Miranda July’s Me and You and Everyone We Know is a good study on the
superimposition of meaning. We notice this through Christine’s art, narrating
photographs that she sees, as well as when Richard tells his kids to be
“kid-like”, to do whatever they normally do as kids. Nancy also had trouble
telling a fake hamburger wrapper from a real one, and a real mug from a fake
one. While on the surface they are identical, they are both different things.
Will that matter if meaning is subjective, and people were not told the truth
of which of the objects were real and which isn’t?
The superimposition of meaning is better
exemplified in the context of the film’s touched-upon topic of the Digital
Culture. Nancy engages in an online chat conversation with a six-year old boy,
Robby, who she believes is much older. We as audience members are able to
discern that Nancy’s responses were sexual innuendos, and she mistakenly
believes that the person she is speaking to is responding in kind. Like when
Nancy asks Robby if he is touching himself, and he says yes because his thumbs
were touching. Definitely, because emotion is eliminated in a digital
conversation, Nancy wasn’t able to tell that Robby’s responses were far from
sexual. She also mistakes the symbol Robby draws to be something else. Recall
how Parker couldn’t tell the difference in the quality of blow jobs from the
two girls, while he was told not to look. He states that they were both
“exactly the same” and that he "couldn’t tell the difference.” How does
the digital age affect meaning? Also as a question to the scene in which Robby
copies and pastes many of Nancy’s responses back at her, such as when he says
"I remember” or “I trust you”, how has the digital culture affect
sincerity? Has it made it better or has it made it worse?
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A movie such as July’s You and Me and Everyone We Know garnered critical acclaim from
esteemed critics such as Roger Egbert. But did anyone actually get what the
movie was trying to say? Was it easy to figure out what the director was trying
to say? In an article by The Onion, they “subpoena” the director in an effort
to discuss what exactly July is trying to perpetuate, what messages she is
trying to convey and most importantly, to put it in economic terms, what
exactly she is trying to sell to her audience. This is interesting to
think about in the context of July’s own movie Me and You and Everyone We Know,
because of the aforementioned motif of the superimposition of meaning. Her
responses at first seem like mere attempts to evade answering the question,
that maybe she enjoys the shroud of mystery that comes with being a woman of
few words. Then again, perhaps the answer is as simple as she leaves it to be.
Was there really any meaning behind the movie? Did she have a concrete message
she was trying to convey or is it possible that she just hoped people would
draw their own conclusions from the movie?
Tortorici’s
essay You Know It When You See It
examines the female-male hipster divide; and the definition of the female
hipster. In the essay, she refers to hipsterism as a play of surfaces, a game
of outward signification. But where hipster men are more easily identified, hipster
women ‘receded into a network of complex signifiers”. She states that the
presentation of the appearance of the hipster female and the media chosen for
it is more important than the physical appearance. She examines the effect of
hipster photography on the definition of the hipster female, where postures girls held in
photos emerged intimations of a personality, which was the hipster ‘chillness’.
Flash-forward to ten years in the future, how has the digital age, with
photoshop and do-overs and camera bursts allow people to masquerade as
something they are not? Tortorici’s essay ends with the words “Life isn’t
like this, the photo seemed to say. But can’t a girl dream?" This is
indicative of a sense of self-reflexivity or self-awareness. How does that play
into hipsterism? In today’s day and age, is it really so simple to discern a
male hipster than it was before? Is it more or less difficult than for a female
hipster?
Crafting
and the Indie Design Movement states that DIY
mimics the idea of the punk and indie’s longtime emphasis on celebrating
difference and making do with what you already have at hand. The majority of
vendors and crafters are women who operate their own businesses. How does DIY
fit into the hipster canon from the hipster female perspective? It emphasized the fact that strong women were
able to do whatever they wanted, as they were released from the male-dominated
economy of business and money, stressed the feminist notions of the DIY
community. What is the role that feminism plays in the definition of
hipsterism?
With regards to the cycle of consumerism, can
artists ever truly independent if they want to be successful? Also, can
hipsterism now be considered a commodity that is marketable?
