http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1777885894535257561
In response to the video, I thought it portrays culture jamming not as elitist. Culture jamming makes society aware of questionable advertisements and brands in order to push back the “norm” and resist it. Culture jamming can be snarky, give an advertisement a whole new meaning and may allow consumers to rethink purchasing the product if seen in a different light. For example, if a certain brand is make by people in sweat shops, would a consumer still want to purchase and support the item in question? Deconstructing ads can fulfill an individual's right to voice their opinion on an issue involved with the brand or product.
There is not a button a person can press in order to talk back to the television, billboards or similar media advertisements. Then, I began to think about Internet Culture and memes. Sometimes culture jamming can be elitist and can be offensive. If a culture jamming individual or group is too offensive, then I do not think it is an appropriate feminist tool, but it still can get messages across to the audience or viewers.
Before I was aware of the term culture jamming, I knew of a culture jamming group without even knowing it! I think the group Anonymous intentionally creates disobedience, snarky remarks and can be recognized as elitist. Even the symbol of the group is a formal tuxedo. The group name itself indicates that anyone can be apart of Anonymous and be involved for the sake of “lulz”. The philosophy of Anonymous is a bit complicated. Anonymous can be offensive to purposely upset people. For example, Anonymous hacks websites if it goes against their moral beliefs, like racism, homophobia and child pornography. Hacktivism!
Anonymous's goal is allow Internet users to have freedom of speech.
Anonymous hacks the homophobic Westboro Baptist Church website and refers to the internet meme of having “over 9000” sins, although Shirley did not understand the joke, thus creating the “lulz.”
Can the art of trolling (like Anonymous) and creating Internet memes also be a form of culture jamming?
Great questions. Given that culture jamming is a form of critique that tackles corporatization / commercialization of society...
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think?
The Doctor
i just have to say that this video is amazing lol, i mean theres this woman who wants to spread the word of god, but all she is spreading is hate and ignorance. Someone in her position should not be saying things like "o he's a jew" or " no one no power can shut this website down" but how bout the power of "god" that you believe in can't "he, she it" shut it down. and in all her small headiness she actually believes god "made" the internet so she and her church can spread the word of "god".. i usually value people's opinion but i in no way can value hers because she is speaking such unsophistication and lack of information and experience. so all in all she made her self look like an idiot lol...
ReplyDeleteFiesty,
Of course internet protesting is a form of culture jamming, it might also be the most important way to spread our views as a society; hacking websites, defacing logos, and spreading hoax news are easy ways to get attention. I would also like to state that culture jamming is more than just critiquing commercialization, it is also a critic of media and government.
ReplyDeleteCulture jamming definitely critiques corporatization / commercialization of society and is definitely not offensive. At least not to consumers. Like you pointed out, if a company's products are made and produced in a way that the consumers are unaware of then they have a right to know if their shoes or clothes are being made by children in a sweat shop for 10 cents an hour.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to this woman and her websites "God hates Fags" etc, I think that the hacking of these websites and in result the shutting down of the websites was a just cause. The fact that she calls these people criminals is astounding to me. She is definitely promoting discrimination and prejudice and what her websites promotes is disgusting.
Did anyone pick up that she calls Anonymous "ladies"? Interesting.
Oh, I forgot to sign my comment above. Oops!
ReplyDeleteSeraph of the Rose
The question "Can the art of trolling (like Anonymous) and creating Internet memes also be a form of culture jamming?" was of particular interest to me. I think the creation of culture jamming is another way for people to voice their opinion. When someone really wants their voice to be herd they can become really creative in ways they can do it. Creating Internet memes is a great way to culture jam. Or society is using the Internet more and more so the culture jamming techniques must adapt to that.
ReplyDeleteThe question of “is culture jamming making a difference?” comes into play with this technique as well. People are responding to culture jams on the Internet through comments back, new posts, making videos etc so the culture jams must be resonating in their minds. The ideas from one culture jam can spark ideas in other people. This video of “anonymous” shows us how easy it is to get people talking about a culture jam. The video on YouTube has comments from many people who are sharing their opinion back on what they watched. If they take the time to comment, they must care about what they just saw. Being a user of the World Wide Web you are aware that anything can be posted on the Internet. What’s great about culture jamming on the Internet is that if you personally find it offensive you can close the window, but if you agree you are able to recommend the jam to someone else to view. Internet is an easy way to share these new ideas/opinions.
