Post Blog 9/17

Cult, Aura, Reproduction, Value, Authenticity, Ritual, Original, Presence, and Absence, were the key words that were critical to the theories, that Walter Benjamin brought forth in his essay. Even after our in-class discussion, I continue to be puzzled, by Benjamin’s theories. An important passage that was brought to attention in class was that “technical reproduction can put the copy of the original into situations which would be out of reach of the original itself” (Benjamin 39). After re-reading this quote, which was starred in my notes, I relate it back to the example of GRAPE and the illustration of grape Kool-Aid vs. grapes (the fruit). We identify the word GRAPE with a taste, not necessarily related to its primitive existence. This situation coincides with Benjamin’s theory where we actually see the copy of the original is out of reach of the original itself, because we all know that grape Kool-Aid tastes nothing like an actual grape.

We discussed the twenty first century concept of serving the masses, and weather it is a good thing or a bad thing. I personally believe that this could go both ways. Good in the sense that many people are able to obtain and be involved with whatever is being produced, but at the same time I view it as a negative thing, because it completely abandons the idea of authenticity and originality. We discussed in class about how value takes on a large component within the idea of serving the masses. We used the example of McDonalds burgers and their sign that read “Billions and Billions Served” and compared it to the authenticity of the cuisine available on Park Avenue, here in Winter Park. Once something has been mass-produced, the value of that product diminishes heavily. In the example of McDonalds vs. Park Ave, we have the visual pricing of a mass-produced McDonalds Cheeseburger, priced at .99, compared to a more authentic Burger at 310, for $10-15 each. Benjamin states, “The presence of the original is the prerequisite to the concept of authenticity” (39).