Drawing from the earlier paragraph of the
digital culture, we notice that the intrinsic value of handmade objects is
reduced greatly due to mass production and the fact that there is no
relationship between buyer and seller. The essay notes that the idea of getting
to know your customer is inherently indie. What does that say about the trend
of hipsterism, and the hipster art community?
Phew, a lot of topics that are covered this week! Jayson you did a great job in attempting to connect all this different facets of hipsterism. You raised some interesting questions that we hopefully discuss tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to draw on the question about hipsterism as a commodity. I definitely think that it is marketable, just look at brands such as Urban Outfitters or other brands who play with that aesthetic and sell you everything—from instant Polaroid cameras to vinyl— you can find the whole lifestyle of the hipster in one store. Brands use hipsterism in targeting a specific group of people, 13-29 year olds, in advertising. I worked for a long time in retail, and saw how Converse transformed itself in just a few years from a brand that only appealed to a particular group of people. Placing people like Pharrell Williams, M.I.A., Kid Cudi, and Julian Casablancas in their ads, creates an image of a hip lifestyle brand that once produced rain boots in the 1930s, and an iconic basketball shoe that became the symbol for a generation that was that into sports, went bankrupt and was revived by another major company (Nike). I won't repeat myself with the culture industry, but it's just cyclical. And hipsterism is the thing for quite some years now, huh.
Another question that I found interesting was about the role of feminism in hipsterdom. While the DIY movement is definitely empowering for women all around the world and has feministic attitudes, I don't think that feminism has found a place within this "counterculture" (read these as air quotes please). That's because the hipster is often times represented by men, and feminists are not really interested to partake in this play of presentation and physical appearance. I'm interested what you all think about this.
When I first completed the assignment for this week (watching the movie and reading the texts), I thought that what we examined was particularly left-of-center. Then, I thought back to what we have addressed already and realized it has all been left of center. I think when July imposes meaning in such an obvious way, it is to make a point that we are not always supposed to be seeking out meaning in every aspect of our culture or lives. Obvious symbols are normally used in a sarcastic tone. July seems mildly psychotic in her approach to the movie. Thankfully, though, meaning is completely subjective. Obviously, the same thing can mean different things to different people. For that matter, it should. In regard to the digital culture of it all, it most certainly reduces sincerity. Anything can be masked in a false veil of sincerity. At the same time, truly sincere statements can come off as insincere because of the way that text conversations and the way things are presented completely removes any emotion from a text that is sent or a post that is made.The digital age certainly makes it easier for hipsters to portray the characteristics of irony and false sincerity that we discussed in earlier classes. For all we know, July's movie could be a complete joke and be taking a stab at today's cultural landscape. That is how art is, nowadays. In regard to consumerism, I think the massive character of our culture definitely does put a limit on the ability for authenticity. I honestly have no idea how to interpret art like the wrappers and stuff like that. I think hipsterism is definitely a commodity as haircuts like the cory sell well and urban outfitters fashion department makes a lot of money as well. Artist can never really separate themselves from the interests of people if they want to find large scale success. This is the problem with today's market and consumerism in general. In regard to hipster gender, I think it is easy to make differences between a hipster male and a hipster female. One thing to keep in mind is that they are the same at the core. The values and ideas aren't different. For the most part, even the fashion and tastes aren't different. The gender separation comes from the public's ability to make a normalization based on the gender. It is easy to classify a girl as trying hard or being emo because maybe they have a greater capacity for sincerity than males. I don't really know, I'm just trying to project what I see from popular culture.
