Monday, September 17, 2012

Some themes I want to explore



For the past few days I have been pondering what different subjects that I would like to focus on more. The problem for me in doing a task like this is that I am interested in more subjects then I have time to dig into. I have always been one to struggle to identify priorities among my favorite things - often sweating while trying to write down my favorite ice cream flavor for my spot light profile in primary, or trying to have my favorite movie on the tip of my tongue when introducing myself in that horrible first day of middle school.

So, below are a few things I know I am interested in - and maybe as I write about them and keep thinking on them certain subjects will arise as the one(s) I should attack this semester.

Identity
I have already written a bit about this topic in my blog post about The Odyssey. Elder Cook's CES talk a few months ago touches a little on this, and I really like Curtis' ideas in relation to profile pictures and how we choose to present ourselves to the world.

Crowd sourcing
I have already had some small discussion about teachers crowd sourcing in conjunction to a different blog/google site I have been working on. The idea of the power of crowds has been on my mind since listening to this about 3 or 4 months ago. I feel like it is a concept that can have a significant impact on the world and our individual lives.

Complexities of evaluation in web 2.0
There have been some discussions about badges and how to evaluate learning. I don't know much about this topic - but I am very curious about it.

The problem of progress
See earlier blog on this.

Time and new media
Does anyone else feel a crushing sensation when you get online and see all the info? For me when I get on Google+ and see how behind I get, or how much stuff is going on and I just don't know where to start or how to participate meaningfully. This skill and ability which some have mastered (how does professor Burton DO all the stuff he does without Hermoine's time-turner?) baffles me, and I would love to read/learn/do something on this topic.

Other things on my radar:
Media literacy education
Film and the evolution of storytelling in the information age
The Internet's influence on individual autonomy

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Additional Odyssey Ideas

Along with my thoughts about masks of which I have already blogged about, here are two other aspects of The Odyssey I feel could be really interesting to explore in more detail.

1. Food

Feasting, hunting, cooking, roasting, drinking, and ultimately consuming are all prominent activities in The Odyssey. What can the habits (or lack thereof) teach us about Internet consuming in today's world? There are some "feasts" of which hospitable guests are who they say they are, and offer not only food and drink with a warm fire and nice bath - but are open to listening to personal stories and offer resources and good will to visitors. In line with the "consume, create, and connect" theme I think this slant could be pretty interesting.

2. Family and Home


As I read the great epic, I was amazed by Odysseus' ability to keep his vision on his end goal (the same goes for Penelope). I think he was able to keep the desire to return home so well due to his strong sense of confidence that he had the power to make it happen. Though he and his men got side-tracked with a few stops, and they endured some remarkable set-backs, Odysseus ultimately stayed grounded with his passion of family and home. This vision, an intangible anchor to the great warrior and mariner, was a powerful motivator and also brought help from those around him. On the web, we too can be distracted by many things, but I think people are more prone to act and help someone who is grounded in a cause and has a deep passion for subjects of substance. 



The 3 Masks in The Odyssey

I wrote this paper for another class and am submitting it tomorrow. Any feedback before I press "submit" on BYU Learning Suite? I feel there are many connections and possibilities to bring in digital culture from this angle.

