you know you’re in the right job when…

sigourney-weaver.jpg
You get to say things like this:

“There has been no final and conclusive research to support this particular idea of ‘media effects’ – there are no definitive studies showing that watching violence on TV does turn you into a serial killer (which is kind of unfortunate because I like the idea that watching Alien and Terminator 2 will make me a superhero).”

Accompanied by these two lovely Ladeez on a giant screen.LindyHamilton.jpg
I guess the interesting part of this particular segue involves some sort of discussion about the point of diversity in representation – if effects theory is crap (and that’s a bit of a long bow I know, but I’m making a dramatic point here), what’s the point of agitating for, well, female action heroes?
InvisibleWoman.jpg
Teaching this semester I noticed (putting together a lecture on cowboys) that there really haven’t been any seriously arse kicking mainstream action film chicks since the 1990s. Where are the Linda Hamiltons, the Sigourney Weavers of the 21st century?
DefensiveShield.jpg
Are we, like totally over that now?
Please don’t tell me that all we’re left with are (literally) Invisible Women who really only seem up for defensive tactics and getting really really upset.
And hey, why the fuck isn’t Sue Storm the boss of the F4 anyway? She has the best name, she has the most versatile superpowers, she’s totally the boss of annoying people like her brother Johnny… Maybe if she had some sort of serious responsibilities she’d quit obsessing about her wedding and actually have something challenging to occupy her (supposed) super-scientist brain.
Do I need to talk about superhero costumes? I’m as much a fan of the hawt body action as the next red blooded sistah, but I’d kind of like to see some overalls like Siggy’s or perhaps some mucho extremo body armour c/o Aliens.
[deep breath] But, as I was saying, it is way neat to be able to actually talk about this stuff with students. And preparing all this lecture material is really reminding me of the pretty radical roots of media and cultural studies. I’ve been hanging out with swing dancers so long I’ve forgotten that it’s actually way uncool to just accept bullshit gender stereotypes and perpetuate that whole ‘boys look after girls, girls look pretty and shut their mouths‘ crap.
Today I choose to wear full body armour and decimate the patriarchy.
aliens.jpg
(Hand over that phallus to someone who knows how to use it, motherfucker – the sistah has some multi-tasking to do).

facebook = virus!

Listening to this discussion about Facebook, I was struck by the guy’s description of face to face and telephone communication ‘inefficient’.
The entire presentation emphasises ‘efficency’ in communicative and networking practices. An interesting project for someone who’s interested in how men and women and different people communicate in person and online?

“unbelievable teaching tool!”


I’ve been spending a fair bit of time on YouTube lately – can you say
“Unbelievable teaching tool!”
Why, yes I can.
But while there’s a whole host of fantastic things on there, from 1980s Solo ads (go solo man, go) and weird Japanese ads for McDonalds, some of the very weirdest things start off extremely normal.

Rudolph Valentino: tango legs

Ok, so I’m a bit of a tango nut (kinda lapsed). I’ve been reading about Rudolph Valentino and how popular he was for ages – it’s a stock story in cinema studies: Valentino was so hawt, the chicks dug him, he was the first real male star, chicks really really thought he was hawt, etc etc etc.
I’ve looked at the photos and thought ‘yeah, whatever. dood wears too much makeup for me but whatever floats your boat, 20s chicks’
UNTIL
I went and watched some clips of him to find one for a lecture I’m doing on celebrity.
Check THIS out. They used to call him ‘Tango Legs’ and now I see why. He is one hot dancer. He’s all rough and manly, but he can dance like a mo-fo. He’s all about that good, sweet connection and the smoldering facial expressions.
Valentino is so hawt in this clip I’d totally have him. And spurs! He’s tangoing in spurs! I love the way his partner is so overcome by his hawt dancing body that she almost swoons… and then he grabs her and kisses her and I am so with her.
Dang!

community media r us

I’m teaching this subject on the media this semester, right?
So it starts with a fairly ordinary introduction to basic media analysis skills and tools – helloooooo semiotics. Hello advertising. Hello COWBOYS!
Then we move to ‘the public sphere’, celebrity, media ownership and regulation. And then we end with 4 lectures on new media. This section is partly to do with things like media convergence and Big Brother, but also (and far more interestingly), community media and culture jamming. This is where my interest lies.
Now, firstly, I just want to note my reservations about this structure. It suggests that the internet has suddenly freed ‘the media’ from the grip of mega media corps, and that because we’re all using laptops we’re suddenly all free.
Which, as anyone who’s paid attention to who’s actually using the internet and computers knows, is patent bullshit. The same old collusions of class and social power are at work here – the internet demands literacy. The internet demands cash for computer gear (or internet cafe time). The internet demands time. And just because we’re getting online, don’t mean we’re not seeing the same old racism/sexism/isms getting about.
This whole internet = democracy also ignores the fact that people have been getting radical with media since… forever. Hello political pamphlets. Hello SOAPBOX. And perhaps more importantly, there are media which are far more amenable to serious social change than the internet – go radio, go! Unlike the internet, radio doesn’t demand literacy, the technology is cheap as chips, and a whole group of people can happily use just one radio. There is a substantial body of literature discussing media in developing countries (media development studies type action), and while it really fascinates me, I really don’t know a lot about it.
But there’s no denying the fascination of the internet for kids who’re interested in the media and its role in democracy.
One of our lectures this semester is specifically concerned with old and new media in times of war. I’m imagining there’ll be plenty of talk about propaganda, Bush and Howard and telly and newd. And because I’m the lecturer, I know there’ll be some nice stuff about YouTube and the middle east.
But I have to go do some serious work now, so I can’t carry on and make this the interesting discussion about teaching resistance and community media and YouTube that I had planned.
So go and read this article about footage of detention centres on YouTube, then go to YouTube and search for detention centres in Australia and let me know what you find, ok?