Monday, October 15, 2012

Jaime Saure 10/15 Pre: Poster/Jenkins

I really enjoy the juxtaposition of both articles, especially with Poster giving us a sense of establishment of the first and second "Media ages"with Jenkins defining and correlating its progression using examples of fan-based parodies budding from George Lucas', STAR WARS. 
The first media age of decentralization consisted of the telephone, the ability for global membership and "universal exchangeability". The transferring of information at a higher speed, or "superhighways"were  in pursuit from slow limitations of phone lines. This period is the second media age, where interdependency, individualization, interactivity, and interrelationships have become of concern in a new simulation media, where multiple realities are existing. As this is what he defines as the postmodern culture, this is also the progression of communication itself (virtual reality of the web), and with it follows commercialization, mainstream media, enroute of many subcultures to come, study, and advertise to. 

Jenkins appropriates this progressions of postmodern culture and communication with corporate movements towards media convergence, and how it recirculates through a participatory culture. The ability of producing a film has diminished from a Hollywood studio complex into a "DIY" concept, allowing consumers to enjoy homemade cinematic pleasures. Star Wars is a good representation, because it is not only a mass corporate media convergence, but that it allowed fan-base, or participatory culture, to indulge and make steps towards a new style of consumerism. Not only is capital being circulated around a mass corporate film-franchise, but this convergence of media also defined a new movement in culture. The interrelationship of mass media and amateur media inevitably seems to redound one another. 

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