November Blog

For this blog I have provided this link. It is a video that I feel exemplifies a fun form of culture jamming. (The video starts just after the first half of the first paragraph)

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_jRQBGKPaA

If you have watched the movie, "Guardians of the Galaxy", then you will remember seeing this futuristic, kinda scary-looking person walking amongst a dead civilization.  He walks with total disregard to the ghosts within his view and leaves you wondering, "was he the creator of this destruction, or is this ancient history?".  Then the mask/helmet disappears and you see a tough looking man. OK, now I get it.  This futuristic man must be there to kick some butt. Right?  No. This futuristic man attaches a 1970's style tape deck to his belt, turns it on, and begins dancing to an Oldies but Goodies song, "Come and Get Your Love".

This is an excellent and fun example of Culture Jamming. Culture jamming (sometimes guerrilla communication) is a tactic used by many social movements to disrupt or subvert media culture and its mainstream cultural institutions, including corporate advertising. It attempts to "expose the methods of domination" of a mass society to foster change.  While culture jamming usually focuses on subverting or critiquing political and advertising messages, some proponents focus on a more positive (often musically inspired) form which brings together artists, scholars, and activists to create new types of cultural production that transcend—rather than merely criticize—the status quo.  In order to disrupt, Culture jamming must interrupt normal thought patterns.  Basically, snap you out of your normal pattern and make you take a look around with "fresh eyes". 

I felt the clever juxtaposition of this scene leaves your mind trying to grasp and compare what you already know and are familiar with, to that of a display which doesn't fit our preconceived ideas.  It made me stop and wonder.  Who is this? Is he a good guy? A bad guy? A Psychopath? Why does he look like a hard core butt-kicker, yet is playing a 1970's love song and dancing.  This combination of culture jamming was effective enough to get me to watch the entire movie.  A movie I enjoyed, but would never have watched based solely on the title.

On occasion, I will go back and re-watch this video for two reasons:  one - I really like the song, and two - I still enjoy watching the juxtaposition of this scene.  So this is my Christmas gift to the class.  I hope you enjoy this little bit of culture jamming before the holidays.

Barbara

Citations:

Guardians of the Galaxy.  Film. 2011
Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_jamming