Originally, I approached this blog from the perspective of a student, not a blogger. Through the progression of my blog posts, you will find that as I posted, my posts became less formal and less structured. I initially approached each entry as a thesis-based essay explaining and defending my arguments. I also failed to include personal aspects of my life through my blog posts. Previously, I viewed blogs as an online journal that is communicated in an open forum. Since this particular blog is applied to a class, I began writing in a formal matter, eliminating the thought to express a more personal opinion in my reflections. I expected to continue posting in this manner until I can around to responding to posts. I expected to understand what blogging is really like in web 2.0, and ended up actually enjoying the experience. I found myself looking forward to searching for parallels between my personal interests and the assigned material. In the end, it actually helped me grasp the material in class so much more than if I wrote from a textbook.

Through this class, I became more aware of what I am exposed to through media on a daily basis and how specific themes in media evolved through history. If I had not taken this class, I would have never truly coomprehended what themes and metaphors Western style of film express. I would have never understood the true sense of the word post-modernism and reality television would still just be television. I also understood how WordPress works (and I intend to continue this blog in the future). More importantly, this class has taught me how to express my opinion through networking. It is a skill we use everyday through sites like Facebook and Twitter, yet this medium offers a more structured setting and offers room for elaboration.

If I were to cite my best work, It would be my post explaining James Bond as the American frontier hero. I thought this post really utilized the use of comparing an artifact to the course of study perfectly. My original intention was to relate the frontier myth concept to relate to a film featuring a contemporary action hero like Jason Statham or Clive Owen. Unfortunately, both those examples didn’t necessarily match the frontier myth completely. There was something missing in terms of the frontier definition as a whole and those characters fitting the bill completely. These heros are independent and dominant, but they didnt reflect other qualities that really hit the mark for the position. Then, I thought about how film reflects the time period and what made the Western genre unique. I came to think about movies that came out following the glory years of Western because I knew there had to be a transition in theme in order to see this concept evolve through the years. Finally, I came to James Bond films, the longest running film franchise in history. They’re on 23 films now and yet every movie is so similar in plot and action. The best part of James Bond being the American frontier hero is that he isn’t even American, but he certainly reflects the same themes.

My worst work in the quarter would be any of my peer responses. More specifically, the posts that simply reflect aspects of pop culture that do not necessarily reflect actual concepts in class. I thought that the whole point of this assignment is to parallel aspects and artifacts that I identify with in my daily life with course material. In a response to C.C. Wilson’s blog, I simply noted common movie quotes in elaboration to his post. There is no true comparison or substance in relation to the material. Through responses, my usual structure would be to explain the topic of the original post first, then elaborate further. I didn’t have as much freedom in my responses as I did my original blog posts and I feel that the lack of freedom held me back in terms of expression.

When faced with a similar assignment, I would compose my blog in a less formal manner. I will be sure to include more reflective expression in terms of personal experience. I also have a tendency to write more than needed. I have a lot to express and perhaps shortening the posts would benefit the overall look of the blog.

Overall, I feel that this class benefited my ability to compare class material to everyday life. Demonstrating themes and concepts in class to something we already know through a medium that serves as a tool in culture is an important skill to have. The future of social interaction is dependent upon the internet and social networking and I’m glad I because familiar with blogs through this class. I Also thought exercising assignments in an open forum was a great idea. This became a “learn from eachother” type situation without seeming intrusive whatsoever. I hope to continue updating this blog in the future and posting my own perspective of our world.

In comparison to Jenkins analysis, I would like to compare the attributes of the typical trekkie to my own obsession, the prog-metal band Coheed & Cambria. From their conceptual storyline through their music to the comic books and merchandise they sell, I would most definitely consider myself a super “fan” of the band. First, here’s my favorite live performance of the band in case you’ve never heard them:

Next, based from Jenkins analysis of the SNL skit, I will identify how exactly my obsession as a fan of Coheed compares to that of a trekkie.

