Social Media & Activism: Campus Racism

I am very passionate about race politics and the ever-growing disdain white America has for its minorities. Even before Trump's election, racism through many means, especially police brutality, was on the rise. After Trump's election, things have gotten worse. I even noticed an uptick in racist freshmen this year in college. As a junior, I have never experienced anybody on campus calling a black person a "nigger" until fall semester of my junior year. Sure it's been said to me in my life, but this was my first encounter with overt racism at Ringling. But of course I've experienced plenty of subtle racism at Ringling since I've been here, it's just that people are bolder now. It's gotten so bad a POC group had to be formed, which has only gotten hate since its inception. Here are some links to read up on campus racism and how to combat it: 

• Look at the emails we have been sent this entire year, all about inclusivity on campus etc in an effort of damage control 
• How Campus Racism Could Affect Black Students' College Enrollment
• Miami University Students Identify Solutions to End Campus Racism
• How to stop racism from winning on college campuses
• With Campus Racism, How Can College Presidents Get It Right?

Curation: Blade Runner and It's Legacy

To talk about Blade Runner (1982) we have to talk about its origins, then we'll discuss its successors that were influenced by it. I would argue Metropolis in 1927 was one of the first pieces to talk about what it means to be human and class struggles, core themes in Blade Runner. It used Art Deco design in a futuristic fashion, discussed themes inspired by religion, and industrialization. To time jump, then came Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? in 1968. This was the source novel for the first Blade Runner, it really begged the question of what it means to be human and if it even matters (in that universe.) In the novel, humans take care of animals, a lot of animals are synthetic in this alternate future, to cling on to humanity and keep whatever species they have left. Androids are made to be slaves, and eventually rise up and kill their masters. This introduces not only the humanity theme, but the struggles between different classes. Androids, or replicants, have become the "untouchables" or the poor in this universe. Not only are they sought to be destroyed in Blade Runner, by blade runners, they are treated poorly and struggle to keep living, against their expiry date.

At the time Blade Runner came out, my parents tell me it was not well-received. My dad loves it and it's now regarded as a cult classic. From the noir visual direction seen in Syd Mead's concept work to the deep, inhuman, jazzy soundtrack, Blade Runner's world had established a certain theme that media has not been able to shake. Blade Runner's juxtaposition of bluesy tunes and brutalistic architecture is a parallel still seen in many shows/movies/etc. One of my friends once said, upon watching it for the first time, "This is where sci-fi got brutalism from," and he was right. I find that a lot of the great classic sci-fi animes and movies definitely fed off of Blade Runner. Neo Tokyo (1987) and Akira (1988) may have already been in production when Blade Runner came out, as they are painstakingly hand animated wonderful films, but no one can deny the similarities between the three films. Akira is about lights, fast-paced action but also emotion. Neo Tokyo also focuses on emotion and passion, something I would say was foreign to sci-fi until Blade Runner. These movies also had fantastic soundtracks; Akira still stands out today for its vocalizing in its music, the movie even has its own legacy.

Ghost in The Shell, the movie in 1995 and the original series in 2002 also had striking soundtracks with shrill vocals, enhanced by cyber punk visuals. Along with this came Cowboy Bebop in 1998. This is, without a doubt, my favorite anime. It's soundtrack ranges from the punchy to the somber. So does it's subject matter, all placed in a brutalistic world of bounty hunting. I truly believe that Cowboy Bebop got it's popular paralleling of jazz music with dissonant visuals, from Blade Runner. It is after I finished Cowboy Bebop for the first time since I was 12, about 5 months ago, that I really began to question Blade Runner's legacy.

Also, I'm grouping Syd Mead, Moebius, John Harris, and John Berkey into "My Favorite Sci-Fi Artists Superfecta", a fictional category made by me. Artists of a similar era are harder to categorize as far as their inspirations go, but all 4 of them make/made excellent art. Moebius had a different take on sci-fi and humanity with his strange Dali-esque landscapes and pen work. John Berkey and John Harris make fantastic gauche paintings of space ships, space scenes, and foreign landscapes. Syd Mead was a great concept artist that also worked on Blade Runner. Just throwing these guys out there, check below, I've linked my favorite works by them. (Also, John Berkey has totally influenced the likes of the great Sparth and Pascal Blanché, modern game artists that really express an other-worldly creativity.)   

Lastly, I don't want to include 2001: A Space Odyssey in this curation, only because that has also influenced a multitude of mediums and works from its inception, even more than Blade Runner. It would just be a lot to cover. The same can be said for Alien. Actually, the same can be said for the majority of the media listed below, but it's important to take note of where they all began, Blade Runner 1982. 

