From Students to Scholars

After analysing some of my fellow students’ blog postings of matters examined in the course, I found that focus on the media creating the imagined communities, such as those discussed by Benedict Anderson in his article “Cultural Roots”, and the construction of cultural identity and subscription became a common trend throughout the writings (2000). Examining Michele Morrucci’s “Japanese Women Surfing on Yon-Sama” blog about psychoanalytic theory, women identify with the idealized romantic world presented in the Korean soap opera Winter Sonata and the fantasy world created for Japanese women to the extent that they want partake in these imaginative ideas and living them out in reality. The imaginary community concept is also touched on in Heidi Waechtler’s “Lucid Dreams” as she analyses the reconstruction of “Jai Ho” and using Appadurai’s Ethnoscapes article defines the reiteration of the song as a “deterritorialised space” in which an imagined idea of what culture is may come to represent its identity in its reproduction (1996: 61). These imagined communities create a new sense of culture in a way that identities are reshaped and constructed, usually for a false sense of inclusion and phantasmal ideology.

Morrucci’s blog is one of critical input at how the female population of Japan bring themselves into the imaginary reality of Winter Sonata through idolising the main characters and even placing themselves into the setting of the show (Seok-Ho 2002; Morrucci 2011). Eventually, these women come to regard the “heart-pounding” love story as one of great intrigue and a sexualised commodity, allowing their inner and unspoken sexual identities to become apparent in this invented cultural space. In his analysis he speaks of the way the Japanese women pursue the reality of the show from visiting the actual modelled set in Korea and even bring home the male lead, Yon-Sama’s, merchandise such as socks and pillows so that he is present to an extent in their lives as he is in the love story of the show (Morrucci 2011). The Japanese women have taken the illusion of love presented in the fake world of Winter Sonata and brought it home with them, permitting themselves to wholly engage in its identity and even blur their own for the sake of the fantasy. In addition to the pursuit of connection to the imaginary community, the sexualisation of Yon-Sama in the media results in even high consumption by the Japanese female audience. Given that Japan is a very conservative culture sexually, the love story and now even the shirtless image of Yon-Sama has come to subsequently create an imaginary community constructed by the female audience themselves in which they can express perhaps some of the subconscious sexual desires and ideations that they had not previously been able to express in such a conservative culture.

The construction of new imaginary communities is also discussed in Waechtler’s blog regarding the new space create by the Pussycat Doll’s rendition of the song “Jai Ho” originally presented in the film Slumdog Millionaire. The main performer of the number, Nicole Scherzinger, takes on the appearance of an impoverished slum woman yet blurs the concept with transnational flows via both the reproduced song itself and the various cultural flows that create the ambiance of the track. Waechtler argues through Appadurai’s idea of “post-blurring” and how the fabrication of culture and identity is represented in Scherzinger’s vague notions of both American presentation and the integration of transnational imagery including the clothing, dance moves, and even instrumentation of the video (1996: 51). By doing so the emulated imaginary community is set up to be consumed by the masses, as after all, it is entertaining enough. However, the consideration is still to be has as to what effects this imaginary construct of culture may have, and as Appadurai warns against the “fantasy [becoming] a social practice” that may result in a new, fictitious  reality that no one culture can say they are the base of or truly subscribe to (Appadurai 1996: 54).

Between the two blogs are new analyses of what comes to be regarded as reality and fake and whether or not these new reconstructions are a negative influence on the communities they come to be a part of. It appears as though to me that the assembled communities developed in these imaginary spaces as put forward by Anderson have some merit and can in fact shape cultures as evident in Japanese women’s reaction to Winter Sonata and even more importantly can come to shape the view of cultural representation as done in the Pussycat Dolls version of “Jai Ho.” Both have accomplished this in a way that may potentially useful and harmful for the consumers of the media themselves.

Anderson, Benedict.

2000. Cultural Roots in Imagined Communities: Reflections of the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. London: New Left Books.

Appadurai, Arjun

1996 Global Ethnoscapes: Notes and Queries for a Transnational Anthropology. In Modernity at Large: Cultural Dimensions of Globalization, Pp. 48–65. Minneapolis and London: University of Minnesota Press.

Morrucci, Michele.

2011 Japanese Women Surfing on Yon-Sama in http://anthroparadigm4life.blogspot.com/, accessed March 31, 2011.

Seok-Ho, Yoon, dir.

