Fairytale Remix

I'm listening to the Star Wars sound track right now as I write this blog post, and I'm remembering something we discussed in Daryll's class last winter semester as we watched A New Hope. He mentioned that Star Wars itself was essentially a "remix" of past works. Being both a scifi and western, and using past stories for inspiration. The greatest of these was Frank Herbert's The Dune. I'm going to link a page to this blog so that those who are curious of all the parallels between Star Wars and The Dune can take a gander, but that will be at the bottom of the page. The reason I brought this up is to point out the fact that even some of our most beloved stories that we perceive as "entirely original" really aren't a lot of the time. They are just remixes of already existing material. It's like taking a piece of clay that has been used to mold a pot, breaking it down, and using it to create a vase with different flourishes and designs. It was interesting reading Zipes' "Breaking the Magic Spell" for these exact reasons. It pointed out some fairytales that have existed for extremely long periods of time, yet they have been morphed to fit the social needs or wants of a specific time period. We get a look at Beauty and the Beast as an example. That story has changed multiple times across the ages.

"In the case of 'Beauty and the Beast,' not only was a folk tale motif transformed and adorned with baroque features by the imagination of the writer, but the literary mediation controlled the production, distribution and reception of the tale." 

This excerpt also deals with the fact that these tales that have existed across time not only morph with social needs or wants like I previously mentioned, but the "literary mediation" have a major sway over if and how that story gets told. We saw this in "Wonder Woman: The Untold Story of the American Superheroines." The production, distribution, and overall reception of Wonder Woman was essentially dictated by how she was presented. We were shown many of the different stages that Wonder Woman passed through and how she was a representation of feminism. Beginning as the ultimate woman she inspired many women to be better, and to be proud of their gender and fight for their rights. Once she became a valuable icon the media took her in several different directions. I thought this was an interesting insight as to how the media manipulates certain icons and images to influence their audience into a certain way of thinking. Which yet again brings us back to Adorno and Horkheimer, but at least in this case the people who love Wonderwoman rejected the stupid things the media were doing with her story. Examples of this include her constant need to be saved, her opening of a line of clothing, and her over sexualization. These depictions of Wonder Woman did not reflect the original motivation of her creation. Being a symbol of feminism for people everywhere it became an embarrassment to fans and writers alike. Fortunately the fans took her back and gave back her superpowers and values that had been lost along the way. 

Story remixes have been going on for an extremely long period of time and that's not going to change. Some are better than others, and some adaptations are more popular than others. My goal for this upcoming project is to write truth. I think a lot of people like the superficial and cliche because they're used to it. The stories that the masses hold dear to their hearts are the ones that reveal truth in such a way that touches them. I want to write something that can achieve that. It's far easier said than done, and I don't consider myself an amazing writer, but hopefully the desire to write something of worth that's truthful and thoughtful I'll find some sort of inspiration. Les Miserables is a story that people have held close to since it was written. It has been adapted into a few different versions of films, a musical, etc. The story is timeless because it reveals many truths that people can connect with. The character of Jean Val Jean is the type of person that just everybody can connect with. We have all sinned, we have all made mistakes, we have all felt rejected, we have all had to pay for our mistakes, it's how we deal with them that brings about satisfaction in this life and salvation in the next. Marius' character is also one that I feel strong connections to as well because I have had to choose between love and duty, and it's a difficult decision. I, like him, chose duty, and I am have gained tremendously from it. There are many other stories in this world that dig just a little bit deeper and find truth. People relate the very most with these stories. I feel like that's why I connect with Brandon Flowers' lyrics and music so much. He writes in a very intriguing way, but I also believe that he writes to find truth, reveal truth, and present truth in a way that it hasn't been viewed before. 

Stories are some of the greatest tools man has to teach, convince, and enlighten others. When it's done correctly and with good intentions it can have a lasting and deep affect on those who experience it.

http://www.moongadget.com/origins/dune.html

Social Reform and Social Media

"Because people can only challenge domination by connecting with each other, by sharing outrage, by feeling togetherness, and by constructing alternative projects for themselves and for society at large. Their connectivity depends on interactive networks of communication. And the fundamental for of large scale, horizontal communication in our society is based on the Internet and wireless networks... The networked social movements of our time are largely based on the Internet, a necessary though not sufficient component of their collective action."

