Jenny's World Changing Responses 6 + 7

Giving Well

“Before most of us learned to talk, we learned to share.” This is definitely true. One of the first things we were learning is to share with friends or siblings. This principle completely applies to the cycle of global giving. Enabling philanthropy is an action that is extremely important. Small amounts of money given to causes that need them the most, and that they can be put to the best use. A few things are important with giving money. That the money goes directly to the cause you are donating to, that you give enough money to make an impact, and that the gift can expand itself contributing to a cycle. Though everyone believes that you can’t go wrong by giving, that isn’t the case. You can go wrong. If your money is misused, or not given to the cause it was set out to, or if it is not impacting the cause enough, it may not have been the best investment. I think it is important to be aware of the cause you are supporting. For instance, if you are donating to families in developing countries, your money should be going to them, so that they can use it to expand. Not to a foundation who gives a certain percent to them. There are so many causes that desperately need charity that misusing your money could lead to disaster. Philanthropy is extremely important tot making our goals to change the world work. Without donations, it couldn’t happen, but with these donations comes a responsibility to be aware and involved. Writing a blank check is great and all, but it isn’t so great if your money is being given away without any heart. Caring is also a key to donating.

Amplifying your voice

“Change begins when people speak up.” Without the opinions of our generation, progression is not going to occur. “Speaking up” can occur in many different forms. Blogging, Zines, the Internet, text messages. Each bit of action can make a difference. “Bridge blogging” is writing online for an audience beyond the immediate community, making an impact beyond just our community. Our voices need to be heard in larger communities for movements to happen. We may speak out among our peers, but it is important for our peers to spread a message. Examples are Ohmynews.com, which is a compilation of professional and volunteer reporters who cover current events. This way, there is a viewpoint of a professional, but also of someone who speaks for the masses. Though this movement is something that has been worked on by professionals and adults for years, we are the generation that is going to have to carry it on and continue. In order to change our world, we need to come up with a means to speak to our community. These methods are great at doing so. Can we come up with more to speak to a larger community? That’s our current challenge.

Weekly Response #9

Yu-Jen(Chris),Tsai
ADP 3
Discussion 005

Weekly Response #9

One of the acts in the Spring chapter in Culture Jam that I disagree with and at the same time feeling impractical would be the part where Lasn talks about the definition of the word “cool”(113). Even though Lasn’s main point and opinion in this book is obviously somehow warning the society about the huge corporations, which he define as something harmful and evil to the human world; in my point of view, several beliefs of his are still too judgmental. For an instance, in the first paragraph of the section when the author wrote that the marketers or the corporations got hold of it and reverse the word “cool’s” meaning and by the end of the passage, Lasn refer the phenomenon as poison to our society today by calling the word “cool” as opiate. Of course there are some products or any kind of material objects that are overhyped; however, we need to think about why do certain companies have the ability to grab the consumers’ attention–– quality for one. It’s just like the idea of any type of designers in today’s world; the main objective of a good design is “mass produce”. Famous Australian product designer Marc Newson said that a good design should in fact cost less instead of overpricing them during an interview in the famous documentary about design released couple months ago called Objectified. And so it is not the corporation’s fault since they simply want to make their product better. On the other hand, those companies that started off with fairly well designed and manufactured product and ultimately slacking would not have the slim chance of surviving in the competition.
Other Lasn’s revolution idea that I found could be practical enough or at least for the greater good to our world would be the MEME Wars section where Lasn listed out “five of the most potent metamemes currently in the culture jammer’s arsenal.” The last of the five is called Media Carta would be the most efficient out of the five due to the power of communication mediums in terms of today’s technology.
To finish it up, I would just like to bring up the idea of the relationship between the consumers and the corporations or companies. It is natural that people tend to have the urge of owing new things, which is what keep the corporations and designers operating and coming up with new ideas. However, in order to achieve Lasn’s ideal world, we, as consumers, will have to start from the beginning; it’s going to be time consuming. I think that to get to that point we will have to wait for a new generation and start from them to change the wide definition of the word “need” and “cool”. The new designers from our generation would be the only solution to change the relationship.

