Beatniks and the escape of poserdom

My parents are big collectors of  “Time” and “Life” magazines, so much so that I’m sure our house could be considered a fire hazard because of how many are strewn about. Personally I always like “Life” a little more since they were picture based instead of overtly long article based. And as clear as day I remember one 1950’s issue in particular called “The Only Rebellion Around” that featured a chilling tale of the next wave of Americans, the beatniks. They wore turtlenecks, read poetry, and listen to jazz on LPs, the images within gave them a sense of importance, and I wanted in.  So at the ripe young age of 12 I begin to wear sweater, read Thomas Pynchon, and most importantly collect records (No wonder kids didn’t like me back then, I must of seem like such a pompous doof). Anything on wax I wanted  (from Fats Domino to Candi Staton), every weekend trip to Goodwill brought me more and more LPs and closer and closer to horderdom. After a few years though I started to see my poserness, I didn’t really love the records I was listening to, I hated how itchy the sweaters were, and good lord is Thomas Pynchon a pretentious author.  I started to mellow a bit, selling most of my LPs and sweaters and just got down to what I really enjoyed. I stopped trying so hard and started enjoying things on a personal level, not just what I was supposed to like. I think this all fits into the Hipster portion of our class, we want to be a part of something bigger (be it Beatniks, a team, or even a small club) because it’s so much easier to be ourselves when there are others doing too. You have to take a step back and find what you like and what makes you, you. Even if that means taking aspects of other groups, it adds up to a greater whole of you. 

Brandalism

“Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising.” – Mark Twain

After todays class I started to think more about  cultural jamming. I really dont believe that the examples of the improveverywhere.com really are cultural jamming. Throughout the reading of the Harold article i kept focus on cultural jamming as interupting of the system, intervening and turning an idea or system on its head. I feel like for it to truly be cultural jamming you have to take the preconcieved idea or notion and flip it around to a worldwide audience. I think that idea also needs to be based on a capitalistic society. After some research today, i think i found a classic example of cultural jamming just as good, if not better, then the ones we discussed in class.


http://sobadsogood.com/2012/07/23/22-brilliant-examples-of-culture-jamming/ 

Im not sure how to post the pictures on here, but the above link is to a website showing billboards of the cultural movement known as Brandalism. Brandalism was a street art movement started in over five UK countries that challenged the authority and the status quo of the advertising industry. Their movement is displayed through the billboards they put up that have really provacative messages that really takes that idea or system like we discussed in class and flips it around. A good example of one of their works is a billboard that says "NIKE" with the classic "Just do it" slogan but in the nike logo the I is replaced with a knife and the words are dripping blood. I believe Brandalism is a great example of cultural jamming because its really flipping the system, the system being advertising, on a capitalistic level. I also believe its a good example of politics. The technical definition of politics, "is the practice and theory of influencing other people on a civic or individual level", and i truly believe thats what this movement does.

Ghosts of Pasha Gig: Was it Cruel?

When listening this story of a group pretending to be fans of a band named Ghosts of Pasha, lots of opinions arose on whether it was a cruel joke or a favor to the band.

Looking through Lee's perspective (The agent who came up with the idea), it might come off as a nice gesture. But for the band members who are dying to have a real fan base, it was almost like a taste of something they might never have again.

For example: Let's say you are a professional basketball player. There is one game you dominate everyone and score every time you shoot. It's almost like they can't guard or block your shots, you are just too fast! You end the game with 53 points 23 assists and 14 blocks. You soon realize after the game it was rigged and the other team was told to lose. Your big crowd was there because they were payed to be there. It was all a big lie.

In my opinion, my hypothetical basketball scenario and the Ghosts of Pasha example are very similar. Just because you make a few extra dollars in the end does not cover the fact that your performance was fake. I feel that the lead guitarist felt cheated because of the fact that they were not "true fans" of his band. It was almost of lie of how good they felt they were, like like my basketball scenario.

On top of all that, they were later made fun of online to millions of people! Some people might argue at least it got the band name out there. Marketing tactics believe "all publicity is good publicity."