ReplyDeleteThe negative influence of technology on sincerity has no doubt out weighed any positive effects it may have on sincerity. Technology is scary in how rapidly and easily it is influencing our culture. Because technology is necessary to function in today’s society I feel we are desensitized to its malignancies including its damage to individualism, proper communication, quality relationships etc. Technology fits well into the film as it explicitly expresses the theme of superimposed meaning or multiplicity of meaning. More importantly however I think technology and the many other depictions of insincerity within the film(commercialism in the shoe store, politics in determining who is showcased at the contemporary art exhibit etc) create a stark backdrop used to contrast the moments of sincerity and romanticism in the movie. Like we were talking about last week, there is growing emphasis on “new sincerity” in hipster culture, which is also depicted in this movie. Specifically sincerity is most often presented through female characters. Although the main character, Richard also desperately desires sincerity in his relationship with his family and with a significant other, he many times suppresses these desires throughout the movie. For example, when he rejects Christine in the car telling her to get out. The females in the movie in contrast actively seek exaggerated even ridiculously romantic and extremely intimate scenarios. Christine is constantly seeking a romantic relationship with Richard and the little girl is preparing for a future with family with her hope chest. The little girl even goes as far as imagining the set up of her future home and what she would like to say to her child. The odd behavior of Christine and the overly mature little girl comments on gender stereotypes and the feminist verses masculine hipster. I think that overall, hipster trends are more apparent in woman because they are more appropriate to their gender expectations/stereotypes. Females often being expected to be romantic, emotional, and creative while traditional male roles tend to be associated with practicality and dominance. I think the film shows that though many people desire sincerity in their lives, hipster culture is more suited to the feminine stereotype. I think for the same reason DIY and the craft scene are dominated by females.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, Me and You and Everyone We Know was a very confusing movie. I had trouble finding the “point” of the movie, or what it was trying to say about today’s society. I did enjoy the way each character’s life intertwined with each others. So what do I think the movie was trying to say? I think the most important aspect of the film was as that in a world where internet and the web are becoming increasingly prevalent, people are becoming more isolated and socially awkward. It seems like the web is desensitization people to what is actually happening in real time. Just this past week, someone told me they preferred to listen to pre-recorded songs and stream concerts, rather than actually hearing them live. People are content with having strange, sexual conversations online rather than going out and meeting people. But then again, Jayson could be right and maybe the movie was not intended to have any sort of meaning and as sort intended to be an awkward romantic-comedy. I think Jayson made a great point when analyzing You know It When You See It, when he talks about how the digital age has allowed people to pretend to be someone who they are not. Throughout our daily lives, we are bombarded with pictures of “ideal” people. The digital age has allowed for anyone to pretend to be idealized. Honestly, I’m really not sure which is easier or harder to discern between a male or female hipster. Each seems to be growing beyond my preconceived notions of what makes someone “hipster”. So in that sense I think both male and female hipsters are becoming harder to discern, as more appropriation occurs and more definitions appear. I think that in today’s world it is becoming increasingly hard to be successful while becoming truly independent. That being said, I think artists, musicians, and companies are able to retain their original ideals and identities while “selling out” or becoming consumerist.
ReplyDeleteWow, lots of great questions. It’s hard to hone in on just a few subjects.
ReplyDeleteWhat I find particularly interesting is the question regarding how new capabilities of the digital age affect the hipster “image”. Tortorici notes the influence that photography has had on the existence of the female hipster, as they seek to emulate styles of the past. Whereas not long ago female “hipsters” would rely on polaroids to create the image they sought, today’s society is saturated with Facebook and Instagram photos that allow females to create whatever image they so desire using digital enhancement tools; it is becoming easier and easier with time. With regards to discerning male hipsters, I believe that it is still certainly easier to do than discerning female hipsters, largely due to the fact that many male hipsters today have traditionally feminine fashion qualities (e.g. wearing skinny jeans, scarves, etc.) that set them apart from other men, yet a fashion conscious female oftentimes simply looks like any other fashion conscious female.
With regards to the DIY movement, I think that it is in large part a rebellion against corporate production, which explains how it fits into hipsterism in general. While the DIY movement was a great opportunity for the liberation of women on some level (as they could independently produce their own products), I agree with Yasmine in that I am not sure of how much feminism has come to play a dominant role within the hipster community.
On a separate note, I think that it would be exceedingly difficult for artists to be “independent” and yet still find mainstream success (if reaching a mass audience is what is meant by being “successful”). Hipsterism is absolutely a commodity, and major corporate retail chains exploit this knowledge; the article about the DIY movement in San Francisco illustrated the way in which chains such as Urban Outfitters have “stolen” the works of independent artists to produce on a mass scale. Thus, I have noticed that the DIY movement has ironically in some sense been replicated by these major retail chains, which completely defeats its purpose. Nevertheless, these chains know that they will find the consumer to buy into what they are doing, even if it is inauthentic.