Image from litmuse used under a Creative Commons license

Identity is significant to humanity now, and has been since the ancient past. Today you can tell all your "friends" what your favorite books are, the movie you saw last night, what shoes you want to buy, and on Google+ you can pronounce your own customized "bragging rights" for the world to see.  Homer's The Odyssey illustrates the assertion that identity is central to man's existence. "No man is nameless," stated a hospitable Lord to the Raider of Cities. "No man, good or bad, but gets a name in his first infancy, none being born, unless a mother bears him!" (p. 292.591). While it is true that the majority of the characters in The Odyssey have names (including the lowly servants and vile suitors), a deeper reading of the text reveals the possibility that long before Photoshop and Facebook profile manipulation, the idea of adjusting ones identity or appearance to obtain specific objectives is as ancient as literature. This idea of masks or layered identity is relevant to today's world in which the profile and definition of a person can be changed with almost the same power and speed of Grey-eyed Athena. Masks appear in at least three ways in The Odyssey: as a form of testing, a method of deception, and way to glorify the human body. I will provide evidence for these three masks from the text as well as make small connections to other works of literature and current day media trends.
            The first mask - used as a form of testing - is illustrated clearly near the end of the story.  Entering his own house, Odysseus used his divinely bestowed disguise as a way to determine who was loyal, and who deserved justice. One suitor was not far from the reality of the situation when he warned his comrades who were bantering with the Master Tactician, "A poor show, that - hitting this famished tramp - bad business, if he happened to be a god. You know they go in foreign guise, the gods do, looking like strangers, turning up in towns and settlements to keep an eye on manners, good or bad." p. 434.633. Though Odysseus was not a god, he was certainly blessed by one, and in many ways his disguised infiltration can be seen in literature and tradition since Homer's day. Henry V and Christ's parable found in Matthew 25:35-46 reflect this same story of royalty mixing with the common public to gauge whether the subjects were loyal or not.  By taking on the mask of a poor and lowly tramp, Odysseus was able to make clear judgments to lead to success in his situation. This principal requires cunning and a noble heart, and in the case of Odysseus he is wise like a serpent but deals judgment most unlike a dove. 
            Disguising oneself to test the loyalty of the public seems slightly misleading, but The Odyssey is replete with examples of how the characters of the story use masks to be utterly deceptive. Such examples include Kirke the beautiful "witch" who appears harmless and then turns men into swine, Odysseus' pun and grand escape from the Cyclops who curses "no body," and Penelope's trick in making the suitors think she is in mourning and preparing for marriage when really she is merely delaying time for her Lord to return. Often disguise is associated with the gods, for "It is no hard thing for the gods of heaven to glorify a man or bring him low." p. 409.250.  It is seems likely that Shakespeare drew upon this mask in his plays, blending magic and myth with disguise and confusing situations. Perhaps one of the greatest deceivers, Iago "friend" of Othello, was a master of this particular mask, never changing his actual disposition but manipulating his place in social and political circles to plant ideas into the minds and hearts of influential people.  Though both Odysseus and Athena take on different appearances, to me they seem less evil than other characters in the epic that wore the misleading mask.
            The final mask is one of which we may compare to today's Cover Girl or the magical powers of Photoshop. Glorifying - and in some cases - deifying the bodies of the heroes in The Odyssey is commonplace. The returning Lord experiences Athena's assistance to his physical appearance so much that he has learned to trust in the power by the end. At least twice in the story Athena "lent him beauty, head to foot. She made him taller, and massive, too, with crisping hair in curls like petals of wild hyacinth but all red-golden" (p. 511.186).  Penelope also was frequently touched up by the grey-eyed goddess, "With ambrosia she (Athena) bathed her (Penelope's) cheeks and throat and smoothed her brow . . . Grandeur she gave her, too, in height and form, and made her whiter than carved ivory" (p. 444.242).  Even Odysseus' father got a make over: "Oh, Father, surely one of the gods who are young forever has made you magnificent before my eyes!" (p. 527.409). The obvious admiration and awe for the human body in The Odyssey points to the probable fact that physical looks and prowess were important to Greek culture and society as a whole.
            In today's digital world things haven't changed too much as people manipulate their own photos, watch glamorous actors in films, and get addicted to pornography. We live in a time similar to that of Odyessus in that we also can -and do- wear masks. The Internet offers a wide variety of ways to disguise or reveal our true selves, and like the characters in Homer's epic we must decide how to use the power of the masks made available to us. Ironically, the great story ends with Athena maintaining the mask "and voice of Mentor" p. 532.614. What does Athena's mentoring mean for you and me as we discover our own identities in our ever-increasing post-modern and deconstructing society?

Monday, September 10, 2012

Progress . . . ? And the move toward apparent simplicity

During Winter semester of this year, my wife and I were in Washington, DC for an internship I had with a federal agency. It was a wonderful experience, and I learned a lot. Among many things that happened to me while in Washington, two events influence my thinking of how maybe the increasingly new developments in technology may not be as awesome as I might otherwise think. The first event was attending two film premiers at the DC Environmental Film Festival, and the second was reading Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink.

1. DC Environmental Film Festival

We entered the auditorium and listened in on a few intense discussions about climate change, republicans, and film appreciation. I enjoyed being out of my comfort zone, and was excited to hear that Ralph Nader was in the audience! Anyway, we first saw a film about organic food and how the label gets tossed around, and then the second film was all about progress. Check out the director talking about his film - and watch the trailer if you want.






Now, in case you are feeling like "c'mon this guy is nuts!" or like this is some conspiracy movie, I understand. However, the film makes some really good points (in my opinion) about how often what we call progress isn't necessarily a good thing. I think when it comes to the digital age the prophets and apostles have done a grand job in helping us understand the dangers of "progress", but there are also blessings and benefits from the same things that come with new discoveries and methods.

The main point for me, is that we should be very attentive to how the digital age is influencing our humanity. It can help (connecting, creating, etc) but as I have written earlier, it can hurt too by distorting our sense of reality. It is easy, I believe, to get so attached to the new thing/gadget to the point where we forget how that thing can ground us to important and eternal ideas. This is why I think media literacy education (what we are currently engaged in) is so important for every student in today's classrooms.

