP! buttons, the other project I have worked on recently (simply for fun) was to do a collaborative painting based off of the comic series Lone Wolf and Cub. Unlike the buttons the reason behind the painting’s creation was solely for the artistic challenge and to try and condense a graphic novel series into one, large, representation of the story.

19 and Counting!

Looking through the TLC lineup of reality shows currently airing I was slightly surprised to realize that I had not heard of most of the shows bring advertised. Although I would not consider myself a watcher of reality television (unless I am really really bored at home and cannot find better programming to watch or something better to do with my life), I thought I was at least in tune with what sort of shows were being aired, knowing too well that Honey Boo Boo had been canceled. With this realization I decided to try and quickly watch the previews of most of the shows so I could get a better grasp of what was popular in this genre. Eventually, after being instantly bored with most of the shows, I landed on 19 Children and Counting.

Now before getting into what the show was about I think it is important to note that maybe my reactions to the other shows simply reflect my own personal biases about people or what I think is important enough to have its own show. I definitely agree with Andy Dehnart’s take of reality television being “a mirror, showing how real people react and interact in extraordinary situations [and that] forces us to consider how we’d respond.” However, this explanation for reality shows still does not justify in my head how people are getting rich off exploitative shows such as Toddlers and Tiaras or shows where the main draw is people acting like fools or simply being rude (Jersey Shore being the first show to pop into my head).

Moving on to 19 Children and Counting, the basic premise for this show is as follows. A mother, a father, 19 children, some grandchildren, some marriages, probably a little bit of drama, and all around good wholesome “American Living!” This show gives people “the ultimate peek into the neighbor’s kitchen window,” and this of course would be completely pointless unless people wanted to look in. I must admit though that I was surprised that it seemed like a very tame, family centered show, a bit unusual to most reality shows I know of. But this also made it easy to spot the potential appeal of this show, as it portrays the ideal American household. It give people a peak at something out of the ordinary while still staying true to American ideals. However in the end, even if it was a show covering the life of a bus driver who only went to work then home to play Minecraft, if people watched it, it would be made because in the end reality television is made because it makes money.

This Is Spinal Tap!

When I think about the various documentaries I have seen over the years, the first one that pops into my head is This Is Spinal Tap. Probably not one of the typical documentaries people think about when they talk about this genre of film, this documentary covers the life of the heavy metal band, Spinal Tap. One thing that is important to note that this is not a real documentary (a mockumentary if you will), and the band that the film covers, does not exist. However I feel that the fact this is the documentary I remember most vividly is greatly telling about the effect documentaries have on me (meaning short-lived) and how “the lines between information and entertainment [can be blurred].”

I find that right after watching documentaries about current events (as opposed to historical documentaries) I begin to critically think about the issues posed in them as they definitely do their job at “increasing awareness” about the nuances of big issues. However I often find that, after a few changes in my lifestyle (such as switching to energy efficient light bulbs or cutting back on fast food), many of my old habits come back and I forget about the cold hard facts that had moved me to change my life. In other words, many of the documentaries’ effects are short-lived. When I think critically about this phenomenon I come to the conclusion that the changes are only short-lived because it is hard to make life altering changes, and takes a lot more energy to be so self-aware.

One example of this is the fact that I have seen multiple documentaries about the horror of meat processing plants and about the deplorable conditions much of our livestock and fowl live in. The issue with this is the fact that, at the end of the day, I still end up craving a hamburger and never check to make sure that (if I get it from a restaurant) they are getting it from humane places. I do however try to make sure the meat I get from stores is humanely harvested (which I believe is at least a small victory) but to constantly make sure that I am practicing the best behaviors (ones I have seen in documentaries) is hard.

Lastly, I feel that if enough people are moved (at least briefly) by the questions posed in the documentaries then public opinion and action can be changed in big ways. Even if documentaries only get people to cut back on things slightly, or only start conversations among friends, then I believe they have done their jobs. In the end believe that documentaries, on their own are not meant to change society, but they are meant to get people to ask questions of themselves to see if they are alright with how society is running.

Parody News

Not having cable up here in Humboldt makes it so I do not often get to watch televised news and I am forced to resort to Hulu and other websites if I want to stay in tune with current events. More often than not this means that I end up turning to parody news, namely The Daily Show and the Colbert Report, because it is accessible through Hulu. I find that these media outlets allow me to stay up to date with some of the biggest current events while also allowing me to laugh at some of the craziness that is our society, our mainstream news, and our world as a whole.

