The Poster reading focuses on "postmodern virtualities," just as the title states. From what I understood, Poster is trying to explain that because of new technologies that have developed the world of multimedia we live in, words, sounds, and images have been completely changed compared to what they were before. He talks about information superhighways that are increasing the flow of communication.
In one part of the reading, it talked about "paving the way for video phone," which made me think of FaceTime using an iPhone. Elmer-Dewitt made that prediction back in 1993, the year I was born. Years later, we actually do have video phones.
I think what is also very interesting about Poster's piece is that he proclaims that virtual realities are dangerous in that they can duplicate reality into many forms. Having multiple realities does seem very problematic. Which reality is actually real? Is there even a reality anymore or is everything just so multiplied that we can't even see the light at the beginning (or end) of the tunnel in which this madness started.
When i read this quotation from the reading, I immediately thought of social media spots such as Facebook or chat rooms: "Places for 'meeting' on the Internet, such as 'the Well" frequented by Rheingold, provide "areas" for "public" messages, which all subscribers may read, and private 'mailbox' services for individual exchange."
This sense of community really fascinates me because the virtual aspects of these kinds of "places" do not have actual face-to-face communication where people truly interact with other people. Instead, it is all sort of a fabricated reality that we all accept. I know for me, Facebook makes me feel connected to a lot of my friends, especially the ones that are back home in New York that I can't physically see everyday. By the time I get home for breaks, it feels like I didn't miss anything because of their posts and pictures that I can see and comment on.
I feel like I understood some of what Jenkins was trying to explain in the second reading. He talked a lot about Star Wars, which is interesting because I never noticed half the things he points out about the way in which the parodies we see all the time are actually made and how Star Wars, in a sense kind of started the whole amateur digital filmmaking era.
Because of today's technology, everyone has access to the basics needed to make a film. Video cameras are not strictly devices that big production companies have anymore. With this accessibility, people began to really interact with and spoof their favorite films, characters, etc. that they see in the media.
Star Wars is a great film to focus on in this case, because it is so well known and has been reproduced into pretty much everything imaginable. There are cups, action fingers, costumes, bedsheets, hats, socks, and so much more that have that image of Star Wars, originally from the first film.
I found this example of Store Wars, and thought it was one of the most ridiculous and creative Star Wars spoof. This just proves that the possibilities are endless when it comes to "remaking" the original. Also, if it wasn't for the Internet, I would have probably never stumbled across this 5 minute YouTube spoof. An amateur filmmaker took the concept and image of Star Wars and used it with groceries. And in the above image, we see a battle between President Obama and Darth Vader action figures, each with lightsabers in hand.
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