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Remix Activism & Ideology Challenge
- 1. IMAP PROJECT 1 Patrick Fearon
- 2. RESEARCH QUESTION How does remix as a practical discourse enable social activism & encourage viewers to challenge dominant ideologies?
- 3. RESEARCH (Moulton, 2013) History of remix
- 4. RESEARCH Social activism & the political remix video
- 5. RESEARCH “Remix often involves the adoption of cultural memes, tropes, and popular references both to situate and to dramatize contemporary political discourses. Familiar images, melodies and popular references are reflected, recombined, and recontextualized to produce the remix as a vehicle for communicating and expressing political opinion.” (Navas, Gallagher and Burrough, 2015: 326)
- 6. EXAMPLES Ridley (1941), Lambeth Walk: Nazi Style
- 7. EXAMPLES Cassetteboy (2014), Cameron's Conference Rap “We have the bravery.To bring back slavery.Working in a supermarket. Is just the start of it. My friends.There is no job at the end of it.You will be working for your benefits. Forever.” (Cassetteboy, 2014)
- 8. PROBLEMS Message can be misinterpreted Propaganda & hate speech Legal problems
- 9. PROJECT Representation of the LGBT community in Northern Ireland through political remix “Political remix represents a vernacular discourse that affirms marginalized communities by calling up and subverting institutional texts.” (Navas, Gallagher & Burrough, 2015: 346).
- 10. CONCLUSION How does remix as a practical discourse enable social activism & encourage viewers to challenge dominant ideologies?
- 11. REFERENCES & BIBLIOGRAPHY BOOKS Jenkins, H., Ford, S. and Green, J. (2013). Spreadable Media: CreatingValue and Meaning in a Networked Culture. NewYork, NY: NewYork University Press Navas, E., Gallagher, O. and Burrough, X. (2015). The Routledge companion to remix studies. Sonvilla-Weiss, S. (2010). Mashup cultures.Wien: Springer
- 12. REFERENCES & BIBLIOGRAPHY IMAGES Tom Moulton. (2013). [image] Available at: http://blogs.kusp.org/sweetpower/2013/01/11/disco-101/ [Accessed 2 Nov. 2015].
- 13. REFERENCES & BIBLIOGRAPHY VIDEO CLIPS BBC, (2012). Gay marriage go-ahead in Scotland. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3ctG3b- 8mo [Accessed 2 Nov. 2015]. BBC, (2013). BBC Democracy Live: David Cameron Speech to Conservative Party Conference 2011. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woRt_s2ZuXg [Accessed 12 Nov. 2015]. BBC, (2013). Nolan Show: DUP's Edwin Poots says being Gay is immoral and unnatural. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fmf9sHER0Hs [Accessed 2 Nov. 2015]. BBC, (2013). PM CameronWins Gay MarriageVote, & Loses His Own Party's Support!. [image] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ls8CELsA3g [Accessed 2 Nov. 2015]. BBC, (2014). Ian Paisley: Face to Face with Mallie (BBC Documentary). [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2xNHqJB6vI [Accessed 2 Nov. 2015]. BBC, (2015). BBC News report about homophobic comment byJimWells of the DUP. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9qsGGMZg7I [Accessed 2 Nov. 2015].
- 14. REFERENCES & BIBLIOGRAPHY BBC, (2015). Main early evening news on BBC One - marriage referendum in Ireland. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rioAq7Rhnsk [Accessed 2 Nov. 2015]. BBC, (2015). Paul Givan MLA says DUP NOT against gay people. #NolanLIVE. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNbupJpfHlY [Accessed 2 Nov. 2015]. BBC, (2015). Peter Robinson on homosexuality: "I would hope that if it was illegal people would obey the law...". [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KN3xJq_aPQ [Accessed 2 Nov. 2015]. BBC, (2015). US Supreme Court backs gay marriage - BBC News. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kj0SFX4HSag [Accessed 2 Nov. 2015]. Democratic Unionist Party, (2013). DUP Response to Same Sex Marriage Debate. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qf3z0707A1I [Accessed 2 Nov. 2015]. It'sTime: Alex Salmond MSP. (2015). [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7OQE-h0UTk [Accessed 2 Nov. 2015].
- 15. REFERENCES & BIBLIOGRAPHY Peter Robinson gives his take on racism in east belfast. (2014). [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qz2sSKwGtXk [Accessed 2 Nov. 2015]. polticalremix, (2011). Lambeth Walk: Nazi Style - by Charles A. Ridley (1941). [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYdmk3GP3iM [Accessed 2 Nov. 2015]. The White House, (2011). President Obama Delivers Remarks at the HRC's Annual National Dinner. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB-4ZHmt82Y [Accessed 2 Nov. 2015]. The White House, (2015). The President Speaks on the Supreme Court’s Decision on Marriage Equality. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b715GKJNWXA [Accessed 2 Nov. 2015]. 'Yes to inclusion, yes to generosity, yes to love, yes to equal marriage'. (2015). [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIXTfYK4xj4 [Accessed 2 Nov. 2015].