2. Daniel Pink has some great books. Though highly anecdotal (not a bad thing), I feel he has some very relevant and helpful things to say. On his blog today he cited a Pew Research study (another place I got to visit while in DC) about how people across the nation would characterize the President or Mitt Romney in just one word. Pink predicts: "The one-word method will become more prevalent, especially as data meisters collect truckloads of linguistic information from social networks."

It is interesting to think about how the shortening of things will effect not only the way we do research (or where we gather data for research), but how we think, discuss, and form judgements. In a way, the "one-word method" sort of scares me into thinking this is a disastrous sign of not-happy progress. Maybe it shouldn't. Either way, I think that the more people that come to this planet and the more we build and create, the more we will have to come to terms that we better start sharing resources more efficiently, and use more than one word to communicate and understand one another.


Thursday, September 6, 2012

What Is Real? Sharing the Reality of the Good News in a Digital Culture

In this digital age, as folks "friend" thousands of people, tweet at one another, and google the web, the question has come up as to what is really going on here? I can't answer that question, but I can give some of my thoughts about the issue, as well as provide some resources from people much wiser than myself. 

So, what is the meaning of reality? What is real? These ontological questions are deeply rooted in philosophy and the history of mankind. I won't begin to get into Plato's cave, Hieddegar's On Being, or Shakesepeare's insights via Hamlet etc. This is an old subject. However, if you haven't seen The Matrix, or if you are unfamiliar with the discussions about reality - this clip offers a quick insight to questions we have been asking ourselves for thousands of years. Is reality based upon what we can sense with our 5 senses? Is reality anything that our brain fully believes? 




One nice thing about being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is that I have the choice to listen to modern day prophets and Apostles. One Apostle, Elder David A. Bednar gave a talk to young adults about how we can see and understand things "as they really are". He addresses many things in this talk, more than I can cover. Below is a small video the church produced with some specific counsel given in the talk.



In this clip, Elder Bednar's Apostolic warning is very clear about the use of media, and his two points for our personal consideration is an invitation for us to understand what sort of reality we are living in:

1. Does the use of various technologies and media invite or impede the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost in your life?

2. Does the time you spend using various technologies and media enlarge or restrict your capacity to live, to love, and to serve in meanignful ways?

In his talk, he also addresses how the digital world can be used by Satan to tempt us to be removed from our physical bodies and physical reality. He quotes some stunning stories and facts from secular studies about individuals who have disconnected themselves from their physical surroundings and embraced the virtual reality of certain games and programs (in a way that reminds me of the film Avatar). What sticks out to me the most from this talk, is that to truly understand what is real and going on in our lives we should follow the counsel of the Book of Mormon prophet Jacob, of whom Elder Bednar took his words for the title of his talk (see Jacob 4:13). 

Near the end of his talk, and in the video clip above, Elder Bednar encouraged youth to understand that he was not condemning media. There are many ways we can use the powerful tools of this technological age to do good, and  Elder Ballard and President Uchtorf and others have testified of the importance of using new media to share the Gospel.  The church has launched "I am a Mormon" campaign which allows each member of the church to create a profile on mormon.org.  (check out mine here). Below is a recent Mormon Message in which an excerpt from President Uchtorf's talk is used to illustrate how LDS members can use technology to spread the Gospel.





I hope these resources are helpful, and that as you continue to ponder "what is real" and discover both your divine and digital identity that you understand that the "Spirit lieth not" and if we are living right then we can indeed know of things as they really are and thus be empowered to serve and lift the kingdom of God on earth.

In light of my introduction to the topic, I figured this meme would be a fitting conclusion!




Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Planet of the Apes: Comprehending the Loss of Humanity in the Information Age



 This is a pretty long essay - feel free to skim and let me know what you think!





  Introduction
The film Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) is ultimately asking one of the age-old questions of meaningful art and literature, "what does it mean to be human?" In the case of this film, and the contemporary timing of its release, the further question can be added, "what does it mean to be human in the age of information and globalization?" As the film wrestles with these big questions, the spectator is led by the plot through a series of broken relationships caused by the tragic over-zealous pursuit of intangible happiness. The theme of the film emerges in the idea that one's humanity is defined by the sum combination of one's actions and motives.

