What do prisoners, Latika and Jamal all have in common? They all have the ability to break it down and dance their hearts out to the song Jai Ho. Yes that is right; Slumdog Millionaire has spread all over the world, literally all over. This includes a penitentiary unit in the Cebu Province in the Philippines.  Do not let the bright orange jumpsuits fool you because these prisoners could keep up with the best of the Bollywood dancers. As entertaining as this performance is, the reproducation and the original, I questioned whether or not this Slumdog dance accurately portrays Bollywood and Indian culture's style of dance.  I have some experience enabling me to recognize an authentic style, as I was exposed to this old genre of Indian cinema and dance as a child; my dad was born and raised in Sri Lanka. However, just to be sure, I wanted to further research this topic to understand what both the original and reproduction could tell us about culture.

Mumbai is mostly the setting for Slumdog Millionaire as well as the birthplace of the Bollywood cinema industry.  With a movie like Slumdog Millionaire, portraying India in a very visual and honest way, I assumed that the dance number at the end would resemble a typical Bollywood movie.  The original version has a good start as the movie ends and a dance number erupts on a train station platform. Bollywood dance numbers are usually explosive, colorful and entertaining like the original version, so it had that going for it.  It is also common for the hero or heroine to be the main focus of the dance, with the supporting troupe behind them. This can clearly be seen in the movie as well as the reproduction.  The original actors did not sing Jai Ho, nor did they pretend to. In Bollywood films the actors would lip sync, as most people in the film industry could dance and act, but not carry a tune.  In both the movie and the Bollywood genre the dance sequence is suposed to be random, spontaneous and a joyeous occasion. Thus, it is a fusion of Western styles and the Bollywood genre. It is safe to say that the original Jai Ho dance is influenced by the Bollywood genre, yet combining it with more modern times.  For a better visual and a better comparison, please follow this link to see a traditional dance found in a Bollywood movie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh57vIcDqxU.

So we can say that Slumdog Millionaire does not stray far from its roots with the traditional styles of Bollywood entertainment, even though the director adds his own modern twist on it. The Bollywood film industry has a strong link to cultural identity in India and that is shown and valued in the movie.  But looking at the two versions of Jai Ho, one can also learn about the prisons culture.

On one hand, we have learned about the Indian culture through the true representation in the movie. On the other, we have the reproduction featured in the Philippines in jail. Looking at the deatils of the two overall performances, one can see a few cultural familiarities.  For example, the reproduction's dancers are dressed in standard issue uniforms from the prison, and thus they are not wearing any traditional costumes. This seems like a given, as they are still prisoners despite the dancing and fun that seems to be occuring.  The dance is also done on a much larger scale and the inames move in complete unison.  I imagine the culture within the prison is used to moving in unison as a prison apears to be a structured place.  Prisoners listen and act when they are told to do something, so the sharpness of their formations and their movements reflect this cultural style.

I cannot help but wonder what Walker Benjamin would think while he watches this new reproduction.  Benjamin believes that transforming original pieces of work and copying them into a reproduction discredits the art.  WIth this reproduction process, the "aura" is lost that it once possessed and this is a huge disappointment in Benjamin's eyes. The "aura" can be found with the original work, when it was first created.  The "aura" follows this work of art through its historical journey.  With the vast amount of reproductions produced of the song and dance, Jai Ho, Benjamin would think the original has lost its complete meaning and value. Even a prison in the Philippines can access and recreate the dance.

While Benjamin would not be thrilled with the recreation of Jai Ho, I think this reproduction is actually a unique experience. Since it is not altered in a huge way, the original meaning can still be appreciated.  The dance moves are similar, the same track is used and the energy is still upbeat and enjoyable. Jai On prisoners, Jai ho.

References Cited

Benjamin, Wlater
1998: UCLA School of Theater: The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. 1-12.