-Goldilocks
well seems like half my post was posted and I was not being able to sign in to post anything i can only reply... but to finish my idea.. when it comes to culture jamming where do we draw a line? i understand that women was very wrong in a lot of the things that were said , and yes if she wanted people on her side she should have made smarter arguments, but is it ok to attack someone belief system? thats why i ask when do we draw a line, cultural jamming or at least how i see it. is a contrast between the corporate mass media images and the realities or perceived negative side of a corporation or media... i understand why someone would find mcdonalds and nike bad but its someone belief system, that needs to be respected not matter what. If your gonna attack that than what is that saying about you? your not better than them. some people agree with it some do not, every person is in titled to their own opinion on the matter and thats something we need to respect. i was not agreeing with the women but i don't think hacking a church's system is doing anything to make people aware. cultural jamming reawakens a sense of wonder, it makes you think about the society and the environment you live in and it could be expressed in lots of different way specially with the internet, but again hacking someone church and place of worship is not ok in my opinion. i don't think cultural jamming has yet any effect on people other than the one's who see it and understand it, because it is not something you see everyday not everyone is aware of it, i for one was not until this class, and yes it made me think but thats what it should do.
ReplyDeletei have more to say but i'll leave it for another time lol
fiesty
Hey all - great discussion, and I can't help but leap in! Human rights laws recognize that 'free speech' isn't the same thing as 'being allowed to say whatever you want about anyone'. In fact, human rights laws (nationally and internationally) recognize that hate speech - that is, speech that denigrates on the basis of group membership in traditionally marginalized groups (like Jews, queers, women, etc.) is not protected by 'freedom of speech' clauses. Not all opinions are equal, because they can't be in a system of social hierarchies like ours. Much speech touted as 'free speech' online - an arena that is much more difficult to control than RL - is actually hate speech, and disallowed by human rights laws which recognize that not all voices are equal to begin with - let's fact it, although what she was saying was aggregious, it's not like we don't live in a society were gay people, Jews, and women aren't marginalized groups. She and her church just take up the fundamentalist position made possible by a culture which denigrates and silences the groups she and her church are having a go at anyway - just perhaps not as overtly.
ReplyDeleteI'm very interested in the question of memes. Culture jamming is a form of cultural critique, but not all cultural critique is culture jamming. Culture jams address corporate global hegemony by raising awareness about capitalist / consumer practices locally, nationally and/or internationally. I love the idea that memes could be jams - did you want to try to find some? I think they definitely could work as jams, I just haven't found any! We could work to broaden the genre!
The Doctor
On the topic of memes again, I found a few that could question McDonalds for sure...
ReplyDeletehttp://troll.me/images/y-u-no/mcdonalds-y-u-no-healthy.jpg
Me-gusta-guy saying McDonalds is not healthy.
http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lku5l9BqQV1qihhtfo1_400.jpg
http://thepwnzone.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/mcdonalds-transformers-food-fast-motivational-posters-funny-hot-inspirational-wallpapers.jpg
This one definitely made me think of the McDominate ad.
http://t.qkme.me/38i2.jpg
Makes you think about the portions you're actually getting rather than the sizes in commercials or ads.
http://www.memecenter.com/uploaded/fcb011764524afc76a35fb42d667e75f.jpg
And I thought this was funny because McDonalds just makes us all butt-hurt.
Also, I don't know if anyone is familiar with the website 4chan, but they make fun of Colonel Sanders logo a lot for looking like a creepy old pedophile.
Electric Erio
Im not too sure if i agree with culture jammers/ings being offensive. These individuals creating such artistic jams to me are the under dogs as they are forced into a 'behind the scene' role - they cannot expose themselves within the field of their work. They gain respect for their risk taking tactics to expose the truths and realities they believe in so strongly. Elitists? hmmm .. perhaps one could argue this but i would definitely have to say an organization that needs to remain so underground definitely does not have the superiority over these world wide, billion dollar corporations.
ReplyDeleteMost of us could positively say for every culture jam ad we've seen (if any) we have been bombarded with WAY more 'real advertisements'.
Their sarcasms are used in such a fashion that make us, as the targets, take a step back and inquire the facts in order to make educated, knowledgeable decisions on whether to conform or resist .. because staying neutral really doesn't exist (i am not suggesting you have to identify as either EXTREME right wing or EXTREME left wing as they are determined in terms of degrees or levels). But we naturally will reside more so with one or the other.
ace55kg
oh and thank you for posting the full video!
ReplyDeleteace55kg