What has changed? Not much...

After reviewing the panflits and re-creating the images, i have come to the realization that really not much has changed since the past but rather, the MEDIA have only blown more and more out of proportion which has helped lead to the rise of fear amongst the people who live in the many cities throughout the world.

The continuing examples of the media using everything against the population will continue to haunt the majority of citizens which will help keep most of the population settled in fear where as not only do we need to stop listening and believing everything the media has to say but rather begin to do more for ourselves by making change and not allowing the media and the governement in which we are supposed to trust to continue to walk over us, use us, and steal from us.

Sketch 2

Write up....

What has changed? Well, when looking at the original 'animals' pamphlet... it seems not much! We are still faced with animal cruelty today on so many levels. All that has really changed is a greater public awareness; but even with more people aware of what is going on, few corrections are being made, and what was once 'then' continues into the 'now’.

Animal cruelty takes place on many different levels, from forms of entertainment to profit, scientific research, art and beyond. Animals are not able to speak for themselves, and when put up against mankind they are basically helpless. It is fair to say that the ‘use’ of animals allows for humans to survive successfully, but just because mankind has become dependent on animal and animal resources does not mean that they can or should treat animals with disrespect. With all of the good animals do for humanity, it is almost like we are biting the hand that feeds when we incorporate acts of cruelty towards animals to benefit ourselves... although, it seems that nature has its own way of getting back at man; such as newly developed diseases that come out of mistreated farm animals which then spread to the human population...

So, back to the pamphlets and course issues... does animal cruelty fit in with the idea of spectacular?... sure, why not... as something spectacular is defined as 'resembling a spectacle; impressive, grand, or dramatic'... and it is impressive that in our modern times, animal cruelty still exists... and that it exists on such a grand scale... and that it is preformed in a dramatic and over the top way... My remade pamphlet takes modern day images of animals at 'their' worst and puts them all together with text in question... I also hope the final page leaves things on a more positive and hopeful note... [Nick Nardi]

Sketch 2

These first six remake pages are from the "Animals" handbook. I chose many from this book since it is a subject I care deeply about. The alteration I did for this page, was to change the picture but keep the quotation. I really loved this quotation, I think it's a very wise thing to be aware of; how we appear in the eyes of animals. The first picture was a cute picture of two monkeys embracing, looking kind of scared. I replaced it with this picture of a monkey who is caged and subject to medical testing. This image seems to contextualize the quotation into a modern day paradigm; the older "cute" picture seemed to symbolize a 'before human involvement' shot of nature, while this heartbreaking new picture seems to be an 'after human involvement' shot.

These next two pages share a quotation so I'll discuss them together. Once again I chose to keep the quote and change the pictures to something more contemporary. I chose to include more pictures from animal testing instead of factory farms, although I did include one picture from a slaughterhouse for balance on the issue of Animal rights. Even though these pictures are shocking and very disturbing, I believe that we need to be aware of the consequences of our greed. The quotation is very appropriate to the updated pictures since it deals with the idea of animal slavery, and the needless suffering they endure simply because we deem them less of a being than ourselves.

These pages also share a quotation, but in this instance, the quote is the altered not the pictures. In the Spectacular Times, these two pages had no print at all but I found this quote and thought it quite fitting with the imagery. The original pictures display dead chickens, presumably at a slaughterhouse, hanging upside down in a gruesome fashion. The quote discusses the animal's ability to feel as much pain as we do, without the ability to reason with it. Humans can endure terrible pain if they are focused and strong, the mind can block out the worst of the pain, or can handle it by simply keeping faith in the fact that it will not last forever. Animals cannot do this. For them it is a seemingly never ending tortured existence.

For this page, I added a picture and kept a part of the text. I thought that these two ideas would work well together, despite having different separate meanings. On its own, the cartoon is a darkly satirical take on animal testing, showing the humans caged and tortured with the animals in charge. The text is a simple statement building on the definition of a revolution. When placed with this image I think it highlights the animals' position as the oppressed, with humans as the oppressor.

This page is taken from the "Cities of Illusion" handbook of the Spectacular Times. This particular page focused on the relationship between weapons and authority. The cartoon here is original. The texts I added were two quotes from famous celebrities concerning their own pro-gun views. I chose this because I thought the connection between political authority and celebrity influence would be interesting to explore. These days celebrities have an unheard of amount of power to influence our society, and when the powers of politics and celebrity are mixed (as in the unfortunate Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger), the results can be quite disastrous.

This is actually the same page as the last one, but this time I chose to alter the picture, not the text. The distinct political content of the cartoon comments on the intense debate on gun control in the States, while the text is a quotation from a fictional work. Neither directly relate together, but when presented like this, they take on a different connotation. Now this page seems to suggest that the reason the supreme court "shot down" the gun ban in D.C. was to protect themselves so that the government may then "protect" the people.

This page was taken from the "Media" handbook. The bottom text is original, but the picture and its caption were added by me. I chose this picture to accompany that text because it addresses the constant need we have to be plugged into the electronic/televisual society in order to establish your own personal normalcy. Most people (especially young people) are constantly shoved up against the media, whether online or through TV ads. This enduring contact with the Spectacle forces these people to check themselves again the ideals of our media; always worrying that they do not fit in with the established norm.