2002 Winter Sonata. Korea: KBS Productions.

Waechtler, Heidi.

2011 Lucid Dreams in http://blogs.ubc.ca/mixedmedia/, accessed March 31, 2011.

Film Theory and the Working of Semiotics in the Film Princess Mononoke

Gordon Gray investigates several dimensions of film theory in a chapter from his book “Cinema: A Visual Anthropology,” including the theory of semiotics, or signs/ symbols in film and how these symbols, emphasized in single shots, leave emotional impressions on the consumers of the media (2010: 55-57). I will attempt to evaluate Hayao Miyazaki’s anime film Princess Mononoke (1997) by utilizing the theoretical framework of semiotics outlined by Gray, evaluating in particular the play of dark versus light imagery and violence versus tranquility in the pursuits of the characters of the film. The symbols create the ambiance and moral foundation of the story, making the film a medium for considering what is right and wrong by the audience consuming it.

Princess Mononoke is a film that involves a young prince, Ashitaka, who after a fight with a demonised Boar God is cursed with the Boar’s hatred and chooses to seek out the root of the Boar’s anger to see if he can find a cure to the curse before it takes his life. The presence of the curse is marked on his body as darkened skin spreading over his body that was previously immaculate and clean. The movement of curse acts as a dark force consuming Ashitaka’s body, gradually taking over his previously balanced nature and personality. The contrast of the dark negative force and Ashitaka’s innocent skin shows how the symbol of darkness is an all consuming force, creating the idea that the negative energy itself is the plague of humanity and righteousness instead of the person wielding it. The shots of the imagery which create the core focus on the symbols creates a dichotomy to the audience by which the emotional association can be clearly established and understood, resulting in the development of a moral background and premise for the remainder of the film.

This same schism between light and dark transfers from the physical character of Ashitaka to the actual setting of the film, but rather than physical changes as a result of the shady influences of negative emotion, that same energy creates a contrast between the industrial apex of Iron Town and the natural forest, defining the darkness in terms of violence and tranquility. Iron Town is a centre of manufacturing iron ore that does well for the community working there. However, in exchange for the growth of the town its leader, Lady Eboshi, fights to destroy the forest surrounding the town for expansion and makes a job of hunting and killing the spirits and Gods of the forest who protect it. The clear separation of the darkness of the town, barren and cold, and that of the lush and expansive forest recreates the imagery previously enforced by the curse on Ashitaka’s body, showing in direct contrast how the violent greed consumes the naturally good and balanced forest around it and all those that protect it, reinforcing the idea that the dark is indeed the enemy and that the light is what needs to be protected.

By the end of the film, the Forest Spirit who is the regulator of the natural world has its head cut off by Lady Eboshi’s people, resulting in it running rampant and killing all in sight as a black blob, destroying the forest and eventually the town itself in a dark rampage. After the head of the spirit has been returned to it by Ashitaka and San, the princess of the forest, the Forest Spirit is able to regain its light-based presence, allowing the forest to grow and stabilise once again as symbolised in the final shot in the film when a white kodama, or tree spirit, appears amongst the ruined forest, symbolizing the rebirth of good nature and tranquility.

The dark and light contrasts throughout the film create a ground of good versus evil for the audience as manifested in direct shots of Ashitaka’s physical ailment, the darkness of the town, and the manifestation of the forest spirit as a destructive darkness versus a light creator when restored to balance. The semiotics of the film construct its identity, and thusly the understanding of its purpose to the audience.

Gray, Gordon.

2010 Film Theory in Cinema: A Visual Anthropology. Oxford, UK: Oxford International Publishers, Ltd.

Miyazaki, Hayao, dir.

1997 Princess Mononoke. Studio Ghibli Films: Japan.

It’s in the Air: Radio and its Influence on Maintaining and Creating Communities

Radio is an untouchable medium by which people can express themselves and not be filtered in terms of culture and purpose. It is also a space where cultural identity can be formulated, advocated, and maintained without being subject to judgment or censorship. Varying types of radio stations promote diverse types of subcultures such as music, politics, or sports. However, in Australia and Guatemala, radio can be used as a safe space for staying connected and developing connections. In Daniel Fisher’s “Mediating Kinship: Country, Family, and Radio in Northern Australia,” family connections and community relations are highlighted and upheld utilizing “shout-out” radio statements, creating a sense of community and culture in the free-space allotted by the radio waves (2009). Radio takes on the function of advocacy and education as presented in lecture by Tal Nitsan for women’s rights activists in Guatemala. By targeting women during specific parts of the day and educating them about their rights and capabilities, women’s radio programmes have become an empowering force for the oppressed women of Guatemala, reinforcing confidence in their communities.

