Archive for the ‘Electracy’ Category
Responses to “Wii like Michael (Rhetoric # 2)” by Aryn Haynes
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Responses to “Cultural Myth (Figure 1)” by Daniel Ramos
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This cultural myth seems that it has been a part of ours society since the first professional suit was tailored. In a sense, we have enforced the importance of a good first impression, which has no negative connotations however. Like you said, we are a visual society and that we are influenced by what we see. We can then ask this question, if we were to create a new image of what professionalism was or even facilitate some of the other forms of professional dress, would the same myth be enforced today by our society? Probably, but we as a society have come such a long way, so may be now we can afford to be a bit lenient.
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Repsonse to “Old Spice metaphor (Rhetoric)” by Betty-Ann Townsend
I do agree with you that this commercial seeks to attract a particular audience or consumer, ie. the average woman who wants her man to be “all of that” and then some. Old Spice has utilized signifiers in our everyday lives to influence how we formulate our very own interpretations. There might be some more signifieds that we could consider. It could be that there is not much of a deeper meaning but if we take into account the other signs within this commercial and make the connections between them, intertextually, then we can come up with more answers as to why Old Spice may have used these signs versus using other signs that could potentially give the same effect, semioticly.
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Post #19-Food Network Star (Figure)
Posted on: June 16, 2011
In this short clip of an episode of Food Network Star, the camera plays a very important role in how viewers react to what is taking place on the show; the signifiers and their signifieds helps the audience to formulate interpretations. Some of thee things I noticed in this clip what the shot of the guy at the farmers market when they just arrived and the way the camera focused on the judges as they critiqued the contestants plates. The long trailing shot made you think that there was a surprise awaiting to happen when the constants came to the farmers market. The emotions that are evoked while looking at this particular shot influences how the audience felt at that moment. The camera shots on the face of the judges as they react to the performances of the contestants and the food they have presented, influences the audience’s interpretations. How we read the interactions within the show assist us in formulating ideas of what could be taking place.The camera, music and motion
assist the audience in reading tv shows. The camera seemingly becomes our eyes, a
way of seeing the show as if we were there. By doing so we can formulate interpretations of
what is occurring through the eyes of the camera. Images from television shows seems to not
require much decoding, we interpret what we see based upon what the character
or scene is depicting. Since we have internalized these codes at a very young
age, we become conscious of their existence as we watch and analyze the conventions and non conventions of a show. It is easily understood that the conventions in a television shows are of the norm and can easily be recognized by any member of a particular audience. There is not much work that needs to be done when “reading” this type of television show.
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This season on Food Network Star, the competitors and judges seem to be more critical about how they are perceived by their “at home” audience. As noted in past seasons, there has been quite a few changes to the direction the show is heading. Yes, Food Network is aiming at keeping the show interesting and exciting as the seasons progress. However, one might argue that the show is becoming a reality tv show, focusing more on the drama that comes along with competing to be the next Food Network Star. But has there ever really been a genre associated with food related television shows? Did we, being the audience, ever really thought about where the specific conventions of this type of television show might be placed? By examining different parts of the show, we can pick out a few elements that can be categorized into various genre types. Overall, the show is a regular food television show with a side of reality and drama.
Another element of this type of television show that we can take into consideration, is the idea of whether or not the actions of the cast or rather the competitors are influenced by the cameras being present. Do they react in certain ways because of what they think the audience would see or are we formulating our own perceptions based on what the cameras are showing? Yes and no because whose to say that the competitors actions are being influence or whether what is happening is more so reality. It is understood that the cameras are meant to assist us in how we perceive things and function as our eyes. As we look at the show and all the rhetorical and conventional aspects of it, we can realize that there is more to just what we “see and read” . We would have to focus on other elements to come to a conclusion, if possible of how they all function.
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Food Network Star is a show on Food network, that puts a group of professional chefs up to the challenge of becoming America’s next Food Network Star. At first glance you would imagine that this television show was just like any other food competition, bragging right and title holding show like, Hell’s Kitchen, Top Chef, etc. However, the interesting element about this show is that it is very similar to a reality tv show, in the sense that contestants become so caught up in the show and how their lives become affected by those who they are competing against. Most certainly, the average viewer would recognize that this show is slowly becoming a reality tv food drama. The contestants are strategically coming up with ways to get “knock out” the weakest and strongest competitors each challenge. The competitors seek to prove to both the judges, their fellow contestants and America that they are worthy of claiming the title of th next Food Network Star. During the process, we see the true intentions of the contestants, some may encourage their fellow competitors to keep up the good work, while others seek to be on top regardless of who they step on. ‘Its a dog eat dog kinda thing’ most people may say however, when did Food Network Star become such a reality show. Seasons before didn’t have this much drama and rivalry among the contestant. Is this what the Food Network show was aiming at this season? If so, they have hit it! Claws are beginning to come out, people are being put to the test by their fellow competitors and true intent is becoming more and more evident.
