B) The Public Sphere -- a theater in modern societies where political discussion and participation can occur and public opinion can be formed. The public sphere is thus in between the private sphere of someone's home and public authority. It is a place to exchange ideas — producing and circulating discourse and opinions on public matters. This is essential for a participatory democracy.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Modernity, Spectatorship, Power
One instance in which I always feel particularly self-conscious, is at that particular moment when I exercise at the gym. There is just something very daunting about the first few minutes of entering the weight room in the gym. Those initial seconds upon entering the room seem to stretch on as it feels like all eyes are on me.
Production notes:
The camera pans over to the entrance of the room, and zooms in on me as I enter the room. It zooms in on my face, as I my gaze quickly sweeps the room before focusing upon the machine that I want to use. The camera follows as I quickly move towards a muscle toning machine—specifically for the muscles upon the abdomen. I awkwardly adjust the machine to a manageable level of resistance, blindly grasping at the handle while attempting to quickly sit down and start exercising in order to avoid attracting any attention. As I do repetitions of the exercise, my gaze is in a forward direction, staring at the back wall in fear that I shall make eye contact with a stranger. Every once in a while, I feel the sense of being watched, yet when I survey the room, every person seems absorbed in their own world, avoiding the gazes of other individuals. It may just be my own paranoia. I finish the exercises and walk out of the weight room; the camera follows my departure and zooms out, showing the entirety of the weight room as I leave.
Production notes:
The camera pans over to the entrance of the room, and zooms in on me as I enter the room. It zooms in on my face, as I my gaze quickly sweeps the room before focusing upon the machine that I want to use. The camera follows as I quickly move towards a muscle toning machine—specifically for the muscles upon the abdomen. I awkwardly adjust the machine to a manageable level of resistance, blindly grasping at the handle while attempting to quickly sit down and start exercising in order to avoid attracting any attention. As I do repetitions of the exercise, my gaze is in a forward direction, staring at the back wall in fear that I shall make eye contact with a stranger. Every once in a while, I feel the sense of being watched, yet when I survey the room, every person seems absorbed in their own world, avoiding the gazes of other individuals. It may just be my own paranoia. I finish the exercises and walk out of the weight room; the camera follows my departure and zooms out, showing the entirety of the weight room as I leave.
Facebook Suicide
I find the suggestion to commit “facebook suicide” to be an interesting topic. While I am not the kind of person who obsessively checks facebook, I definitely feel that I am rather attached to facebook. However, that does not mean that I entirely support the concept of facebook. It seems like the more individuals use facebook, the harder the time they have to communicate in person, as it is vastly easier to communicate via “comments on the wall” or using “facebook chat.” Considering the idea of shutting down my online profile is a rather daunting idea, as it would mean to cut off an easy means of communicating with individuals. However, I feel that if the population continues down this path of obsessive self promotion and making online friends, there could be serious ramifications for the generations ahead. To close my facebook account would have its pros and cons. Positively, I would in some way, feel that I have been freed from the barrage of friend requests and status updates, as well as having the compulsion to check the website every once in a while. Yet on the other hand, I feel like committing facebook suicide would in some ways, cut me off from the world. There is just something very stigmatizing about shutting down a facebook account, perhaps because of the threat of not feeling connected to the community, and by extension, the world.
Facebook Suicide Attempts
I am one of those social network junkies and I have no shame to say so. I am able to focus on important tasks in my life such as school, work, family events, etc., and still be able to use them. Out of all of my friends I am always the first person to use the newest and hottest sites. Unlike some people I don't use these sites as "creating a person that I am not". I just capitalize on what people already know about me. It gives me some space to say and involve others into my thoughts, opinions, or decisions that I otherwise would never ask them to be involved in. I keep in touch with people and now it has become a big way to promote events or parties. I find them super useful.
I'm sure your wondering why I called this Facebook Suicide Attempts right? Well, I deactivate my facebook at times when I really need to focus. (i.e midterms, finals, big projects) only because it becomes a reason for me not to pay attention. When I get on a "study break" I find myself going on facebook, or Twitter, or Myspace and Skype and work keeps being procrastinated. When I see this happening I know that its time for me to go into "Facebook Rehab", is what me and my friends call it. This gives me no excuses not to finish work. I go through withdrawals but it makes things so much more interesting when I get back on. I've given the people a chance to miss me and they look forward to new pics I have taken while I was away or new thoughts I have now that I am back.
However, I doubt I will ever completely commit facebook suicide only because I enjoy keeping in touch and seeing what people say to me on my photos or comments they have when I post something.
Production Notes
At first I told myself I would not make this assignment about race, but because this is the only situation that makes me feel completely self-conscious I figure I'd share my thoughts. I work over by the sciences buildings in the back of the campus by the football stadium and when I am on my lunch break I go to the cafe which is open to public or at least students but most of the vet students go there. Everyday I walk in and there is a different crowd, but everyday I am the only African American, and African American woman at that. Eyes always fixate on me as if I am not suppose to be there. I stick out like a bruised thumb. And still, I go everyday because I am hungry and honestly, I am always curious to see the new reactions I will get. Every day I become less self-conscious but still self conscious nonetheless.
Production Notes:
Camera focuses on the people in audience. Laughing, smiling, having pleasant conversations while enjoying lunch. The door opens and the bell chimes. An African American woman walks in with ipod on. People look and stare to see if she is lost or if she is coming to eat in the cafe. Camera zooms into some people whispering and then quickly zooms in to her facial expression. Audience can see that she feels uncomfortable but doesn't stop staring even while ordering and paying for food. African American woman sits down at a table by a window and people close to the table continue to watch her as if awaiting some type of action. She gets up to leave after quickly eating her food and camera zooms in to the sigh of relief of the people in cafe.
Production Notes
I feel like the object of gaze when I’m walking around on campus which is weird because in reality that is probably when I’m least observed. I know everyone is just going about their day, but I feel like at any moment someone could be looking at me.
Production notes
Goal: Convey the self-consciousness induced by walking through a crowded area.
Girl enters (18-22) a crowded MU. She walks across the MU weaving throw fully occupied lunch tables. She mostly keeps her head forward, but occasionally looks down at the floor or at the squad.
She takes out a cell phone and writes and sends a text as she walks, so everyone knows she has friends. She knows people are looking at her.
The camera is on the other side of the quad, far away from the action it is capturing. It is like the camera is a person looking at the girl which is what she fears.
I have a Facebook profile, but I don’t spend that much time on it. I don’t really expect people to comment on my status, pics, etc., but it’s always nice when they do. I don’t want to commit Facebook suicide. Deleting your profile would be an admission that you can’t handle it. If a person spends all day on Facebook or likes the attention it gives them, deleting their profile isn’t going to do anything. Facebook didn’t create the concept of self promotion, it’s a human trait. If I committed Facebook suicide I’d lose contact with so many people and only gain an extra hour or two of free time a week, which I would probably spend watching TV. The problem isn’t Facebook; Facebook is cool. The problem is people have faults that can be highlighted by FB. If you are an “attention whore” deleting your FB profile won’t change that.
Production Notes
One situation when I have felt self-conscious is when I get on the bus and I cannot find my ID to show the bus driver and instantly I feel people’s stares instantly. I feel self-conscious because everyone is staring at me as if I have done something incredibly wrong that no one has ever done before. The other people that are already on the bus have the option of staring at me or minding their own business or watching where the bus is taking them, but they all choose to stare at me as I struggle to find my ID.
Production Notes: A student steps into a bus and struggles to find her ID.
Camera focuses on a student that is walking into the bus and puts her hand into her bag to pull out her ID. The Student is fairly short wearing a blue Aeropostale jacket, a white tank top, and jeans. Camera zooms into her surprised look when she cannot find what she is looking for. Camera is then directed to her hand searching through her bag struggling to find her ID as her face starts burning with embarrassment. Others who are seated in the bus already just stare and wait for her next reaction.
Production Notes: A student steps into a bus and struggles to find her ID.
Camera focuses on a student that is walking into the bus and puts her hand into her bag to pull out her ID. The Student is fairly short wearing a blue Aeropostale jacket, a white tank top, and jeans. Camera zooms into her surprised look when she cannot find what she is looking for. Camera is then directed to her hand searching through her bag struggling to find her ID as her face starts burning with embarrassment. Others who are seated in the bus already just stare and wait for her next reaction.
