Jane Denson, Poster and Jenkins

"By directly tinkering with reality, a simulational practice is set in place which alters forever the conditions under which the identity of the self is formed" (Poster, 1995, p. 446).

        This quote from Poster truly encapsulates his theoretical analysis regarding Postmodern Virtualities, since it alludes to the bigger picture of virtual reality blurring the lines between what is real and what is simulated. Not only that, but it can be inferred that this type of simulative experience plays on human imagination and whimsy to transport the recipient into an alternative world, possibly tailored to them and their desires. Knowing this, it is rather apparent that our current world is steadily moving into a more virtual reality, especially given the global health crisis we are facing right now. This shift has its positives, like any technological advancement, but also its negatives. Poster appears to be examining the nature of Postmodern Virtualities in the context of humanity's internal struggle for freedom, as well as sensual experience, two very prominent ideas that arose within the Postmodernist era. Therefore, when scrutinizing reality and simulation's intertwined relationship, it can be noted that simulation poses as a fantasy of the reality that the subject of it is accustomed to in their own life. Additionally, it will work in conjunction with the subject's imagination to provide a stable environment for them to interact with despite the fact that the realm in which it was created is only being viewed.

        Taking a look at our culture, virtual reality is heavily found in the video game industry and continues to evolve in such fascinating ways. I have witnessed this primarily in survival horror games that utilize sound and imagery to assault various senses in a manner that is meant to scare the user. While playing through this type of simulation, it can feel extremely real and tangible, regardless of how unrealistic the events that transpire within it are. Furthermore, you would also have to be wearing a VR headset, which acts as the gateway to the virtual realm, since it fully immerses the participant by depriving their senses of external stimuli. With that being said, Poster's discussion of Postmodern Virtualities makes me wonder about what will come in the future. Will humanity move into a world where we completely live in a simulation? Will inventions manifest that merge reality with simulation or tamper with the fabric of what we understand as reality? These questions seem to arise more frequently as we traverse the 21st century and I ponder on how dangerous the notions presented by Poster would be if they progressed to a massive extent.

Jane Denson, 10/15

        After reflecting on this week's readings, the correlation between Baudrillard & Zizek's ideas surrounding the desert of the real became more apparent and led me to thinking more critically about the sensationalization of news from the media, as well as how images may be manipulated in order to convey a massively impactful event in a certain way. I also remember when we discussed terrorism in the media and fake news in CMC 100, which offered me better clarity about the type of potential that the information being spread to the public has to become distorted and how easy it can be to create a false narrative. While these two theorists' words about the desert of the real, the simulacra, and the divergent types of images that exist are complex, what I came to understand from them is that in this day and age, it is hard to recognize what is truly real, since we tend to construct our realities around a series of images, usually controlled by the media. Looking at the past can help elucidate these notions presented by Baudrillard & Zizek. Take the Communist scare in Hollywood in the early 1950s for example. I'm sure the media played a vital role in relaying everything to the public, which includes making accusations of who was a Communist at the time. I have previously read about how Lucille Ball, a prominent figure in the television industry during the 1950s, was accused of being a Communist, which was completely fabricated (by the media). Was it a publicity stunt? Was it a sinister tactic by the media to place blame on a celebrity in an effort to make them look controversial? Was it to scare the public (by accusing an unsuspecting influential figure)? With that being said, it is crucial to be mindful of the images the media presents to the masses. Some display the truth, some display a twisted version of the truth, some are false, and some are completely made up.

NS 10/13 Post Class Post

This week's reading selections from Baudrillard was quite impactful for me. It is truly eye-opening to have a new understanding of media and how information is transmitted and it gets me thinking about the slippery path that information might hold down the road. We are living in a world where information is meticulously selected by whoever can control it. In the U.S. it is very politically-based where everything is connected through back door deals the public is not aware of. The corruption is unfathomable. From Baudrillard, he mentions the massive disparity that goes on in other third world countries that are quite hidden from media in other nations. He poses the ideas of reality and knowing vs. not knowing. The collapse of the World Trade Center was an example he chose to prove the idea that we know the information that is given to us through the media, but we fail to see specific images that are graphic because it is our nation and we are not the one's who control or depict the story. We would not be able to imagine a specific event or recreate it without it happening in reality. This is a very interesting concept that I need to further dive into, understand, and reflect upon. Below I have attached to passages from the Baudrillard reading selections. 

"The image consumes the event, in the sense that it absorbs it an offer is it for consumption. Admittedly, it gives it unprecedented impact, but impact as image-event. How do things stand with the real event, then, if reality is everywhere infiltrated by images, virtuality, and fiction? In the present case, we thought we had seen (perhaps with a certain relief) a resurgence of the real, and of the violence of the real, in an allegedly virtual universe. ‘There’s an end to all your talk about the virtual this is something real!’ Similarly, it was possible to see this as a resurrection of history beyond proclaimed end. But does reality actually outstrip fiction? If it seems to do so, this is because it has absorbed fictions energy, and has itself become fiction" (Baudrillard 2002, p. 228). 

"And the same the ‘derealization’ of the horror of went on after the WTC collapse: while the number of victims - 3000 - is repeated all the time, it is surprising how little of the actual carnage we see - no dismembered bodies, no blood, no desperate faces of dying people... in clear contrast to reporting on Third World catastrophes, where the whole point is to produce a scoop of some gruesome detail: Somali‘s dying of hunger, raped Bosnian women, men with their throat cut. The shots are always accompanied by an advance warning that ‘some of the images you will see are extremely graphic and may upset children’" (Baudrillard, 2002, p. 232). 

