Content IssuesContent Issues

Issues raised by Issues raised by

Fiske & Hartley Fiske & Hartley

and by Sontagand by Sontag

The “Bardic” Function The “Bardic” Function (Fiske & Hartley)(Fiske & Hartley)

A bard was a “tribal poet-singer gifted in A bard was a “tribal poet-singer gifted in composing and reciting verses on heroes and composing and reciting verses on heroes and their deeds”their deeds”

Bard is part of oral rather than literate cultureBard is part of oral rather than literate culture The bard glorifies central values of the group, The bard glorifies central values of the group,

projecting a confirming and reinforcing vision projecting a confirming and reinforcing vision of the world and their role in itof the world and their role in it

The existence of the bard reflects the needs The existence of the bard reflects the needs of the group even if he or she is a creative of the group even if he or she is a creative individualindividual

John Fiske and John John Fiske and John HartleyHartley

Reading TelevisionReading Television

The “Bardic” Function The “Bardic” Function (continued)(continued)

The bard’s audience is not particularly The bard’s audience is not particularly concerned with authorshipconcerned with authorship

Bards are viewed as mediatorsBards are viewed as mediators Audiences are not as interested in them as in Audiences are not as interested in them as in

the heroes they sing about and the lessons in the heroes they sing about and the lessons in the storiesthe stories

Bard occupies the center of his/her communityBard occupies the center of his/her community ““claws back” events that threaten to destabilize the claws back” events that threaten to destabilize the

communitycommunity constructs Barthesian “myths”constructs Barthesian “myths” Reinforces established ways of seeing and knowingReinforces established ways of seeing and knowing

Television as BardTelevision as Bard

Articulates Articulates accepted realityaccepted reality Implicates Implicates viewer in dominant viewer in dominant

value systems by confirming viewer’s value systems by confirming viewer’s statusstatus

Celebrates Celebrates achievements of achievements of community members (and claw back community members (and claw back their peculiarities)their peculiarities)

Assures Assures community that its culture community that its culture is good and its world view is trueis good and its world view is true

Exposes Exposes practical inadequacies in practical inadequacies in the world-viewthe world-view

Convinces Convinces people that their people that their community guarantees their sense of community guarantees their sense of status and identitystatus and identity

Transmits Transmits sense of community sense of community membershipmembership

What Happens to Peripheral What Happens to Peripheral Views, Lifestyles, Views, Lifestyles,

Individuals?Individuals? Some are explicitly rejected & labeled as deviant Some are explicitly rejected & labeled as deviant

(e.g. drug abuse, child pornography, suicide (e.g. drug abuse, child pornography, suicide bombers) bombers)

Most are “over-mediated”Most are “over-mediated” Portrayed as a problem (e.g. pregnant teens, strikers)Portrayed as a problem (e.g. pregnant teens, strikers) Portrayed “sympathetically” (with self-conscious Portrayed “sympathetically” (with self-conscious

tolerance and dutiful appreciation) (e.g. ethnic tolerance and dutiful appreciation) (e.g. ethnic minorities and “discrete” homosexuals) minorities and “discrete” homosexuals)

Portrayed in a mocking, mildly degrading way (e.g. Portrayed in a mocking, mildly degrading way (e.g. obese people, women, intellectuals)obese people, women, intellectuals)

Ignored (e.g. Palestinians, U.S. Muslims, transsexuals, Ignored (e.g. Palestinians, U.S. Muslims, transsexuals, single fathers, atheists & agnostics)single fathers, atheists & agnostics)

What is the Most Common TV/Film What is the Most Common TV/Film Plot?Plot?

Think of E.T.Think of E.T. Individual (intellect, courage, love, Individual (intellect, courage, love,

etc.)…etc.)… triumphs over evil (natural disaster, triumphs over evil (natural disaster,

crime ring, alien, etc.)…crime ring, alien, etc.)… while “secondary” social institutions while “secondary” social institutions

(school, courts, police, etc.)…(school, courts, police, etc.)… are of no help (misguided, ignorant, are of no help (misguided, ignorant,

pathetic, corrupt, etc.).pathetic, corrupt, etc.).