Facebook Suicide
I have a facebook profile, and everything that has been mentioned in the article is very true. There are always people that will say that they will not be like those other people that are on facebook 24/7, but reality is that curiosity kills you. Everyone gets to the point where they are just thinking about whether their friends posted a comment on their wall or on a photo that they have just uploaded or even on their new status. Unfortunately most of us give in to that temptation most of the time. Facebook suicide is something that I had never heard before I read this article. To be honest, I have thought about deleting my account, but there has always been something that stops me from doing it. Sometimes it is me thinking about the friends I would lose contact with or just something that a friend said that convinced me to keep it. I still want to delete it since I have not been using it for a while now and see no point in having it anymore.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
On a production:
The UC Davis quad — it is impossible to visit without running into someone I know. There have been enough awkward moments and unwanted run-ins that I have developed a routine of being extremely self-conscious when getting my morning coffee. This, combined with the panopticonic way in which young adults are constantly checking one another out or judging their peers, and hanging out in the quad leaves one as open to publicity and scrutiny as joining a reality TV show.
Production Notes:
Enter girl, 18-20, average in size. Just entering quad from double doors. Sign above the door reads “Coffee House” to make it obvious what she had been getting. The quad is empty, or at least, as far as the girl is aware, no one is around.
She is walking, focused on nothing, obviously contemplating something. Then she trips and spills coffee on her white shirt.
Suddenly, faces—all young adult males, 18-25, start popping up. They all stare, blankly. No emotion can be sensed.
The camera is now viewing a long outdoor walk way, obviously on the way to class. It is scanning back as the girl moves toward it. The faces and bodies grow in number. Every single one remains staring throughout the shot.
The girl sips her coffee, stares at the ground and speeds up. She catches up with the camera so that nothing in front of her can be seen.
Then she runs into a kissing couple. The couple cannot be seen until she has had contact and her coffee goes flying everywhere.
The guy looks pissed off and says in a snotty voice “I knew there was a reason we broke up.” The girl he had been kissing gives our heroine a once over and then laughs.
End scene.
Production Notes:
Enter girl, 18-20, average in size. Just entering quad from double doors. Sign above the door reads “Coffee House” to make it obvious what she had been getting. The quad is empty, or at least, as far as the girl is aware, no one is around.
She is walking, focused on nothing, obviously contemplating something. Then she trips and spills coffee on her white shirt.
Suddenly, faces—all young adult males, 18-25, start popping up. They all stare, blankly. No emotion can be sensed.
The camera is now viewing a long outdoor walk way, obviously on the way to class. It is scanning back as the girl moves toward it. The faces and bodies grow in number. Every single one remains staring throughout the shot.
The girl sips her coffee, stares at the ground and speeds up. She catches up with the camera so that nothing in front of her can be seen.
Then she runs into a kissing couple. The couple cannot be seen until she has had contact and her coffee goes flying everywhere.
The guy looks pissed off and says in a snotty voice “I knew there was a reason we broke up.” The girl he had been kissing gives our heroine a once over and then laughs.
End scene.
The Gaze. terrified, mortified, petrified, stupidfied by gaze..
The day is normal when I find myself walking into Borders to look at some newly released books and people’s magazines. However, one rare situation occurred to me when I walked into Borders bookstore and hear the alarm go off as loud as it could when I walked in. I was immediately asked to open my bags to see if I had anything suspicious. At this point in time, my face was already burning red in embarrassment for no apparent reason. Luckily, I was released soon after but I was able to feel the gaze from other customers waiting in line. I found myself in magazine section to avoid the gaze and to cool myself down. Minutes after looking into some magazines gossiping celebrities, I felt the gaze again. This time, it was from the ceiling, security cameras.
Production Notes: A student walks into Borders and triggers one large alarm.
The camera is in its neutral, free-floating position. A female with a height of 5’4” walks into Borders. She wears black jeans, orange Hollister sweater with hood and with #22 written on the front. She wears 5 yr old Uggs boots and enters the bookstore. The camera from the top and front zooms in close to the female. Suddenly, the alarm triggers and notifies securities with low-tone, but large, blinking beeps. The camera flashes in transparent red and white flashes, and also it zooms into the subject rapidly but not too uncomfortably for the viewers. The view of the camera change to left side via different camera. It shows the security, staffs behind the counter, and subject. The security asks the subject to open the bag so he can see what are in the bag. A quick two-second view shows the costumers, who are waiting in line, allegedly gaze at the subject. The view quickly returns to the subject by the left side camera and shows that the subject is released free.
The subject is taken to magazine section. This time, the camera shoots the subject from the front, and without any cut, the subject passes by the camera. Then, the camera follows the subject to the magazine section in first person view. Mild stutters are heard from the subject as the camera follows her. Lastly, the view is changed to bird’s eye view from the ceiling. Moments later, the subject slowly looks into the camera.
Production Notes: A student walks into Borders and triggers one large alarm.
The camera is in its neutral, free-floating position. A female with a height of 5’4” walks into Borders. She wears black jeans, orange Hollister sweater with hood and with #22 written on the front. She wears 5 yr old Uggs boots and enters the bookstore. The camera from the top and front zooms in close to the female. Suddenly, the alarm triggers and notifies securities with low-tone, but large, blinking beeps. The camera flashes in transparent red and white flashes, and also it zooms into the subject rapidly but not too uncomfortably for the viewers. The view of the camera change to left side via different camera. It shows the security, staffs behind the counter, and subject. The security asks the subject to open the bag so he can see what are in the bag. A quick two-second view shows the costumers, who are waiting in line, allegedly gaze at the subject. The view quickly returns to the subject by the left side camera and shows that the subject is released free.
The subject is taken to magazine section. This time, the camera shoots the subject from the front, and without any cut, the subject passes by the camera. Then, the camera follows the subject to the magazine section in first person view. Mild stutters are heard from the subject as the camera follows her. Lastly, the view is changed to bird’s eye view from the ceiling. Moments later, the subject slowly looks into the camera.
Modernity Spectatorship Power
An instance where I feel especially self-conscious is when I am wearing new clothing. Perhaps, this is because I have no established social reaction from spectators such that I feel comfortable in what I am wearing. Along with that, I question the social acceptability of the clothing. From the perspective of another, who would be watching me be self-conscious, I can imagine myself as being very uncomfortable looking from a physical perspective. Along with that, my actions and interactive qualities will appear timid and unconfident, perhaps reflecting a psychological weakness. It therefore becomes apparent that the idea of spectatorship and social power is highly influential on the psyche of the individual.
Adbusters: Facebook Suicide
I do have a facebook profile and, quite honestly, a lot of what is said in the article seems relevant and true. Previous to reading this opinion I was well aware of the narcissistic effects of facebook as well as its ability to create a false sense of community. Yet I still use it. And often. Why I haven't gotten rid of it yet is beyond me. Perhaps it's because I feel like, since I know of the psychological backlash of facebook and its technological extension of the self, I can somehow overcome these adversaties while still being a user. After a short reflection, I have come to realize that I am still very vulnerable and controlled, despite my attempt to avoid negativity. Social networking sites are just one of those things that has its goods and bads. The ability of the individual to funnel out as many negativities as possible are the ones who thrive within their society, technologically and socially speaking of course..
fearroyo on Facebook Suicide
Committing Facebook suicide was a term I was unfamiliar with until I read King’s feature article. I had not realized the extent that an online persona can virtually (no pun intended) consume an individual’s life. I realize that a common remark and defense for Facebook addicts –the “I have no life”- really is a defensive tactic to save face for their self more than save face in front of an esteemed counterpart because the addict’s online persona is not the perfect persona one wishes to achieve. I mean to distinguish individuals that actively and quite literally post their life online to the avid individuals that do so out of necessity after learning about Hasan Elahi’s ordeal with the United States federal government.
In order to provide a fair position, I refer to individuals as addicts that invest at least 4 hours a week (or 10% of the standard fulltime employment status of a working individual) to modifying or altering their online persona through popular mainstream social-networking sites in an attempt to boost their popularity amongst their social group, peers, or acquaintances. I measure popularity as the time of the addict’s peers response to –since the time of posting- not only common statements with little educational content, but also provocative statements that incite an emotional response from an individual reading the addict’s posting.