Analyzing Apes through the lens of David Bordwell's cognitive film language theory (2009) is helpful to understanding both the process in which the spectator is guided through the film and how the comprehension of theme and plot are created in the mind of the spectator in relation to what is seen. The key aspects of Bordwell's theory that are most helpful for this study are his terms of film language (i.e. "gist" "schema" and "cues"), which will be explored later. By using Bordwell's film language terms and theory of cognition, the value of Rise of the Planet of the Apes can be seen as an important commentary on what it means to be human in the global economy and age of information. In many ways the theoretical approach reveals that in the film humans have lost the ability to maintain "human" relationships and a seeming beast becomes a better human than those around him. This is done through the identification and sympathy the spectator experiences with Caesar, the Computer Generated Image (CGI) chimpanzee and tragic hero of the film. This value statement, along with the theme of action and motive-based humanity will be explored after first reviewing Bordwell's theory and concepts, and then a summary of the film's plot.
David Bordwell's Cognitive Theory of Comprehension
In his essay, Cognition and Comprehension: Viewing and Forgetting in Mildred Pierce. David Bordwell illustrates his theory, which is rooted in what he describes as the cognitive method of understanding how spectators gain meaning from film. For Bordwell and others like him, understanding film does not rely on semiotic codes or psychoanalytic unconscious but on a “complex process of actively elaborating what the film sets forth” (428). They ‘go beyond the information given’” (428) using the analytical measures that one uses in every day life though one is "not aware of doing so - it's a nonconscious activity" (429). These measures are contained in Bordwell's terms of cues, gists, and schemas.

In an example to explain what these terms mean, Bordwell illustrates a scene in which a car drives down the road and approaches another car pulled over with a man opening the trunk. "Presented with a set of circumstances (flat tire, man opening trunk), you categorize it (driver changing flat tire) and draw an informal, probabilistic conclusion, based on a structured piece of knowledge about what is normally involved in the activity" (429 italics added). This immediate cognition and assumption may lead one to extract a gist. In other words, a spectator of such a scene may "transform the scene into gist - the basic action that occurs, and its consequences for the characters and the ensuing action - becomes a basis for more complex inferential elaboration." If the man opening the trunk is tall, wearing a black trench coat, and the car appears to be from the 1920's - than the gist of the spectator may be related to gangsters, prohibition, or a murder. To form a gist one is simply categorizing a scene and drawing an informal conclusion of the outcome of that scene.

The gist is largely affected by the cues of the creator of the scene. Bordwell feels that "it makes sense to postulate that filmmakers - scriptwriters, producers, directors, editors, and other artisans of the screen - build their films in ways that will coax most of their spectators to follow the same inferential pathways" as themselves. " He believes that theorists ought to look for the manner in which films are designed to elicit the sorts of cognizing activities that will lead to comprehension (429). Thus cues can be seen as purposeful plot points, actors, music motifs, props, and other elements of film that lead a spectator to form gists that direct to the desired "inferential pathways" the film makers have intended for the spectator. However, for these cues to be relevant the spectator must have a sufficient schema to understand the direction the cues are leading them.

"A schema is a knowledge structure that enables the perceiver to extrapolate beyond the information given" (430). A schema is like a paradigm or perspective that a spectator may develop that enables them to understand how filmic elements operate, or have operated in the past. These schemas then allow the spectator to be led from gist to gist down the inferential pathway the filmmaker has created through the placement of cues. Bordwell explains, "The spectator for a Hollywood film is able to understand that a space is coherent because at some level of mental activity, she or he possesses a schema for typical locales, such as living rooms or pool halls . . . he or she must possess some rudimentary notion of narrative structure that permits certain information to be taken for granted and other information to be understood as, say, exposition or an important revelation" (430).

Cues, gists, and schemas, along with Bordwell's thoughts on cognition and spectators extrapolating beyond the information given in film is a very helpful framework when looking at The Rise of the Planet of the Apes. This film is a reboot of a well-known series that carries with it a distinct set of expectations of cynicism towards humanity (a schema in its own right).  As well as subtle cues that lead to significant understanding about the theme and impact of the film in our global society. Understanding and viewing the text using Bordwell's theory of cognition adds to the comprehension of how the filmmakers created a believable emotional reality. This emotional reality is engaging and the CGI is real enough that viewers are enabled to enter this different form of reality to see the world through the eyes of an ape who ultimately becomes a victim of circumstance and the tragic hero of the film.