Work Cited :

Objectified (2009) Documentary-
Director:
Gary Hustwit
Lasn, Kalle. Culture Jam: The Uncooling of America

Weekly Response 9

Levester Williams
Reed Esslinger-Payet, GSI
Art-Design 250

Your Authentic Act

We Americans have become sequacious; our choices are no longer “the products of [our] own will” (Lasn 40). Moreover, we are ultimately being controlled by a corporate state that infiltrate and saturate our lifestyle with capitalist ideals of lethal consumption (Lasn 69). This mindset that has been interwoven in lives has detrimental effects on us individually—such as body image, dietary issues, etc.—as well as collectively via the destruction of our environment. For example, Diamond mentions how China is striding to live the lifestyles of a First World country (Diamond 372). Yet, with such a large population, China’s environmental problems run on a gamut from air pollution to human-induced natural disasters (Diamond 358).
Lasn asserts that we must not tolerate degradation from our consumerist culture, but detourns the American dream (Lasn 168). He states that we do this by creating a “spectacle of modern life” by creating unusual disruptions in our daily routines (Lasn 101). Some actions seem so radical or rude that I question its effectiveness to promote a radical change to our culture while others are quite reasonable.
One of the action Lasn listed to start such revolution to our culture is to have rage toward corporate salesman (and similar careers). Having rage not only creates friction with the person who you are interacting with, but it creates friction with how people view you. For example, to be rude to a salesman because he has a job from a corporation one despises is futile. People will probably characterize you as a pugnacious dogmatist. That person is directing his rage and energy at the wrong individual. Balaguer, the president of Dominican Republic several times, directed his rage towards the ones who was directly responsible for the environmental degradation, such as loggers and politicians (Diamond 343); thus, it was effective. He didn’t direct his rage only to the individual that work at sawmills, but at the corporations and the powerful figures who supported them.
I agree that reframing the debate does start a change. Lasn, in the “Reframe Rebate” section, says one do this by stating and acting as a concerned citizen when one is rallying against a corporation. By shifting yourselves from a protester to a citizen, others in the community are able to become more aroused to support the issue. For example, I remember when I wanted to participate in the cleanup of my hometown. The main message that facilitated me in this decision was a sign that simply said “This Is Your Community.” Knowing that I was part of that community, I had a responsibility to participate in the county-wide cleanup day. Everyone identifies oneselves as a citizen who belong to a community. However, not only would want to be identify as a protester due to it stigma.
I believe that the revolutionary actions are successful at some level. Lasn mentions how a judge, acting as a private citizen, dissolved five tobacco companies since they have broken state child-abuse laws (Lasn 161). This informs us that the individual create a change within their community. With this, I could act spontaneously against cigarettes being smoked in public. One way is to support the smoke-free campus proposal. If people complain that it isn’t fair that they can’t smoke on campus, I will exclaim that it is fair that people can receive lung cancer from someone else’s action.

Works Cited
Diamond, Jared M. Collapse How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. New York: Viking, 2005. Print.
Lasn, Kalle. Culture Jam: The Uncooling of America. New York: Eagle Brook, 1999. Print.

WR prompt #9: YOUR Authentic Act

In the section “Spring” Lasn provides an alternative to “living in the mediacy,” showing that there is a revolutionary legacy from which contemporary culture jammers, Situationalists, Meme Warriors, and other dissident groups have drawn both strength and example. The driving force to live as not the “object but as the subject of the story” may seem counteractive, ridiculous, and even hypocritical to some of you. To others these spontaneous acts of defiance represent courageous, righteous, and necessary mentality.

1) Present me with two examples of these authentic acts: one that you agree with, support, or could even imagine taking part in; another that you oppose, that doesn’t seem worth it to you, or are even offended by. Present each of these, referencing the page or section that discusses it, and give a thorough explanation of your choices. Support your arguments (your feelings) with evidence, (past examples from Lasn, or any other material from lecture, Diamond, Leopold, discussion, or your own lives).