Comprehending the issues that addicts, Facebook addicts, any particular type of addict within the realm of social-networking sites has been a confound for me, particularly because I find most of these sites useful to extract personal contact information to contact individuals in the real world through email rather than popular sites. Personally, I do indeed have a Facebook account, but one with very little investment with signs of little interest from when I first began to modify my account. I don’t think I would consider committing “Facebook suicide” as King did so in his personal crisis particularly because although I may not spend more than 20 minutes a week using my account to communicate with friends, acquaintances, and social groups (and that alone providing evidence for other’s to encourage committing Facebook suicide on the grounds that I am not active), I use Facebook as an archive of personal contact information that is likely to be updated more frequently than say extrapolating the information through other means such as asking an individual for any changes in their life. It would not occur to me to simply delete my Facebook account because I am not involved with creating an augmented persona, nor willingly wipe out precious contact information. I reiterate the idea of maintaining contact information on my peers in case of emergency, or if I need a favor from any particular person and wish to have the information ready on site.
I believe King’s article does capture the essence of the dilemma for online social-networking addicts; and that is the existential crisis that is accompanied by the question of what has more fungible capital value, the online persona, or the addict’s actual life?
I found this particular parody on social-networking addicts to be quite comical, the work is done by Flash artist Johnny Utah on the newgrounds.com website. Please be aware the parody contains disturbing scenes of violence and mild sexual references. Enjoy!
http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/498203
In order to provide a fair position, I refer to individuals as addicts that invest at least 4 hours a week (or 10% of the standard fulltime employment status of a working individual) to modifying or altering their online persona through popular mainstream social-networking sites in an attempt to boost their popularity amongst their social group, peers, or acquaintances. I measure popularity as the time of the addict’s peers response to –since the time of posting- not only common statements with little educational content, but also provocative statements that incite an emotional response from an individual reading the addict’s posting.
Comprehending the issues that addicts, Facebook addicts, any particular type of addict within the realm of social-networking sites has been a confound for me, particularly because I find most of these sites useful to extract personal contact information to contact individuals in the real world through email rather than popular sites. Personally, I do indeed have a Facebook account, but one with very little investment with signs of little interest from when I first began to modify my account. I don’t think I would consider committing “Facebook suicide” as King did so in his personal crisis particularly because although I may not spend more than 20 minutes a week using my account to communicate with friends, acquaintances, and social groups (and that alone providing evidence for other’s to encourage committing Facebook suicide on the grounds that I am not active), I use Facebook as an archive of personal contact information that is likely to be updated more frequently than say extrapolating the information through other means such as asking an individual for any changes in their life. It would not occur to me to simply delete my Facebook account because I am not involved with creating an augmented persona, nor willingly wipe out precious contact information. I reiterate the idea of maintaining contact information on my peers in case of emergency, or if I need a favor from any particular person and wish to have the information ready on site.
I believe King’s article does capture the essence of the dilemma for online social-networking addicts; and that is the existential crisis that is accompanied by the question of what has more fungible capital value, the online persona, or the addict’s actual life?
I found this particular parody on social-networking addicts to be quite comical, the work is done by Flash artist Johnny Utah on the newgrounds.com website. Please be aware the parody contains disturbing scenes of violence and mild sexual references. Enjoy!
http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/498203
fearroyo on Modernity, Spectatorship, and Power
When I enter a department store, I often approach the closets cashier and ask “May I be about the store with my backpack on, or may I please leave it somewhere safe while I shop around?” Often with a response that gives me a long stare and a subtle yes, or no. I figure I may as well ease the suspicions of the store employees before proceeding further into the store in mind. I feel as though I’m on watch, not by the surveillance equipment, but by a group of eyes that move about the department store. Before I push a cart across an aisle, I meet an individual approaching from the opposite end. The encounter occasionally ends with the oncoming individual making a quick turn-around and avoiding my presence all together. I usually walk through a department store or a grocer in a systematic manner, pinpointing an aisle to one end of the store and moving through the aisles in a snake-like fashion. Consciously aware of the people keeping an eye on my movements from the corner of my eyes, perhaps its paranoia or perhaps the thought of being watched is most prevalent when I am not wearing my UC Davis sweater in public. “The gaze” from the hidden audience makes the sides of my face tingle with a burning sensation that draws my attention to look in the general direction of the sensation, but I willfully refuse to look; fighting against my intuitive feelings that I’m being watched by the patrons of the store. These feelings of insecurity are common and I try my best to nonchalantly pass them off as paranoia, yet I am unable to overcome the tingling sensation on my face from the “gazers” stares.
Now turning the gaze upon myself, I can see a severely shy young man with a very low wispy voice make an attempt to call the attentive cashier’s attention as the cashier is processing a patron’s groceries. The individual that is myself is holding his backpack by the single strap that his arm is through while the unoccupied arm is covering the hand on top of the backpack strap. The individual or rather the hero (such as the two young men in the McDonald’s commercial screened were dubbed heroes for their persistent efforts to overcome their hardships in adjusting to a new school system from the “Production Notes” screening) is finally able to summon enough audacity and voice to call the cashier’s attention long enough to ask his question. The cashier normally allows the hero to move along with his bag within the store, as the hero walks further and further into the store, he becomes significantly stiffer in his walk and manner of moving. The hero walks along with precise and mechanical movements, almost as though this young individual suffers from a joint-related condition that affects fluid movement. As he walks along the aisles, he is dreadful to lift up his head, when he does he finds the closest piece of surveillance equipment and sighs slightly in relief. Yet as the hero progresses, he is notably disturbed, he realizes he has been constantly watched, by eyes that permeate throughout the aisles of the store. The structure of the store is configured in an almost panopticon manner, the hero weary of what is behind the aisle wall he faces and who, or what may be around the corner as he progresses through his shopping. As he moves along the store, he catches a glimpse of them, and as soon as the hero catches sight of one to make any distinguished observations about the individual’s overall appearance, the surveillant-individual disappears back into the aisles under the stronghold of the walls of consumer products. As the hero nears the end of his journey, he realizes his movements become fluid again and his breath eases in tension before bidding a final thank you to the cashier who processes his groceries. The hero leaves the store with the forethought to bring his UC Davis sweater into the same store another time and remain observant to their ever-present onlookers that are in constant monitoring of the hero.
Now turning the gaze upon myself, I can see a severely shy young man with a very low wispy voice make an attempt to call the attentive cashier’s attention as the cashier is processing a patron’s groceries. The individual that is myself is holding his backpack by the single strap that his arm is through while the unoccupied arm is covering the hand on top of the backpack strap. The individual or rather the hero (such as the two young men in the McDonald’s commercial screened were dubbed heroes for their persistent efforts to overcome their hardships in adjusting to a new school system from the “Production Notes” screening) is finally able to summon enough audacity and voice to call the cashier’s attention long enough to ask his question. The cashier normally allows the hero to move along with his bag within the store, as the hero walks further and further into the store, he becomes significantly stiffer in his walk and manner of moving. The hero walks along with precise and mechanical movements, almost as though this young individual suffers from a joint-related condition that affects fluid movement. As he walks along the aisles, he is dreadful to lift up his head, when he does he finds the closest piece of surveillance equipment and sighs slightly in relief. Yet as the hero progresses, he is notably disturbed, he realizes he has been constantly watched, by eyes that permeate throughout the aisles of the store. The structure of the store is configured in an almost panopticon manner, the hero weary of what is behind the aisle wall he faces and who, or what may be around the corner as he progresses through his shopping. As he moves along the store, he catches a glimpse of them, and as soon as the hero catches sight of one to make any distinguished observations about the individual’s overall appearance, the surveillant-individual disappears back into the aisles under the stronghold of the walls of consumer products. As the hero nears the end of his journey, he realizes his movements become fluid again and his breath eases in tension before bidding a final thank you to the cashier who processes his groceries. The hero leaves the store with the forethought to bring his UC Davis sweater into the same store another time and remain observant to their ever-present onlookers that are in constant monitoring of the hero.
Self Surveilance
Sunday April 25: Note Others Surveying You
With my seminar canceled, I only left the house for an enjoyable bike ride by myself. There were many people outside enjoying the day. The only other source of people seeing me would have been the many traffic cameras in East Davis. At home I spent most of the time on the computer and xbox, both require me to log in to use their services, like check my email, play online, and look at smartsite.
Having spent most of my time on campus, I was seen by somebody most of the day. My photos were mainly taken at home when I was alone. I'd wake up groggy, eat breakfast cereal, spend the day in class and working, get home, unwind with a shower, candy, then sleep.
my favorite is probably the blue tongue from the Warhead; a moment where I might have been extremely self conscious if i were in public.