Summary and Plot of The Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Understanding the plot and characters of the film is essential when applying Bordwell's theory of cognition. While the following summary should not be considered fully comprehensive, it is of note that events in the plot that strengthen the emotional realities and Caesar's dynamic character can be seen as evidences to the fact that the film makers have created a series of cues to lead the spectator through the action. This movement down the inferential pathway leads to the theme discussed earlier in this paper - namely that humanity is created through one's actions and motivations. (go to Wikipedia for a summary if you haven't seen the film)

Contextualizing the evidence and so what?
Now that Bordwell’s theory has illuminated the context of the argument in this paper, a review of the thesis is helpful. Ultimately what can be found in combining the theory and text at hand is that the theme of the film emerges in the idea that one's humanity is defined by the sum combination of one's actions and motives. The film creates an emotional reality and humanization of Caesar through the use of gists, cues, and schemas that humanize the chimp’s relationships to humans and his fellow apes. How do the filmmakers do this? This question will be explored in this section by examining the presentation of Caesar’s character arc through Bordwell’s elements of film language; the beginning, middle, and end; and how Caesar’s development and choices that led to a greater ideal of humanity than his human counter parts.

As noted in the summary of the film, the first impression of Caesar is as an orphaned chimp with the prospect of being murdered. This is the first moment of cognition the spectator is given for Caesar's character, and it can be clear that the filmmakers are aiming to lead the spectator down the path of inference that the chimp is helpless, and without aid it will die. Franco’s decision to keep the chimp and raise him in his father’s house (an obvious plot point to those that have picked up on the cue) leads to a series of events in which the loving and innocent chimp is exposed to pain and sorrow. Andy Serkis, the actor who played Caesar while wearing motion capture sensors made the following observation about Caesar’s upbringing and beginning.
…You do see his journey from being, how he responds to brutalization and witnessing brutalization and bullying and all these shocking things because he’s brought up as an innocent. He’s quite innocent and you see his journey from innocence into moments of realizing that actually it can be a cruel world out there. And he has been brought up because Will, James Franco’s character and John Lithgow’s character, they’re incredibly humanitarian. He’s been brought up in a loved family. In a way you’ve got to forget that he’s a chimp, you treat him as a child whose been brought up in a loving environment then suddenly being subjected to brutalization and seeing, when they go to the Ape Sanctuary, it could be any institution which has bullying and mistreatment and some kind of person who is dominating and subjugating other people. So you will feel sympathy because you will see how this young mind is witnessing brutalization (Serkis & Notary).
Serkis’ description of how the spectator forgets Caesar is a chimp, and sees him more as a child is an example of how the filmmaker’s cues are being accepted. As the spectator accepts the concept that they can identify with the chimp as the main character and point of attention, than they will continue to develop the correct gists and cultivate schemas that will lead them understanding the theme. Caesar is a victim of circumstance, and any active spectator can sympathize with his need for acceptance and place. The natural desire the cues lead the spectator towards is a wish to change Caesar’s surroundings. However this desire only increases in the scene in which the chimp hurts the man yelling at Franco’s dad. Ironically the ape is reprimanded for a humane feeling expressed in a savage way and is sentenced to savage treatment with no humane feeling in the prison like compound.

The middle section of Caesar’s character arc begins with the chimp’s recognition of his own intelligence and inferiority to humans. Rather than submitting and getting in the trunk, Caesar gets into the back seat of the car like a human. His hate of being “different” is later funneled into a sort of craftiness that guides him to become the leader of the pack, and eventually rejecting his innocence. Terry Notary, the actor that worked closely with Serkis in the development of the ape characters thoughtfully discusses Caesar’s descent into the angry chimp that he becomes.
That’s the strength of this film I think is that it’s a very good script and each of the characters in the film, the apes, are individuals. They’re unique and they come from a different background. Some have been tortured for years and some are ex-circus chimps and they all have a personality, and a trait and a strength that comes together and makes this team that is led by Caesar and once they are genetically enhanced, it’s almost as if this bright eyed innocence is changed and they start to become thinking and more human and you see that the more human they become, the less innocent they are. And it’s sad but you’re rooting for them at the same time but they are losing this innocence by becoming more human so there’s a lot of messages in there about humanity and where we’re going (Serkis & Notary).

