One of the first technologies were letters, which allowed us to share our lives, thoughts, and desires with people far away from us. Letters became high-tech when they morphed into the form of telegraph, and then became non-tangible when they morphed into e-mails. These different correspondence tactics sound like the life of a pokemon: evolving and with that adding new strengths and weaknesses to its infirmary.
We then move to television, which brought more of a visual aspect to the idea of far away communication. Raymond Williams' article The Technology and The Society simplifies the television's affect on society, which is an interesting way to examine television, but falls short. Williams comes up with nine succinct explanations regarding the impact of television, and then comments on them for the entirety of his article. While he makes the point that at first television was merely a tekky-science project, and those involved were not aware of its potential, he cops out and blabs on about society. I say its a cop out because it's easy to mention the word society in the context of television: "society created television," "society is affected by television," "society dictates television". Well, duh. It's also a cop out because we could have substituted any present day social communication device for "television," or for that matter any past social communication device.
The video posted above is obviously a Monty Python satire, but I post if for a specific reason. Williams explains that one of the main reasons that the television became so technologically advanced was for broadcasting the news, however in this video which was first aired in 1975 on BBC2 one of the main spoofing points they are making is the gibberish that appears on the news. Furthermore, it is easy to say nothing while seemingly saying something.
Fortunately this video brings me to the idea of short films. The TV now becomes internet TV, and these short films become museum quality art (or land you a job on Sesame Street like William Wegman). Short films like Amphbians by Anthony Goicolea, are ways of making art, and moreover making video art without breaking the bank or being a cinematographer for a major motion picture. However, I'm not sure if the art quality can really happen in a short film without that cinematic cast. I am a big Lord of the Rings movies fan, and I am more captivated during this 3 minute trailer, even with the sound muted, than during Amphibians
A comparable short film maker, William Wegman, the man behind the dogs on Sesame Street, makes his short films a little more interesting. While Amphibians tries to say something, it can't because of the limitations of its technology. Wegman uses his technology to his advantage, and uses the medium is a successful way in his short, eccentric films like plunger.
I think what letters do are more intimate to us than what what TVs do. At least with letters we can perform communication with one another, however with TV we are just like vegetables in the field being ready to be implanted with thoughts that TV provids. I think, for most people today, their thoughts are dominated by what TV portrays, especially full time housewives I guess.
ReplyDeleteWatch yourself. Housewives don't sit at home dominated by TV, having all their opinions and ideas dictated by what is on TV. So, check your own ideas and opinions because what you just said was pretty much sexist and bullshit.
ReplyDeleteDo you think Wegman has a bit of that Monty Python sensibility? Thinking they were working simultaneously. There is a sweetness to Wegman's sensibility that later emerged fully realized on Sesame Street whereas the Pythons seemed to get even more cynical and silly as the years went by!
ReplyDeleteoh yah,full time housewives basically do just sit at home dominated by TV, not everybody in the world lives by your big American avid feminist standard. Open up your eyes before judging other people's opinion. Just because you don't agree with me doesn't mean what I said was not the fact. I was not being sexist, I was just stating what I have seen going on in this world.
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