2) Is there an authentic act you could imagine taking part of? What context/ issue/ conditions would you agree to and, more importantly, what outcome would you be aiming for?

3) Finally discuss briefly the need (if any) for defiant/ revolutionary/ protesting forces in society (whether or not it is you personally rebelling). What does these whistle blowers accomplish? Do we think more critically because of them? Do they contribute to our ‘education’? (Informing people of the ecological footprint of their consumer habits). Do they achieve justice? (uncovering or bringing to justice wrongs of the government, corporations, or other powerful entities)?

Jenny's World Changing Responses 1 - 5

1 - “Questioning Consumption”

This is a great way to open up this book. The writers put it on the line that our consumption is causing many of the other problems that our environment faces. As I began calculating how much “stuff” I have for the Stuff project, this is incredibly relevant to my life. We have so many things that we forget about. Even here at school, where I have taken an abbreviated amount of ‘stuff’ from what I have at home, there are still things I forget I have, or don’t use. Finding these things brings up the main point of this chapter. All of the extra stuff we have, and don’t use, causes clutter in our lives. We’ll save money, and energy, by being more conscious of what we have. Relating to this is ecological footprints. Everyone should calculate how much energy and natural resources they use, just to put their lives into perspective. Everyone forgets that we are the world… we are directly responsible for the help or harm that our world receives. What is a reasonable ‘footprint’? The average is 2.2 hectares per person. I do the best I can to keep up with the environment, especially after learning more through this class. I just think that everyone needs to consider the amount of stuff they are using and have. And when they go out to purchase more stuff, to consider “choice fatigue”. Too many choices, makes us think we need more stuff, because there are so many options. Maybe, if our society was a little more levelheaded, and conscious of their purchases, we could slowly make a big difference. I’m not sure. It is worth a try though.

2 - “Creating Healthy Homes”

The items that we are taught to rely on to clean our homes aren’t clean themselves. How can that be? The toxins in our cleaners, that we think are removing the grime and germs in our homes, are actually spreading, and getting back into our water and sewers. The cycle continues. Non-toxic items are available, but just may break the bank when it comes down to purchasing them. When will we make it affordable to live in a clean and safe home? Products like laundry detergent are awful for us. The additives seep into skin that can lead to cell damage. Hydrochloric acid from bathroom cleaners can burn the skin and eyes, and cause stomach issues and burning of the skin. People are not aware of this. If they were, they may take the other route and buy non-toxins to clean with. Maybe that would help stimulate our economy? It doesn’t seem like the worst idea. Paper products also. Though they are c convenient, they are extremely wasteful. Reusable material is the way to go. It’s a shame that people don’t know about these things. If people were more aware of this, they’d change. Even though it would take a while, I think they would. This book, World Changing, is making me much more aware of so many things. I think it is important people learn, so they don’t harm themselves and those they love. They need to know.

3 - “Art meets Technology”

Technology can be a huge asset to the arts. We (artists) can use the new mechanisms and ideas to strengthen our artistic outreach. Though this technology can be put to very good use, and create innovations that are beneficial to our world, it can also easily be taken advantage of, and misused. For example, the “Hug Shirt” is a shirt that creates the sensation of a hug when your body temperature and heartbeat permit it to. Have we come to the point where we have to synthesize emotion? This seems a bit ridiculous to me. Though an intriguing idea that technology can be used to do this, I feel that we could be putting it to much better use than creating shirts that are taking the place of human affection. On the other side of this, the “sonic city” headphones record information about the environment and map urban sounds to create a track of your experience. This use of technology is very intriguing, and can help us approach our environmental problems for a different standpoint. All in all, I believe that our technology can be used in positive ways, and negative ways. We just have to keep trying to point them in the positive direction so we don’t misuse our research.

