Week 5 - Prosumer Culture

(http://danaseero.capinc.com/Portals/165902/images/Prosumer.jpg)

Before commenting on how I am a prosumer the term needs to be defined. Ritzer and Jurgenson (2010, p. 14) state, “Prosumption involves both production and consumption rather than focusing on either one (production) or the other (consumption).” In simple terms the producer is the consumer at the same time. An example of this is Wikipedia, the public produce the content that the public consume. Academics have suggested that this is a new form of capitalism that exploits the public through free labour. Ritzer and Jurgenson (2010, p. 14) further comment “prosumer capitalism control and exploitation take on a different character then in the other forms of capitalism, there is a trend toward unpaid rather than paid labor and toward offering products at no cost.” An example of this is McDonaldisation. Ritzer (2008[1993]) states in Ritzer and Jurgenson (2010, p. 18) consumers have been put to work in the fast food industry, they are expected to serve as their own waiters by carrying their own meals to their tables or back to their cars and as a bus person by disposing of their rubbish after their meal. Ritzer and Jurgenson (2010, p. 18) present further examples of prosumers such as ATM Machines, Self Checkout at the Supermarket, fuelling a car at the service station and using do it yourself medical technologies such as pregnancy tests. In all these cases the individual doing the act is producing and consuming at the same time hence prosumer.

The rest of this blog post will focus on Ritzer’s model of prosumption and how I produce and consume my own identity through Social Media.

So now we know what Prosumption is how am I a prosumer? Through technology and the rise of social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram I am a prosumer. It is here that I present myself to the world through post and tweets about myself, pictures of the events and things I have been up to as well as retweets and posts of people I follow and like. Here I produce and consume content at the same time. The second part of the prosumer ‘doing it for free’ is evident as here through my interest advertising is targeted at me. So if I post about going to the gym or a new t-shirt I just brought there is usually advertising for a new protein shake or shop that has opened up in my area. Business is making a profit through content that I produce and consume. Ritzer and Jurgenson (2010, p. 26) state, “Users are the producers, but the profit, or at least the potential for profit, still belongs to corporations.” It is evident hear that I produce and consume my identity through Social Media.

Reference List:

-Ritzer, G & Jurgenson, N 2010, ‘Production, Consumption, Prosumption: The nature of capitalism in the age of the digital ‘prosumer’’, Journal of Consumer Culture, vol. 10, no. 13, pp. 14, 18, 26.

-Picture: http://danaseero.capinc.com/Portals/165902/images/Prosumer.jpg

Week 4 - File Sharing

The debate over Piracy, Copying and File Sharing is now ever prominent due to technological change and the accessibility of the Internet. The rise of file sharing is due to soft ware such as peer-to-peer (p2p) file sharing systems. It seems though that when a music artist copies or shares a file that is not their's the repercussions for them is far greater then for someone who converts YouTube clips to an mp3. An example of this is the landmark court case between The Rolling Stones and The Verve. The Verve were taken to court and sued by Rolling Stones manager after they were found guilty of breaking a license code, which let them take five cords from the Rolling Stones song “The Last Time” for there 1997 hit Bittersweet Symphony. The court case resulted in The Verve never seeing a cent of profit as 100% of the song writing royalties were awarded to the Rolling Stones. (Bittersweet Symphony, Wikipedia, 2013).

This blog post will take the stance that remixers such as mash up artists, DJ’s and music samples are rather innovators then pirates and that all samples used in recording or video art shouldn’t have to be paid for.

Music sampling makes the world go round, think of the song “Somebody That I Use To Know” by Gotye Feat. Kimbra one of the biggest and most popular songs of the past few years. The sample for the song came from a record at an op shop, as well as many other of his songs from the past have been influenced by samples. Yet you can’t deny that Gotye is a musical innovator. The way he can cut, loop and edit sounds in a new way to create his own take is innovation in it’s self. Please see YouTube clip below.

