Media Convergence: Cinema Fandom and Politics

[Cinema Fandom]

Scary 'Mary Poppins' Re-cut Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T5_0AGdFic&feature=PlayList&p=771EEF2BA791992B&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=35

In Chapter four, “Quentin Tarantino’s Star Wars?” Jenkins states, “Fans have always been early adapters of new media technologies; their fascination with fictional universes often inspires new forms of cultural production, ranging from costumes to fanzines and, now, digital cinema. Fans are the most active segment of the media audience, one that refuses to simply accept what they are give, but rather insists on the right to become full participants. None of this is new. What has shifted is the visibility of fan culture. The Web provides a powerful new distribution channel for amateur cultural production” (131). Like Jenkins stated, fans really do have an effect in the world of media. In the example shown, Chris Rule and Nick Eckert made a trailer of the movie, Mary Poppins, but this time it was quite “different.” “Scary ‘Mary Poppins’ Re-cut Trailer,” signified the “dark” side of “Mary Poppins.” Originally a happy, family-loving movie was turned into a horrific movie that wasn’t meant for children to watch. The re-make trailer/parody of “Mary Poppins” displayed eerie scenes (dark scenes, especially) to make the overall effect of the movie scary. Also, scenes that weren’t supposed to be scary (ex. Things flying everywhere and people screaming) became scary due to fast-paced transition of scenes. Additionally, musical piece like "A Violent Attack" composed by Caine Davidson gave the overall trailer a dramatic feel. Overall, this fan/amateur based video signified the way the media world is changing. Now, people participate within the creation of movies, songs, TV shows, etc. Like Jenkins states, “The Web represents a site of experimentation and innovation, where amateurs test the waters, developing new practices, themes, and generating materials that may well attract cult followings on their own terms” (148).

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[Politics]

The image presented shows a picture of Obama with the background image of the USSR flag, and within the picture, text is displayed, “Vote for Obama because Socialism worked so well for the USSR.” Not only does this picture stir up controversies for both political parties, but it creates a phenomenon that makes the viewer (people who vote) think twice about who to elect for the election. The image of Obama is black and white while everything else –the flag and the text –is based upon USSR colors, red and yellow. The colors red and yellow, red especially draws in viewers and makes the viewers relate the symbolism of the color red; warning.

Walter Benjamin argues in “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction,” “that the ability to mass-produce and mass-circulate images would have a profoundly democratic impact” (223). Like he said, this image that has been out in the Web was probably seen by many people –and therefore could have hurt Obama’s campaign. Overall, the political impact that the world of media convergence gives is incredible. Almost everything is based upon connecting with voters, potential voters, by technology. Jenkins suggests, “Activists adopted technologies and techniques pioneered by fan communities and used them to mobilize voters. They used concerts and performances as sites for voter registration. They used films as occasions for political discussions and public outreach. They created Photoshop parodies that encapsulated core debates” (234). Therefore, what the public sees and hears may make or break either parties of the election.