"Bootlegs"

So, I am bringing these things because I believe their existence raises some interesting questions and social commentary. It is certainly something of a niche to know what these are, but I think that the message might be bigger? Of course, the level of artistic merit is debatable across the board. You might consider the differences between an "expertly crafted forgery" and a "desperately cobbled bootleg". The similarities they share regardless of quality are the fact that they are "copies" meant to fool and they were likely produced to make profit.
I have a few links to related materials ranging from video games to action figures. Now, keep in mind these aren't all opinion-free discussion pieces, though I thought they were good examples to present the issue.


Link to a growing database of bootleg video games: http://bootleggames.wikia.com/wiki/BootlegGames_Wiki

Ken Perenyi forges paintings:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/a-forger-of-art-tells-all-03-03-2013/

Ashens reviews knock-off toys, "fake" action figures, and other things:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYRK5lzfb9w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rM_7EZKFgOw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6KMGfmI5UA

Joel Plays Bootleg video games:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6DfeyBxH2k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2UzROUj0yE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdvcrVuUGfs

So, what do you guys think?

Week 11

I want to admit I am on what I feel is very neutral ground in regards to The Medium is the Massage. I didn’t look further into McLuhan’s work, though I read through the suggested material. There were many points on which I did make a connection and others I feel that by now are out dated. In my opinion it is difficult to assign a singular definition to media over a wide range of generations. As generations change, so do their interpretations of words and other content. By connotation, someone 50 years my age might not think the same thing of “community” or “socialization”. Of course, there will be those who insist on a singular explanation and perhaps they have every right to.

On the day of discussion what struck me as most interesting was an observation on the inflation of media and reaction. Time feels to go faster only because we have many more reference points to note. By contrast of the past, with a higher population on Earth there will logically be more content created at higher, quicker rates. It creates a lot of  “noise”, which in relation to the book was another thought I found intriguing. Again, with the amount of people and new kinds of media being produced in this age the newer generations have no particular expectation of content, but rather content will exist, no matter its form.

It is obvious to me that what we are surrounded by will affect our views and actions. A quieter world will produce more stable, or still opinions, while a constantly moving world must be open to adaptation. In the end I believe I see McLuhan’s points, though I neither support, nor reject their reasons in full.

Back to week 10...

For week ten I chose to watch films by Maya Deren. Now, I am not a film student, nor did I have any prior experience with her work. And perhaps I have a biased due to my own field of study, but I believe most everything made can have a "personal style" implemented. We know that there are, of course, big organizations that are known for producing a certain "style" and that is what they in turn sell (much like Disney). But, on a smaller scale, for instance, with any independent films, artists are not running on the bill of large corporations. They have a message to tell and no one to tell them how to make it. Why would they waste an opportunity to be unique unless mimicry in some way conveyed their story?
I have no knowledge of any particular film artists similar to Maya Deren. I watched her pieces "Meshes of the Afternoon", "Witch's Cradle", and "The Private Life of a Cat", and again, if you ask me I would insist that she has a very distinctive style. Even for "The Private Life of a Cat", consisting of a rather different message from the other two, I believe her fingerprint is present. The way the cats are documented to me is very dreamlike. There is no sound, only your mind to interpret whatever words flash on the screen, or any bit of imagery. There is a certain element in her message therefore that only she could understand and reproduce to the "Maya Deren" style. And that style, I believe is her message and its presentation. Both "Witch's Cradle" and "Meshes of the Afternoon" have a very surreal atmosphere that have an obvious and deep context. Once again, it's all about the imagery and symbolism hidden in the composition that Maya Deren uses to relay her intentions.

Trump "Inventory"!

First thing I got when I found this image was "alpha male appeal". No, really, those were the words right on the article. Trump's playing it all out cool. He's confident and cares little about what others will throw at him. And he knows he's expected NOT to back down. From a supporter's standpoint this image might imply those expectations. "Everything is all right. We got this, guys. We're better than the rest." That's what I'm getting. For those of us against Trump, we just see a guy who's full of himself!
But on neutral ground once more, this image tells us that Trump is a no-nonsense kind of person who won't cover up his intentions with formalities. Again, he's confident in everything that he is doing and will ignore the opposition regardless.