Yay Interviews

So Pat and my interviews (that phrase is so awkward grammatically any way you slice it) went really well.  It is amazing the cross section that existed just up on that third floor of the Student Union.  So many different cultures represented, so many interesting insights.  Also so much jargon.  But even the jargon is interesting... seeing completely different people give you almost verbatim the same notions... and then watch it dissolve into something else entirely as they try to explain shows how very connected we all are by the media; by our culture.  It sort of renewed in me this sense of Americanism... for better or worse, we have come from all over the world to create our own, new way of looking at things.  We share more than we think.

Not that I agree with most of what was said... every person was surprising in their own way.  Even I surprised myself... I actually enjoyed having a valid reason to talk to strangers.  Still not as bloodthirsty as Babs... but then, I probably would have more pointed questions and less inhibition after 50 years interviewing celebs and politicians.

I didn't realize how funny this stuff was.

So we have been working this week to put all our interviews into the computer. As we are uploading we are listening to what was said. At the time of interviews we were so caught up in getting everything right that I guess I didn't really pay attention to everything that was going on. Some of the answers we have gotten are really funny. There is one that we did that had us laughing a lot. 

The girl that was interviewed really liked to stereotype others. She is of mixed background and said that she grew up in a white neighborhood. And it was funny because whenever she talked about people that were not white she would use "they," even though she was not white. And she would fall into saying things like black people sell drugs and "pimp whoes."

So does she think this way because she is use to "white" life. Would she think different if she were more in touch with her "black" side, or grown up in that neighborhood. 

And so it goes.....

Paul & Christina & Jenni all have very interesting observations. And yes Paul, I agree with you that "the media" do certainly contribute to our distance from one another.

It's part of the cultural hegemony of one group dominating another. The dominant part of the U.S. culture tends to also be dominant in media ownership. As a result, the perspective of the ruling class tends to dominate what we see and hear.

And when the point of view of a subculture does rise above the din to get people's attention, often the dominant class in the culture then co-opts and sanitizes the message of the subculture, making it less threatening but using the traits that made it distinctive, generally for the purpose of making money.

Think: NWA = MC Hammer.

Takin' the Temperature

Personally, discussing race with others has always been my own taboo rule. I would avoid discussing race issues like I avoid napping on train tracks. I was concerned about being run over by someones, over-powering opinion or flat out racist remarks. Also, I was concerned of offending others by what I might say. If I were not so desperate for the class credit I'd have dropped the class in a heart beat after learning of our topic.

So, I had a bit of a self-realizing epiphany a couple of weeks ago. Some time in the early AM I thought it would be a good idea to stumble my way down to McDonalds for a bit of breakfast. I had a good 10 hours of courage in my gut and racism on my mind. I staggered up to the Plasma Center where a line was forming at the doors before they opened. Being a bit short I asked a couple of guys how much I could get for doing this. One thing lead to another and I sparked up a race discussion with 3 black fellas and a white guy. We talked for a good hour and a half. Quite soon into the conversation each one of us made the same statement from different POV's; for the majority people have no ill feelings towards any other race, yet there seems to be this looming idea that it's a serious problem. Well that raised all sorts of questions. One quite threatening looking guy said it was in our media; that we are told it's a serious problem in America, and we take their word for it. I feel it's a profound point. The conversation continued 'til they opened the doors and I went on to get myself and the guys some of them sausage sandwiches. Came back, tossed the sandwiches to the guys, and got heckled by 30 or so guys, in the same manner by different races, "Hey, where's mine?".

I continued to walk home contemplating what had happened. It was the first time I had ever struck up a conversation on race, and certainly to that degree. I have always felt a little unsure of how I viewed people; do I think of everyone equally? This is what struck me, after that conversation I felt confident with myself and with a lack of bigotry. Before my problem had been that I had no way to gauge myself; by avoiding the topic I simply had no way of knowing where I stood amongst others.

Perhaps that guy was right, maybe racism is only an issue because we are told it is. Maybe the majority of us really have little or no bigoted tendencies. Perhaps we're all products of our environment. I feel Americans are greatly media influenced, perhaps if we portrayed a different attitude on race in our television it would rub-off on people. Phil you are the Media, what do you think?

More musings :)

It is so interesting to consider how much of our lives are built on assumptions.  Everything we define ourselves as takes it's meaning from being the opposite of something, someone, else: women are not men, gay people are not straight, black people are not white, college students are not grandparents, christians are not buddhists, fat people are not fit, democrats are not republicans, and so on.

And we make so many assumptions about the other that we end up limiting ourselves.  If a group we are not a part of always acts one way, we don't do that.  Simply because they do.

But it is a chicken-and-the-egg thing... for example, a friend recently brought it to my attention that women don't flick people off while driving, while men do.  Men allegedly don't yell at other drivers, while women almost always do.  And I realized I DO yell at least once almost every time I drive, even if it's only a 5 minute trip, and have NEVER flicked someone off.  It requires too much coordination, while talking comes easy.  Guys, you'll have to weigh in about the shouting thing... I can't think of guys yelling at people any time I've ridden with one, but then the finger is also makes a very rare appearance.  The funniest thing is that I'm not usually angry, not really.  Sometimes the person did something stupid, but not always.  Sometimes I actually yell for no reason.  Does that really have something to do with me being a woman?  Is it because I'm conditioned by society, or is it hormones?

And that is one tiny example.  Our assumptions are far reaching and often subversive... even as I see them more I know I am missing most of them.  The woman in this picture seems totally different in the two different costumes, doesn't she?  Are the pictures really so different?  Is the only difference the cultural assumptions we make?  Is the second more sexually charged objectively?  We almost need an Indian person to really know what the first picture means to an insider... but I was under the assumption that the sari was everyday clothing in India, and a sweater with nothing under it is NOT everyday clothing here, so they are not just different cultures.  But I don't know that for a fact, that's an assumption.

Its time to watch a movie.

So my boyfriend and I decided to escape this past weekend. We hopped on a bus and headed to Chicago. Ok it really wasn't that spur of the moment, but it sounded more interesting that way. Anyway it was the most amazing time. I love being in the city. There is so much to see and experience. Every corner you turn there is something new awaiting you. So many different people and cultures that all flow together on the busy streets and sidewalks. Its so amazing. 

On Friday evening we went to the movies and saw Friday the 13th. (what else could you possibly see that day?) It was one of the best movie watching experiences I've ever had. All these people filed into the theater a group at a time, separate conversations filled the air. Once the movie started everyone became part of the same group. We all had a shared main interest. As the movie played people reacted to all the horror and gore taking place, but instead of just reacting to themselves in their own seat, emotions were vocalized and shared among everyone. It wasn't some annoying thing like someone talking on their cell phone next to you, it was everyone being caught up in the same action and story. It was people letting their guard down and just being. It was like sitting at home and watching a movie with a group of friends, you could share your thoughts and feelings as they came to you and not have the next person shh you. And when the movie was over I felt like I not only saw a movie, I learned about the people there and saw that we can just all exist together.

I think the world just needs to sit down and watch a movie together.

Concerned? Don't Be....

We'll talk on Thursday....

But as the old song goes "We've only just begun........"

There will be lots of additional shooting and thinking. This is what happens when you try to capture reality, rather than start from an exisitng text or story.

That's why it's GOOD that we will meet and process things a bit....then you gus will need to start logging and cpaturing your tape, which will probably take at least a full week of class time.

And even then, you'll only be at the beginning...