If you go to Google and Type in "Ghosts of Pasha," 3 out of the 5 first links are related to this Gag. This means the band will not be known for their music, but how they got fooled. Does this kind of publicity actually help the band? I don't think it does. They want to be taken seriously, have real fans, and live the regular band dream. I feel like this was ruined for them during this demonstration and some have the right to feel upset.

I feel many might have opposing thoughts to this statement, please respond with your thoughts and comments!


-David Cardimen

Grand Theft Auto: An Outsider's Perspective.

Alright. So two weeks ago, the highly-anticipated Grand Theft Auto V was released. It was the first title in the series to be released since 2008, so the hype surrounding this game was monumental. Now I don't know specifics of the game, but I know that the general idea is running around an open world based on the greater Los Angeles area and basically wreaking havoc by way of melee attacks, weaponry and automobile theft.

So here’s my question: HOW DID A GAME LIKE GTA5 GENERATE $800 MILLION IN REVENUE IN 24 HOURS?

I know violent games with mature themes tend to sell well due to sensationalism and sensual nature, because that kinda stuff is what people want. However, I don’t understand how upstanding fraternity gentlemen spend hours on end playing a game that allows the player to freely roam about, kill civilians, steal cars and engage in illicit behaviors like sex and drug trafficking.

This might tie in to the cool factor we’ve discussed in class. The only real desire is the desire to be cool. I’m not saying that the themes in GTA5 are considered cool, but when so much focus is centered on behavior that the normal gamer would never engage in is when it becomes more desirable. In no way am I saying that people who play this game will be driven to do these things. I’m saying that I don’t understand why the appeal is so strong. My friends who play the game are some of the nicest, most kindhearted people I know.

This being said, I think it’s fine that people who understand the themes won’t be too heavily affected by the game’s adult content. However, there’s a reason these things are given ratings. Under no circumstance should a child under the age of 17 be allowed to play this game. Ever. I sat and watched for about 5 minutes and about 100 expletives were dropped in that timeframe.  

Ba

My Switch to the Dark Side--Day 5 With an iPhone

So, a couple weeks ago, I admitted in class that I had a dumb phone. I know, shocking, who would admit such a lame thing? But I found the conversations that we had in class very interesting. People talked about how they used their smart phones to entertain, pass time, pretend they don't see people, and overall avoid face to face interaction with other humans. With a dumb phone, there is only so much you can do. After 5 minutes, everyone knows you aren't doing anything on your phone other than avoiding the people around you. I've played the trial versions of Tetris, Uno, and Scrabble on my phone several times; I've organized my pictures; I've managed my messages; and I've typed "asdfghjkl" over and over again to pretend that I am actually having an engaging conversation with someone and I can't possible look away or talk to you. And I survived.

Last week, in one of my classes, we had a random online assignment we could work on in class that I had no warning about. I didn't bring my laptop, so I asked the teacher if there was something else I could do. "You can use your phone," is the response I got. Um, no, I can't. The teacher looked at me quite perplexed and said I could go to the lab. Wow, way to judge me for not having a smart phone. But this isn't the first time I've been ostracized for not having a smart phone. My freshman year, I was told that it was insane trying to be a telecommunications major with a dumb phone. Gee, thanks, now I really want to pursue this major. So I finally broke down and got a smart phone, well begged my parents until they gave in.

And on day five of having this phone, I must say, I almost wish I had my dumb phone back. Not only have I been getting a bazillion text messages saying, "OMG! You got an iPhone?", "You better follow me back on Instagram!", "I SnapChatted you like 20 minutes ago, why haven't you replied?", "I sent you an email, and I know you can check it on your phone, why haven't you responded?" and so on and so forth, but I've been bombarded with information from everyone and their brother.  All I can say is, holy crap. Connection overload. Fun fact: I don't actually want to talk to everyone 24/7. So I am in an awkward adjustment phase.

I don't answer phone calls very well; I blame autocorrect for EVERYTHING, because I can't type; and I have a death grip on my phone constantly. I'm terrified to drop my phone, when before, eh, no big deal. So, maybe an iPhone isn't worth it? I will admit, I like being able to check my email, track the busses, and see how much money I have in my bank account, but is it worth it?