Below I have linked either iconic scenes, images, or good synopses of what I've talked about. There are some that I did not talk about, but are still applicable to this subject. Especially Blade Runner 2017, which was a fantastic spiritual sequel to the original.

M=movie, B=book, A=artist, & G=game.

List of the Legacy

• Metropolis (1927) M
• Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968) B
• Blade Runner (1982) M
• Neo Tokyo (1987) M
• Akira (1988) M
• Ghost in The Shell (1995) M
• Cowboy Bebop (1998) S
• Ghost in The Shell (2002) S
• Metropolis (2002) M
• Deus Ex (2011) G
• Observer (2017) G
• Blade Runner 2049 (2017) M
• John Berkey (1960s-1990s) A
• Syd Mead (1950s-present) A
• John Harris (1960s-present) A
• Jean Giraud (Moebius) (1950s-2000s) A

Media Future

I made a page talking about media in the style of Saul Bass because he did a lot of horror posters. These days I believe people amplify media's affect on individuals, but there is definitely some truth about social media that feels like a horror movie.

The Marvelous Ms. Maisel & Long-Format Television: Themes

1950s America wasn't so kind to a lot of people, mainly minorities and women. Most people know this and today in media, the 40s-60s is a typical era to represent. That's why I wasn't sure if I'd be impressed with The Marvelous Ms. Maisel, especially centered around a white, although Jewish, woman. But I was wrong. TMMM isn't just another 1950s show, it doesn't really glamorize the era. First, to set the era, the show establishes underground comedy shows, beauty department stores, and of course, sexism protests. Because it was an hour each episode (8 episodes), TMMM was capable of establishing these broad concepts that all contribute to its underlying theme: sexism in the 50s. Midge and her mother wear their makeup to bed, and only take it off after their husbands fall asleep. Cursing in a comedy skit is considered obscene and Midge gets arrested for it, and indecent exposure, multiple times. Midge gets her marriage decisions cleared by her father. Her mother and father blame her for Joel "leaving", when really he cheated on Midge with his secretary. They blame her for not taking him back! And these familial pressures are only worse because she's Jewish!

In the comedy shows, Midge cleans the floor for the most part. And then when she fucks up, she takes it to heart. But through Susie's coaching, Midge gets back and does it all over again. She is not defeated like Joel was. There are a lot of parallels drawn between her and Joel. Joel is unsuccessful at his job, while Midge is popular and makes great commission at her beauty counter job. But who is more respected? Midge's father throws a fit when he hears that she's working at the department store.
Joel is unfunny as hell, and uses other people's jokes. Midge is funny and jokes about her life experiences. It is really an interesting way to express the theme. Instead of a show telling the viewer about how sexism was back then etcetera, TMMM chooses to tell in a way that is comedic. Midge goes off on rants about Joel's affair, usually in a drunken stupor, but it's hilarious. But it also contains meaning and tells of the true dark underbelly of the sexism that Midge has to go through.     

I hated the end. I hated that she even considered getting back with Joel. But maybe, I think, it was written to comment on the dependence women were taught to have back then. Maybe Midge was only as strong and independent as she could be, at that time, and in that era. The Marvelous Ms. Maisel pisses me off in a way that makes me think about how horrible it was back then. I wouldn't be able to keep my mouth shut if I were born in that era. Not to say that sexism doesn't exist today, I would argue it's harder being a minority these days, but there are "larger" issues at stake. The Handmaid's Tale is another great show that speaks about similar themes as TMMM does. But in a frightening way. It paints a dystopia that is truly the most realistic I have seen. TMMM tells of the past while THmT tells of the future. Interesting pair to watch together.   

An Analysis of Ghost World and Daniel Clowes' Voice

Daniel Clowes' Ghost World talks about two young adult girls and their lives, and the people in their lives. Their main struggle is to figure out who they will be after they graduate. The story begins with them arguing, really just light banter, about a magazine full of girls that aren't actually cool. Then they bounce around and discuss who likes who. Enid introduces us to John Ellis, an odd, kind of racist, creep. Rebecca makes fun of Enid liking John, but that's just not true. Later, Enid makes up this little story about seeing a pair of satanists in the diner. What's significant about this is that Enid and Rebecca continue to do this. It seems Clowes puts emphasis on their conversations and what they think. The girls make up stories of strangers, almost to figure out their motivations in life, just by looking at them. Enid and Rebecca fantasize about random strangers' lives in an effort to figure their own paths out.       

