2.3 Entertaining the world: using media across cultural boundaries

Another top reading from Henry Jenkins this week! It was all about pop culture surfacing in different societies under the name of "Pop Cosmopolitanism". Jenkins (2006) primarily discussed the eastern influence on American consumerism in terms of food, fashion, music and television. It was interesting to read the examples of Manga, Pokemon, the Iron Chef and Sushi making their way into western culture was considered to have been done so initially through immigration, eventually through media convergence. The Pop Cosmopolitans are the ones that follow these different trends for a variety of reasons - to gain a new cultural experience, to rebel against the norm that is presented to them from their local media and also be different.

In my experience of Pop Cosmopolitanism, specifically speaking about English dubbed Japanese shows, is that they were contextualised in a "piss taking" fashion. I am talking about MXC the Japanese game show which has been dubbed in English. I don't know what the original narrator of the show was saying but the English narrator, while funny, was certainly taking the mickey out of the contestants. Here is a clip below (OK, your allowed to laugh).

My point is that while it is funny, is it not a little disrespectful to lay English sarcasm to reinterpret these shows?? Maybe the Japanese narrator is a funny char actor who makes fun of the contestants too?? I don't know!

The topic of the integration of Eastern culture into American pop culture also raises interesting points about globalisation. For example, Srinivasan (2006), mentions the way in which modern technologies have allowed communities to reveal and share the truths about their modern day realities and future hopes. By sharing the information through the various platforms available such as video, they are able to educate other cultures as well as, in some instances, instigate support for communities that are in need of assistance.

Jenkins, H (2006). Pop cosmospolitanism: Mapping cultural flows in an age of media convergence. In H. Jenkins, Fans, bloggers and gamers: exploring participatory culture (pp 152-172). New York: New York University Press.

Srinivasan, R (2006). Indigenous, ethnic and cultural articulations of new media. International Journal of Cultural Studies, 9(4), 497-518. (electronic databases)

TOPIC 2.2 DON'T TOUCH THAT! COPYRIGHT, OWNERSHIP AND INSTITUTIONAL CONTROL

The weeks topic of copyright has seen us looking at the history of technology leading to the current digital age. After watching Lessig’s (2007) lecture on Laws that strangle creativity, used examples of historical technologies and the constant changing laws to keep up with the ever changing nature of technology. We heard about the two different types of content being read only (where the content can only be consumed) and read write content (content that can be consumed and recreated) (Lessig, 2007). This is important to know about for many reasons – one being in this digital age we need to understand our rights when creating content as well as the rights of others when we are using content to recreate (like our remediation assignment for example...). This leads me to the concept of creative commons licensing.

Creative commons licensing is used to help creators protect their content and share for other uses should they choose. The best example of this is the copyrighting on Flickr. You automatically have a creative commons licence when you upload images to Flickr – and have the option to share the content to be reworked. There is alot of content there for reworking – but you will have to trawl! Having access to creative commons licensing is vital in this day and age because the digital culture we live in sees us sharing content more and more each year and the licensing ensures the correct creative respect to the creator as well as the ownership of the original work.

Finally the weeks lecture on copyright delves into the current issues with copyright and sharing – namely in music sharing. We are asked by our tutor to come clean about how our own internet usage affects us and essentially criminalises our generation (McAven, 2011).  Having previously studied the music industry in terms of copyright and the developments in the industry to keep up with the digital age, I can say that while I agree that downloading music from illegal sites is damaging to the industry, the real problem is the music companies and the distribution policies they have in place. With a firm grasp on distribution rights changes need to be made to incorporate the digital age in which we live. I for one do download to sample albums – a try before you buy if you like – which leads to me purchasing the music and inevitably paying to see the music live.

Lessig, L (2007) Laws that choke creativity [lecture] Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/larry_lessig_says_the_law_is_strangling_creativity.html

McAven, E (2011) 2.2 Copyright [lecture] Retrieved from http://lms.curtin.edu.au/

2.1 Entertain Me! Who makes your entertainment? Institutions, audiences and participatory culture

Its week three and we are looking at fans, fan behaviours and the process behind large scale productions in the film industry! Also I very excitedly just watch the remediation lecture and am now bursting with ideas for assignment 2.