Fisher’s article investigates private radio stations that mediate loving “shout outs,” or messages called in to the station between incarcerated aboriginal individuals and their family members. These messages consist of holiday and birthday wishes, euphemisms regarding the penitentiary conditions, reinforcing kinship bonds and communication.  Beyond being a widely consumed media that discusses several aboriginal issues, the radio stations and their messages create a substantial metaculture within aboriginal kinship connections, recreating an idea of home and comfort in the face of confinement and stigmatisation.  By being able to communicate with home and hearing from family in a way that is not subject to further mediation, the culture takes on a new form within the waves of sound, maintained in a space that is untouchable by the government or the remainder of society who place those individuals in prison for petty crimes and isolate the aboriginal community.  In this case, the radio is reinforcing existing ties and allowing them to remain unscathed, creating a community in air beyond tangibility and alterations.

In the case of women’s talk radio in Guatemala, the elusive radio waves reach out to women at prime times, creating a new sense of belonging and empowerment that is masked by a patriarchal society. Large feminist organisations subscribe to radio time slots that will come into contact with women at a time of day in which they have a need for radio: midday, about the time for repetitive household duties that can allow entertainment. On the show, the presenters discuss women’s rights issues, promote empowered women, and provide times and locations for workshops that teach about women’s rights and options. The time slot is pertinent as it is a time that reaches out to women at an accessible time, allowing for those who want to engage in the subjects being covered can. More importantly, the dialogue over the radio creates an imaginary community by which women can be educated about real issues. Concerns can be discussed that were not able to be dealt with before, including a marginalised demographic and establishing a community base by which the listeners can partake in. For the women of Guatemala, the radio is a medium by which they can become a part of a larger identity in a space beyond physical substance, unable to be altered or fixed by the larger society.

The radio can clearly reinforce or even create communities. Due to the “airiness” of the actual medium, the space is subject to what the DJs want to present and cannot be altered or fixed for a certain opinion. Therefore, radio becomes a space by which cultures can be upheld through communications or even created through simple education and inclusion.

Fisher, Daniel

2009 Mediating Kinship, Country, Family, and Radio in Northern Australia. Cultural Anthropology 24(2): 280-312

Nitsan, Tal

2011 Presentation on Women’s Radio Programming in Guatemala.

Feminists, Fairy Tales, and Porn: the Issues of Identity and Remediation

In David Novak’s article “Cosmopolitanism, Remediation, and the Ghost World of Bollywood,” the examination of what constitutes acceptable reuse and remediation of music and performance juxtaposes two instances in which the Bollywood song and dance “Jaan Pehechaan Ho” is used appropriately in the film “Ghost World” and then what was considered to be a “racist” rendition by the band The Heavenly Ten Stems (Novak 2010). In reaction to reading this, an important question is raised: what is appropriate reuse or remediation of media? It appears to me that the line is drawn at the threshold when the original identity of the piece is lost in the reuse to declare a new purpose which may exploit the original for a new agenda. I will examine the reproductions of The Vagina Monologues and how these individual performances worldwide have become embraced and celebrated as each performance calls back to the original purpose of the media. I will then go on to compare that seemingly more acceptable performance with a pornographic remake of “Alice in Wonderland,” a risqué call back to the classic children’s story, sure to be offensive to many fans of the child-like innocence of the story.

The Vagina Monologues is a famous play by Eve Ensler that exposes two hundred real-life stories of female sexuality, vulnerability, and intimacy utilizing both farcical and sensitive methods of performance (Ensler 1998). Since its beginnings in New York City in 1998, the play has been performed around the world in over twenty different languages, performers ranging from A-list celebrities in Madison Square Garden to rural college-town students at their local theatre. Each production creates a slightly different presentation as each individual performs in their own element and personal take on the story. This has become a world-renowned phenomenon and representation of femininity and women’s right activism, widely celebrated and consumed. Therefore, each remediation of the play is viewed by the majority of those who view it as appropriate. The stories do not change, only the women telling them. The biggest factor to consider here is the fact that the same message is being presented about these feminine issues; the message continues to be spread in its original identity and influence while allowing room for flexibility by its performers.