In this day and age, social reform is largely dependent on social media. As a matter of fact it is is one of the most effective ways to facilitate horizontal communication rather than the carefully constructed and mediated information that comes with vertical communication. As I read through this article I thought of past social revolutions and reformations such as the American Revolution, the French Revolution, the documentary Burma VJ, and even Newsies. Honestly it baffles me that they were even able to coordinate movements with enough people to even be noticed. Technology has changed this in a massive way. Movements can be coordinated not only locally, but globally through the internet and social media. But before we can have movements we must have shared experiences that create the want and often times the need for change. In the quote above the very first line is essential to the rest of the text: "People can only challenge domination by connecting with each other, by sharing outrage, by feeling togetherness, and by constructing alternative projects for themselves and for society at large. " This is the first key step that social media allows. Instead of a solitary meeting with your friends to talk about how horrible you are being treated in your community, country, etc - you can get online and share it. Everybody that has access to a computer can get online and share it. And within a few hours you have hundreds of personal experiences that feed the fire. These people share it with their friends, both in person and through social media, who share it with their friends, who share it with their friends. It perpetuates and creates immense possibility for social reform. Once all of these people are on the same page and feel passionately enough about making a change, through social media platforms, they can schedule a movement to make that change. I believe that this is the last step that the author, Manuel Castells, was addressing as he referred to the use of the internet as "a necessary though not sufficient component of their collective action." It boils down to the people standing up and making a change, social media just facilitates that.

Kony 2012 is a prime example of using social media as a means to achieve social reform. We watched the video on class which was released on Youtube and currently has almost 99,000,000 views from people around the world. The Kony 2012 facebook page currently has 82,767 likes from people around the world, and their numbers have plateaued within the last year. What's fascinating is that because of the internet, like we've talked about, they were able to have a worldwide impact. The likes and views are coming from not only across the country, but from across the world. They called for social reform, really made a push for it through social media, and gained traction like I've rarely seen. Especially for a political cause. It's a testimony to the fact that it can work. It is something that people have used, and continue to use, especially as the providers of the platforms improve their product.

The more I have looked into the use of social media as a resource to push social reform, the more I ran into organizations and stories about when it was used. One of the most interesting ones I found happened in 2010-2011 in Egypt. Just to call back what was going on - Hosni Mubarak, the President of the Country, was an authoritarian and was basically running a dictatorship. The people wanted a greater freedom of voice and decided it was time to make a change. Using social media platforms they Egyptian people were able to decide on a date and time to meet in central Cairo and protest. Here is a short excerpt from an account of that movement:

"Tens of thousands of people have gathered today in central Cairo and other Egyptian cities for what they are calling the "day of departure" of President Hosni Mubarak." 

Had social media not been involved as a major form in the coordination of this event, the magnitude of it all would have been majorly affected. I would be willing to bet that only a few hundred in any one of the cities would have turned up, and the majority of the population would have never known. I don't think I fully realized just how much social media has impacted the social reform organizations of the world today. And this whole time I've been talking about the positives of how people use social media to coordinate movements and advocate social reform, but I have to wonder how those in power influence it. If there's anything I've learned from Horkheimer and Adorno it's that everything is influenced by "the man" and what "the man" wants to think, feel, and do. I know we want to think that all social media is a means for "horizontal communication," but how much of that is true. Especially when a country's government is essentially a dictatorship and they control what is said and done. It's sort of tricky to know, but when there's a will there's a way I guess. In my opinion, it's better to have social media as a tool or resource, even if the oppressors have access to it as well.

Annotated Bibliography on Corruption

Just as a reminder, the social issue that I am addressing this semester is Corporate Corruption. I had originally planned to focus on corruption in the community so it became real for those that would see this, but it has quickly evolved into something else. I had also talked about jumping into the frying pan and doing my own research, and possibly trying to expose corruption that I have personally seen. Right now, from a personal standpoint, it is not the best idea and I am currently in the process of coming up with a better idea of how to approach it. In the meantime however, and after looking at my newfound resources I have decided to take a new approach- make it personal.