Later, Enid dyes her hair and begins to speak weird. Rebecca is thrown off by it, but they continue to observe people in daily life. Enid continues to change her appearance, and almost becomes more aggressive. All while Rebecca stays the same. From this, Clowes is trying to comment about the coming-of-age struggle. I noticed it when I graduated too. Around early college age, everyone goes through a change to become an adult, or some people do. A lot of people stay stagnant in their ways and thoughts and continue through college as if it were high school. Some people don't get that weird 1-2 year period where they can figure themselves out. Sometimes people have high school sweethearts that take away this period of contemplation. And then if they break up, they are both left with a hole that was meant to be filled during this period. This is something I've noticed anyway, plenty of people miss this experimental development stage, and later in their life feel as is something's missing. Ghost World is kind of a comment on that transition.    

Paul Thomas Anderson: An Auteur

Today let's explore about Paul Thomas Anderson and his stylized work. To analyze some of his signature films from 3 different decades, it will give a better impression of his body of work. Boogie Nights (1997) was the first PTA film I had seen, I was probably around 16 or 17. My parents love his work, among similar auteurs. The film has served as a jumping platform for my senior thesis. The opening sequence is about a 4 minute one shot establishing the era, a popular club, and the characters. It can be generally said about There Will Be Blood (2007) and Inherent Vice (2014). However, I feel that as his career goes on, the opening sequence becomes more vague. This can be said about how he handles entire films these days, but more on that later.

Boogie Nights is all about the conversations and interactions characters have with one another. From the strange, stream-of-consciousness characters of William H. Macy, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and John C Reilly, to the confused-that-they're-there characters of Mark Wahlberg and Heather Graham, there is a lot to offer in terms of interpersonal relationships. Random conversations that seemingly have no point often populate Anderson's films. Yet these conversations, (especially upon a second watch) are revealed to be rather important. I mean, the build up to William H. Macy's (Little Bill) double murder-suicide of his wife's lover and her was genius. There were signs that she was cheating thrown about every time they time-jumped, but Little Bill can be initially written off as a side character that doesn't matter, so why would these sequences go anywhere? Except they did. And frankly, it was hilarious where they went. It was a comical finale to his story when he killed himself. William H. Macy is an excellent actor with a career that shows his range, but Anderson directs his actors in a way where some scenes come off very flat. Flat, in a way that actually enhances the scene. In this example, Little Bill's deadpan expression as he performed his final act, made the scene hilarious. And this small instance is very telling to Anderson's larger voice in his movies. (The same can be said about the coke scene at the drug dealer's house, also hilarious.)

The conversations in There Will Be Blood are admittedly more obviously pertinent to the story. The relationships between characters are intense and strained at best. But the conversations are also long and grueling exposés of information, really. Most conversations are there to show the viewer how big Daniel Plainview's dick is. But really, Anderson does great character studies. There Will Be Blood was a fantastic extended character study of Daniel Plainview, all primarily told through negotiations.

As a closer, Inherent Vice was the most convoluted Anderson film I have seen. Anderson expresses his tendency to make stories convoluted, as seen in Boogie Nights, The Master, or Magnolia, but I left Inherent Vice truly confused. I was not able to grasp anything from that film. And that's what made it so great. Anderson fully fed into his more vague tendencies and I believe it paid off. It requires a second watch for sure, but the conversations and relationships maintained through humor still speak true to Anderson's voice.     

Screenplay Adaptation: Eyes Wide Shut

As a set designer adapting the screenplay of Eyes Wide Shut, the biggest decision I would make is to emphasize big spaces, filled with crowds. At the event where Alice flirts with another man, I would make sure to place a lot of extras. The crowd would emphasize the exhilarating feeling of "the hunt." Alice fantasizes about being with another man, and this would be best expressed with the two teasing each other through the crowd. They will do anything to be with each other, but they know they can't. So instead they'll steal glances from across the room, or flirt by the bar (where it's acceptable), or pass by each other and brush against one another. I would treat the sex club the same way. Bill is being watched by one of the women, she knows he's not supposed to be there. But Bill continues in his exploration of the club. We pass by clusters of people performing sex acts and this only makes everything, Bill's curiosity, more enticing. He presses on to find out more, all while surrounded by a sweaty, busy, crowd.

As far as era goes, this wouldn't be a period piece. But the sex club feels like it needs a Victorian or Venetian treatment. They where masks to maintain a certain mystique, this screams Venetian carnival. Alcohol, sex, drugs, etc, all hidden behind a mask. A really excellent choice to make that a part of the club, especially when thinking of all the ways the title of the movie can apply.