Fans of Coheed & Cambria are:

Brainless consumers who will buy anything associated with the band or its members:

In addition to their studio albums, Coheed has released several special edition DVD live performances. Also, the lead singer, Claudio Sanchez, has also published several versions of a graphic novel that parallels the story behind the concept albums. I myself, own them all. I even went as far as to have them all signed by Claudio himself. I also have my name etched in the special edition of their most recent live performance, Neverender. I’ve also seen the band play 8 times.

Devote their lives to the cultivation of worthless knowledge:

The story behind the conceptual universe of Coheed & Cambria is very complex. Spanning all four studio albums, there is a sci-fi epic threaded thoughout the lyrics and comic books. I am a frequent member of the Coheed & Cambria forums and at one time I served as a moderator of their fansite. I enjoy openly interpreting the novels with the lyrics and even creating my own fan fiction with the areas of the plot that are not identified. There are many inside jokes throughout the Coheed community and specific knowledge of the storyline is a must.

place inappropriate importance on devalued cultural material:

I feel like I am a part of a community. Its more than a band to me. Coheed is a part of who I am now. I’ve been listening to them for years and they’ve now become a part of me.

are social misfits who have become so obsessed with the show that it forecloses other types of social experience:

This aspect of my fandom is a bit difficult to explain. I know of many other fans through the Coheed community that are socially awkward. Most of them are comic book nerds like me, but in this section I feel I do not fit the norm. Most nerds are socially awkward. I like having friends. That’s just me.

are feminized and/or desexualized through their intimate engagement with mass culture:

I’ve had several girlfriends look at me weird when I explain my Coheed & Cambria obsession, especially when I attempt to explain the science fiction storyline. I don’t know, I guess its just over their heads. My engagement with this culture just isolates me from someone that doesn’t understand what being a “fan” means.

are infantile, emotionally and intellectually immature:

Any devotion in a cultural artifact can invoke immaturity to some extent. When it comes to Coheed, I know my mother feels that it is childish to read comic books. I sometimes find myself explaining the concept albums as a 13-year old boy would, especially excited with a huge grin on my face.

are unable to separate fantasy from reality:

Everyone likes to pretend to be someone they aren’t. For adults, there is only one time and that is Halloween. I like to identify with the characters in the music. I want to know how they think, why they did a certain thing and how this relates to the large spectrum of things. In the story of Coheed & Cambria, there is a very fine line between fiction and reality. This phenomenom is actually explained through a portal between the two worlds called “The Willing Well”

To conclude, I would like to share the bands symbol. This sign, called the Keywork, represents the planets force of energy within the Coheed Universe:

Sources:

Jenkins, H. (2006). Convergence Culture.

But why Blair Witch?

It was a simple ghost story filmed by college students, no special effects, a low budget and filmed entirely with hand-held cameras.

First, I would like to attribute this style of film to contribute to Baudrillard’s post-modern concept of simulacrum, or simulations, that replace reality and enable one to misinterpret what is real and what is fake. The style of film-making presented in movies such as The Blair Witch Project and, more recently, Paranormal Activity have embraced this sense of simulacrum in order to invoke fear and genuine anxiety in the viewer. In other words, these movies are scary because they feel and look like the real thing. Most of the time, films such as these are even marketed as if they were an actual occurrence, enabling the viewer to misinterpret what is real and simulated. It is intentional for the film-maker to release the movie as a true story although it is a work of fiction, further contributing to the abundance of simulacrum in today’s society.

More recently, the film Paranormal Activity has embraced this style of film and has become one of the most successful movies of the year, making close to 104 million dollars with only an 11 thousand dollar budget. The film uses techniques that invoke simulacrum in a way that simulates a story as it unfolds in a realistic world. There’s no chainsaw killers, invincible murdering psychopaths, mythical vampires or zombies. This movie is presented as the real thing and that is what truly frightens the movie-goers of today.