When I say make it personal I mean bring it home making it seem more real to my family, friends, and colleagues. The media has had a large influence on how people view corruption and corrupt people. A few films that come to mind right away are The Dark Knight, The Untouchables, and Ides of March. All of these films deal with corporate and political corruption. They shine an unfavorable light on them, yet in each case the protagonist who is fighting the good fight is the kind of hero that we can't be. We can't go out guns blazing bringing down mobsters, we don't have a sleek batmobile decked out with missiles and guns, and we are not in the political standing to make a major difference in society as an individual. Therefore we need to take the kind of approach that is more personal.

In finding all of these resources and jumping into the material, I don't think I originally realized just how overwhelming it all might be. One of the more interesting things I found out, which I sort of knew already, was just how intertwined Political and Corporate corruption are. The rich and powerful want to be taken care of, and so do politicians. Together they can be dangerous since their relationship can be very beneficial. I read more about the scandals that surround the bankruptcy of almost every fortune 500 company that has ever existed. The executives at Enron threw the workers of their company under the bus while they walked away with billions of dollars. Corporate corruption spreads so far and so wide that it almost feels like there's nothing we can do about it considering it's very difficult to see the corruption until after the fact.

Unfortunately I get overwhelmed by things like this fairly easily, and I have to take a step back and ask myself three easy questions. What? Why? and How? When I look at my pool of resources it makes me wonder how we can combat corruption. It seems almost impossible as an individual, and there's no way to entirely rid ourselves of it, but we can try. I believe it begins with the individual. My push is for an increase of integrity. If people would stick to their guns and keep their integrity this wouldn't be such an issue. So I am not sure yet how I am going to approach it, or address integrity, but I believe this is the right approach. You can fix it all at once, but one starfish back in the ocean is a start.

Predator of a Nation, written by Charles Ferguson, is a book that talks about the criminalized state in which the financial sector of our country has succumbed. It focuses on the influence that the academic, financial, and political fields have had on the “predator’s path to conquest.”

Ferguson, Charles H. Predator Nation – Corporate Criminals, Political Corruption, and the Hijacking of America. New York: Crown Business, 2012.

This book focuses on the lies of America’s large fortune 500 companies. It talks about their misdeeds and misbehaviors, and exposes truth about these companies to the general public.

Clinard, Marshall B. Corporate Corruption The Abuse Power. New York: Greenwood Press Inc., 1990.

Pigs at the Trough focuses on the affect corporate greed and corruption is having on the entire nation. Huffington singles out different political leaders and business owners to prove her specific points.

Huffington, Ariana. Pigs at the Trough How Corporate Greed and Political Corruption are Undermining America. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2004.

This film has five parts: How we got here; The bubble; The crisis; Accountability; and Where we are now. The director of this film helps shed light on why Iceland privatized its banks and they, and the rest of the world, went into recession when the Lehman Brothers and AIG went under.

Inside Job. Directed by Charles Ferguson. Belgium: Sony Pictures, 2010.

Based off of the book Enron published in 2003, Gibney helps us see the scandal of Enron, and why the top dogs walked away with billions when the company collapsed.

Enron. Directed by Alex Gibney. USA: Jigsaw Productions, 2006.

This film essentially picks a fight with large companies. It looks more closely at how large businesses function, and points out the flaws and criticizes the way they function.

The Corporation. Directed by Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbott. Canada: Big Picture Media Corporation, 2004.

This article talks about the rise of corporate corruption over the last several years. It also touches on how corruption may be cyclical with recessions and the abandonment of integrity as a result.

Porter, Eduardo. “The Spreading Scourge of Corporate Corruption.” The New York Times (New York), July 10, 2012. October 15, 2013. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/11/business/economy/the-spreading-scourge-of-corporate-corruption.html

This magazine article talks actually talks about what the world has done to crack down on corruption through creating laws and exchange policies that forbid many types of unethical behavior in regard to foreign exchange.