After watching the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship & Border Security hearing on immigrant farmers, I found that I was amazed (and a bit sickened) at just how powerful Stephen Colbert is with regards to public opinion and issue forming. Just to be clear I am not sickened that Colbert used his “celebrity” to bring light to such a important issue but rather that it takes a “star”, such as Stephen, to get national media attention of an issue. I think it is also important to note that I feel, despite his comedic slant on news and political issues, he seems fully committed to “talking about people who don’t have any power” while also being aware of how just how much power he has to influence the nation by bring different issues to the main stage.

Representative John Conyers states in the hearing that, “I haven’t seen this many cameras [for a] while” with the chairwoman adding that the last time was “perhaps impeachment.” I feel that this statement is indicative to how mainstream media does not adequately cover political topics that effect the nation as a whole. If the only thing that gets mainstream media to adequately cover topics, such immigrant farmers, is the presence of a comedian, then it seems clear to me that the news stations are not doing their job of informing the public. I think that this ties directly into the article, The Fake News as the Fifth Estate, and Soto’s point about how  parody news can be used to make people “pay attention…[and to] do justice to reality.”

Going back to the actual hearing, I feel it is also important to note that Representative Conyers added the he thought it might be best if Stephen left the committee meeting because Conyers was doubtful if Stephan would add anything to the discussion aside from national attention. Although he did end up taking back this statement, I feel that this is an example of how parody news is often not as highly valued as typical news although its anchors often still know their politics, have large fan bases, and can bring national attention to serious issues. By having new anchors who are not tied to typical news outlets, parody news anchors works to enforce that mainstream news programs are being open, honest, truthful, and cover topics that are important.

Indie Game: The Movie

Although I have seen the title Indie Game: The Movie pop up on my Netflix account multiple times, I never really had an interest in watching it. I think this was mostly because I figured it was just going to be about games that I had never heard of before, or that it would about the most “retro” (hipster if you will) games out there. So when I started the movie and was immediately intrigued by the games they were talking about, I was actually quite surprised. I thought it was an very interesting look at another side of video games, namely the world of independently created games.

One of the things that stuck out to me about the movie was how games such as Super Meat Boy, Limbo and FEZ were created by one or two people. This is surprising to me because I have actually heard, and played, some of these games, which I thought were different but still entertaining. I guess I thought that all “well put together games“ must have been created by groups of programers, as it is a very time consuming process. I figured if only two people were to work on a game it would be a simple game such as the Impossible Quiz or other little online flash games. On this same line, that means that if these games are a success, the programers stand to make a lot of money because it is only split between only a couple of people.

Shifting gears, the values that I saw were addressed in the movie had a lot to do with free self expression, individualistic honesty, and even a bit of empowerment. The programers all talked about how the games they created were self reflections of their own personal struggles, dreams, and childhood fantasies. They also talked about how (if the games failed to come together) they would never join a big game company because it would stifle their creativity and would not allow them to create the exact game they wanted to. Lastly, they talked about how their hope is that people come to realize that games can be an art form, and that if people have the passion, they too can create a piece of art that reflects their personality and is not tied directly to corporate gaming.

Video Games, Culture, and Me

Although I have an Xbox 360 here with me in Humboldt, normally I do not play video games. I have learned that video games can easily take up too much of my free time and that if I want to be productive, healthy(er), and on task with school, it is best if I simply do not indulge. In fact I know just how easily I can use them to procrastinate that I have left my favorite games back in Richmond and now mainly use the Xbox for Netflix and occasional DVDs. However, this past week I have been battling some sort of illness and decided to treat myself to a rented game knowing that being couch-ridden it would cheer my up. This game was Dead Space, and I rented it not knowing that I would be asked to write about it until I looked at the assignment over the weekend.

For me, Dead Space is exciting because it is scary, engaging, and because it is challenging. Walking down dark corridors in a nearly empty space ship, knowing that any second a creature (thats only purpose is to kill/transform you) can attack you, is for me exciting. This sense of suspense and horror, coupled with the unusual ways of having to kill the creatures (having to cut off limbs rather than a usual “just shoot them” gameplay) also makes the game challenging and it keeps me wanting to play more. Another aspect I like is being able to upgrade weapons and armor in order to set your character up to be the baddest astronaut technician to space walk through aliens. In a simple sense I enjoy Dead Space because of being in control of the SciFi action even when I do not know what is coming around the next corner, and I feel that it is this reason why people most enjoy video games. People get to experience things that they would never be able to experience in real life.