My simple answers for the questions as of now; more to come...
a. Discuss this experiment: Compare the instances of surveillance you each located during part one. What did you learn about your privacy and your relationship to media from this exercise?
Self concsiousness come and goes with the crowd.
b. Answer this question together: How does the act of being public change your actions? How was this exercise difficult for you.
Not alone most of the day. And I question if I really was alone when I thought I was...
c. In your everyday lives, what role does media play in your sense of a private self? What role does media play in your sense of a public self? Can have you ever been in, or can you imagine, a circumstance where a public persona/ lack of a private persona would be useful to you?
Even if I had the television on or was listening to music, I didn't feel like I was being observed. Though we are learning that television sells us to manufacturers and products are not sold to us, I still feel that it is my two way window to the world; I can see it but it can't see me.
Facebook Suicide
I have been a member of the Facebook “community” for over three years and I feel that it has progressively become less of a communicational device and more of a self-promotional tool. In Carmen Joy King’s essay, “Facebook Suicide,” the author expresses her reasoning on why she decided to cancel her Facebook account. She argues that Facebook drives constant self-enhancement for the current “look at me” generation as well as narcissistic behavior through social-networking websites. I have recently been feeling conflicted regarding the nature of Facebook and pulling myself out of its world. Positive effects of “Facebook suicide” would be knowing that I am no longer willingly advertising myself to the Facebook world just for the sake of attention and self promotion. I would almost argue that the Facebook world is favoring individual promotion rather community promotion, which ironically goes against the initial fashion of the website, which was created to foster the development of social networks and, ultimately, communities. However, committing “Facebook suicide” would have negative effects as well. Although communication does not seem like a priority of Facebook anymore, if I were to remove myself from it I feel like I would lose a sense of communication. Facebook facilitates an easy, casual way of contact between people as well as allowing an environment that drives the exchange of ideas between its members. If I were to cancel my account I would lose this sense of casual interaction that I cannot find using E-mail or the telephone.
Production Notes
One situation in my daily life when I feel particularly self-conscious is when I arrive to a lecture late when the teacher has already begun speaking and the hall is listening quietly. I feel self-conscious because I believe I am being disruptive and drawing attention away from the lecture to myself, a girl who is fumbling around trying to get the last seat in the middle of a row. I feel like a temporary spectacle, the subject of a gaze, where the other students have either the option to watch the professor that they see everyday or a clumsy freshman looking nervously around for a seat in the crowd. I become an object of the gaze because I not only have a sense of myself but have a sense of others and their potential judgments of myself.
Production Notes: A student walks into a busy class late attempting to find a seat.
Camera focuses on a student timidly walking into a crowded lecture hall. The student is female, short, wearing school sweatshirt and jeans with hair in a bun. Camera zooms to a clock on the wall that indicates the student is ten minutes late. Students who are seated are listening to the professor with either focused or bored expressions.
As the late student finds a seat in the middle of a row, those students seated there notice her. They move their backpacks and move more into their seats. The late student nervously apologizes until she has reached her seat. Those seated next to her continue to take notes. This illustrates that even though the late student thinks she is a source of "the gaze" and spectacle to the class, in actuality no one really cares about her lateness.
Blog 9 - Modernity Spectatorship Power
Production Notes:
Aim: Show how different I am when in the Philippines
Story: I am walking with her family members in a mall in the Philippines and show how I is different in every way. Show the different experiences that just show that I am way different like buying shoes and shopping at certain stores.
To fully capture the feeling of the situation for me it to first show the crowd of shoppers which are short 5'5'' men and women that are speaking Tagalog and shopping. Then show my cousins and I walking into the mall. The difference between me and my cousins are that I am a foot taller, a darker shade of skin color, am bigger in terms of weight and size. After that scene show how many people have noticed me and are now staring at me as I shop. As I am shopping show how I am bigger in every sense like when I buy shoes my feet are bigger than my cousins, wear larger clothes than them and eat a lot more. Show that I am interested in stores that are not native to the country but are international like Levi's and Gap. Also When I speak Tagalog show that it doesn't sound like any one else because of my American accent.
When I was in the Philippines a couple years ago, I got out of the airport thinking that I would fit in perfectly and not be noticed by the people. I was completely wrong. Once I got out of the plane, everyone looked at me with this gaze that I could not understand. I finally realized why people did. I look really different from other Filipinos there. I am a lot bigger than most people than many Filipinos because I 5'9'' while most of them are about 5'5'' if they are lucky. I have a pointy nose while others have flat noses. I also don't speak the language very well. So there are just many discrepancies and people just notice them. The only way that other people dealt with them is by just staring at me.
Aim: Show how different I am when in the Philippines
Story: I am walking with her family members in a mall in the Philippines and show how I is different in every way. Show the different experiences that just show that I am way different like buying shoes and shopping at certain stores.
To fully capture the feeling of the situation for me it to first show the crowd of shoppers which are short 5'5'' men and women that are speaking Tagalog and shopping. Then show my cousins and I walking into the mall. The difference between me and my cousins are that I am a foot taller, a darker shade of skin color, am bigger in terms of weight and size. After that scene show how many people have noticed me and are now staring at me as I shop. As I am shopping show how I am bigger in every sense like when I buy shoes my feet are bigger than my cousins, wear larger clothes than them and eat a lot more. Show that I am interested in stores that are not native to the country but are international like Levi's and Gap. Also When I speak Tagalog show that it doesn't sound like any one else because of my American accent.
When I was in the Philippines a couple years ago, I got out of the airport thinking that I would fit in perfectly and not be noticed by the people. I was completely wrong. Once I got out of the plane, everyone looked at me with this gaze that I could not understand. I finally realized why people did. I look really different from other Filipinos there. I am a lot bigger than most people than many Filipinos because I 5'9'' while most of them are about 5'5'' if they are lucky. I have a pointy nose while others have flat noses. I also don't speak the language very well. So there are just many discrepancies and people just notice them. The only way that other people dealt with them is by just staring at me.
Facebook Suicide
I have a Facebook profile.
But do I use it in the way as the author of the article "Facebook Suicide" uses (or, rather used) it? No.
My Facebook account is primarily there, as a point of connection to the groups in my real life-- take, for example, the group of filmmakers who meet every Thursday on campus, the group of poets and audience who converge at the local bistro for some open mic time. In another words, the primary use of my Facebook account is to keep in touch with the groups in my "real life," as a facilitator between me and these groups (and their members). I am assured that should I need to contact the group or one of the members, the contact is possible (as opposed to in real life, in which personal contact information may not always be exchanged due to time constrain, etc.). Similarly, Facebook allows people whom I have met or do not meet regularly in "real life" to keep in touch with me, if only as a "temporary" communication in
between the times we would meet in real life.
So how would a Facebook suicide, as described in the article, affect me? It would certain make these "always available" contact information not available at my disposal. But if there is not the mentality that "the contact information is always available on Facebook," then the Facebook-less person in question could always ensure exchange of contact information upon meeting the person, or what one might call it "the old fashioned way"...but it could be argued, that the quality of the real life interaction would suffer without the contact information on Facebook or on the internet-- that the need to ensure exchange contact information, and having as much as possible of these exchanges, would cut down the time of the real interaction, and the attention paid to the interaction itself.
So while I do not exert effort to keep a perfect image of myself on Facebook, a Facebook suicide would make communication with my "real life" groups and their group members difficult; most of these groups meet regularly, so the issue at hand is not the meeting time, or the lack of knowledge of which-- the issue is that I would not be able to learn the specific topics of each meeting, which could affect my attendance or absence at these meetings. Of course, the lack of knowledge of the going-ons of the group is only an issue because these groups choose to use Facebook as the primary interface... if they so choose, they could use other interface, such as maintaining an email list, etc.
The author makes this argument in the article:
Facebook is not "real life." The use of Facebook by many is a way to fill up the empty void of modern alienation; further, the use of facebook to fill up modern alienation is a cycle that generate greater sense of alienation, as face book is not "real life."
I disagree strongly with the author argument on two points:
1) I feel that Facebook, along with other social networking sites, are what Marshall McLuhan might call neutral tools-- that what really matters, is how the tools are used. My Facebook use is not alienated from my "life life"-- the groups that I keep in touch through Facebook are groups in my real life.