This final page is also from the "Media" handbook. For this page, I chose to alter the caption and keep the original picture. The caption I chose is a quote from The Simpson's, which regularly pokes fun at our utter dependence on TV. This contemporizes this picture, making it reference our partiality towards the false reality of television, instead of friends or healthy hobbies. The picture of the man walking with only his TV, in search for some outlet in a post-apocalyptic world, now connotes that he chose to save his TV firstly, since it is all he has left, instead of anything living.

The style of my pages was kept simple and formulaic to try and mirror the aesthetic of the original handbooks I worked from.

Sketch #2

EVERYDAY LIFE IS HOW ONE PERCEIVES IT TO BE. EVERYONE HAS A DIFFERENT TAKE ON IT AND THERE ARE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE OUTLOOKS. THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE VIEW IT AS A REGULAR LIFESTYLE WHERE YOU GO TO WORK/SCHOOL AND THEN COME HOME AND SLEEP, BUT THERE IS MUCH MORE THAN THAT, AND THAT IS WHAT I AM FOCUSING ON. I WANT TO FOCUS ON THE ASPECTS OF EVERYDAY LIFE THAT PEOPLE TEND TO FORGET OR DISMISS. ASPECTS OF DEATH, VIOLENCE, ABUSE ETC. EXIST IN OUR SOCIETY AND WE TEND TO BLOCK THESE CONCERNS FROM OUR MINDS BECAUSE IT DEVELOPS TERROR WITHIN OURSELVES. WE ARE MAJOR CONSUMERS OF EVERYDAY LIFE AND THIS IS OUT LIFESTYLE. WHAT I EMPHASIZED ON IS LIFESTYLE AND LIFE CHOICES BECAUSE IT IS THE CHOICES WE MAKE IN LIFE THAT DETERMINES THE OUTCOME. WE ARE CONSUMERS BECAUSE WE HAVE MADE THAT CHOICE AND NOT ONLY CAN IT LEADS TO POSITIVE RESULTS BUT ALSO NEGATIVE. WHETHER YOU ENJOY PARTICIPATING IN THE DAYTIME EVENTS OR THE NIGHTLIFE, IT IS YOU WHO HAS CHOSEN THAT LIFESTYLE. THE PAMPHLET MENTIONS THAT "THE SPECTACLE OFFERS THE IMAGE AND NEVER THE REALITY...IT OFFERS THE DREAM OF SATISFACTION" THIS IS STILL TRUE TODAY BUT THERE ARE IMAGES DIRECTED TO SOCIETY THAT DEPICTS REALITY AND USUALLY IT HAS A NEGATIVE IMPACT. IT HAS A POSITIVE IMPACT BECAUSE IT GRABBED THE PUBLIC'S ATTENTION BUT THE NEGATIVE SIDE IS THAT THE PUBLIC DIDN'T NOT OBTAIN PLEASANT FEELINGS WHILE EXPERIENCING IT.

THIS IS HOW I SEE EVERYDAY LIFE TO BE, AS A LIFESTYLE THAT IS BASED ON LIFE CHOICES...
>PEOPLE ARE NOT AWARE OF THEIR ACTIONS
>PEOPLE ARE CLUELESS ABOUT WHAT IS OCCURRING AROUND THEM
>PEOPLE FOCUS ON THE BRIGHTER SIDE OF THE DAY AND BLOCK OUT THE WORST THINGS

PUBLIC SPACE VERSUS PRIVATE SPACE:
SOMETIMES WHAT WE CONSIDER TO BE PUBLIC SPACES ARE NOT PUBLIC AT ALL BUT RATHER PRIVATE. FOR INSTANCE YORK UNIVERSITY IS A PUBLIC SPACE BUT BECAUSE IT IS PRVATE PROPERTY AND YOU AS AN INDIVIDUAL MUST OBEY THE RULES, YOU ARE RESTRICTED TO CERTAIN THINGS AND THUS THIS BECOMES PRIVATE SPACE. MANY SPACES HAVE BECOME PRIVATE BECAUSE OF HIGH SURVEILLANCE. BASICALLY, YOU AS THE INDIVIDUAL AREN'T FREE BECAUSE YOU ARE BEING WATCHING WITHOUT BEING AWARE.
AND THIS OCCURS IN THE DAY TIME AND NIGHT TIME. HOWEVER, IT IS MUCH HIGHER AT NIGHT BECAUSE OF THE NIGHT LIFE CULTURE ...

NIGHTLIFE:
IT IS A DIFFERENT CULTURE COMPARED TO DAY TIME. THIS IS THE TIME WHERE PEOPLE CAN COME AND GATHER AS A COMMUNITY TO RELIEVE THEMSELVES FROM THE PRESSURES OF WORK AND SCHOOL. IT IS ALSO THE TIME WHERE EVENTS OCCUR FOR NIGHT CLUBS AND BARS. THIS ALLOWS THE GAY AND LESBIAN COMMUNITY TO BE INVOLVED BECAUSE IT IS PART OF THE LIFESTYLE AT NIGHT. NIGHT TIME IS ALSO TIME FOR PROSTITUTES TO COME OUT. THESE EVENTS CAN GET OUT OF HAND AND LEAD TO FIGHTS AND OTHER ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES (DRINKING AND DRIVING, RAPE ETC.) THEREFORE THERE IS HIGH SURVEILLANCE AND ALOT OF THESE PLACES ARE UNDER THE POLICE'S CONTROL.