After watching the series on vidding, I was amazed at what a pop-culture it is in this day and age. As an avid you-tube user, I have seen many videos but never really stopped to think abo9ut who creates them and why. The best thing I took from the series is how crucial music is to creating a successful vid. I personally use YouTube for music primarily and will pay a little more attention to those home mad fan vids next time! I feel the vidding documentaries reaffirm the concept of participatory culture and show us that fans dominate the culture.

Cucco’s essay on the Hollywood blockbuster seemed a little out of place in the weekly topic, but I now understand it was aimed at helping us consider production and distribution for essay 3! It seems that the industry has changed in terms of production, distribution and marketing on a large scale and for a financial profit. One thing I found interesting in the essay was the concept of what constitutes a blockbuster today. Cucco (2009) mentions that a blockbuster gives a promise of spectacularity – I think this is important to consider when thinking about the remediation assignment – I certainly hope to produce something spectacular. My own blockbuster if you will!

Bye, I’m off to brainstorm assignment 2!

Cucco, M (2009) The promise is great: the blockbuster and the Hollywood economy; Retrieved doi: 10.1177/0163443708100315

TOPIC 1.2 THE MEDIUM IS THE MESSAGE? WHEN THE MEDIA CONVERGE

Yes, I know. Its only early days and I am already two weeks behind. I could babble on about the reasons why and how working full time and studying through the open university is a challenge, but that would be making excuses. Many apologies.

Ahem, now that’s out of the way, in week two’s material, we were asked all sorts of questions by our lovely tutor Leanne – like what is our favourite media text and have we ever done a mash up?? Well, most people referred to television shows and other video and I wanted to be different....I tried! But ...I am obsessed with UK Shameless at the moment and watch it whenever I can – I have knocked out 7 seasons in the last month alone. In my defence, I feel Shameless while entertaining, also highlights various social issues within the british working class society. But that will have to be argued another time.

Also while I have never personally done a mash-up, I am intrigued and thinking I will attempt something along the lines of my favourite mash-up as per below. Please don’t press play if you are offended by sexually vulgar lyrics, but please click play if you wish to see a well executed piece of remediation! Its Peaches - F*$ck the Pain Away, as sung byt the wonderful Miss Piggy.

On a more serious note, it was time to start thinking about participatory culture and convergent culture.  I was able to identify, after the weeks themes lecture (which was great by the way) and watching Jenkins (2009) vid on participatory culture – that participatory culture is the way which consumers use various platforms to create and share information and the convergence is the interaction between the participant and the corporation behind these platforms (we’re talking the big boys – Google, Apple, Facebook ect).

Finally, after the weeks reading “Four Puzzles from Cyberspace” (Lessig, 2006) I got thinking about the participatory culture in terms of online identities and what is possible. I feel all the case studies had a very strong message – “Borders” showed us how living in a virtual life seemingly unlimited with possibilities was guided by moral considerations rather than legal laws and physical restrains we experience in real life. On the other hand, the example of “Jake’s Communities” exploring moral dilemma’s and imposing real life laws on an online identity really hit home that while cyberspace can be used to participate in a world without the offline restrictions we face, it isn’t necessarily all positive and needs to be policed to a certain degree.

Jenkins, H (2009) Henry Jenkins on Transmedia. Retirieved from http://cinematech.blogspot.com/2009/05/great-video-w-henry-jenkins-on.html

Jenkins, H. Purushotma, R. Weigel, M. Clinton, K & Robinson, A.J (2009)  Confronting the challenges of Participatory Culture, Media Education for the 21^st Century. London, UK: MIT Press.

Lessig, L. (2006). Four puzzles from cyber space. Retrieved from https://www.socialtext.net/codev2/four_puzzles_from_cyberspace