Evie, Dorfman & Eco

 “Juvenile literature is a father surrogate” (p. 114)

I found this quote by Ariel Dorfman to be fascinating. Dorfamn explains in his piece Instructions on How to Become a General in the Disneyland Club the troubled fact that children’s literature is produced by adults. While this idea seems like a no-brainer, Dorfman argues otherwise. To clarify, adults project themselves onto children through comics and other forms of media which conditions the real child to behave in the way that the figurative child is portrayed. Rather than having a literature of their own, the child is consumed by what the adult sees fit. Dorfman argues that this is a tactic that adults use to conceal their own guilt. The innocence and perfection of children literature protects the dream-image of youth that adults desire. Additionally, rather than being present and parenting their own children, adults can use media like Disney to brainwash the child into complying by the values that the media projects. In this way,  juvenile literature is a father surrogate. If the literature is already the father’s projection, then he is free to be absent or maybe “the favorite uncle.”

“Disneyland tells us that technology can give us more reality than nature can” (p. 203)

I found these words by Umberto Eco to be troubling. Disney has replicated the wonders of our world and embellished them to the point where they can surpass the awe of the originals. This concept can be incredibly dangerous for children especially. Children need to explore the real world, they need to touch true nature. Disney is so fascinating to children that when they see its artificial lagoons and waterways for example, true nature looks bland. Real life adventures in nature can be thrilling and impactful, however, when they are competing with the technology of Disney, children will always choose the thrill of adventuring with robot dinosaurs. 

10/15 Pre Class Blog- Disney and Childhood

 Eco and Dorfman

“Disney has been exalted as the inviolable common cultural heritage of contemporary man; his characters have been incorporated into every home, they hang on every wall, they decorate objects of every kind; they constitute  a little less than a social environment inviting us all to join the great universal Disney family.... Disney is the great supranational bridge which all human beings may communicate with each other” (Dorfman, 110)

Though Dorfman wrote this quote in a cynical way, this is actually how I’ve thought about Disney in the past. Disney has always been a part of my life; I can’t think of a time in my life where Disney was around or I didn't think about a Disney property. As an avid Disney fan, Dorfman’s thoughts hurt to read a little bit. But as Disney grows bigger and bigger (almost a monopoly on itself), It is scary to think how big Disney has gotten. They own many cultural landmarks that mass audiences love, like star wars, marvel, Pixar, and the muppets. Lyotard talks about “meta-narratives” in his writings. In essence, I think Disney has made itself a meta-narrative

Last year, I asked my grandmother at one point what it was like to grow up without Disney. I’ve thought about it several times and about how Disney saturates many children's lives. I could not separate my own childhood from Disney because Disney (the parks, the films, the merchandise) was and IS an important part of my life. My grandmother said that it was just normal for her, no thoughts of Disney needed. However, my grandmother is now an avid Disney fan. Though she grew up away from Disney’s meta-narrative, she loves it now. I do argue that, as Disney fans, people should be more critical of what they’re buying/ consuming. I think Disney does offer good to people, it’s finding the balance between the mega-corporation and the humanity behind it.

Evie, Baudrillard

 “The fascination with the attack is primarily a fascination with the image” (P. 228-9)

I found this quote about 9/11 to be very interesting. I was too young to remember the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, so my reality of what happened is constructed by images. When I imagine that day, I can feel as if I were there. This connection is solely due to the images and videos I have seen as I grew up. However, I was only one year old when the attacks occurred, therefore, there is no reason I should have this sense of understanding of that day as if it were my reality. This is due to the fasciation we have with the images. Baudrillard explains that images are our primal sense. We are drawn to the images of the attack because they give us a false sense of clarity and understanding. The events that occurred that day shook our nation and the only way to comprehend what happened was through images given to us through the media. This leads me to my next quote:

“There is no ‘good’ use of the media; the media are part of the event, they are part of the terror, and they work in both directions” (p. 229)

I struggle with this quote because I understand the way the media manipulates situations, but I also understand the need for our nation to know what is going on. The media is a source that provides information, but often that can lead to more harm than good. I believe Baudrillard is saying here that the media immediately covered and exploited the events that occurred on 9/11 and pushed them out to the world; this inevitably gives the terrorists exactly what they wanted: global fear and chaos. This idea made me think about how we might be taking steps in the right direction since 9/11. For example, today, when a terrible incident like a mass shooting occurs, the name of the shooter is often left out of media coverage so the shooter is not glorified. We are still fascinated by images, but maybe now there is less focus on the people behind the destruction and more focus on ways to get through and prevent it from happening again.

10/13 Pre-class blog

Hayao Miyazaki, renowned animator and humanist artist, is famous for his dreamy representations of reality, which, of course, can only be obtained from observing reality closely. Each of his films contain minute details of human existence: someone cooking, drawing, getting water from the well, all animated with great care for the simple task that is being done. While these scenes may not necessarily advance the plot, they are there to help build the characters as full human beings with lives outside of the screen. The emphasis is not on big explosions or intricate mechas, but the experience of being alive. Though he found his fame in anime, age has made him more jaded about the state of the industry.

You see, whether you can draw like this or not, being able to think up this kind of design, it depends on whether or not you can say to yourself, “Oh, yeah, girls like this exist in real life.” If you don’t spend time watching real people, you can’t do this, because you’ve never seen it.