Surowiecki, James. “Invisible Hand, Greased Palm.” The Newyorker, May 14, 2012. October 15, 2013. http://www.newyorker.com/talk/financial/2012/05/14/120514ta_talk_surowiecki

This website provides general corruption statistics across the globe. Mostly in reference to political corruption, but the more I’ve read the more I’ve found that political and corporate corruption are essentially intertwined.

“Corruption Statistics.” Transparency.org/uk. Accessed October 15, 2013. http://www.transparency.org.uk/corruption/statistics-and-quotes

Again, this website focuses on political corruption across the globe, but it compares the world’s countries with each other to give us a better idea of where we stand and how we are doing in comparison.

“Corruption index 2011 from Transparency International: find out how countries compare.” Theguardian.com. Accessed October 15, 2013. http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/dec/05/corruption-index-2012-transparency-international

Adorno and Horkheimer, need I say more?

Last week was frustrating for a few reasons. Horkheimer and Adorno are extremely smart and I understood a lot less of what they wrote than I would have hoped. Going over the reading in class was extremely helpful by the way. But once I fully understood the argument they were making I wanted to discuss it with them face to face. I'm sure they're great debaters so that probably wouldn't have gone so well, but the thing that frustrated me the very most was that no solution was presented. Here they have issues with just about all media that is produced by people of the United States claiming that it's all propaganda of what "the man" wants us to think, yet they present no way of changing that. Maybe it's because they see the "problem" as an unchangeable problem. I don't know. The thing that gets me is that their claim delves into the way people are brought up, what their social views are, and what they believe is right or wrong. The government is not creating half of what people watch, it's corporations and independent film makers. The most accessible being hollywood films rather than independent. There are some films I don't necessarily agree with and others that I do. I agree with those films because they are in line with the values I was taught growing up. I believe their issue with media is actually an issue with social customs and what we value in comparison with other countries and territories of the world.

The next thing. The idea that people "get what they ask for" is something that isn't entirely off. After thinking about our in class discussion about being given crap because that's what we ask for made me think. I'm not sure whether or not we talked about Miley Cyrus in class or not, but that is something that made me believe that it's not entirely inaccurate. I have noticed that even with the scandal at the VMA's people are still listening to her music, watching her videos, and yes, people are still twerking. It makes me crazy. Those are the people that enable trash like Cyrus to continue doing what she does. So in a way we are given what we ask for. Then there's the other side of it. I do everything I can not to support it and I feel like I am rewarded with great products of the media. Adorno and Horkheimer would disagree saying that it's part of "the man's" agenda, but I have decided that I am past that. These films are created to inspire, uplift, and give hope to those that might be having a hard time. Can we really say that "Finding Nemo" is a terrible piece of work because it reinforces values that we might have? Sammy cited the 13th article of faith which reads: "We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things." The last part is extremely applicable in this setting. "If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things." I can think of countless films, tv shows, music, and all sorts of media that meet this criteria, and these are the kinds of things I choose to watch and create. If it's a reflection of what I believe and what I hold dear then I did my job properly. If it happens to fall in line with the views of other people in this world all the better. Horkheimer and Adorno have a great argument and I agree with a lot of it, but I don't see some of it in a negative light.

Lets talk about "The Hunger Games" for a moment. I watched it this morning so that it would be fresh in my mind. It was interesting to watch it from a media literacy standpoint. The scene where Peeta comes away from his first interview having informed the world that he's in love with Katniss. She's pissed and wants to kill him, but Haymitch stops her and says that he made her look "desirable" and that it just might save her life. He says that it's a tv show after all. That was quite poignant since our entire discussion last time was about what the media gives us and how it's both what we ask for and a confirmation of what the corporations want us to think, value, and feel is right and wrong. The capitol really pushed to convince the 12 districts into thinking that the Hunger Games are something that brings them together, unites them, and is good. I don't believe our government nor big corporations try to do that. People are smarter than they give them credit for. An example of this is the film Avatar. It had a major agenda and look at how people received it. It was great and terrible at the same time. Kind of an interesting thing to think about. Either way it was the source of one of the more stimulating conversations I've been a part of in a long time. That's why I love this class!