...AND THESE ARE THE ASPECTS OF EVERYDAY LIFE WE TEND TO IGNORE AND WE SHOULD BE AWARE OF.

Sketch #2 - Media

For my remake of Spectacular Times, I wanted to take a look at how the media stimulates a version of reality that most people believe in. The media is a strong influence on how we view the society we live in as well as the rest of the world. I think that advertising has always been deceitful – as the original Spectacular Times Media pamphlet implies in some of its pages – but, with new technology (amongst other things), the media has found new ways to deceive. Some of the areas of media deception I looked at in my remake are the news, advertising, reality television and online worlds.

The news is heavily edited and its content reflects a version of the society we live in. The news creates a society of fear. The truth is distorted to fit a version of the truth. The truth is constantly being manipulated and edited to fit a specific frame. The comic strip I use on the first page is a good example of this. The comic shows this increase in bombardment that ultimately leads to fear.

Advertising is another tool of deception in the media. Advertising tells you what to wear, what car to drive, where to live, how to live, who to live with and what to buy. It does not only sell products, but it sells a lifestyle, a brand. I think this is something that has grown considerably since the original pamphlet. Brands now are not only associated with the products that they sell but also with a certain lifestyle. Advertisements now sell a culture. They dictate how to be a part of this culture; the clothes you should wear, what you should look like, the job you should have, etc. So when you buy a product, you’re not just buying the product – you’re also buying the culture that it’s associated with.

Also, a shift since the original version is the creation of online communities. People escape the real world to engage in virtual relationships, virtual employment, virtual parties, etc. Real-life experiences are replaced with virtual ones. However, we carry over most of the media deception with us. The media tells you what to war so you fashion your avatar to that image. The deception of the media is not only distorting the world we live in but also it is pushing us out of that world and into a virtual one where it can carry the same kind of power.

Another thing that has changed is the growing popularity of reality television shows. The media simulates situations based on “real life” for the purposes of entertainment. This reality is so distorted that some reality television shows are actually scripted. Through these different arenas, the media simulates how the world should be and distorts how we see the society we live in and how we fit into that society.

THE BAD DAYS WILL END… OR SIMPLY CONTINUE

As I was going through the original pamphlet I couldn’t help but notice the consistency of many of the issues carried through to today. While the context of the issues has changed, the base is still the same. The escapism of reality through consumerism is still persistent in our times, and I would argue that is has gotten considerably worse. Through contemporizing the images that accompany the text, the ridiculousness of the issues becomes more apparent. In the original pamphlet the dominance of living for the future was paramount. In contrast, I find that there is an emphasis on living in the now, exercised through the dominance of consumption supported through advertising.
Today’s encouragement to live in the present is not well intentioned like the carpe diem philosophy. Our living in the moment isn’t based in being fully aware of all our senses and encouraging self exploration. We live to consume. We don’t live for experiences, but to possess. Our desire to live in the now has caused us to loose ourselves and be distracted by objects. While in the times of the original pamphlet people were encouraged to indulge in consumerism, they did not have access to our ever present “Buy Now! Pay Later” slogan for life. If we follow this ideal to the full extent, we can no longer live in the present the way that marketing desires. If we keep buying and paying later, when the later comes not only will we not be able to pay, but our credit will be poor and we will no longer be able to buy now and pay later.
*Everything that we should want costs money.*
By going through the newspaper and cutting up headlines of articles and advertisements the ridiculousness of our life seems more of a spectacle. The people who are in charge of the companies that want us to spend in order to be happy don’t necessarily prescribe to the same philosophy. They’ve planned out their life in order to create security through money. The more money that you possess the more that you can have. The rich certainly do not buy now and pay later. They pay now because they know how ridiculous a scheme it is to buy without money.
For those who understand this last part we may be inspired to go and get a higher paying job. These jobs are usually found in the market that dictates consumption.
Through the changing of the images with contemporary images, it has become paramount to me the desire for our society to project an appearance of perfection—you must live in the right place, furnish your house with new furniture, look young and rich. Even if you are not wealthy, you should make it appear as if you are. Even if you have to sell off your family heirlooms… did you know that they can be traded in for cash? No longer do objects necessarily mean that you have worked hard for them. You intended to, but you needed to buy them now.
What doesn’t make sense is that people know that this is not the way to live, and that’s why there is such a pandemic of anxiety disorders. I guess that it is human nature to repress and we weigh ourselves down with debt caused by objects we can’t afford.
1.In the case of my particular page selections, some of the images were in text form—that is, it was text that was portraying the exemplifying tableaux. So in these cases I selected to replace with text with text to portray the same intent or an image with text accompanying.