Youtube
2011 (2009) Official YouTube Version of Jai Ho from the end of the movie "Slumdog Millionaire". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRC4QrUwo9o, accessed February 2nd, 2011

Youtube
2011 (2009) Jai Ho: Remix. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTMUZ39UHgo, accessed February 6th, 2011

Youtube
2011 (2009) Bollywood dance style: Jab We Met, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh57vIcDqxU, accessed on February 6th, 2011

Writing on the Wall

Writing on the Wall

The phenomenon which we can observe all over the world is called graffiti. Graffiti has been around for centuries and has been the voice for many different groups. Graffiti has been used by political activists to advertise their political agendas, by street gangs to mark territories and by urban artists trying to voice their opinion in form of this “street art”. While graffiti has been around for 30 000 years, the hip hop culture and urban youth picked up on this new art style in the1960‘s. By this point, graffiti let people of all ages convey free speech. However graffiti was soon banned. Laws vary, but it is generally illegal everywhere.  Because of these laws and because of the association between graffiti and delinquents just acting out, graffiti has gained a negative stigmatism.

If you ask me, most of it is rather beautiful. I decided to take photos of this art because I wanted graffiti to be portrayed as something other than vandalism.  People generally think that all graffiti is vandalism.  However, it can be an artistic way to express an individual’s thoughts and feelings.  Some people express how they feel in song lyrics, others in poems or paintings; and some use walls or sidewalks as their canvas.  What’s so wrong with that?

OK, I am not completely naive and I see the possible issues here. Not all graffiti is aesthetically pleasing and some youth do mark walls to rebel and destroy property. If we let anyone write anything they felt like on the sides of buildings, or vehicles or sidewalks all of Vancouver could be plagued with paint of all sorts. It could be utter chaos. However, I do think the government should work with these artists and allow designated areas for these artists to and convey their work. There is something so free about picking up a spray can of paint and painting what you feel like. Their work involves less planning and the process seems less organized, yet the finished product still ends up like this:

Please see Figures 2, 3 and 4 for future reference. These are photos of graffiti from a series of shots I took in the heart of Downtown Vancouver.

Many of the photos I took of graffiti could have different meanings.  Much of the graffiti we see in Vancouver can be open to interpretation.  My interpretation of these photos could differ from someone else’s opinion. For example, in photo number one, they are two phrases we can identify. First, the words we see tagged are “take five”. Further up we see the word “flash”. The message I get from this inscription is that taking a break is a good thing.  Take five minutes for yourself and take things easy.  For the word “flash” this means to me that life passes you by, in a flash, in a moment.  So if you put the two phrases together, I think take a break and enjoy life because life will pass you by so fast and before you know, it is gone.

The tag on the dumpster saying “alive” makes me think what this could mean. What was going through the artists mind when he or she wrote this in an alley on a dumpster? Could it be that whoever wrote this could mean that this is their life, wandering alleys and they are wide awake of this realization? Could it be that they are happy that they are alive, despite what brought them to this dumpster? The possibilities are endless.

This is what fascinates me the most about graffiti. There is no manual with each tag you find on the street.  Instead, if you choose to, you can decipher a meaning on your own. It is like wandering through an art gallery without anyone to describe the paintings to you, so you interpret it in your own way. Graffiti for me is an art form. Graffiti is a way to speak openly about your thoughts and feelings. Graffiti is a way to mediate your message to the world. So when do we decide when, where and how this should be done? Who decides these outcomes? Is it right to take away freedom of speech, or put restrictions on it? These are questions I am left with; questions I will give much thought to every time I walk by a bridge tagged with writing or an old building marked by the artist who once was there.

Help Haiti, or Last Year's Cause?

Blog number 1

            What is medias role in providing help to those in need? For example, as people die every day in Haiti because of the spread of cholera, what can people learn about it from the news agencies we see today? Does CBC or CNN promote relief efforts by educating the viewers all over the world about the severity and facts of this issue? Or do they undermine and minimize the issue? These are all questions I hope to find answers to by looking at these two agencies networks. I also consider the reliability of these two news agencies, especially CBC, in order to decipher why or why not these agencies would help.

            I check in with CNN’s news casts first. CNN first reports the story on October 25^th, 2010 with its first article, Toll in Haiti’s cholera outbreak now above 150. Along with the article, a news cast was televised.  Images of women and children and other patients lie around clinics and the streets of Haiti. The urgency of care and the importance of this issue is portrayed from day one.  At first, the supplies seemed adequate for the spread of the disease but it is spreading faster than they thought. The UN minister of affairs reported that they would insure these supplies were replenished over time. A hundred and fifty people died within the first 48 hours of the cholera epidemic with numbers rising quickly every day.