Here is a trailer for Paranormal Activity:

Sources:

http://www.wired.com/underwire/2009/10/paranormal-activity-review/

http://amerikinidit.wordpress.com/2009/10/20/internet-connection/

I completely agree with Erika in regard to the sense that social networking is an excellent tool in connecting people. It is a medium that is changing the way we communicate. Although, in some cases I believe networking on the Internet is destroying the way we interact face-to-face.

Does anyone else think it is absolutely ridiculous that relationships revolve around whether they are Facebook “official” or not? Dependency upon networking sites such as Facebook is changing the way we socialize as a whole. Despite how many times you update or check Facebook, our generation today is entering an era where social networking is a very dominant force in how we interact with other people. This driving force in our youth’s society is profound in almost everything we do. We are entering a world of social interaction known as web 2.0 where on the internet we can not only retrieve information, but also broadcast and share it through networking.

As a Facebook user myself and despite my attempts to avoid the site all together, I constantly find myself wanting to broadcast my own pictures, art, opinions and perspective onto the internet using social networks. Sometimes I’ll spend hours reading blogs or commenting on profiles and realize that my time is completely wasted as if there was no purpose in my interactions. In a sociology text published in 1916, author L.J Hanifan explains that we all have something called “social capital” (Hanifan 1916). Social capital is your personal investment in society through networking. On Facebook, we see the social capital of people everyday through posts and updates. Years before Facebook, social capital was shown informally through face-to-face interaction. Many suggest this digital interaction is killing our ability to socially interact through conventional methods.

I often parallel the seven deadly sins with social networking like Facebook. You can go through all of them, and find specific examples in each sin. This social transition will only become worse as our dependency on the Internet grows.

Source(s):

Halifan, L Judson. Progressive West Virginians. Wheeling, WV: The Wheeling
Intelligencer, 1923. Print.

http://gavinmoore.wordpress.com/2009/11/03/at-what-point-do-sports-fans-resemble-trekkies/

I completely agree with Gavin’s words on the similarities between sports fans and trekkies, especially the notion that sports fans are more accepted in society because there are more of them.

To exemplify this, I would like to share a story that occurred as I was helping my Dad redecorate a billiard room in my house back home.

Being from Pittsburgh, I would consider myself a huge Steeler fan. It’s amazing how wide of a fan-base the Steelers have on the city as a whole. If you were born or raised in the Steel City, you are automatically raised to be a fan of the football team. Generally, you could say fandom is more accepted because it is also generational and common throughout the culture of my hometown. You can hate the sport of football and still be a “fan” of the Steelers. It’s almost insane.

Anyway, my Father, a native to Pittsburgh and a die-hard Steelers and Pirates fan, collects sports memorabilia and artifacts that reflect Steelers fandom. This guy has everything from mini-helmets signed by the Steel Curtain to one of Roberto Clemente’s broken home run bats. Trophy cases and posters depicting these teams cover several rooms of my house, often pissing off my Mother to the point where she ordered my Dad to move it all to our billiard room. I also collect memorabilia, like my Father. Despite my Dads best efforts to get me into collecting sports cards and other artifacts, I acquired an extensive collection of comic books, movie posters, and Star Wars toys. Together, we share a very similar interest in collecting and obsessing over something we enjoy. We have very different interests, yet we embellish that interest very closely.

It only became a conflict when I tried to put my limited edition Star Wars: Episode I poster in his glorious Steelers/Pirates-style billiard room. This was a big fucking mistake. He put his collection of memorabilia in the room. Posters covered the wall and all the Sports shit was beautifully displayed, yet he did not see fit for me to display my own obsession in a room that I use more than he does. The Star Wars poster had a great frame too, but god forbid it be placed next to a 1970′s rusted Steelers beer stein.

So yeah, Sports fans and Trekkies are very similar in the sense of how they immerse themselves in an obsession and enjoy displaying that obsession. But never, NEVER, will they ever find a common ground as to how to collectively enjoy a certain culture.