At this point the spectator, perhaps without realizing it, is doing exactly what Notary describes: rooting for the apes. The spectator, if appropriately cognizing the path from the gists and cues the filmmakers have set while also maintaining an understanding schema, begins to identify more with the apes than with the human beings. This phenomenon points to the fact that Caesar has become a hero and also the villain (in that he ultimately is putting the world at risk of complete destruction through the use of the lethal drug). A better description of the chimp’s role is that he is a tragic hero, and his flaw is that he is a misunderstood creature that is biologically different than mankind. As he accepts his differences, erases the window or eye of man that has been symbolically etched on his cell wall, and reacts to the events around him in resistance, it is clear that he is justified. Caesar's feelings that man has failed him and his decision to escape resonate with the humane spectator in a way that makes the prospects of the climax of the film even more complex. Notary’s insights are troublingly truthful; the apes are losing innocence by becoming more human. Perhaps being human, and participating in this world requires a certain degree of love, trust, and connectedness that Notary calls “innocence.” Perhaps humans have degraded these terms to the point that one is considered a child or like a chimp if they can’t let go of these traits. Such thoughts and possible themes only come when a spectator navigates the cues set by the filmmakers.
As the end of the film unfolds, the cue-following spectator is led to an unforeseen outcome. The tragic hero escapes and unlike the ancient ruler of the same name, Caesar the chimp is able to overcome his flaws by revealing the flaws of humanity around him. In this regard he is like Romulus, leaving Franco his foster dad and his orphaned life to form the next great empire to take over the world. Franco and Caesar’s friendship is over, but not with enmity or bad feelings. Rather, Franco has recognized tragic flaws of his own. Franco explains his perspective of the arch of his own character.
So I guess my character just goes from a pure science orientated man who has few connections in life, it’s actually a pretty dismal existence, who doesn’t have much of a relationship with his father and his father has Alzheimer’s so he then starts taking care of him and at the end of his father’s life . . . he starts building this relationship with his father that he never had. And then this chimp is thrust on him, so he starts having almost a father son relationship that he never had in his life. So he goes from a very isolated, scientific, cold kind of personality to a much more humane and caring person (2011).

Franco's obsessive dabbling in technology, inability to deal with the natural human process of mortality, and his over-all greed in thinking he can get what he wants with enough money are all traits that can represent flaws of mankind. Human beings have failed to preserve good over evil and humane relationships have fallen below greed and power. Franco loses his own role as a father to Caesar and instead becomes the father of the pandemic that is displayed in the graphics during the closing screen credits. His choices and actions, though often well intentioned, render him responsible for the end of humanity. James Franco, in reflecting on the character he played explains, "I guess he screws a lot of things up. Not on purpose but he does everything for the right reasons, it just gets out of hand" (Franco 2011). Who then is more humane, the man or the ape? The disturbing answer is clear to the spectator who has followed the cues of the filmmaker and identified with the CGI ape as the tragic hero of the story who comes off conqueror. The ape’s actions and motivations present him a more accurate and ideal human than the majority of his human counter-parts.


Conclusion
Because the topic of human nature, what it means to be a human in the current age of information and obsession with technology, and the richness of the film Rise of the Planet of the Apes, not all aspects that may be applicable or helpful in using Bordwell’s theory can be discussed in this paper. There are many other concepts and insights that can be had and explored by applying the theory of cognition. One example is the schema many spectator’s hold when approaching a reboot of a classic franchise and how that schema changed or didn’t change in the viewing of the film. Another insight that could be explored further using Bordwell's theory in Apes is the use of actors such as Tom Felton (played Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter films) and Brian Cox (played antagonist roles in The Bourne series, and X2) and how the cue of their well known evil characters from other films utilizes melodrama in Apes. And yet another topic that deserves additional attention is the stark photorealistic reality implemented in the film through groundbreaking technologies and how this reality influences spectator's suspension of disbelief and identification with the main character. Though these topics are worthwhile and have not been discussed in this paper, by understanding and mapping out some of the basic elements of Bordwell’s film language and theory of cognition in the film Rise of the Planet of the Apes, active and interested spectators can draw a much larger meaning from the film that reveal the overarching theme which we have seen. Rather than passively soaking in a summer blockbuster, movie goers and scholars alike can understand that to become a more humane human, what counts is the sum total of one’s actions and motivations. The accomplishment of this film is that this theme is shared through the catalyst of an ape – which out smarts the whole of the human race to begin a new empire in the world of his flawed captors.

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 

Bordwell, David. "Cognition and Comprehension: Viewing and Forgetting in Mildred Pierce." 2009. Ed. Leo Braudy and Marshall Cohen. Film Theory and Criticism: Introductory Readings. 7th ed. New York: Oxford UP, 2009. 427-44. Print.

Franco, James. "James Franco On-Set Interview RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES." Interview by Germain Lussier. Collider.com. 14 Apr. 2011. Web. 15 Nov. 2011. <http://collider.com/james-franco-on-set-interview-rise-of-the-planet-of-the-apes/85819/>.

Serkis, Andy, and Terry Notary. "Andy Serkis and Terry Notary On-Set Interview RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES." Interview by Germain Lussier.Collider.com. 14 Apr. 2011. Web. 15 Nov. 2011. <http://collider.com/andy-serkis-terry-notary-interview-rise-of-the-planet-of-the-apes/85810/>.

Wikipedia. "Rise of the Planet of the Apes." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 19 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rise_Of_The_Planet_Of_The_Apes>.