            With the latest article reporting on January 12^th, 2011 from CNN, the death toll rose to over three thousand people. CNN provided updates on the death tolls almost every other day. What I like about CNN’s articles on the epidemic is that each journalist has a different angle. For example, you have informative articles about the cholera outbreak and the death tolls. Yet you also have articles from the aid workers point of view, as to why people have not given up on Haiti yet. This would be a personal take on the situation occurring, as the article interviews U.S aid workers in Haiti and asks them questions like why they are there and what they are doing.  These articles are applicable to all audiences, including those who care and want to help and whom find comfort in the fact that there are people helping out, as well as those who just want to know what is going on and how many people are dying because of it. In CNN’s case, media is taking a stand in supporting Haiti and CNN values this epidemic as newsworthy. Because of the constant coverage and the range of topics, help can be motivated and inspired from people who are willing and able, even without being directly linked to the horrific events.

            Turning to CBC’s coverage on the cholera epidemic I am left confused. As I looked to sort out how often they published news about the cholera epidemic, I expected to find almost as much as CNN published. However, I was sadly mistaken. By typing in Haiti cholera epidemic into the search engine and asked it to sort it by date, the most recent to be published was dated November 25th, 2010.  Not only was that a long time ago, and the death tolls have risen by almost double since then, according to CNN’s broadcast, the article itself confused me and also made me laugh! The article was titled, Afghan extension, Harry Potter movie and Haiti election. Could someone please enlighten me on the connection between Afghanistan, Harry Potter and Haiti? I couldn’t figure that one out. I also found it disappointing that not only did CBC not report heavily on the cholera epidemic in Haiti, it also only focused on the political election in Haiti, occurring at the same time as the epidemic. People are dying every day, yet politics takes precedence. This doesn’t make sense to me. Clearly CBC is not doing much to provide Haiti with relief efforts, nor is that a major concern of theirs.

            I tried hard to find an article only about the cholera epidemic, but this proved difficult. I did find one titled; Abbotsford nurse helps battle Haiti cholera, as it was published on January 3^rd, 2011. Again, the focus was less so on Haiti and more so about this wonderful and local nurse so generously giving her time and effort for the cholera epidemic.

            The political focus points to my first question’s answer. All news agencies in Canada are owned and regulated by the Canadian government. (Source) In 1936 the commonwealth of Canada deemed Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) as their Crown Corporation. In a crown corporation cabinet ministers are often the ones who hold shares among the company. The Canadian government therefor decides what the public hears about and thus owns the rights to what news is broadcasted. The Mandate of the Corporation states the following:

“the Corporation should be predominantly and distinctively Canadian; reflect Canada and its regions to national and regional audiences, while service the special needs of those regions; actively contribute to the flow and exchange of cultural expression; be in English and in French; reflect the multicultural and multiracial nature of Canada..” and so on.

            This ownership and mandate by the Canadian government gives you a hint as to what Canadian viewers will be reading about. The viewer will probably not get to read too much into the cholera epidemic in Haiti, or those death toll numbers, but you will get to read about the British Columbian who is helping with the disaster.  Canadians can therefore take pride in their country and their citizens. Or can we? Are we being sheltered and shielded from what is actually going on in the world because of the power of sensor ship that the Canadian government has over us? Perhaps. I turn my attention to non Canadian news agencies later on in this post in hopes of being more informed about the issues in Haiti. Luckily those are available to Canadians as well.

            My initial reaction regarding news coverage on the cholera epidemic, based on CBC’s articles, was that Haiti appeared to be last year’s news.  Haiti experienced a devastating earthquake and the whole world tuned in via CNN or BBC or CBC in order to get a glimpse of the action.  People seemed to be genuinely concerned and relief was a main focus in 2010. However, that was last year, and it now seems as if no one is trying to do anything about this cholera epidemic. I mean, how many bad things can happen to one country right? People can only do so much.