And for your entertainment, here’s the Steeler Nation. And yes, We’re fuckin’ crazy:

http://thatcamel392.wordpress.com/2009/11/05/the-guy/

I couldn’t agree more with Dave. As a fan of Chappelle’s comedy, you really have to appreciate the message he’s trying to send when he writes this type of sketch. Chappelle always seems to push the envelope regarding how we perceive another culture or race. In the subject of the “Mad Real World” sketch, Chappelle uses the perception of that one dimensional personality created in the MTV show and turns it completely upside-down. As Chuck Klosterman explained, there is a definite stereotype association when creating and introducing that one dimensional personality that is exercised through the MTV show. Whether the show is expressing a specific gender or race when forming a character persona for the show, there is always going to be some form of distorted reality.

I love when Chappelle parodies this concept. He seems to flip the perception all together. Instead of seeing the “angry black man”, we see the “scared and weak white boy”. It also seems that through this type of reality programming, this type of character is always isolation from the rest of the group. This character is often set in a different category of social interaction. The white character in the comedy sketch, Chad, is seem taken advantage of and generally abused. Then once he speaks out in rage against the abuse, everyone says hes the “crazy” white boy.

http://likwidfyr26.wordpress.com/2009/10/25/vampires-take-a-bite-out-of-popculture/

There’s no doubt that the vampire genre has been resurrected and reinvented recently through television such as True Blood and movies such as Twilight. This subgenre has been refreshed to reflect a modernized take on the vampire folklore as a whole. I believe the trend in this type of entertainment is partially due to the success of the Twilight series, in both literature and the movies. You could say that “fandom” has substantially influenced this success, noting the endless amount of fangirls ready to pounce on anything and everything that involves the franchise. I sometimes refer to HBO’s True Blood series as a “Twilight for adults”. True Blood seems to reflect the same genre that follows the trend, but applies to an older group of people and furthers the momentum of this type of story through this type of entertainment.

It is also evident that this emerging tendency in vampire storytelling also parallels the popularity of the Harry Potter franchise. Similar to Twilight‘s popularity, Harry Potter found popularity in it’s die-hard group of fans, then expanded the subgenre of wizardry through various types of other entertainment. As the popularity of the Harry Potter films rose, Disney, as well as other networks, picked up shows involving wizardry and spread this trend throughout different mediums.

http://camplongrun.wordpress.com/2009/11/15/what-did-i-just-watch/

I’m all for C.C.’s taste in films that are referred to as “Mind Benders”. These films are so unique and style and plot that they almost capture and engage the audience more so than many films with wide theatrical releases that lack this artistic quality. These types of films are so special because they offer an open interpretation regarding themes and meaning. Serving as an alternative to straight-forward narratives, mind benders stimulate the audience in a way that almost forces reflection after viewing.

In addition, I still feel that Steven Johnson’s words on the progressive popularity of this microgenre in film are slightly inaccurate. First, Steven cites many cult films in this microgenre that have become very popular. Movies such as Donnie Darko and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind hold a cult popularity that does not reflect the opinion of the mainstream consumer. These types of films are considered “cult” films for a reason. This is because their rise in popularity is due to the small population of fans that brought it to fame. Despite its popularity, I agree 2001: A Space Odyssey is a mind bender but its popularity is solely due to its directorial skill and advancement in special effects at its release. Mainstream moviegoers do not enjoy the concept of a mind bender-type of film.

One of the most successful film this year, Paranormal Activity, was made with 1,100 dollars and has already grossed close to 140 million dollars. The plot is a simple haunted house story, the cast was a total of 4 characters and the plot was very singular. If this mind bending genre in film was truly embraced, Spike Jonze would be directing the Transformers sequel and Disney wouldn’t have spent 300 million making Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.

Regardless, as a fan of film I enjoy this genre of film as much as the next nerd.