Vastly different from this performance is that of the pornographic take on Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland” in “Alice in Wonderland: an X-Rated Musical Fantasy” (Townsend 1976). The story has been taken and used to exploit the commonly known innocent character of Alice, now presented as a virginal librarian who is contemplating sexual relations with her long-time boyfriend. As in the book, Alice is taken into the dream world of Wonderland where she in confronted with many obstacles, but in the film’s case, those involving sexual exploration and discovery. By the time she has reached the end of Wonderland and confronted the Queen of Hearts, Alice is now prepared to engage in a healthy sexual relationship with her partner. While mimicking the children’s story and presenting a healthy view on sexual knowledge and exploration, this remediation of this classic narrative would offend many of those who cherish its simple childish plot and characters. The film loses the identity of the story, which is a strong retrospective account of childhood discovery, wonderment, and joy. By replacing these seemingly innocent intentions with seedy depictions of Alice on her adventures, the reproduction may indeed be very offensive to those who appreciate the original and feel that the “aura” has been tampered with for means of adult explicit entertainment (Benjamin 1936).

In each instance above, new groups of people are reproducing similar story lines of the original works in slightly different ways. However, when the performance loses sight of the original intention of that story and its presentation is where remediation crosses the line of appreciative and respectful to exploitative and coarse, sure to upset many a consumer.

Benjamin, Walter.

1936 The Work of Art in the Mechanical Age of Reproduction. Marxist Literary Criticism.

Carroll, Lewis

1865 Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. United Kingdom: Macmillan and Co.

Ensler, Eve

1998 The Vagina Monologues. New York City: Random House, Inc.

Novak, David

2010 Cosmopolitanism, Remediation, and the Ghost World of Bollywood. Cultural Anthropology 25 (1): 40-72.

Townsend, Bud

1976 Alice in Wonderland: an X-Rated Musical Fantasy. 81 min. New York City: General National Enterprises.

Unsanctioned Canvases: Graffiti and Its Artistic Domain in Downtown Vancouver

When walking through downtown Vancouver, it is impossible to not spot at least one piece of graffiti strewn across the city walls. Among the perfectly manicured patches of green and pristine buildings, there around the corner you will find a range of graffiti from simple tagged obscenities to intricate illustrations. Graffiti in many cultures has become a renegade realm of creativity and artistic expression, and Vancouver is no exception (Carrington, 2009). What is not commonly recognized though is that graffiti has a dual life with broader social implications that deny conventional laws of public acceptance in the name of the culture of ingenuity. However, the question that comes into view is whether or not graffiti crosses a line of social decency, including offending depictions of specific groups under the demonstration of artistic freedom.

A little about Vancouver if you haven’t ever visited, it is a very clean city that prides itself in its modern

Intricate piece of graffiti located on Pender Street in Downtown Vancouver

and chic building layouts along with the very “green” premise of gardens, beaches, and parks. It is also home to people from all walks of life where differences are their differences are not only widely accepted but also celebrated. While I do love this beautiful city as it is, there are those out there who see that it is incomplete without the art of the masses- the art without rules or fear of consequences. The new subculture of Vancouver’s deeply rooted artistic domain is thus brought into view: graffiti.

Under the opinion that graffiti denies boundaries and allows the artist to have the city’s surfaces as their unlimited canvas, taggers and street artists take to the urban walls to do what they will usually under the guise of the night. People are able to paint extravagant works of art onto public surfaces that are a reflection of their personal beliefs, the zeitgeist of the time or place, or a tribute to something old or new (MacDowell, 2006). In addition, all of this is done in the face of opposition by social law and order, making the task dangerous and endearing (Exit Through the Gift Shop, 2010). This is especially relevant in Vancouver as so many young urban professionals have overcome the city, leading to the demand of an aesthetically pleasing landscape. This has inspired the more eccentric artists to fight their pursuit of perfection and beauty with their own version of what Vancouver truly represents.