Some people spend their lives interested only in themselves. Almost all Japanese animation is produced with hardly any basis taken from observing real people, you know. It’s produced by humans who can’t stand looking at other humans. And that’s why the industry is full of otaku! (translation)

His complaint about the abundance of otaku (someone who is obsessed with anime, manga, and video games to the point of antisocial behavior) in the industry is not unfounded. As anime culture became more and more of a commodified microcosm, the anime produced became cheaper and self-referential. Though anime characters aren’t meant to be photorealistic, its hard to see the character designs in any random anime coming out this season and imagine them as a real person. Rather than the feeling of watching real people, it feels as if I am watching animals in a zoo, imitating human behaviors but never quite acting like people themselves. These idealized characters appeal to the otaku: people who never question them or critique them to improve, who never act abrasive or ugly or any other way that may suggest they have personhood of their own. In other words, these people do not exist.

Ironically, Miyazaki’s quote has been twisted into the popular “anime was a mistake” meme, with many people believing he actually said “anime was a mistake.” Simulacra to help the Western anime fan elitists like me validate themselves, perhaps?

Pre-Class Blog 10/12

 “We might almost say that reality is jealous of fiction, that the real is jealous of the image”

This quote really stood out to me in Baudrillard’s writing because I agree with what he argues. I believe he is saying that real life is not the same as the images that try to represent it. To me, this is the exact definition of social media. Social media can often be a gross misrepresentation of people’s lives. In today’s world, it is socially encouraged to highlight or post only about the positives going on in one’s life. I can apply this social standard to myself. My life is definitely not perfect, but my social media posts only show the positive moments in my life.  My instagram represents a person I want to be, not the person I fully am. My instagram does not represent me as a person, but as an image of a life with no problems. Social Media often is not reality. It does not give the whole picture of who someone is or how an event happened. It only shows what the user wants to share, not the whole truth. This is sad because the purpose of social media is to be able to connect with other people to share experiences and ideas and while this does happen, it is less often. People are so concerned about having the perfect social media image when it is not even a true representation of themselves. They just want to feel acceptance and praise from peers. In saying all of this, I wish the standards of social media would change. I am interested in hearing about the good, the bad, the sad, the etc. about a person’s life. I do not want to see some perfect image that I know there is more too. Social Media should have the purpose of sharing the real, not the altered representations of life.

10/13 Pre Class Blog- Baudrillard and Zizek

  “To dissimulate is to pretend not to have what one has. To simulate is the feign to have what one doesn’t have. One implies a presence the other an absence...pretending or dissimulating, leaves the principle of reality intact: the difference is always clear, it is simply masked, whereas simulation threatens the difference between the “true” and the “false” and the “imaginary.” (389)

This quote partially stood out to me from Baudrillard. In essence, he is saying that to hide that you have something shows that you have a presence. To show something that you don’t have implies an absence of that thing. Baudrillard talks about how in our postmodern world, images will precede reality. He is implying that concept within dissimulation vs. simulation.

This connects me to the fashion industry. Elitists brands like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Supreme will purposely “stain” their clothes. This, in essence, pretends like people are not as wealthy or elitist as they are. The clothes, however, still have the Gucci or Louis Vuitton logo on them, so the people get the grunge look of non-elitest clothes with an elitist status, which is what Baudrillard and Zizek would call dissimulating. The same can be said for amazon dupes of lululemon. Lululemon leggings normally cost about $110 dollars, which makes them inaccessible to certain economic groups. However, brands will take the Lululemon designs and make them into “dupes.” They look like the Lululemon leggings but are normally about $20-40 dollars. The overall quality of these leggings is normally less, However, to have the look of these leggings, which implies wealth and status, is more important than actually owning these things. This is, in effect, simulation.

Post Class from 10/8 Class

 “As for the artists and writers who question the rules of plastic and narrative arts and possibly share their suspicions by circulating their work, they are destined to have little credibility in the eyes of those concerned with ‘reality’ and ‘identity’; they have no guarantee of an audience.”

During class on 10/8, we discussed this quote from Lyotard’s writing. We came to the conclusion that the quote meant that artists who challenge the basic standards of the arts are not guaranteed to have an audience that pays attention to them. I am not sure if I agree with Lyotard’s argument. I believe in today’s world people are always ready for the next best thing or new, out of the ordinary things. In my opinion, today’s culture is more accepting and welcoming to the avant-garde. The avant-garde brings excitement and entertainment to people because it is different and challenges previous art forms. Also, the avant-garde brings new ideas for improvement and efficiency in the world. I believe that I can argue against Lyotard’s point by using an example of an avant-garde idea from the past that challenged the basic standards and had an audience. One example that first comes to mind is air travel. Engineers or “artists of transportation” dreamed up a new, faster way to travel around the world that would only take a number of hours to go across an ocean. This new model of transportation was so different from accepted modes of travel, but people paid attention. People paid attention to this avant-garde mode of transportation because it was different and more exciting than what they were used to. As time went on, this avant-garde mode of transportation became normalized in society. Now it is considered “reality” in terms of transportation. My point in using this example is that new ideas that are different from the normal will have an audience because of the excitement they bring and sometimes the new ideas will eventually become normalized. I believe that Lyotard is not correct in his assumption that artists that challenge classic standards will not have an audience. He underestimates humans’ need for the avant-garde and excitement.

Jane Denson, 10/8

“As a result, the distance grows between the culture of the experts and that of the larger public” (Habermas, 1981, p. 103).

        This quote discussed in class helped me better understand the sense of class division that comes with art and how it is consumed. Essentially, what Habermas is insinuating is that there is high-class culture and low-class culture in society that can be observed through specific cultural practices. For example, going to the opera, viewing paintings in a (prestigious) museum, and eating at expensively affluent restaurants would be considered high-class, while watching romantic comedies or ordering take-out would be considered low-class, according to Habermas. Additionally, it is worth noting how the bourgeois, or working class, factors into Habermas' theoretical analysis of the topic. With this quote, he is simultaneously unpacking the notion of a layperson becoming a competent consumer of art. In other words, Habermas is referencing bourgeois art and how those deemed as laypeople should educate themselves to become an expert, which would entail moving up in class culture. The topic is ultimately one that elucidates the conflicts that arise between the class structures and the differences that are there as well. As cinema, especially surrealist cinema from Luis Buñuel, has shown us, class conflict is a real evolving concern of any society.