Gotye - Making Mirrors - a short documentary < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZXLyeatI0s>

So is sampling stealing? I think it depends who you talk to and in what capacity the samples are taken, there is a difference between taking a six second clip or guitar riff and copying a track note for note. One of the arguments is that file sharing generates freedom for musicians as they get more profit due to making recording companies and distribution irrelevant. Martin, Moore & Salter (2010) state “When file-sharing replaces commercial distribution, there’s more money for artists and more music for listeners.” When tackling the issue of paying for music or samples D’Entremont (2003) states in Martin, Moore & Salter (2010) “Many music fans consider trafficking in music downloads fair revenge on the industry for exorbitantly priced CDs and concert tickets, content restrictions, disrespect for consumers and corporate bullying of artists.” With this statement in mind I think that samples for music should be free for recreation by artists around the world. Everything created in this world especially music is created out of inspiration by previous artists.

This is a big issue and I hope I haven’t contradicted myself too much but I see file sharing having its advantages and disadvantages like anything but to reintegrate remixers are innovators not pirates.

Reference List:

-Martin, B, Moore, C, Salter, C 2010, ‘Sharing music files: Tactics of a challenge to the industry’, First Monday, vol. 15, no. 12, pp. Not Supplied.

-Wikipedia 2013, ‘Bittersweet Symphony’, retrieved 12/8/2013, < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitter_Sweet_Symphony>

-Gotye – Making Making Mirrors – a short documentary, 2011, YouTube Video, Goyte Music, 8 August, retrieved 12/8/2013, < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZXLyeatI0s>

Week 3 - Disney

Who watched and grew up on Disney films, films such as: The Lion King, Aladdin, Cinderella, Pocahontas, Snow White, Mulan, The Little Mermaid, Alice in Wonderland, Beauty and the Beast and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (I could go on and on). These films seem harmless and enjoyable but they are layered with Western Ideology as well as gender and racial stereotypes. These films are targeted at an audience that is still at the early stages of development and through these messages presented by Disney they shape certain views about cultures different to their own. Ward and Giroux state in Muller-Hartmann (2007, p. 400) “Disney’s animated films provide ‘many of the first narratives children use to learn about the world’ forming their moral vision of what good and evil are, what gender roles one can aspire to, and how other ethnicities and cultures can be viewed, thus making Disney an important ‘moral educator in the lives of children and young adults’”. This post will discuss how and why Disney films can change and influence views of different cultures.

I will now present examples of western ideology, race and gender stereotypes in Disney films. When looking at race the message that is presented is white is good and black is evil. This isn’t in all Disney films especially modern films yet in the early twentieth century this stereotype is evident. Hurley (2005, p. 224) states “The princesses (and princes) are overwhelmingly White, several with either blond hair or blue eyes when the hair is not blonde.” The use of colour black and the connection of it representing evil is further evident in Snow White. Hurley comments the wicked queen is dressed in black, lives in a black castle and is surrounded by a black forest while snow white is surrounded by white birds, is laid to rest on white flowers, and is rescued on a white horse by a white prince to live in a white castle. (Hurley, 2005, p. 225). We also see that Disney not only portray the colour black in an evil way but its view of Arabians is usually negative; we see this with the way they are portrayed in Aladdin. It is evident that Disney films portray race and in particular the colour black in a negative light which can attribute to changing ones view of a different culture.

Gender roles are also obscured as Disney portray women to be powerless domestic goddesses that can only get ahead in life with the help of a man. Again not all films. This is evident in Snow White, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid and Rapunzel to name a few. Please watch the YouTube clip attached, it is really good when tackling this issue.

Disney Princesses - A Gender Analysis (< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQG5pupDQaA>.)

To reintegrate Disney films in my opinion are a form of art that influence the way we view a culture, this is through western ideology, race and gender stereotypes. Not all Disney films are to be viewed with criticism but it is good to be weary of the ideologies and stereotypes that Disney sometimes portray in their films about other cultures.

Reference List:

Journal Sources

-Hurley, DL 2005, ‘Seeing White: Children of color and the Disney Fairy Tale Princess’, The Journal of Negro Education, vol. 74, no. 3 pp. 224, 225.

-Muller-Hartmann, A 2007, ‘Is Disney Safe for Kids? – Subtexts in Walt Disney’s Animated Films’, Amerikastudien/American Studies, vol. 52, no. 3, p. 400.

YouTube Source

-Disney Princesses – a gender analysis, YouTube clip, Simon Fraser University, 3 December 2011, retrieved 4 August 2013, < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQG5pupDQaA>.