Remediation, remediation, remediation...

is a tricky concept. Which is why I let Leigh do the explaining. Check the group blog for more deets.

John Cage

John Cage's ideas about life itself as the highest form of art interest us deeply. I've just posted a world of information on him on the group blog, along with an mp3 of his performance piece, "4:33". Slooshy. It will blow your mind. I apologise deeply if anyone is offended by my comparing him to the producers of Big Brother. I know that's probably not why they did it, but hey, I can dream...

Extreme Big Celebrity In The Jungle Swap Island UK

Just posted some thoughts about reality TV on the group blog. An increasingly common and popular television programme format, this will certainly feature in our final project. Now, generally speaking, day-to-day reality can be fairly mundane. Which is why producers go for exotic, expensive-looking settings, will engineer scenes and situations for dramatic effect. But then, of course, it is no longer "reality" in the true sense of the word. And we know this. We're not stupid, and many programmes now put a disclaimer up before or after the show to inform people that what they're seeing may be a somewhat dramatised version of events. Yet we continue to watch. Why? Escapism from our own lives perhaps? Or just sheer boredom. Who knows?

It would be easy for me to completely write off all reality TV shows as a pointless, waste of time. However, it's never quite that simple. I've posted an article on the group blog about "De Grote Donorshow" (or The Big Donor Show to those who don't speak Dutch). I urge you to have a look. In the article I posted here about David Blaine a while back, I criticised him for having a worldwide platform and not using that to make any real statement. But De Grote Donorshow used the controversey surrounding it to raise two very important issues. One: a show about a dying woman selecting (from three other dying people) who will recieve her kidneys when she dies will, despite some attempts to ban it, gain an audience. And two: thousands of people die every year waiting for organ transplants because not enough people sign up as donors. Both of these things are, how can I put this...fucked up. But it seems that the show did make a difference, at least to the second point, so give it a read.

Does anyone remember...

...a TV advert which featured a polystyrene cup lying on a pavement, blowing about in the wind, which concluded with the slogan "People will watch anything?" I think it might have been for digital TV or something. I'm pretty sure I didn't make it up, but no one seems to remember it and I can't find any reference to it on the net. If no one remembers it I'll assume I'm a bloody genius did make it up, and it may well become our final project.

In the meantime, here's a similar clip from American Beauty,which I definitely didn't make up. It's incredible what a difference the musical score and Ricky's monologue make to the scene. Watched on mute it's just a bag flapping in the wind, but Sam Mendes has managed to transform that one shot into a powerful and moving symbol of hope and beauty. Epic stuff.

People Will Read Anything

is the name of the group blog myself and Leigh started today. You can find it in my linky winks. Much of our research towards the project, as well as general musings on our findings, will be posted there. Expect much witty banter to follow.