Editor's Notes
- In this presentation I will outline my first iMAP project. I will look at my Research Question which formed the basis of my project, my background research into the topic, some examples that demonstrate the knowledge displayed in my theory and my own project which informs and extends the knowledge displayed in my theory. VIDEOS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYdmk3GP3iM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YBumQHPAeU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZ7FsWcXq6s
- The concept of my first project was exploring usage of the remix as a medium for social activism, looking at how artists and activists twist and subvert mass media messages, re-purposing them to create alternative narratives.
- To understand remix in its current form, we must first look at the remix throughout history. A remix is a piece of media which has been altered or changed in some way from its original state by removing, cutting up or changing pieces of the original piece. People have been remixing music for as long as recorded music has existed, and the technology to do so has changed as the times go on. Recording devices such as the magnetic tape in the late 1940’s made it easier for people to take specific parts of a track and edit them. Tom Moulton is a noteworthy figure when it comes to tracing the history of the remix. Tom Moluton is an American record producer who invented the dance remix as we now know it. He is credited as the originator of the remix, the breakdown section and the 12 inch single vinyl format. In the late 1960’s Moulton made a self-made tape of overlapping songs created for play in the background of a restaurant. Moulton was responsible for the first continuous-mix album side, on Gloria Gaynor’s disco album Never can say goodbye, it was this production that earned him the title of “father of the disco mix”. Sampling in new media culture is evident when an individual applies cut/copy & paste commands within software applications. It is a vital new media feature in the development and evolution of the remix, however the cultural model of mashups is not limited to software, but spans across all forms of media.
- Remix processes in the modern media environment are responsible for a large amount of entertainment, aesthetic, and cultural value. The video remix ranges from surrealist absurdity to sharp cultural critique, working with a range of materials such as video, sound, and text to craft nuanced messages. (Navas, Gallagher and Burrough. 2015) Within the spectrum of video remix, political remix video (also known as PRV) stands out for a number of reasons. PRV is: “a genre of transformative DIY media production whereby creators critique power structures, deconstruct social myths and challenge dominatant media messages through re-cutting and re-framing fragments of mainstream media and the popular culture.” (Navas, Gallagher and Burrough. 2015: 346).
- Using materials from the mainstream media (such as news reports) users present political messages through a crafted narrative; there is immense subversive potential within this form of discourse. According to remix practitioner and author of the Political Remix Video blog Jonathan McIntosh political remix videos have three common traits. Firstly, the carry a political message, usually in protest against a social and/or cultural issue. Secondly, they employ guerrilla-like media tactics, often using copyright protected material to provoke a reaction. Thirdly, they utilize and embrace dominant media forms, they make use of the formal characteristics of their sources and use this to shape their message. Through the reworking of images and sounds from the modern media landscape that people are familiar with, remix artists encourage viewers to interrogate and challenge dominant ideologies. (McIntosh, 2010 cited in Navas, Gallagher and Burrough. 2015)
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYdmk3GP3iM British minister Charles Ridley (1941) created this short video entitled "Lambeth Walk - Nazi Style" by re-editing existing footage of Hitler and Nazi soldiers (taken from the propaganda film "Triumph of the Will") to make it appear they were marching and dancing to song "The Lambeth Walk". He used this music because members of the Nazi party had called the tune "Jewish mischief and animalistic hopping". The video was famously sent to Nazi Propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels who, upon viewing the video, was so enraged that he stormed out of the room screaming obscenities and kicking chairs over. Made over 60 years before the advent of YouTube, it is regarded as one of the first political remix videos. Even though the video predates McIntosh’s (2010) framework it can still broken down into three common traits that all PVR’s possess. 1. The political message is one of discontent towards Nazi Germany, it belittles the Nazi party, contrasting serious Nazi propaganda with an upbeat song, this piece was clearly designed to antagonise members of the Nazi Party. 2: The video was sent directly to Nazi Propaganda minister Joeseph Goebbels and became popular via word of mouth spreading throughout the country at such a rate that it eventually got picked up by national news channels. 3. The clips here are taken directly from Nazi Proganda film “Triumph of the will”. Ridley (1941) took footage specifically designed to reinforce Nazi Germany as a serious, dominant country and repurposed it, conveying the Germans as much more sillier & fun loving, directly undermining the work that Joseph Goebbels was doing as Nazi Propaganda minister.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YBumQHPAeU Cassetteboy are an English electronic music duo who regularly use remix as a practical way of expressing their political views. Although the context of their work is usually political, the videos often retain humorous undertones in the hopes of appealing to a more widespread audience. In Camerons conference rap (2014) clips of Prime Minister David Cameron speaking at annual Conservative Party Conference are spliced together with to tune to Eminems Loose Yourself. The political message being portrayed by Cassetteboys remix is clearly evident, during the course of the song the respliced clips form the lyrics: “We have the bravery. To bring back slavery. Working in a supermarket. Is just the start of it. My friends. There is no job at the end of it. You will be working for your benefits. Forever.” (Cassetteboy, 2014) The excerpt above shows Cassetteboy critiquing the current political landscape and the governments approach towards social welfare. The political message being portrayed here is one of discontent, towards both the conservative party and David Cameron himself. The extreme comparisons (to slavery) serve to be provocative, most likely to inspire discussion around the video and its content. The video serves a dual purpose, existing as both political commentary whilst still having entrainment value. Cassetteboy is attempting to encourage viewers to challenge the ideological stance of the government and make them think more about the people we vote into power.