Among the few films that I feel did not acquire a cult following yet I still consider a “mind bender” would be Smokin’ Aces, the mafia blood thriller starring Jeremy Piven and Ryan Reynolds. The complex plot line and progressive conflict of the movie proves to serve as a true mind fuck. Here’s the trailer:

Lately, I’ve taken an break from the addictive and consuming force that is Facebook to another social networking site, Twitter. Before exploring the site myself and discussing it in class, I never understood why it was so popular. I often refer to the site as Facebook with the status bar alone. With further review, I realized that Twitter serves a purpose more important than any other aspect of social networking. With the popularity of Twitter through celebrities, the site offers a personalized, more human aspect of a celebrity’s life. With constant updates regarding “real life” situations and usual occurrence, Twitter ultimately releases the veil over the lives of the typical celebrity.

For example, this is a picture posted by Rap artist Ice-T following the release of Xbox 360 game Modern Warfare 2. Under the tweet, Ice-T claims “Yes!! Just got the MW2 with the Night Vision. These things actually work! I’m going in!! I’ll be missing for 3 days at least!! FLTG”. This broadcast not only reveals personal aspects of the celebrity’s life to millions of people, but also introduces a humanized version of that individual. No longer is the life of a celebrity secret. I believe Twitter helps to take celebrities off of the “pedestal” that tabloids and entertainment programming has put them on. The site also features a community of interaction between the fan that follows the Twitter and celebrity through an open forum comment box.

This tweet is from the California Governor himself, Arnold Schwarzeneggar. The first post was over the words “This is how I start my day”

This tweet, also from the Governator, features the caption “I do still have the Conan sword, and I keep it in my office. Here’s a picture.”

Overall, I believe through the social network Twitter has acquired, celebrities are projected as human beings, not gods. Through the sites ability to subscribe and broadcast to a wide range of “fans”, followers of celebrity twitters are offered a personalized story regarding that person as well as a realistic version of that celebrity’s life.

Source(s):

http://twitpic.com/oy9by

http://twitpic.com/kujml

http://twitpic.com/f92jm

But what happens when the shows creators, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, manage to offend one of their own? Specifically, I’m talking about Issac Hayes, the former voice of the character, Chef. Three years ago, Hayes left the show forever after a particular broadcast of an episode poking fun at the religion of Scientology. Hayes, being a member of the church, found that the episode “disrespects its beliefs and practices”. When asked about quitting, the nine year veteran of the show responded “There is a place in this world for satire, but there is a time when satire ends and intolerance and bigotry towards religious beliefs of others begins.” Chef proved to be a very popular character of the show, serving as a humorous figure of wisdom to the other main characters of the show.

Furthermore, co-creator of South Park Matt Stone responded in an interview with Associated Press, “This is 100 percent having to do with his faith of Scientology… He has no problem — and he’s cashed plenty of checks — with our show making fun of Christians.” Stone also added that he and partner Matt Stone “never heard a peep out of Isaac in any way until we did Scientology. He wants a different standard for religions other than his own, and to me, that is where intolerance and bigotry begin.”

Hypocritically, Issac Hayes proves to exemplify tolerance in satirizing all aspects of religion other than the one he practices. Contrary to the fact that Seth Mcfarlane of Family Guy is an Athiest and is comfortable in featuring parodies of all religions, Hayes felt that South Park “crossed the line” when things got personal. It would seem that controversial television such as this has acquired an “all or nothing” mentality when deciding what taboo topics to cover and what to toss, all based on the belief of who’s involved in the production.

What is the most humorous to me is that South Park barely parodied the religion of Scientology. In the following clip of the “Trapped In The Closet” episode, you will find that South Park somewhat “educates” their viewers as to what exactly Scientologists believe. Despite their attempt to parody and satirize with cartooned artistry, the facts surrounding the Scientology religion are relatively accurate. If anything, Hayes should be thrilled in raising awareness of his own beliefs and practices.

http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/104274

Source(s):

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2006/03/13/entertainment/e133318S62.DTL