“Belief in the stability of the referent (as in photography and film) leads to ‘the fantasies of realism’” (Lyotard, 1986, p. 42).

        After our class dissected Lyotard's words about the stability of the referent, or object reality, it became clear to me that he was expressing how the display of a fixed reality, like that of photography and film, only shows a piece of the entire reality by picking and choosing what will be seen by audiences. This, in turn, creates a fantasy of the reality because a fantasy implies an imaginative depiction. In other words, we only observe what the camera wants us to observe, which may mean that (significant) details are excluded from the narrative and thus the full picture is not truly experienced. Take Instagram for example. People only show their best selves on the platform, leaving out any negative aspects of themselves and details of their day when they post. This usage of social media is massively related to what Lyotard is discussing in his work -- a fantasy of realism, or as others may call it, a distorted reality. It is not limited there, however, since it also reaches reality television, which is heavily altered or edited by the producers to entice audiences into a totally fabricated world. Lyotard's ideas point to a greater notion involving how we are completely capable of editing, even photoshopping our subjects, including ourselves, in order to convey a fantasy of realism.

Meghan Trainor photoshopped in her "Me Too" music video

Evie 10/8

 “Belief in the stability of the referent (as in photography and film) leads to ‘the fantasies of realism’”

I enjoyed talking about this quote in class on Thursday. French philosopher Jean-Francois Lyotard is saying here that we look at media such as photography and film as if they were reality, however they are just a mere fantasy. Forms of media only show a glimpse into reality. There is a “fantasy” that is tied with the media because technology has allowed it to be so realistic. Photos and videos give the audience a lens into someone else's perspective. The issue here is that someone else's perspective can be misleading or screwed. Mary gave a great example of this in class. She explained that social media allows people to show themselves in the light they desire. Through good lighting, perfect timing, and photo editing tools, anyone on social media can portray the perfect life. When we see someone's profile, we feel that we know that person and understand their world. Social media is a very interesting part of today’s culture and I am curious what Lyotard would think about this ability to create these “fan pages” for ourselves. 

After our discussion about social media, my mind went straight to reality TV. Reality TV is a very interesting component in our culture that I believe is worth discussing. Essentially, reality TV does not consist of actors and does not have a plot. This form of entertainment brings the audience into someone’s life and is literally depicted as “reality.” However, reality TV is far from reality. Everything the audience sees is controlled by the producer in order to attract the most views. The unscripted, raw feeling of these shows make the audience feel like they know characters that they have zero connection to. This concept is very twisted when you step away and look at the bigger picture. 

10/6 Post-Class Blog Post

 

“Neoconservative doctrines turn our attention precisely away from such societal processes: they project the causes, which they do not bring to light, onto the plane of subversive culture and its advocates.’ (Habernas, 102)

Though I constantly refer to media (theater in particular) in my blog posts,  I continue to ground the somewhat heady and abstract theory that we are reading for class in the elements that I am comfortable in. I have been constantly thinking about the connection between Brechtian theatre and what Habernas discusses in his paper. Brechtian theatre goes against everything that Neoconservatives do in their doctrine: it places all the emphasis on societal processes and issues, to the point of making the audience uncomfortable (the alienation effect). For example, in the Brecht show The Good Person Of Setzuan, the audience follows the story of Shen-Te, a prostitute who is granted a tobacco shop from the Gods above. In order to protect her shop, Shen-Te dresses up as her male alias Shui-Ta. Shui-Ta uses his masculine prowess to keep control of his shop, but eventually is tried for the murder of Shen-Te herself. The Good Person of Setzuan inherently focuses on class struggle, materialism, and how people in a capitalist society use economics to frame morality.  At the production at Rollins, we updated the play so that we focused on coffee since coffee in our contemporary times is very much like tobacco was when Brecht was writing the play. In our acting, our director wanted us to focus on talking directly to the audience when it was necessary, to alienate them. When the audience laughs at something horrible (like a homeless person fighting to get into a home), the action of the play stops, and the actors comment on it directly. Why are you laughing at that audience? Why laugh at people who are needy and that need can lead to greed? Thus, the audience is alienated from their own reactions to the work and thus has to think about why things are like this. This idea is completely the opposite of what Neoconservatives focus on, which is to turn away from societal processes.

A picture from our production, where the ensemble physically becomes the factory itself, the workers struggling under the capitalist system.

Reagan-Thatcher-conservatism

 Here's one perspective:

https://medium.com/@DIorioNathaniel/the-end-of-conservatism-how-the-ideology-of-reagan-and-thatcher-is-fading-away-c43b799dc46d

Jane Denson, Lyotard (and Habermas)

        After reading both Lyotard and Habermas' in-depth analysis of Modernity and Postmodernism, it is apparent that their perspectives and insights on the overarching matter of the Modernist movement and its impacts are in discordance. It appears, however, that if one wants to be able to fully engage with and comprehend Habermas' material, it is imperative to read through Lyotard's with the same frame of mind. Stepping back, it can be inferred, potentially with the Surrealist and Avant-Garde movements, that Modernity bleeds into divergent eras and is constantly redefining itself on a continual basis, all while social paradigms shift. That is likely why the topic is heavily debated and extremely difficult to completely understand. From a 21st century standpoint, Modernity and Postmodernity both emphasize and explore concepts from two sides of the same coin, and here it can be noted that Lyotard and Habermas are unpacking different ideas under one theoretical umbrella. One quote that came across rather interestingly from Lyotard was this:

"But capitalism inherently possesses the power to derealize familiar objects, social roles, and institutions to such a degree that the so-called realistic representations can no longer evoke reality except as nostalgia or mockery, as an occasion for suffering rather than for satisfaction. Classicism seems to be ruled out in a world in which reality is so destabilized that it offers no occasion for experience but one for ratings and experimentation" (Lyotard, 1986, p. 40).