How is This Plot “Bardic”?How is This Plot “Bardic”?

American values put the individual before the American values put the individual before the collectivecollective

Institutions (all branches of government, Institutions (all branches of government, schools, police, courts) are portrayed as schools, police, courts) are portrayed as suspect to reaffirm this prioritysuspect to reaffirm this priority

Plots that would either affirm the competence Plots that would either affirm the competence of institutions or question the dichotomy itself of institutions or question the dichotomy itself (how can something good for the collective be (how can something good for the collective be bad for the individual?) are avoidedbad for the individual?) are avoided

Susan Sontag Susan Sontag On PhotographyOn Photography

In Plato’s CaveIn Plato’s Cave

Plato’s cave is an allegorical (or Plato’s cave is an allegorical (or metaphorical) image indicating that metaphorical) image indicating that people normally see only shadows of people normally see only shadows of reality (see link on “schedule” webpagereality (see link on “schedule” webpage

The first chapter in Sontag establishes The first chapter in Sontag establishes that all we know is images but the that all we know is images but the camera gives us a new collection of camera gives us a new collection of imagesimages

Photography is… Photography is… (according to Sontag)(according to Sontag)

A grammarA grammar An ethicsAn ethics

““experience captured”experience captured” A way of feeling that one has power A way of feeling that one has power

over the thing photographedover the thing photographed EvidenceEvidence ** (Cycle back) (Cycle back)

QuotesQuotes

““As photographs give people an As photographs give people an imaginary possession of a past that imaginary possession of a past that is unreal, they also help people to is unreal, they also help people to take possession of space in which take possession of space in which they are insecure.”they are insecure.”

QuotesQuotes

““The immensely gifted members of the The immensely gifted members of the Farm Security Administration photographic Farm Security Administration photographic project of the late 1930s… would take project of the late 1930s… would take dozens of frontal pictures of one of their dozens of frontal pictures of one of their sharecropper subjects until satisfied that sharecropper subjects until satisfied that they had gotten just the right look on film—they had gotten just the right look on film—the precise expression on the subject’s face the precise expression on the subject’s face that supported their own notions about that supported their own notions about poverty, light, dignity, texture, exploitation, poverty, light, dignity, texture, exploitation, and geometry.”and geometry.”

When?When? 19361936 What?What? Poor migrant mother, Nipomo CaliforniaPoor migrant mother, Nipomo California Dorothea Lange, photographerDorothea Lange, photographer perhaps this is the most famous photo perhaps this is the most famous photo

taken by the Farm Security taken by the Farm Security Administration, drawing attention to Administration, drawing attention to poverty in the U.S.poverty in the U.S.

Has become a “cliché” imageHas become a “cliché” image

QuotesQuotes

““Images transfix. Images Images transfix. Images anaesthetize.”anaesthetize.”

““The ethical content of photographs The ethical content of photographs is fragile.”is fragile.”

““Aesthetic distance seems built into Aesthetic distance seems built into the very experience of looking at the very experience of looking at photographs, if not right away, then photographs, if not right away, then certainly with the passage of time.”certainly with the passage of time.”

When?When? 19721972 What?What? Vietnamese girl, Kim Phuc, on fire Vietnamese girl, Kim Phuc, on fire

with napalmwith napalm Nick Ut, photographer (won Pulitzer Nick Ut, photographer (won Pulitzer

Prize for this photo)Prize for this photo)

““The person who intervenes cannot The person who intervenes cannot record; the person who records record; the person who records cannot intervene.”cannot intervene.”

““Photographing is essentially an act of Photographing is essentially an act of non-intervention.”non-intervention.”

““Like sexual voyeurism it Like sexual voyeurism it [photographing] is a way of at least [photographing] is a way of at least tacitly, often explicitly, encouraging tacitly, often explicitly, encouraging whatever is going on to keep on whatever is going on to keep on happening.”happening.”