- One problem encountered with remixed videos is that often the message can be misinterpreted for a variety of reasons. Remixed content only makes sense when given context, this content relies on the signifiers from the original media source for the audience to deconstruct it. Without a comprehension of the source material, readers may be confused when reading a remixed media text. Henry Jenkins (2013) makes comments about the ‘spreadability’ of online videos and its cultural and technical potential for audiences to share content for their own purposes, within their own social circles. The problem with this is that the concept of localization is lost once a video uploads online and spreads outside the users’ social circles, this often leads to misinterpretation of the message the remixer was attempting to convey. Whilst some remix artists intend to create progressive works that challenge dominant ideologies, others may simply wish to use remix as a means of contributing knowledge towards a certain issue. How readily available remix is presents a problem however, as this potentially provides a platform for those intentionally targeting marginalized groups, spreading hate speech under the guise of political remix. Remixed content will likely encounter legal problems when the source material has been reproduced, copied, communicated, adapted without permission. Unless permission has been given in advance through a content licence like a Creative Commons licence, it falls under the use of fair use (the scope of which is extraordinarily narrow) or permission has been obtained from the copyright owner the remixed content will most likely face legal barriers. (O'Brien and Fitzgerald, 2006). Remix artists should be aware of their rights when creating content as copyright laws vary from country to country.
- Representation of the LGBT community in Northern Ireland through political remix. “Political remix represents a vernacular discourse that affirms marginalized communities by calling up and subverting institutional texts.” (Navas, E., Gallagher, O. and Burrough, X. 2015: 346). Navas, Gallagher & Burrough (2015) make reference to the fact that the political remix is often used as a means of representing marginalized communities via deconstructing and repurposing mass media messages. With this is mind my practice piece will explore some of the theoretical concepts I have outlined using political remix video. I will use remix as a practical discourse to explore a social issue (Same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland) and encourage viewers to challenge the dominant ideologies and thought processes in relation to this issue. -Play video- I decided to use Northern Irelands largest political party (The Democratic Unionist Party) as my main case study. As the largest party in Northern Ireland the DUP have a mandate to govern and enforce policy on issues such as gay marriage and LGBT rights. As the largest party they are representative of the views of many people in Northern Ireland. I wanted to challenge the DUP’s stance towards same-sex marriage (The dominant ideology in this case) and hopefully inspire people to look at this social issue in a different way. I sourced and curated video clips from news broadcasts pertaining to three things: 1. Clips of DUP members speaking about gay marriage and homosexuality. 2. Clips of news broadcasts from countries when they legalized same sex marriage. 3. Clips of the prominent politicians in these countries speaking of their support for same sex marriage. I hoped that the juxtaposition of these clips would showcase the difference in the views being expressed and encourage people in Northern Ireland to think differently about this issue. I also wanted to explore how I could subvert and repurpose mass media messages to create alternative narratives. I did this at the beginning and the end of my piece with audio taken from the last ever interview with Dr.Ian Paisley (Former leader of the DUP). The audio used is of Dr.Paisley speaking about discrimination against Catholics during the troubles. I thought that using the audio out of context would further the narrative I was trying to construct, by replacing Catholics with the LGBT community as the demographic being discussed.
- In conclusion I thought my practical piece demonstrated my theory well, I showcased how the remix can be used in a practical way to encourage debate around social issues, and hopefully get people thinking more deeply around these issues. This projects demonstrates how political video remix promotes a critical culture rather than one of acceptance & obedience, producing a healthy skepticism and a critical eye in regards to the mass media and powerful institutions. If I had more time I perhaps would have made another piece demonstrating a different social issue or expanded upon the one I have. My original plan was to edit together clips from all the countries that have legalized same-sex marriage, but this would have taken to long to source and edit all the clips.