2) the author deems "real life" as inherently valuable, where as "virtual life" is valueless and empty-- again, as I mentioned above, "virtual life" need not be divorced from "real life"-- further, if "virtual life" is a way to feed modern sense of alienation, as the author claims, then there's no guarantee that the interaction we have in "real life" is completely different from "virtual life".... in another words, it is perfectly feasible for one to carry on "empty Facebook conversations and narcissism" with people in real life, just as it is perfectly feasible for one to carry on analytical, well-thought-out conversations during interactions in "virtual life."
The author seems to imply that all Facebook use and socialization are empty voids, while all real life and socialization are meaningful and not empty-- but while the structure of "real life" and "virtual life" may affect the specific interaction and the content (or lack of) of the interaction, there's no reason to think that either "real life" interactions or "virtual life" interactions is inherently valuable or inherently valueless.
It should be pointed out here, that whether the interaction on either "real life" or "virtual life" is valuable and meaningful might have less to do with where the interactions occurs, and more to do with how the interaction is carried out-- the concept of the "neutral tool," as mentioned above, is what I believe to really matter on the issue of "real life" vs. "virtual life."
But do I use it in the way as the author of the article "Facebook Suicide" uses (or, rather used) it? No.
My Facebook account is primarily there, as a point of connection to the groups in my real life-- take, for example, the group of filmmakers who meet every Thursday on campus, the group of poets and audience who converge at the local bistro for some open mic time. In another words, the primary use of my Facebook account is to keep in touch with the groups in my "real life," as a facilitator between me and these groups (and their members). I am assured that should I need to contact the group or one of the members, the contact is possible (as opposed to in real life, in which personal contact information may not always be exchanged due to time constrain, etc.). Similarly, Facebook allows people whom I have met or do not meet regularly in "real life" to keep in touch with me, if only as a "temporary" communication in
between the times we would meet in real life.
So how would a Facebook suicide, as described in the article, affect me? It would certain make these "always available" contact information not available at my disposal. But if there is not the mentality that "the contact information is always available on Facebook," then the Facebook-less person in question could always ensure exchange of contact information upon meeting the person, or what one might call it "the old fashioned way"...but it could be argued, that the quality of the real life interaction would suffer without the contact information on Facebook or on the internet-- that the need to ensure exchange contact information, and having as much as possible of these exchanges, would cut down the time of the real interaction, and the attention paid to the interaction itself.
So while I do not exert effort to keep a perfect image of myself on Facebook, a Facebook suicide would make communication with my "real life" groups and their group members difficult; most of these groups meet regularly, so the issue at hand is not the meeting time, or the lack of knowledge of which-- the issue is that I would not be able to learn the specific topics of each meeting, which could affect my attendance or absence at these meetings. Of course, the lack of knowledge of the going-ons of the group is only an issue because these groups choose to use Facebook as the primary interface... if they so choose, they could use other interface, such as maintaining an email list, etc.
The author makes this argument in the article:
Facebook is not "real life." The use of Facebook by many is a way to fill up the empty void of modern alienation; further, the use of facebook to fill up modern alienation is a cycle that generate greater sense of alienation, as face book is not "real life."
I disagree strongly with the author argument on two points:
1) I feel that Facebook, along with other social networking sites, are what Marshall McLuhan might call neutral tools-- that what really matters, is how the tools are used. My Facebook use is not alienated from my "life life"-- the groups that I keep in touch through Facebook are groups in my real life.
2) the author deems "real life" as inherently valuable, where as "virtual life" is valueless and empty-- again, as I mentioned above, "virtual life" need not be divorced from "real life"-- further, if "virtual life" is a way to feed modern sense of alienation, as the author claims, then there's no guarantee that the interaction we have in "real life" is completely different from "virtual life".... in another words, it is perfectly feasible for one to carry on "empty Facebook conversations and narcissism" with people in real life, just as it is perfectly feasible for one to carry on analytical, well-thought-out conversations during interactions in "virtual life."
The author seems to imply that all Facebook use and socialization are empty voids, while all real life and socialization are meaningful and not empty-- but while the structure of "real life" and "virtual life" may affect the specific interaction and the content (or lack of) of the interaction, there's no reason to think that either "real life" interactions or "virtual life" interactions is inherently valuable or inherently valueless.
It should be pointed out here, that whether the interaction on either "real life" or "virtual life" is valuable and meaningful might have less to do with where the interactions occurs, and more to do with how the interaction is carried out-- the concept of the "neutral tool," as mentioned above, is what I believe to really matter on the issue of "real life" vs. "virtual life."
The Gaze Production Notes
I always feel particularly self-conscious when I go to the gym to work out during my day. I think it is because I believe everyone tends to look at you (the gaze) as you walk by the machine they are on, or because there are mirrors all around to look at yourself, and your body.
Production notes: The camera focuses on me as I walk into the gym holding a water bottle, ipod, and magazine. I keep my head down, and walk fast (have body language read nervous) to an elliptical machine that happens to be on the opposite side of the gym. I drop my water bottle, and hurry to pick it up (keeping eyes down still).
As the camera zooms out slowly it should show other gym members (college students, attractive, female, and male) working out on the machines, and not have them looking at me, but rather watching the TV or reading their own material. As I finally make it across the gym I get on the machine, and look up to see how many people are staring at me, and no one is.
I then look at the girl next to me (attractive, 20 year old) who has her ipod in, and is reading a book, and realize she didn’t even notice me get on the machine. I then look into the mirror, look at myself, and then begin to work out. I realize that “the gaze” I believe that follows me at the gym does not exist as much as I believe it does, unless it is myself looking in the mirror.
MEDIA EXPERIMENT: GROUP #2: SELF-SURVEILLED
48 Hour self-surveillance.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010. Approximately 9:12AM, Walking to the Segundo Dining Commons for breakfast. Returning to dormitory approximately 9:57AM.
48 Hour Self-Surveillance
Update: Well, today (April 28th, 2010) the weather was on and off, so unfortunately I could not be about my typical day and record much of my daily events without risking my camera.
48 Hour Self-Surveillance
Update:
(April 30, 2010) I was finally able to go out and about after attending my morning discussion. I took a stroll through the arboretum and felt even then I was not completely alone despite the quiet paths.
Update:
(April 30, 2010) After my stroll through the arboretum, my mother calls and asks me if I would like to visit for the weekend. I live near Los Angeles.
Part Two: Self-Surveillance
a. Throughout actively seeking and noting surveillance equipment and tracking systems alike, I came to the quick realization that I spend most of my entire day with my head slightly tilted downward to the ground. I had not paid great attention to this particular style of walking and interacting with my surrounding world, but thinking back to Michel Foucault’s self-monitoring idea; I began to see the extent to which I consciously monitored my own movements to be aware of the position of my moving body parts relative to my torso. I realize, the idea of the possibility of always being monitored inhibited lucid movement of my body as I walked because I was conscientious of what different observers would perceive of my mode of walking (that I am assured hardly anyone would care). This was all significant to me during the course of the seventy-two hour self-surveillance because by walking with such a posture, head lowered and a blank stare throughout my day, I did not think of looking up in the Segundo dining commons and observing the little black hub cameras recording nearly all instances of patron behaviors. Nor did I consider looking up in various hallways to spot either conspicuous, or well hidden surveillance equipment to track individual movement. Then I quickly remembered how little the thought of the possibility of being constantly monitored impacted me prior to this experiment; I grew up in a cramped household and did not have an appreciation for privacy. I would greet my parents as they would depart for work in the mornings, and would converse with either one of my parents and describe my day. I slept in the living room because I gave what used to be my room to my four younger sisters.
b. Choosing to actively record and monitor my movements on a consistent basis and uploading my information from my digital camera to my laptop, to the group blog, and waiting for the process in it’s entirety to finish is a grueling waste of time – at least for me. Being public for me really translates into how productive I could be in doing something else that would get my work out of the way that much faster rather than carrying around my camera, taking photos, and moving through the process described earlier – frankly it’s annoying. I had to constantly remember to take photos of instances in which I believed to have felt myself in a private setting; the main issue for me was realizing when I was actually in the private moment and documenting the information. For example, during the experiment, I went home, there were various instances that I was blissfully unaware I was in an opportune time to record the private moments of my trip. It wasn’t until thereafter that I realize I should have documented the situation – I moved along.
c. In my everyday life I often feel despondent in figuring out what the media wants out of me. I consistently wake up a little before seven in the morning and turn on my laptop. While it’s loading up, I normally run through my list of assignments until my laptop is responsive and able to process applications quickly. I open my browser (firefox) and I usually read the front page of The London Times. I do not have class until nine in the morning, so I read up on the news, and I often question what web-embedded advertisements might my browser-add-ons filtered, block, and hidden from my plain sight at examining the news. The paranoia I have developed from previous computer mishaps in my childhood has made me built up an internet shield (a series of programs, anti-malware software, security add-ons, specific coding to block out instances of suspicious text, images, sites, etc.). I have not watched television a consistent basis since my sophomore year in high school, and in a public sense I feel greatly disconnected from my peers and colleagues. I often do not understand references, or jokes involving current popular television shows, what I do notice is the unusual direction advertisements have taken since I last watched television. Instances in my life where a lack of a private persona would be greatly beneficial –at least from what I think, would be during important social gatherings whether familial, or formal. I am usually too oblivious to notice other individuals when I go on about my day normally because in my mind there are thoughts racing through. I do not tune out the world, but I mainly ignore it in place of my own thoughts (in an egotistical sense) to what may be concerning at the moment (chronic self-reflection).