I love the questions regarding the superimposition of meaning and found this theme to be incredibly thought provoking throughout July’s film. I saw the movie as consisting almost entirely of double-layered story lines in terms of perceived meaning; On the bare surface each character and each scene appears to be of an incredibly simplistic nature. While there are obvious obscurities and challenges to social norms in the plot line (pedophilia, children taking on adult roles, questions of sanity, and downright quirkiness), the film does not fluctuate in drama or action, nor does it rise to a climax as do standard meaning-filled films. Instead, each scene is manifested as a dull daily occurrence in the life of eccentric characters. Without any clear message or central plot line, the viewer is forced to impose their own overarching meaning upon the film as a whole -- this viewer-created meaning becomes the second layer. As Jayson questioned, as did the writer of the Onion article, July’s directing choices are far from easy to pick apart. While the obvious eccentricities and obscurities of the characters lead us as viewers to reach for meaning and answers for possible symbols and reasons for their behavior, the possibility still remains that July may very well be playing with the idea of the human need to superimpose meaning on all that we perceive. She even directly hints at this possibility in the film, most blatantly when Nancy and her colleague view the hamburger wrapper and other banal objects as brilliant works of art, when in reality they were not created by an artist and held no intentional meaning. While I do believe that much of the film did contain profound substance, I do think that July’s main intended meaning was to mock the tendency to impose meaning on the meaningless. The topic of Digital Culture also complements this idea greatly, exemplified in the misconstrued instant messages between Robby and Nancy. July demonstrates how in the modern age, sincerity and meaning can be misinterpreted as people lose direct contact with one another. The digital age allows us to anonymize ourselves, duplicate the work of others, and counterfeit meaning, all of which add to the need to superimpose meaning, even in cases where no real meaning is present.
ReplyDeleteI really liked your question about the affect of the Digital Age and specifically digitalized photography and what we define as hipster. When you hear/read/think about ideas of image and identity with regards to photography, thoughts typically gravitate toward the undeniable negative impact that airbrushing and photoshop has on societies conception of beautiful and body image. However, when I started thinking about this with regards to the hipster, I thought about the tumblr grunge trend, which would definitely be considered hipster. There are countless tumblr blogs that apposed to posting airbrushed images of "perfection" show the flaws of the human body. Whether it’s pictures of self-harm, pale and frail looking people or whether it’s text posts that reflect internal/mental imperfections - there’s a cold tone or sense emitted through these posts, and for many, they scream sincerity and pain. Of course, because it is the internet and there are no rules forcing people to be sincere and genuine, so chances are that a fair amount of these posts have been reblogged because they get obscene amount of notes, and people just want to be tumblr famous(which does relate to the hipster-only-for-popularity conundrum). These posts, and others tagged “grunge” are also edited/filtered (lol irony) to give the photos a more grainy look, with the intention of making them look more authentic, and old and real. However, these grunge blogs speak to the desire for sincerity that hipsters emote. They are in a way a response to the air-brushing and photoshopping and editing that has become so common today - once again, it shows hipster’s being anti-mainstream.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your question about feminism and hipsters, I immediately said thought that feminism is not hipster. Granted, that’s because I believe that feminism should be the mainstream and thus being feminist isn’t hipster at all, it’s the complete opposite. However, in our wonderfully screwed up world, that is not the case and there is still a grave stigma against feminism, that causes feminism to be associated with hipsterism. This may just be my own ignorance, or personal misunderstanding of society, but I’ve never really thought of the two together. I suppose that stereotypes of “feminists” may be similar to those of hipsters in terms of their aesthetic, and of course some people who identify as feminists may also be hipster, but I don’t think there is that much of a causal relationship between the two…or at least there shouldn’t be. You shouldn’t have to be one to be the other, or not be able to be one because you are the other...If that makes any sense whatsoever.