        Lyotard proceeds to mention how this idea is similar to what Walter Benjamin touched on in his work. With this piece, it seems as though Lyotard is insinuating that with emulation and the realm of mass reproduction brought upon society by capitalism, a person's perception can be greatly cheapened or hindered in terms of the realism of the person, place, or object they are familiar with. A question that came to mind from this is: Would Habermas view Avant-Gardism as capitalism, in a sense, that derealizes Traditionalism? When Lyotard goes on to bring up the notion of classicism being ruled out due to a destabilized reality, it may be possible that he is calling back to the idea that the mechanical and industrial are the causes for this type of "replacement." In other words, he is getting at the notion of photography and cinematography, for example, having the ability to perhaps change or warp human experience, unlike the classics, and then offer room for experimentation that, in turn, seeks to demonstrate reality strategically, as opposed to staying true to its source of origin. For a 21st century audience to grasp the overall density of this, it might be wise to look at (classic) texts of literature being adapted for the world of cinema. Lyotard would probably comment on how films like The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, IT, etc. have destabilized their counterpart's (the novel) individual reality by leaving important details out or altering the flow of the text. As a result, the viewers' sense of experience may feel derealized (if they have read the novel version) and the film may read as a mockery of its source material.

10/6 Ashlynn Yvaine

     Discussing the idea of traditionalism versus avant-garde as that applies to catholicism in class was really eye opening for me. My father was raised in a catholic household however my mother was raised in a southern baptist church. Under my mother's lead the family has attended various types of christian services but never catholic. 

    Several years ago when my paternal grandmother passed away I attended my first catholic function, her funeral. After experiencing the varying degrees of welcome from various other denominations, this service was a shock. It was a beautiful ceremony, but my sisters and I along with various other cousins and guests were not invited to take part in several "rituals" including communion.

    It was jarring. In my perspective to be at once grieving for the loss of my grandmother and at the same time being forcefully alienated from the service which was meant to be a pathway for saying goodbye to her, it felt unchristian. However, I'm sure for many catholic traditionalists if we had been invited to partake they would see it as completely unheard of.

    It's a very strange line to walk but I think that looking at this conflict through our theorists might help me understand a little more.

10/8 Pre Class Blog -Jean Lyotard and Zoom Theater

 “Photography did not appear as a challenge to paint from the outside, any more that industrial cinema did to narrative literature. The former was only putting the final touch to the program of ordering the visible elevation by the quattrocento; while the latter was the last step in found off diachronous as an organic whole, which had been the ideal of the great novels of education since the eighteenth century. That the mechanical and industrial should appear as substitutes for hand or craft was not in itself a disaster- expecti if one believes that art is in its essence the expression of an individuality of a genius assisted by an elite craftsmanship.”( Lyotard, pg. 40)

This quote reminded of a discussion that has been ongoing in my history of theatre class. Currently, we have been discussing the relevance of theater in our current quarantine times. The theater has been shut down for the last couple of months and will continue to be shut down at least till the end of the year. Many companies (as well as our own theater department) have resorted to zoom productions, where actors are able to perform plays in the comfort of their own homes. While it is not the same as live theater, it has filled a void form many performers. Within this debate, many have argued that it is not safe for theaters to open and that it is now time for theater to be over with. “No one will want to come to the theater anymore because of its safety issues. Our current technological advances have made theater, in many people's opinions void and unimportant. In my opinion though, just as Lyotard talks about how advances in technology in the early 20th century didn’t replace the art of the past, I feel like the same will happen now. The theater will never be replaced. It could be altered or modified in some way, but there will always be a crowd of people who want to sit and have a lived experience with others.

Eclecticism

Eclecticism in online spaces is especially highlighted by the phenomenon of online blackface. While people aren’t explicitly painting their faces black online, the mannerisms they affect in order to appeal to others online are clearly attempting to imitate stereotypical African American speech patterns. The strangest part of it all is that they only do this when they’re trying to be funny, and in posts where they are more serious (or, at least, not trying to make a joke), the “blaccent” disappears. Along with using copious amounts of AAVE in joke posts, this may also be coupled with the usage of memes or gifs depicting black people. Now, I don’t know the specific statistics of meme usage, but anecdotally, I am sure that most of the reaction images I have seen online feature black people. It could be argued that the humor doesn’t come from blackness, but if that were true, then why isn’t there more equal representation of other races in commonly used memes? It’s almost like a continuation of minstrelsy, except most of the people doing it don’t intend to be racist. The lack of knowledge of the origins of popular online slang causes people to credit these words to whatever overwhelmingly white community they discovered it in rather than their true originators, African Americans. Black people have said this dispersal of AAVE in online communities has made it hard to tell who is black and who is just trying to sound black, though it also becomes incredibly apparent that someone is not if their usage becomes egregious. It’s especially bad when brands try to use it:

Notice how the Pop-Tarts account credited teens with the language. Instead of AAVE being seen as an integral part of African American culture, it is now just the way annoying teenagers online speak. The only way to combat this is by spreading awareness and teaching history, which many activists online have been trying to do. Unfortunately, the proliferation of AAVE online is just one way black culture has been appropriated and repackaged to be palatable to non-black audiences.