This show allows us to think of the conventions of “reality” television shows. Are they only to be viewed as “reality” tv or should we label other shows, very similar to others within the same genre, as reality tv? This show in particular strays away from the narrative conventions of typical food competition shows. It’s not longer about the food and the competition, its more so now about who can “knock down and knock out” their fellow contestants at all cost. Like crabs in a barrel, only the best of the best will prevail. Sad to say but we can consider how this show is unconventional in this way.
After watching the film The
Cremaster Cycle by Matthew Barney, it was somewhat difficult for me
to make much sense of what was taking place in the film. There were quite a few
things happening in such a short space of time. However, after much
consideration, I observed some signifiers and their signified to formulate some
understanding. Signifieds in this film are very much reliant upon the cultural
codes and conventions that exist through the society’s culture. Upon first
viewing the film, the levels or “degrees” appeared to be stages in a
person’s mental development. The first degree with the Apprentice and the women
in the bathtub resembles the stage of a person as a child, care free and
innocent. The second degree that had the female dancers dressed as lambs,
indicate the mental stage in a person’s life when they feel compelled to be a
part of some group or become a part of a particular identity. There is not
individuality being expressed. The third degree appears to be the mental stage
when a person is aware of whom they are as individuals. They are no longer
conformed to things that may have been forced upon them. In the film, this
degree had a rock band playing in the scene, signifying another meaning that
with becoming individual, one can be rebellious. At this degree the Apprentice
must find the tools need of the next degree is in a puzzle in the form of a
crucifix. The crucifix being the signifier relates to the signified: at this
mental stage, a person seeks religion and utilizes the life tools necessary for
the next stages in their life.
As the Apprentice moves to the fourth degree, he encounters this
paraplegic woman who becomes a cheetah when she bites him. The perspective that
I drew from that degree was that as a person experiences the next stages in
their mental development, they can be deceived by their environment. The woman
appears very beautiful and trustworthy; the Apprentice then allows this to play
upon his emotions, causing him to trust her enough to confront her. “Not
all that glitters is gold” meaning that, we can be easily deceived by what
we are influenced by, however over time, what we see may not be as it appears.
The cheetah woman didn’t have the Apprentice’s best interest at heart, just
like some people may not. At the fifth degree, the Apprentice encounters a
plastic statue of some animal in the picture above. This degree indicated the
mental stage of a person trying to put the pieces of their life back together
or finding the missing links. The fifth and final degree housed a masked man doing
Vaseline and metal work. This degree explains the mental stage of someone who
has found their set level of stability, or at least it “appears to be
stable”. “Appearing to be stable” in light or the Apprentice
having to start all over again; quite of few people have to go back to the basic
when life takes a toll on them.
However, what I took most note of while watching the film was, why
did the lady in the third degree have a free mason symbol on the back of her
head dress? It could be that she is the representation of free masonry in the
society.
Word Count:555
- In: Electracy | Uncategorized
- 1 Comment
The narrative conventions of documentary film are ones in which we as culture have placed on how a documentary should be produced, edited and showed. The norms associated with documentary films are that they usually have a voice over, a narrator telling what is going to happen or explaining every step or event that will occur. The people in these documentaries try not to pay much attention to the fact that the cameras are present. By doing so the make the film appear to be more “realistic”, uninterferred by the interviewer and the production crew. However, as we have seen, quite a few of modern day documentaries tend to stray away from the conventions that tend to be attached to documentaries. This new style or form of narrative conventions in documentaries appear to be more realistic because the people aren’t necessarily acting. They are aware of the presence of the cameras and are still able to show their personalities. The “acting”is not scripted so the characters are truly being themselves. Let’s consider this clip of a documentary about individuals who play Bingo to either pay their bills or just for leisure purposes. This is a more Observational mode in this documentary.
In this clip, the participants are not necessarily “acting” because the cameras are present. They are showing who they truly are. Also alot of the film was edited, could that possible mean that the film is not following the conventional constructs of a narrative in documentary? No, more so the idea that the film makers hadn’t taken multiple shots to cause the film to be scripted. Narrative in documentary follows a more compelling baseline that is a framework for complex and factual material. It tells a story of series of events. This conventional approach effectively construct a convincing narrative because of how the facts are produced, the audience that it attracts, how it engages that audience and what we perceive to be as the “reality”.
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shawn20009 
The example of the ad that you used was pretty funny because this game has recently become one of my favorite games of all time. Aside from the technology used to make this gaming system so advanced and interactive, most people would not pay much attention to the advertising conventions being utilized in the commercial; we are more considered about the fact that Michael Jackson, famous iconic symbol is on the cover and is the person in the game itself. Honestly I agree with you that there is not a particular age group that they are attracting because The Experience can be enjoyed by all people. I like the last line of you post because it appears to be what is already happening.