In one of the articles and class discussions, we talked about how we become more disconnected and rely heavily on our phones. I can say that I spent 25 minutes on Facebook yesterday during a class while the teacher droned on and on about something that I cannot for the life of me remember. So I missed out. I used to be that person that talked to people on the bus or in line, but now I can do stuff on my phone, and not have to make other people awkward. So going off the article, "Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?", I would ask, "Are our phones making us lonely?" Probably. We get absorbed in this idea that it is socially acceptable and required to have a smart phone that most people freak when someone tries to talk to them. Newsflash, that's how you make friends...you talk to strangers. My mom, who has no need for a smartphone, is considering getting one for her upgrade because the regular phones are A.) all the same, B.) suck, and C.) aren't really upgrades, you just have a new version of your old phone.

So am I happier with my new phone, I guess. My old one sucked, but I probably would have been just as happy with an new version of it. I do like my new phone, but I guess I just don't see what all the hype is. Maybe it just takes some getting used to.

Tobacco Industry

I watched a Ted Talk earlier this year that reminded me of the topic discussed in class today: The Tobacco Industry and raising awareness of its negative effects. Turning Powerful Statistics into Art by Chris Jordan had a powerful and innovative delivery throughout his presentation. Chris took, what could have been a very dry presentation, and approached it with a very original and creative style. He was informing the audience about statistics and the reality of this world. He was talking a lot of numbers, but did it in a way that brought impact and emotion. He knew his audience and kept them engaged and interested the entire time. He had a steady and effective pace and took appropriate pauses allowing the statistics to sink in, bringing a variety of outlooks and reactions. He really portrayed his deep concern for this world and the reality of all the unknown that most are not aware of. He brought emotion, creativity, facts, passion, insight, and meaningful information into what could have been a very dull, informative presentation. Jordan’s presentation was very memorable. For example, Jordan took the result of an incredibly tragic, unforgettable event, 911, and compared it to the reality of this world regarding deaths due to smoking. Something I believe to be very effective throughout his presentation was the fact that he did not just use numbers on a screen to inform us about the statistics. He took those numbers and turned it into a piece of art to represent each statistic. He not only delivered a powerful presentation, but a created a work of art. His entire presentation brought the “unknown” into the “open”.  His example regarding 911 was not to undermine or reject the tragedy of 911, but it was a bold statement to raise awareness that “x” amount of people died that day, but the same “x” amount of people die every day due to smoking. So these deaths, from his perspective were already going to happen regardless if 911 happened or not because people are still smoking. Now I know that is a harsh and bold statement, but it puts truth and reality at the forefront of our minds and hopefully puts a new perspective on how serious the effects of smoking really are. 

Advertising & Branding to Children

I have an addiction to Yahoo news. A lot of the times, Yahoo has the saddest stories, but there are those moments when they have inspiring stories as well. I have chosen to look at the branding side of an article that was posted last week on Yahoo. This article is about a young girl who wrote a letter to the Bratz maker, MGA Entertainment, to change their dolls up to look more like her. She wanted less makeup, shorter hair, longer dresses than usual and for the dolls not to be mostly blond.

 

 

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/oddnews/girl%E2%80%99s-letter-prompts-bratz-dolls-maker-to-create-custom-dolls-213131169.html

This interested me because of our class talk about advertising with kids. Companies love children because they are full of ideas, and also because they are the “sell to” target. In class, branding to children was sort of seen as a bad thing, but what if it wasn’t. From the example I have above shows that kids can have a mind of their own and can go against what’s “cool.” I think that even though there are such things as the “cool” or the “lame” brands, children knowing which brands are which, help better the companies.

This 8 year old girl, Angelina, chose to write a letter, not via internet or technology, but a cute sloppy hand written letter to the company. Angelina did not even have to start a petition to get a response from the company, which I thought was cool because to me that means companies can listen without embarrassing pressured action to satisfy the consumer. She got a response from MGA Entertainment saying they were “inspired” and they sent her three dolls that were picked from the Bratz custom designs from fans. Two of those dolls were blond and one of the blonds included a short bob and a longer dress. In terms of the makeup, it was not as heavy as I have seen my own Bratz dolls, but yes they still included makeup.

 

I would have like to see the company actual make a doll that resembled Angelina or to at least have natural colors for the makeup choice. However, since Angelina was satisfied with the custom dolls and that MGA Entertainment even responded to her letter, I guess that makes me happy too.