10/6 Post-Class blog

For immigrants, tradition is sometimes the only thing keeping them tied to their history. First-generation immigrants often have never been to the country their parents are from, and their parents try to keep cultural traditions alive in them despite the large disconnect the children may feel. While I hardly know the language my parents speak, my connection to my cultural identity largely comes from the traditions they have shared with me. It helps that a large portion of my family moved to a part of America with a strong Filipino community, and, growing up, I was often submerged in Filipino culture despite hardly remembering what it was like in the Philippines. Still, I am missing my parent's language, and that is already a large part of their culture that was never passed down to me.

As immigrant children start having families of their own, and their children have their own families, and their children have their own families, and so on, the ties to the homeland quickly fade. I’ve spoken to other Filipinos who are third or fourth generation immigrants, who’s families came to America much earlier than mine, and their attachment to Filipino-ness is tenuous at best. Their parents don’t know Filipino and have never been to the Philippines, and the fact that they are Filipino is more of a fun piece of trivia than an important part of their identity.

On a micro-level, this is demonstrative of how quickly history can fade as time continues, which emphasizes the importance of having people who will keep that memory alive. This holds especially true for indigenous cultures who have very few people left to keep propagating their way of life. Indigenous cultures have so much to teach us about how to live sustainable lifestyles, yet they are not valued in our so-called “modern” society. When we let these cultures die, we are also letting an important part of human history die with them.

Evie 10/6

 Through his writing, you can tell that Jurgen Habermas clearly has a nostalgia for things in the past. Today’s discussion on “traditionalism” versus “avert-gardism” connects to this longing. When I think of a tradition, I think of something that is repetitive and communal. These two descriptions both foster a feeling of comfort. To illustrate, when something is done many times, it feels stable. Likewise, when something is done with a community, feelings of security arise. Traditionalism is established and predictable due to its repetitive and communal nature. 

In contrast, avert-garde is the idea of creating a new way to shock the audience. The playful nature of this concept is far from comfortable. Habermas writes “Modernity revolts against the normalizing functions of tradition; modernity lives on the experience of rebelling against all that is normative” (p. 100). Although modernity and the concept of avert-garde are notably groundbreaking, we are missing a sense of dependability. This lack of consistency can lead to a longing for the comfort of tradition. Therefore, Habermas’ nostalgia is not surprising.

I especially enjoyed our discussion at the beginning of class of the public sphere. The public sphere is a place where intellectuals, or people in general, are able to go to have a conversation about big ideas. Such big ideas include culture, art, politics, etc. What I thought was most interesting is that social media is today’s alternative to the public sphere. Social media has transcended all boundaries of communication. I can be sitting in my apartment in Winter Park, Florida and potentially connect with anyone in the world and start an intellectual conversation. This access to mass communication has created several social media movements, like the Me Too Movement. This movement gave, and still gives, people the platform to discuss sexual abuse and harassment with those around the world. This public discourse shows victims that they are not alone and that they are heard. The public sphere is truly an incredible concept. 

10/6 Pre Class

This week's reading from Habermas gave a very clear insight into some of the identities of where a lot of the modernist culture derives from. We got a picture of the influencers and theorists from the time. After each reading, it is quite interesting to understand and analyze the intertextuality amongst all of our authors and theorists. The pieces are starting to connect with the framework being set up from a cultural aspect. Specifically, this week, the concept of aesthetic project and theory was mentioned and this set up the style and form of media delivery and the methods on how culture was perceived and shaped. The Enlightenment shaped culture and society in ways that are still impacting us today merely through the ripple effect.  Habermas had mentioned the surrealists and the effects they have and will have on future cultural norms, as Habermas says, “Communication processes need a cultural tradition covering all spheres - cognitive, moral-practical and expressive… The surrealist revolt would have replaced only one abstraction” (Habermas, 1981, p. 105). Below, I have attached a series of highly important quotes that will later be quite effective for analysis of further topics discussed in the course. These quotes are what I believe are important concepts and theories moving forward. I have now been slowly shifting my perspective with analyzing the past and using those thoughts to further predict and understand how the past will shape the future from today and so on. 

"With varying content, the term 'modern' again and expresses the consciousness of an epoch that relates itself to the past of antiquity, in order to view itself as the result of a transition from the old to the new" (Habermas, 1981, p. 98). 

"Specifically, the idea of being 'modern' by looking back to the ancients changed with the belief, inspired by modern science, in the infinite progress of knowledge and in the infinite advance towards social and moral betterment" (Habermas, 1981, p. 99). 

"Drawing upon the spirit of surrealism, Walter Benjamin constructs the relationship of modernity to history in what I would call a post-historicist attitude. He reminds us of the self-understanding of the French Revolution: 'The Revolution cited ancient Rome, just as fashion cites an antiquated dress. Fashion has a scent for what is current, whenever this moves within the thicket of what was once.' This is Benjamin's concept of the Jetzeit, of the present as a moment of revelation; a time in which splinters of a messianic presence are enmeshed" (Habermas, 1981, p. 100).  

10/1 Post Class

 Walter Benjamin makes truly incredible remarks on the age of reproduction that coincides with how media texts such as art can get mechanically reproduced in such an efficient way. This will have an everlasting effect with how media is delivered. We see in today's world how easy it is to be mislead and how much information is getting pushed out of many media outlets. It can be real news or fake news, but this mechanically produced content Benjamin discusses is all connected with the westernized form of government and capitalism. I am a firm believer that Marx may not be entirely wrong with his beliefs as Benjamin discussed. The idea of a capitalistic society is something I have trouble with, but I do not condone a communist environment. It is truly difficult to find that sweet spot of being able to incorporate social accountability, while still having an open-ended free market. These theorists have demonstrated the unique analysis of looking to the future by analyzing the past and framing their world in such a way that they can have a rough idea of future outcomes. Having this mindset and understanding the framework from an array of authors gives us so much context for how everything in the world from a social, political, and economic standpoint came to be. Below I have included two quotes that I truly admire and give so much support to how I believe the world is shaped in present day. 