Wednesday, April 28, 2010. Approximately 9:12AM, Walking to the Segundo Dining Commons for breakfast. Returning to dormitory approximately 9:57AM.
48 Hour Self-Surveillance
Update: Well, today (April 28th, 2010) the weather was on and off, so unfortunately I could not be about my typical day and record much of my daily events without risking my camera.
48 Hour Self-Surveillance
Update:
(April 30, 2010) I was finally able to go out and about after attending my morning discussion. I took a stroll through the arboretum and felt even then I was not completely alone despite the quiet paths.
Update:
(April 30, 2010) After my stroll through the arboretum, my mother calls and asks me if I would like to visit for the weekend. I live near Los Angeles.
Part Two: Self-Surveillance
a. Throughout actively seeking and noting surveillance equipment and tracking systems alike, I came to the quick realization that I spend most of my entire day with my head slightly tilted downward to the ground. I had not paid great attention to this particular style of walking and interacting with my surrounding world, but thinking back to Michel Foucault’s self-monitoring idea; I began to see the extent to which I consciously monitored my own movements to be aware of the position of my moving body parts relative to my torso. I realize, the idea of the possibility of always being monitored inhibited lucid movement of my body as I walked because I was conscientious of what different observers would perceive of my mode of walking (that I am assured hardly anyone would care). This was all significant to me during the course of the seventy-two hour self-surveillance because by walking with such a posture, head lowered and a blank stare throughout my day, I did not think of looking up in the Segundo dining commons and observing the little black hub cameras recording nearly all instances of patron behaviors. Nor did I consider looking up in various hallways to spot either conspicuous, or well hidden surveillance equipment to track individual movement. Then I quickly remembered how little the thought of the possibility of being constantly monitored impacted me prior to this experiment; I grew up in a cramped household and did not have an appreciation for privacy. I would greet my parents as they would depart for work in the mornings, and would converse with either one of my parents and describe my day. I slept in the living room because I gave what used to be my room to my four younger sisters.
b. Choosing to actively record and monitor my movements on a consistent basis and uploading my information from my digital camera to my laptop, to the group blog, and waiting for the process in it’s entirety to finish is a grueling waste of time – at least for me. Being public for me really translates into how productive I could be in doing something else that would get my work out of the way that much faster rather than carrying around my camera, taking photos, and moving through the process described earlier – frankly it’s annoying. I had to constantly remember to take photos of instances in which I believed to have felt myself in a private setting; the main issue for me was realizing when I was actually in the private moment and documenting the information. For example, during the experiment, I went home, there were various instances that I was blissfully unaware I was in an opportune time to record the private moments of my trip. It wasn’t until thereafter that I realize I should have documented the situation – I moved along.
c. In my everyday life I often feel despondent in figuring out what the media wants out of me. I consistently wake up a little before seven in the morning and turn on my laptop. While it’s loading up, I normally run through my list of assignments until my laptop is responsive and able to process applications quickly. I open my browser (firefox) and I usually read the front page of The London Times. I do not have class until nine in the morning, so I read up on the news, and I often question what web-embedded advertisements might my browser-add-ons filtered, block, and hidden from my plain sight at examining the news. The paranoia I have developed from previous computer mishaps in my childhood has made me built up an internet shield (a series of programs, anti-malware software, security add-ons, specific coding to block out instances of suspicious text, images, sites, etc.). I have not watched television a consistent basis since my sophomore year in high school, and in a public sense I feel greatly disconnected from my peers and colleagues. I often do not understand references, or jokes involving current popular television shows, what I do notice is the unusual direction advertisements have taken since I last watched television. Instances in my life where a lack of a private persona would be greatly beneficial –at least from what I think, would be during important social gatherings whether familial, or formal. I am usually too oblivious to notice other individuals when I go on about my day normally because in my mind there are thoughts racing through. I do not tune out the world, but I mainly ignore it in place of my own thoughts (in an egotistical sense) to what may be concerning at the moment (chronic self-reflection).
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Object of the gaze, or Panoptican?
Production notes: pan camera across a classroom. There’s one circular seminar table, and about 15 college students sitting around it with one professor. The professor should be male, Caucasian, in his 50s, and look likeable but with the potential to be intimidating. The students should be a mix — half male and half female, all look alternative or trendy with the capacity to judge heavily. Students should be 20-23 years old, except one 18 year old girl.
Students are engaged in a heated discussion, it looks very intellectual. Students not talking are actively taking notes, the professor is nodding along. Hear a phone loudly vibrate, and shift camera to focus on the phone’s owner — female, petite, obviously the youngest of the group — who suddenly looks ashamed and unsure of her self. She reaches into her pocket and switches off the phone and resumes note taking hurriedly. Zoom the camera out slowly to show the rest of the class, who are still in discussion and don’t seem to particularly care about the girl or her phone. It becomes obvious she is reacting to the Panoptican — she is self-regulating in response to an expected, inspecting gaze from the rest of her class and professor.
Ideology, the gaze, and the Bus
For some reason I feel self conscious when I ride on a really crowded unitrans bus or stuck in a really long line. Something about thinking I was smarter than everyone else in line, like I should have known when there would be no one riding the bus or no one in line. Maybe it's the intrusion of personal space.
Production Notes: Mark riding the crowded bus
Goal: Justify Mark riding a crowded bus rather than wait for a less crowded one.
Being one who doesn't waste time/ hates layovers, even for an hour between flights/ classes/ meetings, Mark leaves as late as possible to get to class. Of course everyone else does too. So Mark is crammed on to a bus with 70 other people, wheel chair seats up, back packs on the floor. Why didn't Mark catch a different bus? Any later and he'd be late to class; any earlier and there would be that early morning hang-time with no one to hang out with/ nothing to do on campus. Really, he has sleep to catch up on in that extra 40 minutes.
Why does he have to ride the bus? Walking to Campus would take three times long as riding the crowded bus. He would Bike and free him self of the crowded bus, but it's raining this week, and his commitment to being green/ riding his trendy fixed gear bike. He doesn't own a car, can't bum a ride, so it's the bus for him.
Are the buses "good"? public transportation reduce per capita pollution/ consumption waste/ all those things we have been told are bad. on the other hand, it sucks being uncomfortable and having our personal spaces invaded.
the gaze to look at your self through the window of ideology, as a subject of that thought structure.
Production Notes: Mark riding the crowded bus
Goal: Justify Mark riding a crowded bus rather than wait for a less crowded one.
Being one who doesn't waste time/ hates layovers, even for an hour between flights/ classes/ meetings, Mark leaves as late as possible to get to class. Of course everyone else does too. So Mark is crammed on to a bus with 70 other people, wheel chair seats up, back packs on the floor. Why didn't Mark catch a different bus? Any later and he'd be late to class; any earlier and there would be that early morning hang-time with no one to hang out with/ nothing to do on campus. Really, he has sleep to catch up on in that extra 40 minutes.
Why does he have to ride the bus? Walking to Campus would take three times long as riding the crowded bus. He would Bike and free him self of the crowded bus, but it's raining this week, and his commitment to being green/ riding his trendy fixed gear bike. He doesn't own a car, can't bum a ride, so it's the bus for him.
Are the buses "good"? public transportation reduce per capita pollution/ consumption waste/ all those things we have been told are bad. on the other hand, it sucks being uncomfortable and having our personal spaces invaded.
the gaze to look at your self through the window of ideology, as a subject of that thought structure.
