Pattern Recognition

Cool as defined by Charles Schultz

The reading for this week is a novel by William Gibson entitled Pattern Recognition. This title reflects the central tool of media studies, or pretty much any studies, which is observing a pattern and through consideration and reflection, advancing a reading of the pattern observed. In the novel the protagonist is a "cool hunter," someone hypersensitive to emerging cultural patterns she is able to make a living by spotting the next "cool" thing.  I am interested in what you say about this novel and whether it remains sufficiently interesting or has it become too predictable and dated in its technology and social references. Remember to blog about anything you read to document your performance.

As an writing assignment I would like you to provide me a  blog about something you have observed as an emerging cultural pattern and a reading of its significance or interest to you or us.

Please remember to post your own design for a page to be added to The Medium is the Massage that would reflect contemporary media realities. If you have not read this book yet, do so, it will not take that much time and is worth the insight it provides.

In class we will consider the rules for "cool," the manner of hippness, and the nature of the "avant garde" and the culture of "fashion."

We will discuss some of the ideas of the media theorist, Stuart Hall.

Some cool hunting links:

http://www.geekologie.com/

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-03-12/bret-easton-ellis-how-charlie-sheen-is-giving-us-what-we-want/

Fairy Tales and Ideology

This week we are discussing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. You will find copies of this and other Oz books on the course resources page. They are also available online if you search. Please read it or another Oz book before coming to class. We will be discussing ideology and specifically how ideology is embedded in the Wizard of Oz in all its various forms. I hope to introduce some of the ideas about media and cultural production advanced by Gramsci and members of the Franfurt School. The 1939 film version of The Wizard of Oz will be used to expand the discussion. 

For this week you should have posted your platonic dialogue on the subject of media before class. You can use any medium to present it. For next week, write a fairy tale for a contemporary audience that embeds your own ideology.

Class for November 16 and next assignment

This week we are revising a previous post and enlarging it to an essay of approx. 500 words. I will begin reviewing these essays in class, in one on one conferences. In class you will be either working on your posts, working on your essay, meeting with me or working on one of the following:

Read the following rules about etiquette around Sex and Technology
 http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-11-14/sex-and-tech-12-relationship-rules-from-facebook-to-twitter/

Compose some additional rules.

Do a cyper-media analysis of the career of Katy Perry (or other internet/pop culture phenomenon)

Read Donna Harraway Cyborg Manifesto here:
http://www.stanford.edu/dept/HPS/Haraway/CyborgManifesto.html

Define Cyberculture:
Read the article here:
http://macek.czechian.net/defining_cyberculture.htm
post a response discussing any of its ideas.

Or create an initial annotated research bibliography for a cyber culture topic you think should be investigated.

The assignment for next week is to advance the case for any game you think is appropriate as a work of literature. Post your case.

Assignment for Nov.16

There is no more outside reading for the remainder of the semester. We will be concentrating on in-class activities and discussion and one-to-one conferences on your written responses. The next assignment is to take one of the responses you have written this semester and revise and expand it into a short essay of approx. 500 wds. or more. Post this revised essay for next week.

Remember to post your image relating to female body image and your discussion of the image you have chosen.