Taking a step back from the aspects of the game that I enjoy I think it should be made clear that Dead Space is very full of over the top blood, guts, and gore. At no point in the game is a gruesome death not imminent, but that is not reason enough for me to stop playing. Perhaps that is because I have grown used to the violence in video games, but even more than that perhaps it is because there is just general violence in society. With that thought I feel that although violent video games do not help with societal violence, I do not think one can blame them for the violence. In fact, video game violence is only a part of media violence, and “media violence is only one of many factors that contribute to societal violence and is certainly not the most important one” (Anderson, C.). I think it is also interesting that for me, I cannot stand any of the Saw movies, as I feel that violence is even more real, even more gruesome, and in a way, too close to home, but sawing used-to-be-human aliens in half does not bother me.

Shifting gears slightly, I feel it is important to note that in no way do I feel children should be playing Dead Space, watching movies like Saw, or being around just violence in general. I feel that these sorts of things (although not always understood by adults), are far beyond the grasp of children whose brains are still being wired. To expose children to these sorts of images and ideas seems to me to be creating poor processes, whereas with adults, hopefully they would be able to see it as fictional entertainment. I feel that the danger, especially with youth, is that they will take the lessons of the game to heart, even if there are none there. As the Calvin and Hobbes comic states, perhaps the violence seen in media does not create real violence, but it sure does glamorize, desensitize, and make us more willing to tolerate violence in our lives. Yet I feel Christopher Beam‘s article makes some pretty good points about using the influence already there to create games that (at the very least) show army related violence in a more realistic manner. A manner that does not glamorize killing, but rather showing it as a tool to use is military settings.

Educational Duffman

The Simpsons will always hold a special place in my heart, not only because it has been around ever since I was a child (making me feel as though I have grown older with the family), but also because it was one of the only shows my parents allowed me to watch on a fairly regular basis. They believed that even though at times it sent out poor messages, it was one of the better cartoon shows that was out there. Therefore, when I saw that I was being asked to watch an episode for class, I could not pass on the opportunity.

Before diving into the exact episode I chose to look at, and about whether or not cartoons (as a genre) can contribute to knowledge about contemporary culture, I feel it is important to simple state what cartoons are; cartoons are Popular Culture. With that said I would also like to point out that I have touched on this subject in my earlier blog, What is Popular Culture? and even a bit in Shakespeare: Past and Present. Very briefly what I said in those blogs was that I believe that popular culture plays an important role society as it is a reflection of what the society as a whole feels is important. Even if it is sometimes considered “low-brow” (Shakespeare having been once thought of as such), there is much that can be learned from examining this form of media.

Moving on from the abstract. The episode I chose to watch is called Waiting for Duffman, episode 17 from season 26. Right away the episode takes a critical look one of the newest crazes that has hit the streets, that of course being critical mass/bike parties. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWektEMGBGE The episode then moves quickly on to an over-the-top portrayal of the role beer plays in society, blatantly setting up society gender norms, and even goes as far as to show how trauma can negatively affect children. In my opinion, it magnifies almost every aspect of society (be it positive or negative), and makes it accessible for the general public to consume. In this way by watching just a single episode a person can get a glimpse of what the United States could be like if we were to take everything to the extreme.

With all of these references to current events, politics, and social justice, the one thing that keep me from fully embracing the idea that The Simpsons are educational is that many of the quips at society are made in a very subtle way. I know that I have often re-watched TV shows that I would see as a child and would be shocked at all of the references that simply went over my head because I was not informed. It is because of this that I feel, although these types of cartoons can be educational in the sense that they highlight what our society feels is important and where our values lie, the education can easily go right past someone who is not already (at least a little bit) social aware.