“Even the most perfect reproduction of a work of art is lacking in one element: its presence in time in space, it’s unique existence at the place where it happens to be. The unique existence of the work of art determine the history to which it was subject throughout the time of its existence. This includes the changes which it may have suffered in physical condition over the years as well as the various changes in its ownership. The traces of the first can be revealed only by chemical or physical analysis which it is impossible to perform on a reproduction; changes of ownership are subject to a tradition which must be traced from the situation of the original” (Benjamin, 1969, p. 38-9). 

When Marx under took his critique of the capitalistic motive production, this mode was in its infancy. Marks directed his efforts in such a way as to give them prognostic value. He went back to the basic conditions underline capitalistic production and through his presentation showed what could be expected of capitalism in the future. The result was that one could expect it not only to exploit the proletariat with increasing intensity, but ultimately to create conditions which would make it possible to abolish capitalism itself” (Benjamin, 1969, p. 37). 

10/1 Post-class

“The presence of the original is the prerequisite to the concept of authenticity”

Of the many plotlines happening in Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki’s Billy Bat, one of the major ones is main character Kevin Yamagata’s concern that he may have stolen the main character in his comic, the eponymous Billy Bat, from an image he saw while he served for America in Japan. Due to this fear, he returns to Japan to get permission to use the character from its original creator, only to learn that the original creator doesn’t particularly care. In this scene, the old comic artist explains to Kevin why he isn’t concerned:

“Where did we learn to draw this cup?” he asks Kevin.

“Well… we copied someone else…” Kevin replies.

Later on, we learn that the design for Billy Bat didn’t even originate from that, but rather, an old cave painting of a bat that the comic artist saw. The one Kevin thought was the original was also merely a copy, and the cave painting that inspired it was merely a copy of what that artist saw in real life as well. Kevin’s concern with artistic integrity battling with his fear of financial repercussions is representative of the plight of the artist in modern society. The political imperative of art comes from many axes: Kevin needs to make a living, which already is changing his artistic output from what it would be if that imperative was not there. In addition to the financial aspect, he butts heads with his editors over where the plotline should go, with the editors insisting the Soviets be the true masterminds while Kevin finds the explanation unsatisfying. The political agenda of the ruling class further alienates the artist from something that should be so personal to them. Art does not belong to the creator, but to the reasons they have to make the art. Co-author Urasawa feels this pressure in real-life too:

I believe that if there are any signs that people would like to read [my comics], I’m sure they could be translated into English. But I do have a slight concern with Billy Bat… I’m not naming names, but major animation or film studios could take offence, or maybe draw some non-existent similarities between my work and their work, so that’s a slight concern…

Urasawa is all too familiar with the very Western concern of copyright and originality, knowing that his works are unable to reach a wider audience because of it. Rather than taking the risk of big companies such as Disney or Warner Bros. filing a lawsuit against his work, he would rather keep it untranslated. Even for a legendary comic artist such as himself, comics are not the most lucrative medium, and certainly not lucrative enough to battle those companies’ lawyers. Art is something that should not have these political and financial borders, but increasing corporate influence in art puts these borders in place.

10/1 Post Class Blog

 “The greater the decrease in social significance of an art form, the sharper the distinction between criticism and enjoyment by the public. The conventional is uncritically enjoyed, and the truly new is criticized with aversion”

• Benjamin Mann

After reading this statement by Benjamin Mann a couple of times through, I believe that he has hit the nail on the head for our current media landscape. When conventional pieces of media are released, they are not as heavily criticized and just stated to be as part of a “genre,” which excuses their conventionalism. When something new is released, it can either face unwavering praise (which is still something good to be looked for) or be slandered for trying something new. For example, country music over the last couple of years has been very mentionable within its own music tone, subject matter, and vernacular use. Though many will criticize the country because of its substandard style, many people still enjoy it because of that familiarity. There are not many country songs that are released that challenge or have much social significance. 

This quote is also very reflective for me of the current film industry that we are dealing with. Disney the last couple of years has been releasing live-action remakes of their classic animated films. After these films are released in theaters, they make hundreds of millions to billions of dollars. The general public will go to see these films without thinking the true implications of setting them and give Disney that money. In essence, these live-action remakes have taken what used to be art (i.e the old animated Disney films) and made them into cash-grabs that make no effort to differ from their animated counterparts. In some sense, the tide is turning with these remakes. The new Mulan, which was released on Disney+ in early September, has received much backlash due to its lack of energy, passion, and cultural insensitivity. However, the Mulan remake did try to change the original animated tale, which led to many disliking it purely for that reason.

Jane Denson, 10/1

        After our class discussion of Walter Benjamin, I would argue that I have a better understanding of cultural theory as we know it and further study it. His analysis of mechanical reproduction seeping its way into other industries and areas of life was perhaps what struck me the most. Reading his work for the second time, I feel as though his dissection of the roles that photography and cinematography play in mass reproduction and imitation was rather enlightening of the bigger picture of Postmodernity. In his text, he essentially insinuates that this phenomenon can feature a political charge and must not be observed with an absent mind, which points to the notion that we should not be consuming mass reproduction without thinking critically of it and what it offers beneath the surface.