            WRONG. This cholera epidemic shocked me, it made me feel hopeless and sad. More and more people are dying in Haiti every day. Many forms of media seems to be ignoring Haiti currently and lack following up with the epidemic that is still claiming lives every day. Cholera does not just disappear overnight. So what does that tell us about our news agencies and media today? Do they help with world wide disasters in aiding their crisis, or do they hinder the epidemics? News agencies can choose to report that everything is being handled by the UN or other relief workers, giving viewers across the world (especially in the Western hemisphere) comfort that things are being worked out; therefor no need for anyone else to help. They can also choose to ignore the actually issue, like we see with CBC, in order to promote their own interests.  People are dying in Haiti, but who really cares? Canadians are not dying, but let us recognize the few figures who do want to help. In a way, I guess that story could inspire others to get off their couch and lend a helping hand. But in another, Canadians can hide behind their pride of their citizens helping out, and continue to tune into the latest Canucks game.

Personally, media has the power to help motive and mediate relief efforts in Haiti and in any crisis around the world.  CNN proves this to be true.  However, you also see that the motives construed in media agencies, as CBC portrays, can hinder and minimize the actual problem.  I think media should be used for the betterment of society, all societies at that, and not become just a business endeavour; but that is probably the cultural anthropologist and humanitarian in me speaking.

 References Cited

Askew, Kelly.

2002 Blackwell Readers in Anthropology: The Anthropology of Media. 1-13.

Gourevitch, Philip.

2010 The New Yorker: Alms Dealer. 102-109.

CBC Radio Canada

2011 (1991) Mandate. hhtp://www.cbc.radio-canada.ca/about/mandate.shtml, accessed on February 1st, 2011.

CBC Radio Canada

2011 (2011) History of CBC/Radio-Canada and Canadian Public Broadcasting. http://www.cbc.radio-canada.ca/history/, accessed on February 1st, 2011.

Culture, Globalization, Mediation

One can identify that there is a cultural crisis during the 1970’s-1990’s as we read in Mazzarella’s article, Culture, Globalization, Mediation. Anthropologists studying culture were confused by the concept in the eighties to nineties, just as the world starts to become interested in the culture concept, thanks to globalization. As the culture concept becomes popular among the public, anthropology starts avoiding the essentialist and substantialist ideologies that make up this concept. Mazzarella sees that culture is being mediated for the world to see and globalization becomes common during this time period. Anthropologists become worried about these widespread ideas and Mazzarella believes that culture needs to be protected.

Mazzarella would argue that media can be seen as a tool for comparative studies among culture. Through mediation we are able to observe and contrast one culture with our own. The visuals put right in front of the view make this task easy and almost inevitable. Mazzarella would further argue that we use these comparisons to make up and decipher our own identity. For example, when seeing a culture that is foreign to you, you will know what you are not; therefore you must be the opposite. The problem that comes up in the study of mediation and globalization is the accuracy of the cultural representation. Producers have creative freedom when creating their work and the viewer is left to believe that there is a truth in their work. But producers are not anthropologists who have studied cultures and studied how to study cultures in the least bias way possible and then write about them and share them with the world. So how much trust can we put in the producers of media? I, along with Mazzarella, am sceptical.

The question I wonder is whether viewers are aware that there may be bias and untruths in the media they observe. If not, this could be very damaging to a culture. These lies and misrepresentations are exactly what anthropologists have tried so hard to avoid in their academic discipline and this is why Mazzarella believes globalization can only be bad news for cultures and cultural anthropologists in general.

While mediation can harm a culture, it can also become beneficial for them. Good representations and proper mediation for a community can open up the globe to a world they never knew much about. This is after all what anthropologists attempt to do. Mediation can be a fast, visual, informative and efficient way to do this. Thus, Mazzarella acknowledges the advantages and positives of mediation as well as the negatives. In turn, with mediation and good care, the world will be alright. Without it? Well, anthropologists cross your fingers and hope this won’t be the case.

References Cited

Mazzarella, William

2004 Culture, Globalization, Mediation. Annual Review of Anthropology 33:345-367