This new medium of expression has allowed graffiti to become a new pop culture craze and widely recognized by the local community as inspiring, creative, or simply beautiful. Going beyond the unspoiled exterior of Vancouver, the lack of restrictions to the placement of development of this art has allowed artistic exposition at all levels of the public interface and in the face of organized social order, making it extremely powerful, and to many, admirable.

However, beyond the limits of the purpose of graffiti culture, there is the obvious social upset that becomes evident as there are no boundaries of propriety in place, making anyone or any type of culture at risk of expressed social attack. Due to the fact that graffiti naturally cannot be regulated, it will come up every now and again that the artistic message that is intended to be conveyed is that of a very prejudiced agenda, perhaps aiming harm at a specific group. Although this graffiti may in fact be beautifully constructed and strategically placed, it still brings into light some of the ever present social issues today including racism, sexism, extreme political or religious values, each of which may cause someone to feel uncomfortable in the public light as long as these pieces of art are still on display.

Therefore we are left to decide whether or not graffiti, despite the breeding ground it creates for originality, is a type of media that is crossing culturally-sensitive boundaries and whether or not is can be deemed appropriate in Vancouver. While many people may become the subject of a graffiti piece, does that affect the message it creates in the culture of art? In a city with an eclectic ethnic community, it becomes difficult to set a proper limit as to what types of art can remain as part of this subculture. Can this type of art create social dialogue that contributes to the controversies we are faced with everyday?

It may also be argued though that this is the point of graffiti: to allow anyone from any background to express their true opinions without being subjugated to dominating social convention. To not allow one type of graffiti defeats the purpose, and may in fact even spur more people to continue to produce those types of graffiti. It also must be taken into consideration the actual intent of the artist themselves. Do some of the scathing images presented by graffiti artists intend to implicate social change, or are they simply there as a statement for everyone to observe?

It may be clear that this artistic culture has its pros and cons socially, but it remains to be decided whether or not it has a place in our community and if it shapes social constructs and relations. It must also be recognized that if legal enforcement increases against this art, there may also be social implications for this group of artistic inhabitants in Vancouver (similar to the arguments made in MacDowell’s article about graffiti and heritage), making it difficult to define the right and wrong of graffiti in this unique city.

Banksy 2010 Exit Through the Gift Shop (documentary). Paranoid Pictures USA

Carrington, Victoria. 2009 I Write, Therefore I am: Texts in the City. Visual Communication 8 (4): 409-426.

MacDowell, Lachlan. 2006 In Praise of 70K: Cultural Heritage and Graffiti Style. Continuum: Journal of Media and Cultural Studies 20(4): 471-484.

 

Jai what?

According to Walter Benjamin (1936), mechanically reproduced works of art without the traditional context they were developed causes it to lose its essence or its “aura” as each subsequent reproduction as the reproduction is like a cold sketch of the more complex and meaningful blueprint. The result may be the pure loss of the original meaning or the piece will take on new cultural values only in the shell of the original form. This is confirmed when looking at examples in the media and the cultural divide which is evident in the different renditions. An example of this is “Jai Ho” by A.R. Rahman as seen in the end credits of “Slumdog Millionaire” in comparison with the Pussycat Dolls’ version “Jai Ho (You are my destiny).” While the two versions hold some “structural” similarities, respectively, the cultural background of each is so dichotomized that the latter video done produced in the spirit of Hollywood is only the notion of the original meaning jam-packed with North American sexual and love ideals.

At the end of “Slumdog Millionaire,” the actors come together to do a tribute to Bollywood by singing and dancing to “Jai Ho,” a song about celebration and praise of life and love’s triumph over adversity. Bollywood, although commonly associated with free love and bright colours, is based in a very conservative society in which sexuality is commonly apparent yet very subtle through movement and lyrics (evident in another Bollywood video here). However, while the reiteration of the theme, dance, and image of the original Jai Ho sequence is essentially maintained in the Pussycat Dolls version, the hypersexuality of American culture permeates through the video, making the reproduction of the iconic dance devalued and mistranslated from its original context.

Throughout the film, the main character Jamal is challenged on the popular quiz show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” as is accused of being a cheater, when in reality he is simply remembering the hardships he has experienced as a “slumdog.” After he has won the show and the grand prize, he and his childhood sweetheart Latika are able to be together and enjoy the life they were “destined” to have. The song then is a romanticised wrap up of the film, bringing together the ideals of a fated love and how it can conquer all.