Blog 8 - Adbusters
I have personally thought about committing facebook suicide before especially when I only signed on once a month. I can definitely delete my facebook account but right now I don't really see the reason for doing it. Being in college, I have to admit it is pretty handy having one especially when I get invites to things that I never knew about like free cone day at Ben & Jerry's and getting the notifications that tell me someones birthday is coming up. What would be at stake by deleting my facebook is not being in this network that everyone is connected by, it is almost like not having a cell phone. Everyone is connected through facebook. If I deleted my facebook I would probably have a little bit more time on my hands as well but I would be out of the loop with certain people like my cousins in the Philippines or my friends back at home. It is an easy way to get a hold of people even though it may not be face to face. As Carmen Joy King mentioned in her article relationships are being altered and there is this big culture of narcissism but it is important to realize not all people are like that, I personally am not close to that. Its important to see that balance between online interaction and social interaction because they are totally different means of having a relationship. The problem with my generation is that many people are talking more online then they have with people in real life and that is sad. There wouldn't be a problem with facebook if people just found that balance.
Kilburne's "Killing Us Softly 3"
Kilburne's argument is that advertisements sell false normalcy in the form of a specific set of ideal (physical) physical beauty; further, the representation of women (including women of minority) in the imagery& framing of the advertisements turns human beings into objects...these two ideas as mentioned, along with the ideology implicit in the two ideas, are Kilburne's objection toward advertisements.
Kilburne's "Killing Me Softly 3"
Kilburne argues that media advertisements not only attempt to advertise their products, but to commodify the human body; selling a particular image, an idealized lifestyle that keeps demand for commercial products alive.
Monday, April 26, 2010
On Facebook suicide:
I’ll admit it—I’m a complete and utter Facebook deactivator. And not even once; not even twice. I am a regular deleter and I can’t kick the habit. But facebook suicide doesn’t quite capture it. I’m routinely in purgatory, floating between the living and dead, but always fully aware of what each side would mean.
Much like the author, the deactivation occurs at the end of particularly active facebooking. Did I go to bed crying because of an ex-boyfriend’s wall-to-wall? Can I not go to class before changing my profile picture? These are the signs. The signs of an addict. But so what?
Facebook isn’t about me, or I, or Rebecca Peterson. Facebook is about everybody else who uses the site. I am only anal and self conscious in response to the scrutiny I routinely give other people’s profiles. I am only a facebook user because I care.
Some of my “friends” provide a connection to the past. I can’t bear to let go.
Some of my “friends” are a connection to the future—the people I can potentially get to know. The inside joke status update I can potentially be in on. The music that could be shared with me, the quotes that can be quoted to me, and the people that can mean something to me.
I’ve made friends in real life because of facebook. I’ve discovered my interest in past lovers through facebook stalking, and caught up with old friends through chat.
These moments are gratifying, to say the least.
But it’s when I’m pressing refresh, waiting for that profound development, that I have to stop and think about the healthiness of this all.
And when the day comes that I once again deactivate my profile, I know it can be reactivated. I can go back. I can always go back.
Much like the author, the deactivation occurs at the end of particularly active facebooking. Did I go to bed crying because of an ex-boyfriend’s wall-to-wall? Can I not go to class before changing my profile picture? These are the signs. The signs of an addict. But so what?
Facebook isn’t about me, or I, or Rebecca Peterson. Facebook is about everybody else who uses the site. I am only anal and self conscious in response to the scrutiny I routinely give other people’s profiles. I am only a facebook user because I care.
Some of my “friends” provide a connection to the past. I can’t bear to let go.
Some of my “friends” are a connection to the future—the people I can potentially get to know. The inside joke status update I can potentially be in on. The music that could be shared with me, the quotes that can be quoted to me, and the people that can mean something to me.
I’ve made friends in real life because of facebook. I’ve discovered my interest in past lovers through facebook stalking, and caught up with old friends through chat.
These moments are gratifying, to say the least.
But it’s when I’m pressing refresh, waiting for that profound development, that I have to stop and think about the healthiness of this all.
And when the day comes that I once again deactivate my profile, I know it can be reactivated. I can go back. I can always go back.
Facebook Suicide
As someone who has a Facebook account, a Twitter account, and used to have a Myspace I would say that, sadly, I wouldn’t be able to commit Facebook suicide. Although I realize how pathetic this sounds I truly enjoy “being connected” this way via internet, and to see what people are doing through out the day, and posting what I am doing. People are given the ability to post what they want, and obviously want people to read their posts, or they wouldn’t post the information. If I were to commit Facebook suicide I would lose knowing this information, and feel a little less connected to my friends, and what they were going through. But, I would win the extra time that I lose spending on Facebook to do other things. Whether I am at home on my computer, or simply on my cell phone, I recognize that I spend too much time on these sites, but for me it becomes a daily routine that I want to see what my friends are doing, which I guess is what I use as “my excuse”. It is simple, quick, and doesn’t take as much energy as calling someone. Although there is a negative side to this, which is you lose the “realness” of communicating with someone face to face, which is why King describes these sites as not “adding up to community”. On the other side of the spectrum, people may see the positive side through the efficiency aspect of it. Although people do commit Facebook suicide, I believe that in this day in age with the amount of ever growing communication sites such as Facebook and blogging, people will eventually reactive their accounts that have committed suicide, it is just a matter of time.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Adbuster's facebook Suicide
I have a facebook account, but I only because some of my work groups and relations choose to communicate electronically this way, rather than through email, or a running thread on a message board. If committed facebook suicide, I would alienate myself from that exchange of information regarding planning events and meetings. I did at first use it like most other, posting pictures of my self, listing interests and activities, friend-ing any familiar faces, but not so much now. the only time i every go on is when i get an email notification that some one wrote on my wall. Obviously, it's silly, but i do not demand that people to email me. I will oblige their centralized communication means; it's no problem to me. I may gain mintues of free time better spent on the phone actually talking to people, and would only lose this one channel of communication.
Killing us softly 3
Kilburne demonstrates that ads, drenched in stereo types, preconceived notions, and ideology, more often promote a way of life and a specific role in society rather than an actual product.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
FB suicide
Yes, committing Facebook suicide is really tempting. And Carmen Joy King brings up a lot of excellent points of why quitting Facebook would be beneficial to our livelihoods. King says that Facebook markets a false community, and in turn, we potentially lose our real ones. While this is true to an extent, I feel as though Facebook can also help enhance our real communities. I know that keeping in touch with my friends from high school would be really difficult without Facebook and social networking. Yes, the news I do give them with phone calls or letters or even e-mails would be much more important and meaningful, however, updates would probably not be given often. As artificial as my high school friends' Facebook profiles are, and as narcissistic their photos of their new friends and lives may be, I still appreciate feeling like I know what is going on in their lives a little more than I would normally. As King said, it is finding the balance between the virtual and real worlds.
King's comments on our generation being very individual-oriented is true. We have to be really self-absorbed and find a lot of value in our own opinions and thoughts to think that everyone else would care about them too, and that our "friends" would want to see our photos and status updates. I post photo albums for friends to see, and I'm sure on another level, to offer up my life to be judged by "friends" that I only vaguely know and feel that can form a slightly different (and hopefully higher or more accurate) opinion of me after. It's narcissistic — definitely. But it's also how our interactions and opinions of each other have been newly socially constructed.
Facebook Suicide
I have a Facebook profile. And what the writer Carmen Joy King said, images have no meaning beyond “I look pretty from this angle” or “I’m wasted” or “look who my new boyfriend is.” is what I was and am. The reason why I upload my profile constantly is that, firstly, I want to snap a part of my lives and leave it over longer. Secondly, I don’t want to be disturbed from others but just want to disembogue the piece of my lives and share it with others or friends so that they can understand who I am, what I am doing and how everything is going well, without the help of face-to-face conversation. I was able to accomplish let my friends, family and acquaintances know how I am and also they let me know how they are by using the smart mediate daily tool.
Still, I know there are several side-effects. By doing so, we barely make a call, send a mail or actually meet but check their comments up regularly. To let them know how I really well or really bad, I have been uploading some made-up story and made-up images. Am I undergoing narcissism? Or maybe there is a subtle pressure to us to express ourselves for something we don’t notice. Even though we put these displeasures aside, we seem to ignore our responsibility to the new social network coping with almost every human relation.
