Monday, April 7, 2008

Into The Mind Of The Blogger...

So you’re probably sick and tired of my preaching. You’re wondering, “does he practice what he preaches? (like my man Barry over there-->) Does he completely believe all this structuralism mumbo jumbo?” And the answer is yes and no. On the one hand, I believe in the inherent structures, the deep and surface theory makes sense to me and I can see it in movie and TV shows. So yes, I believe in the idea of structuralism. However, sometimes I must question its importance and affect. First, the importance of something like structuralism I feel is always questionable. I guess it’s the question of, “now that we know about these structures where do we go from here?” One way to look at it (perhaps the more optimistic idea) is to use these structures both deep and surface in the formulation of new media and stories. Now that we know about the Hero’s Journey, use it to our advantage to create a truly fantastic tale that’s entirely new. Then again, is it actually new, as it just uses they old plot points. Similarly, should we be enraged if a movie production company uses Joseph Campbell’s book to make a movie guaranteed for success, regardless of production value, special effects and so on.

The other side – and the more pessimistic angle – would be that nobody cares or gives a s@%#t about these structures and they are meaningless. At times I think like this. I mean, sure Star Wars uses Campbell, but to what purpose should I care? Shouldn’t I be happy that movie creators are making conscious attempt to make a movie that I’m going to. Is it not a good thing that I’m going to like a movie before I walk into the theatre? Isn’t that the goal of the movie?

I think this whole debate comes down to an age-old discussion of human agency. How much control do WE as humans have and how much are we affected by our societal, cultural and surrounding influence? I am always a supporter of human agency. Maybe this is naïve of me, but I feel like I make my own decisions on likes and dislikes and that regardless of deep structure I can decide for myself. This throws out the whole Structuralist debate then and since I side with structuralism as well, looks like I’ve got to create a dual-model that incorporates both. So what would this look like and how could I explain it? Here goes!

We have these structures, they set up consistent stories, consistent themes and consistent ideas that as humans, we can relate too. But every human is different, everyone has different likes and dislikes so from that perspective we are all affected by structuralism differently (some more, some less). Interesting right? So maybe the hero’s journey appeals more to me than Joe Schmo over there, but maybe Joe Schmo is more in tune with the structure of the romantic comedy or love story? I guess I’m suggesting human agency structuralism, where the informed viewer can understand that these structures exist and appreciate them. In this case, by knowing about the structures, you as a viewer, would gain added enjoyment from the given media as you could discuss these structures and their importance? Now I want to hear from you. What’s your idea of structuralism? Do you feel affected by it? Let me know…..bye for now!

News and Notes: If you’ve never seen Will It Blend, then it’s now time to end that travesty. Classic viral video. He blends an iPhone! Some sort of statement against technology? Maybe! Hilarious? YES!


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