Media Education: A Book Review

Media Education: Literacy, Learning and Contemporary Culture is an excellent book by scholar David Buckingham of the University of London. Though published in 2003, the ideas presented in the work are very current and important to both the education and digital media literacy world of today.

The author discusses the changes in what childhood is like now compared to what it was, and how media literacy is more important as things change because children are growing up earlier due to the fact they have access to content much earlier in their lives than past generations (e.g. TV doesn't take time or much education to consume like reading a print Encyclopedia). Because of the decline in childhood, the need to help children identify how they consume and evaluate what they create in the media increasingly becomes more essential.

Buckingham offers a clear definition of media education: "Media education aims to develop both critical understanding and active participation. It enables young people to interpret and make informed judgements as consumers of media; but it also enables them to become producers of media in their own right. Media education is about developing young people's critical and creative abilities."

In relation to education, Buckingham seems to be focused primarily on what he calls the "widening gap" between what goes on in a student's life inside and outside the classroom. He pointedly notes that in many ways our current school culture is not only stagnant, but moving backwards as the world around it is continues to change rapidly.

Toward the middle of the book, the author gives many examples of effective ways media education can work in the classroom. He mentions topics such as production, language, audience, and representation as important concepts made up of many smaller sub-topics that should be a part of a media educator's curriculum. In addition to these topics, Buckingham also gives a brilliant overview of how media studies have often been misplaced and bounced around different fields. Some educators have felt that each department or subject should invest time and energy towards media education, while others have pushed the subject to certain fields like English and history. I think this is an important point, and one in which everyone should be thinking about. If media is such a large role in the average student's life, shouldn't each department be aware of the impact of that influencer on their student?

Central to his argument about media education in actual classrooms, Buckingham argues that production should be a pithy component of media education. His view of production however, is not merely expressing ideas or "displaying creativity", but the importance of the collaborative nature of production. Much of what the author writes when it comes to involving students in learning reminds me of Daniel Pink's book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. This quote from Buckingham shares the concept of autonomy, an idea Pink wrote about extensively.
"Much of the value of practical work lies in the fact that it allows students to explore their affective and subjective investments in the media, in a way which is much more difficult to achieve through critical analysis. If it si to be effective in this respect, we have to allow - and consciously construct - a space for play and experimentation, in which there are genuinely no 'right answers.'" 
Later in the book, Buckingham makes some great points of how students must learn to effectively perform self-evaluations.  I feel like Buckingham's answers to the many questions posed throughout the book come back to helping children learn how to evaluate media and themselves. He points out that that a fundamental element is what motivates one to evaluate their consumption, production, and social connectedness with media. I think this is incredibly important. Buckingham predicts that "media education can potentially cross the bounderaies between formal education, everyday life, and public culture." It is my impression that such shifting of learning has been going on quite strongly since the book was written.

A final point I thought was fascinating is the seemingly subversive consumer culture role the media has played in the past, should be considered and handled in a way where teachers willingly recognize the influence it has on their students. Buckingham makes the point that it can be hard for students to take their teachers seriously if they are unwilling to recognize the problems of our current formal school culture. There is a difficult balance for educators to keep, and Buckingham talks about how teachers can open their classrooms by allowing students to express things, but must do so in a way that is still appropriate and clean.

I appreciate this book a great deal when it comes to my own thoughts and feelings of pop culture and education. Like Buckingham, I feel that more and more students are immersed in media and often don't know how to evaluate and critically understand what they are consuming and being influenced by. By properly taking a step back and discussing elements of media (and popular culture things like films) students can become more engaged in learning and will see the relevance of school in their lives. Also, I feel this kind of learning encourages informal education and life long learning in that students will develop passions and interests of which they will begin to seek out when not sitting in a desk at school

I feel like this book discusses important issues, and effectively illustrates the need to look at deeper aspects of education than what has been done in the past. Broad concepts like autonomy, trust, and being realistic can be applied in a variety of ways. Media education and literacy seems to be a field where these attributes are needed now more than ever to help developing students develop the skills necessary to engage in the world around them in meaningful ways.

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Inception, Othello, and the Internet


I chatted with Brother Burton the other day and he encouraged me to share some of my past thoughts
about digital culture and the relation to things I am passionate about. Below is an excerpt of a paper I 
wrote - of which I would love to hear your comments and thoughts. 