The aura of the piece lies in the triumphant air about the dance and the ability to be open about the love Jamal and Latika have together. While the song by the Pussycat Dolls does hold on to these ideals, the way the hypothetical man gives the lead singer “shivers” and allows her to “still believe” in a one true love, the presentation of her feelings is ridiculously sexual, to the point of borderline offensive in relation to the original video.

The clothing, movements, and body language presented by the central female exhibit obvious sexual behaviour. Frequently the camera focuses in on the movement of the woman’s hips, breasts, and lips, accentuating some of the more sensual features of the female form while she caresses her body.

On top of this, some of the lyrics allude to sexual activity including “for you I’ve got fever running like a fire” and “wanting to go all the way.” Followed up by this is “you are the reason that I breathe” and “you are my destiny,” combining the feelings of passion and lust with a one true love belief. While this does connect with the original version in the fact that it celebrates “love” and its excitement, it utilizes sexuality in such an obtuse way that the original meaning of love conquering all is lost while trying to sex-up the content. This appeals to North American culture because we live in a world where sexuality is becoming more widely spoken about and recognized and there is no hiding female sexual freedom due to the emancipation of female sexual rights since the early 1980s. However, in India, while female sexuality is well known and recognized, it comes across through words and body language including simple hip movements and eye contact rather than being explicitly tactile.

The reproduction of the original work creates an imprint of the ideas but leaves the result empty. It’s like Benjamin says, the public display and cultural influence on the work has separated it from its traditional use and significance, showing that the second work dampens the aura of the art. According to this analysis, it does appear that the reproduction of Jai Ho in the technological world has led to a new hybrid version that has some visual connections but the cultural context behind it has transformed the piece, leaving behind its true spirit and meaning.

Benjamin, Walter.

2005 The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. Marxist Literary Criticism.

Fever, Lotus.

2008. Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai w/ English Subtitles. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qa8M3cr6eko, accessed February 2, 2011.

Lego Montage Films.

2009 Slumdog Millionaire- Official Jai Ho Music Video (HD). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRC4QrUwo9o, accessed February 2, 2011.

Rahmen, A.R. & Pussycat Dolls

2009 Jai Ho (You Are My Destiny). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yc5OyXmHD0w, accessed February 2, 2011.

The More We Get Together the Happier We’ll Be?

According to William Mazzarella (2004), mediation, or “the [process] by which a given social dispension produces and reproduces itself in and through a particular set of media”, combined with globalization has led to a cultural conundrum: has media, through television and the internet, created distanced and separate communities or has it caused the unification of people across the planet in one united culture? How do the media affect our own associations with our culture versus other cultures?

According to the marketing industry, it appears that there is a push for the homogenization of culture. By creating the sensation of unity and similar belief systems, it seems as though mediation of ideas is creating new rituals and doctrines to believe in.

After thinking on how mediation has shaped my culture, a good example that came to me was how Starbucks (at least in North America) created the new advertising slogan “Take Comfort in Rituals.” Being from Seattle, Starbucks is a huge deal. Therefore, I know a lot of people who religiously (yes religiously) would believe in this marketing tactic and agree that getting that cup of coffee before or after work or school truly is like a ritual to them and their friends. It would almost legitimize an institution that has been there, part of our culture if you will, without even truly acknowledging it.

Now, I had to consider how that may affect the world as a slogan to believe in. According to company reports, Starbucks has over 15,000 stores in more than 50 countries worldwide. Considering the vast expansion of this one company, it can be thought that through this popular media scheme that Starbucks is, in a sense, bringing the world together via the same ritual: getting together with friends and enjoying that hot cup of joe at your leisure. This type of media seems to homogenize ideals, opinions, and beliefs, at least when looking at the concept of self-indulgence and comfort.

After looking into Starbucks’ campaign, I was also reminded of other examples that exhibited the world coming together and when other companies may take advantage of this to help breed that sense of “togetherness.” After a quick YouTube search, I found a McDonald’s ad from the 2008 summer Olympics that depicts athletes getting together as a unified group and “playing” their sports (see video). Considering that McDonald’s is a posterchild for globalization –as it is the largest hamburger chain in the world– means that this message, perhaps not in the exact same fashion, is being spread worldwide. Once again, the idea of unified cultures and beliefs, even friendship, is being marketed and spread across the globe. It appears that this type of mediation does in fact appear to be bringing the self-concept of culture to a global position.