        

        As someone who has a deep passion for film, Benjamin's observations and theoretical insight into the world of cinema have made me much more aware of the texts I engage with. Lately, I seem to always look for elements of foreshadowing, symbolism, character tropes, etc. whenever I witness any film. It actually has become a fun activity for me, especially with horror works in particular. Speaking of the horror genre, I believe that there is a correlation to both Benjamin's ideas and our class' collective perspective on the images we viewed. In film, it becomes clear that in (mainly) the horror genre, reproduction and the notion of authenticity manifest through sequels. If you look at any slasher franchise, many people would go as far to say that sequels put them into an early grave. This likely stems from the following movies either cheapening the authenticity of the original or damaging what made the original so great in the first place. Not only that, but the debate regarding this topic is even more polarizing when it comes to remakes, which are argued to completely undercut the authenticity of the original film.

        The final piece of Benjamin's writing that I want to touch on from last class is this quote: “[the camera] permits the audience to take the position of the critic, without experiencing any contact with the actor” (Benjamin, 1935, p. 42). Here, I feel that it is important to mention that this implies that the audience is taking on the gaze of the camera when they view a film or televised program. It is this idea that helps us recognize and grapple with the notion of voyeurism, as well as how it infiltrates the cinematic realm, since it appears as though a majority of consumers of these types of text do not realize what the camera is actually accomplishing. I know that from my studies of films from the 1920s-1940s, voyeurism, or the (sexualized) objectification and observation of a certain person, social group, or thing, was a central aspect of most, if not, all of them.

10/1 Ashlynn Yvaine

I think the question of what good art is and whether it should be original is a very interesting conundrum. On one hand my creative instinct tells me to rebel against every other narrative and create only shiny new stories. The other part of me yearns to recreate the classic but just in a new way, maybe because it is just the way I originally felt them in my brain and I want to represent to others like me that they exist.

Many of the creative writing classes which I have taken have advised that nothing is truly original, every story is based off of the same characteristics that you would find in every other story from the beginning of history. Instead of being completely original we are supposed to just find our original interpretation. Even my friend's who are actors have received the advice to "know who to steal from" when it comes to their acting techniques and styles. 

These bits and pieces of unoriginal content put together to create new art is a noble enough cause in my opinion. However, there is something to be said of the genuine quality of the original when the express purpose of the new art is to perfectly copy the first piece. An artist recreated a Van Gogh piece realistically and was faced with massive backlash. AlthoughVan Gogh was not entirely original, many artists have painted French cafe's, it was the way in which he painted that was the allure of the work. For another artist to paint the same scene but with more technical scene and a realistic style, it removed all of the attraction of the previous piece. A realistic style is something that we can see with our own eyes while the eye of Van Gogh is something we can only experience through his artwork.

An artist should know how to steal, take the idea of painting a cafe from somebody else, however it is the original lens that you bring to the table which separates it from corporate mass production and creates the special atmosphere of good art.

Van Gogh

Haixia Liu

Abbey- 10/1

 “Secondly, technical reproduction can put the copy of the original into situations which would be out of reach for the original itself.” (Durham & Kellner 39)

    During our class discussion, this quote that we talked about really stood out to me. I was born in 2001, so as I have grown, I have been able to see how the media has evolved. As I grew up, I always had access to different forms of media and could experience how fast and far information can travel via media platforms. Through this experience, I have been able to see technical reproductions of art in multiple forms that I would have otherwise not seen if not for the technological advancements in the media. A current example of the media providing us a “copy of the original” that comes to mind is the 2020 presidential race. The presidential debates are being live streamed by multiple providers via video. This allows for the United States’ people to see a “copy” of the actual debates if they can not be there in person. The people that can not be there to witness the debates in person are able to view the debates from their homes with the help of technical reproduction. This is important because years ago when media usage was limited the majority of the United States would rely on secondary sources for their information about potential United States’ Presidents, meaning they would not get the opportunity to hear a candidate actually speak about what they stood for. Film is the media is a great form of communication and can bring experiences to people that they would have otherwise never gotten the opportunity to witness. While, the people watching the “copy” of the debate from their home might have a different experience from the people watching it in person, both parties are getting essentially the same information. Videography in the media provides us with world wide communication and access to pieces of art, events, speeches, etc. that we would have never been able to see without the newfound technology. I am interested if any of you have any personal experiences of being able to view “a copy of [an] original” that you otherwise would not have been able to without the current media technical reproduction?

Evie 10/1

Walter Benjamin expresses in The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction that “In principle, a work of art has always been reproducible” (p. 38). While art has always been reproducible, times have certainly changed. Before the 19th century, the replication of art was done by humans. The process was slow and not even close to being on a mass production scale. Today, art is replicated by means of machines. This new medium of replication allows for art to be copied exponentially. The issue with this innovation is that each time a work of art is copied it loses its authenticity. Benjamin argues that even the most perfect replication lacks its presence in time and space; an “authentic” print does not exist. In other words, the aura of the replicated piece is missing as nothing truly compares to the feelings and emotion tied to the original. 

The idea of printing and replication reminded me of my own experience with art. My family has a Salvador Dali print in our house with a fraction at the bottom corner. I was unaware of what the number meant until my mom informed me that the denominator indicates the edition size and the numerator indicates the number of each satisfactory print in the edition. Since editions are usually printed all at the same time, it seems impossible for the numerator to signify the actual printing sequence. However, since prints already lack value and authenticity, the number serves as a sort of tie to the original piece. The little fraction at the bottom of the print gives a sliver of authenticity back to the replica. Although the copy is one of many, it is still part of that one edition. In a way, a sense of uniqueness is tied to that number. I attached a photo of the print, it's a really cool piece!