Children of the Screen

Imagine a fisherman’s trade. He storms out into the ocean, using potent bait to lure in the fish, and then sells said fish to a cannery or something along the same lines. The cannery pays for the fish and the process begins again. Now imagine today’s media process, most poignantly the evening news. Using the headlines as bait, news and media reels us in, and sells our viewing potential to advertisers, the metaphor’s cannery. I will first admit that this comparison is not of my own creating: my Comm. 101 teacher used this metaphor in class. But I thought it played well into a discussion on this piece, Children of the Screen. It begs us to ask the question, when we view media today, are we the consumer, or are we the product?

The title article makes many claims in a depressing, yet hauntingly truthful manner. Our society has lost much of its identity. And this is a world-wide problem. When a bustling street in Hong Kong is indistinguishable from one in New York because of the McDonalds on the corner and the fully entrenched advertising for Sprite, something has gone horribly awry. Norms can no longer be stratified without some sort of financial backing and the right lobbyists or sponsors. The terms by which we live our lives are no longer molded by our own hands.

This immersion into mass media and ever-changing values has taken a toll on nearly everyone. Young girls attempt to starve themselves to look like their favorite movie star or model, who has most likely been airbrushed to the point of being a surreal caricature of their former selves. Athletes take performance enhancing drugs just to compete and be the very best. But there is a problem with all this. None of it is real. We are living in a TV fantasy land where every crime is violent, but solved in the end. A place where people entertain themselves by having their testicles kicked by a horse, or where people compete in the most ridiculous challenges for their fifteen minutes of fame and a possible payday that will most likely be blown through before the show has even aired.

As one can see, I am fairly well in agreement with the author of Children of the Screen. But as a reader trying to be objective, I had to pay some thought to the upsides to such a society. It bothered me that said pros to the situation were ignored by the writer of the article. There are some positive aspects that exist, such as the fact that cellular phone service has helped to unite third world countries without a centralized landline. Or perhaps the fact that all kinds of charitable groups can come together online and share ideas to create support could be seen as advantageous. E-mail and texting makes communication simple and instantaneous; even television has some creative and educational programming. Of course, for every upside, there are problems, and drawbacks, but that is simply a fact of life.  

So which one are you? Are you the product, or the consumer?

What is the price of beauty and youth? How far will people go to make themselves the pinnacle of attractiveness and virility? According to Oscar Wilde, some are all consumed by this endeavor, as showcased in his classic novel detailing the plight of the man named Dorian Gray. Said novel was turned into a feature film in 1945, which displayed similar subject matter. The film’s plot surrounds the title character Dorian Gray, who is obsessed with staying young. He prays that he can be just as youthful forever after a portrait of him is finished and he sees the picture of youth before him. This prayer miraculously comes true, perhaps due to some supernatural powers of a creepy Egyptian cat, and Dorian trades his soul for eternal youth; the main catch being that all of his sins and aging are then portrayed by the newly commissioned portrait. Ashamed of what he becomes, Dorian feverously hides the painting from everyone and lives a lecherous life. A legend of sorts, Dorian attracts many women, but also many suspicions. In the end, he can no longer take the pressure of it all, and in a fit of rage, stabs the portrait where his heart would be. This brash action has its consequences, and he falls dead from the blow, also taking on the hideous creature the portrait has been covering up. The painting returns to normal, and the story of Dorian Gray fades away from the minds of all around him.

Of particular note in the film was the murder scene of Basil Hallward, the man who painted the portrait of Dorian. As Hallward slowly comes to realize what has happened concerning the portrait, he cannot contain his fears. All of the film had him standing up for and being friendly with Dorian. And yet, this horrid depiction of his friend tears that all to pieces. The music builds as the viewer realizes what is about to occur. Using the letter opener as a crowning example of Chekhov's gun, Hallward is stabbed to death quite violently by Dorian. After this atrocious act, Dorian is aghast to see his visage in the portrait suddenly has blood on its hands. The imagery here resounding, Dorian throws a drapery over the painting in disgust. He then goes about covering up his friend’s death using blackmail and secrecy; his truly demonic side once again rearing its ugly head. Of course, the transition of the portrait lends right back into the general plotline. In addition, the true theme begins to shine through. It is that while beauty and youth are certainly sought after attributes, the true measure of a person comes from the inside, and what those inner feelings cause the person to do. Also, the idea that you cannot hide behind a façade for long, and fooling some will not suffice for those who stop and truly look into your soul. Dorian couldn’t hide that side of himself, and made many mistakes because of it. His superficial dream realized, he had nothing in his life to do but vile things, and this led to his downfall.

So I pose this question. Is looking beautiful worth it all?