So, in response to the cultural question presented by Mazzarella, it appears that mediation could be taken advantage of to create a unified world culture, resounding beliefs of peace and harmony that everyone should be able to enjoy. Whether it be a cup of coffee with your people or enjoying playful antics of separate countries brought together, it can be felt that we can come together and put aside our differences to just be human sharing the same rituals and feelings as everyone else.

The only problem remaining to me are a few questions I cannot help but contemplate: are there ramifications for the unification of our cultures? What happens to those who don’t jump on to the Worldwide Community Express? What will this mean for future generations to come in identifying as a world citizen as well as a member of their local community? I guess we will have to wait and see how the world will mediate these problems as well in the times to come.

Breitbart.com

2009, January 6 McDonald’s posts sizzling 80% profit rise in 2008. http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.aec4920fe8094fdd0baaeab2ed126bf1.741&show_article=1, accessed January 27, 2011.

Hoovers

2010 Starbucks Corporation. http://www.hoovers.com/company/Starbucks_Corporation/rhkchi-1.html, accessed January 27, 2011.

Mazzarella, William

2004 Culture, Globalization, Mediation. Annual Review in Anthropology, 33:345-67.

Haiti and Cholera: how much are the advertisements helping?

I don’t know about the rest of you (you being anyone other than my professor and TA reading this blog), but every time I encounter one of those ads about “$1 a day can save a child’s life” business, I get a little annoyed at the depressing images and sad music on the television screen. This is not because I do not care for the misfortunes of others across the globe, but because the invasive tactic that the organizations use to raise money. By putting emphasis on emotional attention to the issues at hand, these ads attempt to raise (and are quite successful) funds for the charities they support.

The primary reason I find this type of fundraising frustrating is because it utilizes strong emotions to receive sometimes large contributions from donors that go to… where exactly? It cannot be certain that every penny you donate goes to the people who are in need and that they are actually receiving relief. I am sure that some of the money goes to the cause, but how much is the cut? 50%? 10%? 1%? Who is really benefiting from these advertisements and who is it hurting?

A year ago today, Haiti experienced a nasty earthquake that rated about a 7.0 on the Richter scale. Being one of the poorest countries on the planet , it is pretty easy to deduce that Haiti’s infrastructure was probably not prepared for such an earthquake. This quickly became evident as many of their homes and buildings crashed to the ground sadly killing many. It was clear that the aftermath of the earthquake would require serious efforts to help rebuild the lives of the Haitian people with little or no support from their own government.

Later in the year, Haiti also had the unfortunate run in with the tropical storm Tomas which ravaged many places in the Caribbean. In addition, as a result of these natural disasters, disturbed waterlines and poor sewage management combined with the economic state of the nation has led to a cholera outbreak, the death toll being around 2,193 people (according to USAid) and thousands more stricken with the illness. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it does not appear that the epidemic has even reached its peak, meaning that many more people will become stricken with the illness and possibly die as a result of it.

Very quickly, organizations such as the Red Cross, MercyCorps, Unicef, and others have raised money along with governmental assistance from around the globe. By late January, 2010, nothing but ads about funding relief for Haiti were on every other commercial on television. All around my school there were a ton of Haiti fundraising efforts going on. Some were big events about raising money, some were small efforts like the popular bagel place giving all of their tips to the cause. All of these efforts had to amount to some kind of positive output, and it so happens they did. According to USAid, there has been over $29 million dollars raised from major US organizations alone. Similarly, the government of Canada has donated over $1 billion to Haiti since 2006.

Before I continue about Haiti and the funding involved, here are some fun facts about cholera. According to the WHO, “cholera is an acute intestinal infection caused by ingestion of contaminated food or water” containing the bacterium that causes cholera (Vibrio Cholerae). It kills its victims by dehydrating them as a result of incessant diarrhea and lack of potable water to replenish their bodily water needs. It is also extremely contagious if there is no prevention measure put into place, particularly in densely populated areas. Of the possible methods of prevention provided by WHO, it is strongly recommended that clean water be provided and proper sanitation systems be instituted along with cleaning of the water through filtration and chemical treatments. Haiti being severely impoverished, they have been unable to rebuild their homes let alone create a sufficient water and sewage management system to prevent such an outbreak. This brings us up to speed with their current predicament.