            Though the phrase “layered rhetoric” is not often used in literature criticism it is important when drawing connections between Inception and Othello. The term denotes multiple stages of rhetorical implementations directed towards a single desired outcome. In Othello Iago uses this model extensively in act three scene three. The first stage is best illustrated on line 3.3.135, as Iago’s comments begin a string of thoughts in the General’s mind. “Nay, yet there’s more in this. I prithee speak to me as to thy thinkings.” Othello’s desire to know the thoughts of the Ensign lead to the next stage. In referencing Iago, the Moor questions, “Why did I marry? This honest creature doubtless sees and knows more, much more, than he unfolds” (3.3.247). The idea that defines his marriage to Desdemona is changing. Arriving at the third and final level, Iago combines evidences both theoretical (the false dream of Cassio 3.3.415 - 430) and tangible (the handkerchief 4.1.163-200) as proof of Desdemona’s unfaithfulness. Thus Othello is fully persuaded by the layered rhetorical maneuvers of Iago. The single purpose of the wicked Ensign’s designs was achieved when Othello cries out, “I will chop her into pieces” (4.1.190).


            Unlike Othello, Inception depicts the characters literally traveling through layers in which the rhetoric is executed. The goal of the team is for Robert Fischer to break up his father’s company. The method is told clearly in the film when Eames explains the team’s goal in splitting the idea into emotional triggers. “On the top level, we open up his relationship with his father.... Say: ‘I will not follow in my father’s footsteps.’ Next level down we've accessed his ambition and self-esteem. We feed him: ‘I will create something myself.’ Then, the bottom level, we bring out the emotional big guns... ‘My father doesn’t want me to be him.’ That could do it” (Nolan). In the film these stages are all implemented and it is the final evidence of the handmade pinwheel that convinces Fischer of the idea the team had planted in the first layer. Like Iago, the heist members understands the power of ideas, “Once an idea’s taken hold in the brain it’s almost impossible to eradicate. A person can cover it up, ignore it- but it stays there. Information (may be forgotten) yes - But an idea? Fully formed, understood? That sticks” (Nolan). In both cases the criminal(s) use layered rhetoric to fully turn their subjects to a single goal.


            The layered rhetoric strategy used in these instances relies extensively on the subject feeling like they have generated the ideas themselves. It is Iago’s suggestion that gives Othello the idea of his wife’s unfaithfulness, but ultimately it is Othello’s own imagination that brings about his rage and the tragedy of the whole story. It is Fischer’s subconscious that brings him to the conclusion that he will break up his father’s company. Both Othello and Fischer’s behavior reflect Eames’ plot when he explains, “In the dream, I can impersonate Browning and suggest the concepts to Fischer's conscious mind...Then we take Fischer down another level and his own subconscious feeds it right back to him.” Arther is impressed at this idea, “So he gives himself the idea.” To which Eames responds, “Precisely. That's the only way to make it stick. It has to seem self-generated” (Nolan). Iago follows this method very closely as he suggests concepts to Othello when he is relatively passive and unsuspecting. As he leads him to the next levels of rhetoric, Iago begins to reflect Othello’s fears and doubts, “Is’t possible, my Lord?” and “Is’t come to this?” (3.3.363-369) Later he even feigns caution when Othello expresses desire to kill his wife, “Nay, yet be wise; yet we see nothing done. She may be honest yet” (3.3.438). By countering the outrageous claim that Desdemona is unfaithful, Iago encourages Othello to fill his own imagination with opposing opinions. In the final moments of tragedy it is clear that Othello felt the idea was self-generated, and according to Eames it had to be for it to really work.
            Both Othello and Fischer experience a change in perspective and character in their respective narratives. Though it is unlikely that Nolan used Shakespeare as a text to base his film, the comparisons are striking. It is clear that Inception and Othello share similar elements; and though these connections are interesting, it is crucial to look further to obtain supplementary substantial meaning. Of the many different things one could consider in light of layered rhetoric and self-generated persuasion the Internet stands out. While the Internet offers a great wealth of information, it too can act as an Iago or Eames in that it can take away one’s life without the subject even knowing. A sad example of this “Internet inception” can be seen in a study conducted a few years ago.
          
            Nearly 40% of men and 53% of women who play online games said their virtual             friends were equal to or better than their real-life friends, according to a survey of             30,000 gamers conducted by … a recent Ph.D. graduate from Stanford University.             More than a quarter of gamers [who responded indicated that] the emotional             highlight of the past week occurred in a computer world (Alter).
            
In this study it can be observed that many people are being self-deceived by the virtual world. As new multi-level games and interactive software is created, many people find themselves living in a false reality. The Internet is just one example of how studying popular culture with the canon can be beneficial to living a more fulfilling and happy life. This evidence brings up the age-old question of why we study literature, and why we teach it.

What do you think? Has literature or pop culture better helped you understand your relationship with the Internet? Can the delightful Eames really be compared to the awful Iago?