In 1963 Ngo Dinh Diem, the U.S.-backed South In 1963 Ngo Dinh Diem, the U.S.-backed South Vietnamese President, was rapidly losing support Vietnamese President, was rapidly losing support

Diem (a Catholic) oppressed the Buddhists in Diem (a Catholic) oppressed the Buddhists in Vietnam and prohibited the flying of religious Vietnam and prohibited the flying of religious flags on the birthday of Buddha flags on the birthday of Buddha

In an effort to draw attention to their position and In an effort to draw attention to their position and overthrow Diem, Buddhist monks committed overthrow Diem, Buddhist monks committed suicide by self-immolation suicide by self-immolation

Most famous incident happened on June 11, 1963 Most famous incident happened on June 11, 1963 when the elderly Buddhist monk, Rev. Quang when the elderly Buddhist monk, Rev. Quang Duc, engulfed himself in flames Duc, engulfed himself in flames

The photographer, Malcolm Browne, was labeled The photographer, Malcolm Browne, was labeled a communist for his “anti-American” images a communist for his “anti-American” images

http://www.bluesgig.net/ThePhotographers/CONFLICT/Vietnam_Page_1.htmhttp://www.bluesgig.net/ThePhotographers/CONFLICT/Vietnam_Page_1.htm

““Photography implies that we know Photography implies that we know about the world if we accept it as the about the world if we accept it as the

camera records it. But this is the camera records it. But this is the opposite of understanding, which opposite of understanding, which

starts from starts from notnot accepting the world accepting the world as it looks.”as it looks.”

(recall Plato’s cave)(recall Plato’s cave)

A fake… or artistic license?A fake… or artistic license?

Raising the American flag on Mount Raising the American flag on Mount Suribachi, Iwo JimaSuribachi, Iwo Jima

Perhaps the most reproduced photograph Perhaps the most reproduced photograph everever

Photographer Joe Rosenthal Photographer Joe Rosenthal Has argued for 50 years that the photo was Has argued for 50 years that the photo was

not stagednot staged It looked too perfect, too sculpturalIt looked too perfect, too sculptural It commemorated the bloodiest battle of WWIIIt commemorated the bloodiest battle of WWII He even said it was posed (but later clarified that He even said it was posed (but later clarified that

he meant a different photo was posed)he meant a different photo was posed) Its Its iconiciconic status means it is a very important status means it is a very important

symbol, so people obsess about itsymbol, so people obsess about it

The U.S. Marine Memorial A “collectible” statue

Iwo Jima as a Cultural IconIwo Jima as a Cultural Icon

It took but a sliver of time: 1-400th of a second. It It took but a sliver of time: 1-400th of a second. It has consumed the past half-century of Joe has consumed the past half-century of Joe Rosenthal's life. He has been called a genius, a Rosenthal's life. He has been called a genius, a fraud, a hero, a phony. He has been labeled and fraud, a hero, a phony. He has been labeled and relabeled, adored and abused, forced to live and relabeled, adored and abused, forced to live and relive, explain and defend that day atop Mount relive, explain and defend that day atop Mount Suribachi on each and every day that has followed, Suribachi on each and every day that has followed, more than 18,000 and counting. "I don't think it is in more than 18,000 and counting. "I don't think it is in me to do much more of this sort of thing," he said me to do much more of this sort of thing," he said during an interview — his umpteen-thousandth — during an interview — his umpteen-thousandth — about Iwo Jima. "I don't know how to get across to about Iwo Jima. "I don't know how to get across to anybody what 50 years of constant repetition anybody what 50 years of constant repetition means.“means.“

““Fifty Years Later, Iwo Jima Photographer Fights His Own Battle”Fifty Years Later, Iwo Jima Photographer Fights His Own Battle”By MITCHELL LANDSBERG, AP National WriterBy MITCHELL LANDSBERG, AP National Writer

http://www.ap.org/pages/rosenthal.htmlhttp://www.ap.org/pages/rosenthal.html