Provocation!

I just found out today that the church I attend, Rivertree, has created some controversy recently through media, and media has exacerbated the scandal.

To the best of my knowledge, the church put up a billboard that had a picture of feet underneath some sheets, and the phrase "puresex." This was done to promote a new series the church will be launching this Sunday.

The Billboard sparked interest from television stations in Cleveland, and this further created a buzz on the national level - so much so that the "Today Show" will be at church tomorrow filming and interviewing people.

I happen to know someone who will be interviewed tomorrow, and she asked me to pray for her that she might present the message that the church is truly trying to convey. The gimmick is not what the message is about. The message is about the healthy sex life God designed humans to have.

It is my personal opinion that this could be a very true instance of Christians using media in an effective and ethical manner. This provocative billboard does not represent entertainment in the sense of a manipulative or mindless transmission of ideas, but rather represents a creative and startling image that will compel people to know more about the message Rivertree is trying to communicate.

Christ was constantly using images to convey his messages. Trees, mountains, fish and wheat, images the common people were familiar with all became part of his teaching. He wasn't using actual images, because technology prevented him from doing so, but I believe that if he were in the 21st century, he would be using various media to communicate his messages.

He was relevant in his ministry, so the Church ought to be relevant as well.

We need to use images to draw people unto Christ.

I commend Rivertree in their efforts at doing so.

Now, it will be interesting to see what the sermon says tomorrow...

Control

This Thursday, I attended a concert at the House of Blues in Cleveland featuring the band Jars of Clay. The music was amazing, the ambiance was groovy, and I saw technological determinism right before my eyes.

Yes, that is what I said - technological determinism.

There was a girl close to the stage who was watching the band, and at the same time she was either taping the band on her digital camera or she was taking pictures. It struck me that the way she conducted herself in regard to this technology shaped her experience. She couldn't flail both her arms about or clap to the beat, because she was preoccupied with capturing the experience digitally.

This would never have happened 60 years ago at an Elvis concert. No digital camera got in the way of the girls becoming completely engrossed in the experience of watching Elvis. I don't know, maybe this whole idea of being able to "capture" the experience makes the encounter with our most cherished stars a little more manageable.

We all want control, right?

Sanjia

So, I have not been following this season of American Idol, but while in Florida with my family, I had a chance to see a little bit of the show.

There is this guy named Sanjia on the show who is not particularly vocally talented, but he has a reputation for changing his hairstyle every week. America seems to love him, and as a result of the voting outcome, he keeps surviving on the show. While this is somewhat amusing, it seems to undermine the purpose of the show...

The incredible part is that this element of the show has affected other media sectors...

There is a website right now called "Vote for the Worst" which is encouraging America to vote opposite of what would be logical.

Extending into the world of radio, Howard Stern is now advocating for this website.

All of this is media attempting to shape media consumers who are trying to shape media.

And the issue is of utmost importance. It ranks up there with U.S. foreign policy and global warming.

I reek of sarcasm.

Feliz Cumpleanos a Mi

This past week, I had quite a few emails in my Inbox on Thursday March 29, 2007.

The reason?

I had been sent notices that friends had added posts to my Wall on Facebook.

The reason?

They wanted to wish me Happy Birthday!

How did they know it was my birthday? Well...
Facebook told them that it was my birthday.

Now, I am not saying at all that I am unappreciative that my friends sent messages on Facebook. I love them very much and cherish their words.

What I am saying is technology has shaped how my peers and I interact with each other. Rather than having to keep track of a friend's birthday by making up some crazy cue (Like "John is severely immature and acts like he is 8...Ah yes, May 8, that is John's birthday."), we are free from some element of personal responsibility and come to rely more and more on technology.

Now, if you have read any of my previous blogs, you might know that I am actually an advocate of the "meaningfulness" of Facebook.

All I'm saying is that we ought to be cognizant of how technology shapes our personal interactions.

Trekkies

Maybe I ought to be mature.

Maybe I ought to say that the video on Friday was just ethnography and not a freak show.

I probably should do both of these things...even though I am not inclined to.

It's just that the content of the video boggled my mind. A Klingon mask sold for FOURTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS!

Its interesting how media affects its audience. I think most of us are much more tied to media than we would like to think. We just don't express this as extremely or outwardly as do the trekkies.

Many people have "their show." People reserve time out of their busy lives to sit down week after week, and shall I say, religiously watch a TV program. People schedule their activities, and even meals around the TV guide. Social interaction within family units is hindered, sedentary lifestyles set in, and people are indulged with messages that are not rooted in truth.

Is this not a bit freakish?

The New Pornographers

In discussing the concept of The Uses and Gratifications Approach to Media in class on Friday Dr. Rudd brought up the oh-so-controversial topic of pornography.

I appreciate the way he dealt with it, because normally, the issue is oversimplified and shoved off on guys as "their" problem.

Women, they suffer from a normative social insecurity, but men...

they are primitive and thoughtless...with only one thing on their mind.

And what do they do to satiate their deviant desires?

They look at naked women.

This is the account that society would give us, but the truth is that we are all constantly making our own porn, devising ways to satisfy ourselves through various means, through media consumption not traditionally associated with porn.

One of the best examples I can think of that involves experiencing media in a "narrowly, self-motivated" way is the obsession that some people develop with video games.

For hours upon hours eyes are glued to the screen - social interaction is minimal and focus is entirely upon the self.

Now, I realize not all people experience video games in this way, but it can become a problem when video games are used in this specific, selfish way.

Conclusion:

Mario is porn.

Chris Tomlin is porn.

The Notebook is porn.

Star Trek is porn.

With a slight disclaimer:

If you view/experience them in a narrowly, self-interested manner.

Ruckus

My friend recently told me about this website called Ruckus.com and tonight, when I should have been working on a paper, I checked it out.

The program is designed for "poor college students" who are unable to afford all the music their hearts may desire. It is kind of like a hybrid between Facebook and Napster.

One creates an account by giving one's name and college e-mail address.

In this way, the company makes sure it caters only to its desired demographic.

You can download many different songs, sometimes even whole albums.

Here is the catch - with the most basic version of the program, you are unable to take the files off your computer onto an mp3 player or an iPod.

I created an account and downloaded some music. Relient K, Johnny Cash, Rage Against the Machine, and the Rolling Stones were some of the bands I sampled. At this point, I am not sure that it is an ethically-sound venture. It almost makes no difference that you cannot take the files off your computer. If you had the right cables, you could just hook your computer up to your stereo system and listen as if you were listening to a CD.

One of the biggest questions I have is this: How do artists give or not give permission for their music to be on this type of database?

Or

How do they prevent their music from being sold digitally?

I have a feeling that I will gain insight as we continue learning about the politics of production.

One thing I did notice was that the site was not devoid of commercialism. There were normal ads on the site, and once, one of those cheesy "Attention-Your-computer-will-explode-if-you-don't-click-OK" ads popped up. Also, when you viewed the song you wanted to download, there was also an icon that would take you to buy.com, so that you could purchase the song.

The premise of the site was that the music was free.

Nevertheless, the site was not completely free of all parties who were interesting in making money.

This is what my Saturday-night ruckus is all about.