I really liked the questions regarding consumerism and I agree with Yasmin when she said that a hipster lifestyle is a marketable commodity. I do also think, however, that any lifestyle is marketable and in today's consumer society most are. Nerds, punks, hipsters, and artists are all examples of styles that can be adopted by individuals who do not necessarily possess the qualities that coincide with each stereotype. Department stores package and sell everything from clothes to props for young people to act out whatever lifestyle they most desire to embody. Like Tortorici mentioned in her article, various blogs, companies, and websites compare hip outfits and trends as well as party pictures in order to show off the lives of young people. Nevertheless, these sites are almost always false and exaggerated displays of these people's lives. Yet it is clear that social media breeds this behavior in everyone because people only post things online that present a certain version of themselves that they want advertised. This idea of false projections is something that we have touched on many times throughout the class and the more sources we observe, the more I am starting to believe that anyone who paints a false image of themselves is (through one definition) a hipster. Additionally, I think most "independent" artists can be successful since hipterism has become so mainstream that it is no longer defined as something avant-garde or unique. Because if everyone likes it, can you truly call it unique?
ReplyDeleteMe and You and Everyone We Know isn't a traditional movie by any means. The film seems to elicit a sense of frustration, be it from the awkward, stunted, interactions, or its apparent lack of meaning. However, I want to push back on the difficult to discern what the meaning of the film is and suggest that perhaps the film itself is dealing with this very issue as it grapples with meaning in a culture saturated with the internet. I see the meaning of the film as a confrontation with the problem of meaning making in the first place, and the desire that we have to meaning directly told to us. Thus, I wouldn't say that there is no meaning in the film, or that the director doesn't have a point, but rather, the point of the film is to suggest that with the rise of the internet how we make points and make meaning in our day to day lives has to change. The internet, of course, has changed how we relate to one another, and I would argue that we still haven't entirely found out what this new form of communication means. Because of this incomprehensibility we, like the characters in the film, fail in order to find these connections. It seems, to me then, that the film in a way is about the failure of communication that is inevitable in any kind of discourse. But rather than repressing these failures, the film stresses the possibility of living with failure, of living with the reification of the virtual in the real world.
ReplyDeleteSo I saw this performance piece/short film the other day that juxtaposes the subtle, almost apologetic, tone of Me And You and Every We Know. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5nclmEYkqk
Wow there's a lot to cover today. Jayson did an awesome job summarizing the movie and the texts and raising questions about them as well. I would like to start off by addressing one of the first questions that was posed regarding how the digital age has affected meaning. It seems fairly evident that technology has had a severely negative impact on meaning. We saw from the movie that one cannot often tell someone's true tone and attitude just from reading text off of a screen. Both of these things are often what allow us to analyze and discern the meaning of what someone says. If we have lost the ability to recognize the tone and attitude of digitalized messages it can not be expected of us to find any sincerity or meaning in them either. We usually just try to find meaning using the medium that is being used to converse as a guide. Nancy, for example, assumed Robby was saying everything sexually because of the way in which they were communicating, on a chat that is used to anonymously meet random people. Moving on to the second part of that question, digital culture has most definitely made sincerity harder to come by. If we can so easily copy and paste someone else's words just as Robby did, then nothing would ever be said with any sincerity as the words that we are using are not truly ours.
ReplyDeleteLike most others have already said, hipsterism can easily be seen as a commodity. We've all seen "hipster" trends sold in very common and not so hip stores. Everyone seems to want to be hip or at least be associated with the hip culture, but few can define what either of those terms mean. It's an interesting concept to think about. Why would so many people want to identify with, or try to identify with a culture that seems to be undefinable? In my opinion, I believe that's just it. People like the idea of not being defined. There are often times throughout life where we are labeled, and although being hipster is a label, it's a label that does not have a concrete meaning. This ties into the question about whether or not July had an intended message that she was trying to convey and why she gave such simple responses in the interview. While I'm sure she had some original meaning that she wanted the film to convey, I'm also sure that we will never know what it was. But what better way to get people thinking about a certain question than to leave the answer completely up to them? Mystery and the unknown is a key concept to understand when analyzing the hipster subculture.