Now the reality that the great ranges of works are done on the net, such as Facebook, is undeniable. That’s why quitting the Facebook means suicide at online life for the writer. However, the thing I’m carefully concerned about is having obstacle of communication or being paralyzed before innumerable Facebook users.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Advertising_Consumer_Cultures_Desire
The product being sold in the original ad is that of male sexuality and vitality.
The difference between the Adbuster's ad (pictured above) and the original ad is that the from the manipulation of the sign and the text, the image of vitality and male sexuality is countered by the opposite connotation-- that of impotence.
Spoof Ads
This spoof ad, titled “Big Mac Attack,” reflects the dire consequences of consuming too much of McDonald’s food—most of which is heavily laden with calories and astoundingly high amounts of cholesterol and fat. This ad directly contradicts general commercial advertisements, as—in reference to the article—these ads create the illusion of how life should be. They generate a message that makes the consumer need this advertised item by emphasizing that the product will either fulfill needs, or make life perfect. McDonald’s ads generally depict their food products in an appetizing manner, or depicting families enjoying the food together—they emphasize the cheap price and happiness that this food brings. Rather than state what ingredients the food contains, or the caloric count, McDonald’s deceives the consumer into thinking that this food is the key to achieving the ideal life. However, as child obesity rates sky-rocket and the risk of heart-attack triples, it becomes noticeable that the food sold by these corporations is not as wonderful and pleasant as their advertisements make them out to be. As the anti-ad shows, the consequences of consuming too much of McDonald’s food, is rather alarming, yet is quickly becoming reality for many consumers of this product.
Spoof
The ad is making fun of the cigarette company Kool, by showing how ridiculous it is to think cigarettes make you cool. I like this spoof because a lot of kids smoke because they think it’s cool and the company name is Kool, so they really deserve whatever mocking they get. Spoof ads work because they are not trying to sell people anything. They are just a visual representation of an opinion. We aren’t seeking or desiring anything from these ads so they are free to say whatever they want. Spoofing illustrates the stupidity of ads in general.
Killing
Ads convey more than just products they subsequently portray women as objects for men and provide guidelines of what a women should be.
Ad-Busting Obsession for Women
The "product" that this ad is selling is the perfect women's figure. The main difference that deciphers this ad as a buster is that it satirically reveals the negative aspect of real advertising. Usually, ads try to make women feel as if they need to look thin just like in the ad, therefore resulting in them buying the respective products. The ad-buster the "disgusting" truth of what really happens when women try to become too thin.
-Zack Mar
Killing Us Softly 3 Extra
Kilbourne argues that current advertising transforms women into objects, further creating false identities for what females should be.
-Zack Mar
fearroyo on Kilburne's "Killing Us Softly 3"
A major issue with the physical portrayal of the human body in the media is one that it poses an unrealistic and impossible goal for the average individual to achieve which in turn can cause poor esteem in affected individuals and in other cases promotes dehumanizing differing groups.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
fearroyo on Adbusters
Joe Chemo Bed. This Spoof Ad is trying to sell the self-awareness and repercussions of a life built upon an empty shallow aspect of coolness.
An essential difference between this cultural jamming ad, or anti-ad and the targeted actual ad is that Joe Camel, the cartoon mascot of Camel Cigarettes brought controversy with regard to encouraging minors in the United States to pick up cigarette smoking. As mandated by the Public Health Services Commissioned Corps, tobacco products must carry a health warning on their products regarding the higher possibility and hazard of developing precancerous changes to one’s tissue from using tobacco products. Unfortunately, not many minors realize the long-term repercussions of their actions, especially under circumstances of drug abuse; hence the major controversy over the Joe Camel cartoon’s inception to market Camel Cigarette’s products to a wider audience. The spoof ad makes a mockery of the apparent ignorance of long-term addiction and habituation in using tobacco products resulting in the Joe Camel mascot entering an exhaustive chemotherapy regime to suppress and hopefully end the probable cancers within his body.
Spoof Ads, "ABSOLUTE VODKA"
Absolute Vodka’s one of advertisement "ABSOLUTE TRAGEDY"basically meant that empty bottle for consuming all of it shows drinker’s tragedy. The image and the short comment functioned to create consumer relationships to it as indispensable and make the product essential. So by seeing this humorous advertisement, the consumers approach one more bottle with a light heart.
On the contrary to this, the spoof ads, "ABSOLUTE HANGOVER" took it kind of unkindly but smartly by parody product’s properties that is able to cause real tragedy when you hangover with lethal dose of vodka. This anti-ad seems to focus on how to criticize and spoof Absolute’s logo and visual style by replacing a clean and luxury bottle with hang. The image of vodka bottle made of hangs rubs the original advertising in that it is only wrapped up its necessity and makes consumers believe as it is on the ads but not the reality.
Killing us softly 3
According to Kilburne in the ‘Killing Us Softly 3’, women showed through the media are bound by skewed image of advertising. The advertising imposes to have specific looks and do things on women consumer as it presents by retouched model images and unrealistic images. It aggresses people’s mind by ads implicitly or explicitly in a sense that they are supposed to do or buy a product at least for their better life.
The advertising takes advantage of great effect and arouses all kinds of forbidden desires within consumers. Kilburne pointed out one of the maladies of mass media is distorted images of women and its follower. To sell the products, the advertising exclaims the appropriateness of ideal women such as remaining full of youth and vitality and at the same time being delicate and dependent upon men’s care, adorning with jewels, cosmetics, perfumes to allure men. These ideas from media and advertising let people live for standardized purposes that eat into their heart and body.
Obsession for women
“Obsession for women” is selling the idea that all women should do what is necessary to be thin. They portray the image of a very thin woman leaning over the toilet with her arm on her stomach as if she is throwing up, making it look like that is the only way that women can achieve this thin body frame that we see being advertised everywhere. The essential difference between this anti-Ad and an actual ad is that an actual ad will not show an image of a woman throwing up but they will portray extremely thin women all over the media. The difference in this anti-Ad is that they are showing how those women get to being that thin.
Obsession for women
“Obsession for women” is selling the idea that all women should do what is necessary to be thin. They portray the image of a very thin woman leaning over the toilet with her arm on her stomach as if she is throwing up, making it look like that is the only way that women can achieve this thin body frame that we see being advertised everywhere. The essential difference between this anti-Ad and an actual ad is that an actual ad will not show an image of a woman throwing up but they will portray extremely thin women all over the media. The difference in this anti-Ad is that they are showing how those women get to being that thin.
Bottom Line
Kilburne's argument mainly states, whether we want to believe it or not,advertising impacts our loves heavily and in most cases sales perfection, which can never be obtained, and therefore creates a very subconscious insecure community and a never ending supply of advertisement.
Realistically Yours
Reality for men by Calvin Klien is the exact counter ad to obsession for men by Calvin Klein, being that the picture depicts a more realistic body size than the body size obsessed about throughout our culture which is shown in the ad for the actual cologne obsession.
If you look at the ad to the left the man is fit & looking down at his body with a confident look, as his whole body is showing. In the picture of the"reality" ad buster the models face is not shown, the mans body is not fit & very hairy. Almost the exact opposite of what is being sold in the first ad. Neither ads have the actual cologne in the picture so the body is selling or in this case, not selling, the cologne to the consumers.
Killing Us Softly 3
Kilbourne’s argument is that although there are people who say that they do not pay attention to advertisements, it is a lie especially seeing how women try to turn their bodies into the ideal figure, without realizing that they have been perfect all along.
"Absolute On Ice"
The spoof-ad for Absolut Vodka, featuring a deceased person’s foot as the promoted alcohol, is selling the real potential negative consequences of drinking this beverage. One essential difference between this spoof-ad and a real Absolut Vodka advertisement would be that this ad does not promote the message that if you buy this product you will have fun. Instead, it promotes the negative consequences, such as death, if you drink this beverage. Many ads today influence society to purchase them because they promote an enjoyable experience for its consumer. Real Absolut Vodka advertisements include other pleasurable desires that symbolize amusement and pleasure. For example, one real Absolut advertisement illustrates the bottle of Absolut in gold with a bowl diamonds next to it. This suggests that if you purchase this product you too will be able to be successful and own gold and diamonds. On the other hand, the spoof-ad illustrates a cold foot with a “Dead On Arrival” tag attached to it while the rest of the corpse is under autopsy sheet. This represents the complete opposite of fun and enjoyment, death. While real Absolut Vodka advertisements promote a good time and success, the spoof-ad represents the potential negative consequences of the product.
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