“Let’s Have A Tune…I’m Sick Of This Silence”

Watching the 2009 movie, Pirate Radio, gave me a deep sense of being tossed back to the 1960s and cavorting with people who really did believe that freedom of speech took precedent above all else. Although at times these radio pirates took things (in my opinion) too far, at the end of the day they were there to give the people what they wanted, in this case Rock and Roll and everything that came along with it. Much to the chagrin of the proper politicians, they swore, drank, smoked, and fornicated and made sure that everyone listening knew about it. Yet it was much more than just the rebel aspect of the DJs that gave them such power over their listeners. As the movie progressed it became clear to me that each DJ become a significant part of every listener’s life.

In multiple scenes throughout the movie, the audience gets to see folks from every walk of life gathered around their radios, intently listening to all that the DJs had to say. In other scenes you only see the mouths of the DJs, softly speaking into the microphone, creating a personal (if not at times sexual) connection to the listeners. All of this seems to show how – apart from the amazing music that got played on the station – the pirates created a connection with their listeners that even the politicians (who were creating new laws to end the radio DJs time on air) could not break.

I feel it is also important to note that although sponsors did keep the radio station afloat (quite literally as it was based on a boat), they did not dictate what the DJs played as it was not a big money industry. This freedom from being co-opted sets this band a pirates apart from the radio DJs of today who are constricted by liners, playlists, and sponsors. Of course it was a fictionalized story, but I feel that stark contrast still serves its purpose, and shows how at one time, radio could be used to move the masses and get the people exactly what they wanted, regardless of whether the government agreed.

“Hell Yeah!”

When I started to read the paper, Voyeurism and Resistance in Rap Music Videos, I was immediately intrigued by the media topic it chose to cover, namely the rap group Dead Prez and their song “Hell Yeah!” Some of what drew me to this topic was the fact that I have known about this group for a while, but even more than that, I have found that I have had an odd attraction to that specific song. As I read further I soon found myself connecting to such themes as voyeurism, listening to music because “records are safe [and] controlled fear,” as well as being able to relearn of how my privilege plays a large role in my enjoyment of this media.

For me, one of the main topics covered in this article is that fact that for many white (or in my case middle class) rap music fans, the songs (and videos that sometimes comes along with them) seem to portray “un-mediated [evidence]” that the stereotypes often portrayed in media about what it means to be Black in America are in fact true. Although this idea only touches the very tip of the iceberg when it comes to the socially created norms, ideals, and stories that folks tell each other about racial and class narratives, it seems to me not to be much of a stretch to then get caught up in generalizing these images to an entire group of people. If the “authentic” images of Black folks in America are the gangstas many people see in videos and “ghettocentricity” folks hear in rap music, it seems to make sense that these characteristics are seen as “natural” and simply a part of being from that race.

Another aspect of the paper that I found interesting is the fact that there seems to be a fascination with the aforementioned “ghettocentricity,” and many whites (due to a history of white privilege) are able to dabble in this curiosity and fear without having to experience it in real life. With regards to the music video, Dead Prez was able to create a very voyeuristic style by having the video be shot by be a stolen handheld camera. This type of cinematography made me immediately think about the movie Snow On The Bluff, and how they used the same video structure to create a “roller coaster ride” that one is still in control of. Related to this is the fact that in both videos, the criminal aspects of these folks lives are shown as being a necessity, thus making the resistance to the system again seem only natural. However the big difference that I see between the two videos is that with Dead Prez, the artists seem to be attempting to “deconstruct a singular black identity,” using the gangsta to illustrate the norm, and the end scene to demonstrate an ideal peaceful life, whereas Snow On The Bluff only seems to idolize the ghetto lifestyle.

The one thing that I still find confusing, is how a person is suppose to differentiate between an original piece of life narrative, versus an staged piece of work meant only to capture the imagination of those not within that lifestyle. If one piece of work is meant to be a “critical [look at] the status quo,” while another, simply a voyeuristic glimpse of sometimes exaggerated life struggles, how is an individual suppose to differentiate the two? I feel that it is this issue that makes it hard to fully understand the role gangster rap music plays in society.

On the other hand, there are artists who challenge the status quo by completely reworking the idea of what it means to be a rapper, one example of this being Brother Ali. I feel that when listening to his music (and to other artists who step outside this rapper paradigm) one can still experience life struggles from an outside perspective, but a listener does so without there being the underlying idealization of the ghetto lifestyle, nor the commodification of urban struggles. With these artists there are still often hints at resisting the oppressive nature of our social structure, but rather than showing that drugs, gangs and violence are the way to achieve this, they talk about how knowledge and truth are what overcomes all.