1) My first idea is to explore McLuhan’s idea of “the medium is the message” by looking at the use of holograms in the 2008 elections.
2) My second idea is to look at the idea of modern society as a virtual panopticon. I would focus on social networking sites and the way that people change their behavior knowing that what they do may appear on the web.
3) My third idea is to look at the ways that new cell phone technology has changed the way that people interact. I would talk with people of different generations about how they interact with people and about how the use cell phones.
Technology absolutely effects the way we interact with each other. Yes, people on the subway and on the streets walk around with headphones in their ears listening to their ipods. Still, I do not think that we should give too much credence to the idea that ipods are responsible for the lack of interaction amongst city dwellers. The same argument was made hundreds of years ago with the invention of the printing press. Yes, these technologies may encourage people to participate in what was once a group activity in a more private way, but we do not live inside of a vacuum. There are many different technologies competing at the same time. Some will last and some won’t. And we can not completely rip agency away from humans. We create the technology and we determine which ones last. That said, I do miss when my friends did not have Blackberries. It is like they are never fully present because they are occupying so many spaces at the same time. I am somewhat guilty of this as well. But I think we need to put this idea in perspective and recognize that these changes take historical time.
One of the memes that fascinates me most is the Christian cross. Somehow the original concept of the crucifix has come to mean something very different. Obviously crosses are everywhere. They are on top of churches, charms on people’s necklaces, and people signal the cross with hand motions. The most interesting thing to me about this meme is how its meaning has changed so much as it has been given an agenda. Originally the cross was simply a form of execution. If people walked around with guillotines or electric chairs around their necks they would be accused of being morbid and violent. But throughout time the meme of the cross has amassed a multitude of meanings. Interestingly enough, rather than being a sign of something fearful and morose, it has become a sign of peace and holiness. It fascinates me how powerful this meme is. The cross meme has lasted for nearly two thousand years, is globally recognizable, and a precious symbol for billions of people. And this blog post only adds to the replication and trajectory of the crucifix meme.
Culture Jamming is an interesting concept because it requires using an existing meme in an effort to attach new meaning to it. I think that the problem with that is that it still uses the meme. I suppose that eventually it could change the meaning of a particular meme, but I think this would be a long process and would require outnumbering the original meme. I think that the expression, “no press is bad press,” reflects my idea about memes and culture jamming. This is not to say that culture jamming is useless. I think it is humorous and has potential to change people’s thought processes. Plus, it allows people to take control of public spaces. I think that the requirements of a good culture jam are that they must be eye-catching, relevant to the brand they are jamming, and they must use culturally recognizable images, symbols, or memes. I think that the question of choice in media is interesting because it seems like there are issues of entitlement when it comes to media consumption. I think that the only media one should feel entitled to is the media they produce. I cannot make a television or a television program and therefore I do not feel entitled to choice in television programming.
The BLF or the Billboard Liberation Front is an organization of people who create culture jams on billboards. The BLF believes that billboards are the perfect target because they are difficult to avoid. You don’t have to watch television or read magazines, but it is difficult to live in a modern society and not see ads on billboards. The BLF began as a grassroots effort to reclaim space and reappropriate media images. For this reason they encourage people to start their own groups locally. Some targets of the BLF include Wachovia, McDonalds, and many more.
http://kozinets.net/__oneclick_uploads/2007/12/soda_ad.jpg
I found this image online when I searched for examples of culture jamming. I think that the fact that they draw attention to the selling of a “lifestyle” is very effective. Most ads for soda do not mention anything relating to flavor or thirst. They tend to market a way of life. This ad definitely taps into that marketing strategy. One thing that I think this ad does not do well is that I think using a vintage ad is less effective. I think someone can see the humor in it, and think that he or she is smart enough not to fall for ads of this nature, but ads selling soda are nothing like this one anymore. I think that one thing that this ad could change to make it more effective would be to add a logo or something culturally recognizable.