4 - “Producer Responsibility”

When reading about this I thought it was extremely intriguing. Germany takes an innovative approach to keeping our world a little greener. Instead of leaving it to the car owner to dispose or give back their old cars, who’s materials are usually put to waste, the car company take responsibility for what happens to the car after it is done with its use. The “end-of-Life vehicle directive” was adopted by Europe after Germany’s approach, because in the long run it was saving money, and re using materials. Though difficult, these companies try to recover metals in products designed for utility. This encouraged companies to create vehicles that would fit this bill, and would cooperate when it came time to reuse the materials. This has inspired a wave of technology in which we don’t only think about its usage, but what happens after usage as well. An example being pop-apart cell phones that are quick to dissemble and just as efficient as cell phones. This is a great idea. This will encourage people to think about the after effects of everything that they do. Well, probably not everything, but it will at least help inspire a change. If we change, and think more about what happens after we waste, or what happens after we purchase a new big item, it may get us to think more about which item we are going to buy, and which items we are throwing to waste.

5 - “Green Homes”

World changing has many resources about the impact of green homes, and how to go about making your home green. I found this entire chapter very useful, being that I was unaware of many of the practices involved in creating an environmentally friendly home. One sector of this that I found particularly interesting is furniture and home décor. It is one thing to build an infrastructure of a home that is environmentally safe and structurally sound by using recycled materials, but once the structure is up you can make or break your green home by the furniture that is put inside. As it says in the book, it is important to think long term when approaching furniture purchases. Low cost furniture, though cheap, is often made from environmentally unsafe materials, and is short lasting, which means you’ll just have to buy a new one in a short amount of time. What’s the point in that? You might as well find furniture that will be good in the long run. It’s long lasting, and safe at the same time. Foam filled pillows and particleboard desks are not the way to go. Not to say that only cheap furniture uses these materials, but it is more commonly found along them than designer furniture. There is a market for environmental design though, which includes cork and bamboo, along with recycled waste products pulled from the dumpsters. These materials have been used to make ecofurniture that is sleek and beautiful. The only hurdle we have to get over, is how to produce this furniture without breaking the bank, so that people can afford them and get this movement rolling.

Ekta's Automatist Exercise

kristin adamczyk's automastic exercise

The relationship between my four squares is best realized when evaluating each separately. Given the boundary lines and ‘blank canvas’ feel, each drawing adds a new texture to the page, each drawing adds a new way of fitting into it’s space. How do you respond to solid black lines that act as a wall, keeping your drawing captured in a space? Each do a good job of balancing white space with our drawn responses. Each is a cluster of similar thoughts, a continuous stream of conciousness. Also, more than one square includes scratched out drawings or lines, as to suggest the person responding to the opt thought certain ideas weren’t accomplishing what they were trying to get across. So you have this aspect of unfinished thought that also plays a part, we weren’t given unlimited time to respond to each opt. And it becomes a response of limited material, we all just had scratchy pens and pencils. It brings a nice grayscale value to the overall composition of the activity. The different quality in pensmanship, between the two boxes with words, is very interesting. One feels rushed, or even as if the person was searching their mind for the best words to incorporate, while the other feels more organized, or thought out. The pill bottle full of candy is humorous in my opinion, but I can’t think of a way to symbolize it, I think the opt was “How many perscriptions do you take a day”, it’s just ironic if my fellow classmate was thinking “I eat those pills like candy!”
One of the most important things to notice about the overall composition of my response activity is the abstract difference in the right and left side: one captures quick gestural characteristics, while the other balances words, how they are used, and even the quality in their stroke.

The only part of this activity that really makes me think about Lasn’s ideas of consumerism, is the pill bottle, the general idea of consuming many thoughts and collecting a lot of junk also pops into my mind. Each box is like a messy room, some of the contents more important than the others. But when you’re rushing how can you make well thought out decisions on what is important, you are just trying to invoke a certain feeling or idea in the strongest way possible.