The charities involved in supporting Haiti are based all around the globe. Many of these organizations that are fundraising are focused on providing Haiti with clean, filtered water, detergent, towels, supplies, etc., and have been somewhat successful with providing these types of relief. However, what is being done to prevent the future of an epidemic like this from happening again? What are the long term goals of these funds and how is the issue being looked at now. The truth is, the epidemic has lost some of its global attention. In fact, despite the rising death toll, many news providers claim that today is a day of remembrance, and although Haiti is still struggling, there has been a considerable success in attempting to rebuild the cities and provide emergency supplies to affected areas.

Even though Haitians are trying to remain optimistic, there is still the issue of the lack of a proper plumbing system to prevent this type of outbreak again if in the future they are struck with natural disasters. There is no program instated that is visible in the media that gets to the root of the problem. Instead, while it is good that there is some effort in helping these people and their crises, there aren’t enough ideas implemented in the strengthening of Haiti as a nation in supporting themselves in the future if an issue like this arises again.

I find it very frustrating that while I am being asked by these advertisements for my money to support a noble cause that I cannot find a statistic that shows total amount of donations and the successful implications of these donations. In fact, the only thing we hear is that Haiti has a cholera epidemic, the death toll, and how to donate. How have these ads truly made an impact as a result of the billions of dollars that have been donated over the past year?

Until there is a release of statistics on the issue, we will not know the answer. Therefore, I find myself saying that although the media has been very successful in raising money for the cause, it has not truly produced beneficial results to the crisis in Haiti. The money may go to very important efforts including providing bottled water, clean clothes, and fresh food for Haitians, but what about education? What about the construction of a sewage system that will facilitate the proper disposal of waste in a country of over 9.6 million people, over 45% of which live in urban areas?  Bottled water and such is essential to helping those fighting cholera, but is doing nothing to actually eliminate the epidemic itself and preventing its spread to further cities in Haiti. Therefore, I believe it can be concluded that using these advertisements as a medium to raise crucial funds for helping Haiti, they are in fact promoting the problem by not directing the funds to programs that will fix and prevent another cholera epidemic. Instead, they are asking for funding that only produces short term results, preventing the allowance of any other long term solutions. There has been the development of the facade of success; Meanwhile, Haiti finds itself losing many of its people to a devastating but manageable disease.

For more information on Haiti and cholera, Google “Haiti cholera epidemic” and check out the stories.

References:

BBC World News

2010, November 5 Fatal Floods as Hurricane Tomas Sweeps Over Haiti. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11700977, accessed January 12, 2011.

Canadian International Development Agency

2011 Haiti Crisis Relief. http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/crisishaiti, accessed January 12, 2011.

CIA World Factbook

2011 Central America and the Carribean: Haiti. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ha.html, accessed January 12, 2011.

Hubpages

2010 Haiti Earthquake Facts. http://hubpages.com/hub/Haiti-Earthquake-Facts, accessed January 12, 2011.

Mercy Corps

2011 https://www.mercycorps.org/haiticholera?source=14207&gclid=COqmxv_ptaYCFQSEDgodOBvnGg, accessed January 12, 2011.

Micah

2011 http://www.haiti-micah.org/haiti-facts.html, accessed January 12, 2011.

Pisqa.

2010, December 4. Haiti: Ban Ki-moon Seeks Money for Cholera, Criticizes Elections. http://www.pisqa.com/12/haiti-ban-ki-moon-seeks-funding-for-cholera-criticizes-elections/, accessed January 12, 2011.

USAID

2010, December 10. Fact Sheet #8. http://www.usaid.gov/ht/docs/eqdocs/latest_news/haiti_ch_fs08_12-10-2010.pdf, accessed January 12, 2011.

Vanstone, Rob

2011, January 12. Montreal Gazette http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Haitians+count+their+blessings+year+after+earthquake/4099380/story.html, accessed January 12, 2011.

World Health Organization

2011 Prevention and Control of Cholera Outbreaks: WHO policy and recommendations.

http://www.who.int/cholera/technical/prevention/control/en/index.html, accessed January 12, 2011.

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