UH Assignment

Note that I have included both a narrative, as well as an expository piece for the man I call Fritz.  Just wanted to touch on a few more details in the expository, while having more fun with the narrative...

Narrative for Fritz

He walked into the room slowly. It was uncommon territory, a slight knot forming in his stomach. Tugging at the stuffy tie his wife had draped around his neck, Fritz put on his most convincing professional mask, and approached the man quietly. It was his first formal job interview, and it was nerve-racking.

Most of his life had been filled with much less complicated matters. He was the son of simple grocery store owner, and his contemporaries never let him forget it. All his attempts to become more than what his father had been came crashing down around him when his schooling ended. There was no money for University, and Fritz had no true skills to showcase. His childhood in school had been difficult. Between the teasing and bullying, he had barely secured an average education.

“Why do you feel you would be a good fit for our company, Mr. Michaels?” the stolid man behind the desk inquired. It was a simple enough question, but Fritz had no real answer. Why would a poorly educated son of a grocer fit in with a media mogul? He sat, in pensive thought, trying to appear as calm as possible. Slowly, he formulated his answer. But the words stumbled out of his narrow lips like water drops from a faucet barely left on.

“You… are a, umm, business of… the people, sir. I, well, I guess… I feel like, you know, umm, I can easily relate.” The interviewer leans back in the chair and scratches his chin. Fritz already knows that he has made several mistakes. It wasn’t good enough for a true businessman. All along, Fritz knew there was little chance of escaping his situation. It was inevitable and saddening all the same.

“We’ll perhaps give you a call, Mr. Michaels. Good day.” Fritz nods and backs out almost apologetically. He was enough of a realist to know what it meant. There was no chance, and his life would continue in its mundane fashion. It wasn’t fair, in his mind, what he had been dealt. Why did it have to be this way? Why couldn’t he just put on a tie and become the man everyone, his wife, his family, wanted him to be? Was he to blame? Holding in his feelings, Fritz move out into the waiting room where other men are dressed in similar, but well-kept raiment.

But as he left, Fritz realized something. All the men lined up, they were all the same. The pale glares and shaking hands were always present. He didn’t really want to be one of those drones. It was good enough, for now, just to be himself. Even if it wasn’t what society deemed as perfection.

Portrait #7

Being that I would rather not refer to the man in the portrait as “man in the portrait” for the rest of this blog, I will call him Fritz, as I feel it matches his look and character.
Most prominently, Fritz has presented himself with a gentlemanly façade. His professional raiment and perfectly coifed hair being evidence to such an insinuation. But he falls short of his goal to present himself with such professionalism, as he is not akin to such formalities. This can be noted in his rather sloppy tie, askew to one side. As such, it would not be a stretch to come to the conclusion that perhaps Fritz is not of the superior class of which he imitates. Perhaps he is on his way to attempt to become something more than his social status currently affords him.

Of interest is Fritz’s personality, as a man with such a thoughtful glare creates some sense of mystery. But his true demeanor is less intriguing. The almond shaped eyes are lifeless, almost subservient in a way. The tight lips create a sense that he is not ecstatic, nor truly saddened by his state of affairs. He accepts his role in life, even if it means being less than what his dreams hold. But he is not above trying to escape his plebeian life, and thus has the good notion to practice excellent posture to attempt to woo potential employers.

Before one can pose more, it would be of interest to look into the peculiarities of Fritz’s visage. His ears are of an inconceivable girth, and could say something towards his life as a child. One can always imagine the endless teasing afforded to him by this abnormality. Also, his brows come together, showing a slight bit of thoughtlessness when grooming. This goes right back to his attempts at being a true man of affluence and position being just short of what is needed. Also, his thin face, coupled with prominent cheekbones might suggest a gaunt individual, who is lacking in the nutrition needed for civilized life. 

As one can imagine, it is hard to give Fritz a complete story. However, he has enough emotion, or perhaps lack thereof, that can tell us more about his character. He is no doubt a simple man, and most likely a follower. He does not trouble himself with the world around him, and shows little remorse for the life he has been given. One could pose that he is masking his true feelings, which is most probably partly true. There is a sense of inner pain in his eyes and overall face that could point to his actual disdain.

In the end, all of Fritz will remain a mystery. That is the true beauty of art, and people. When one thinks they know everything, they inevitable find that all they were assuming was wrong. Perhaps the tie is a sign of rebellion; that Fritz is from the high society but is trying to break away and be more relaxed? One may never be sure, but it is exactly that which makes him a most interesting character

Gambit

So, my current desktop has the most awesome guy ever, Gambit.  He's cajun, so don't forget about it.  Au revoir, mes amis.

Hello Everyone

My name is Jared Brickman.  I'm from Baker City, Oregon and love to write and play tennis.  If you have a question for me about anything, don't hesitate to ask.