Do Blade Runners Dream of Organic Replicants?

Choice Blog Post #3

In an effort to catch up on popular old movies that I have never seen, as well as expose myself to more content relating to topics addressed in my Computers and Culture class, I recently rented Blade Runner. This film, released in 1982, stars Harrison Ford as Rick Deckard, a retired blade runner re-hired to track down a group of replicants who emigrated to Earth. I know that the previous sentence may make no sense to those of you who have not seen the film, mostly due to some of the terminology and lack of back-story. I’ll try to explain without giving away too much of the movie. Basically, humans created bioorganic robots that are nearly indistinguishable from humans and have become very dangerous in this future dystopian world. They were used for slave labor in outer space colonies but, due to their level of unprovoked hostility, are not allowed on Earth where they can harm humans. Blade runners are a division of police force who’s job it is to track down and kill rouge replicants that make it to Earth. Harrison Ford’s character, Rick Deckard, is of course the best at doing so.

Blade Runner is based on Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, a novel by legendary science fiction author Philip K. Dick, a fact I was not aware of until after I watched the movie. It is also worth mentioning that the film was directed by Ridley Scott, the same director who would later go on to direct the 1984 Apple Computers commercial (posted below). The film didn’t have a great opening in theaters. Critics gave it a cold reception, claiming that the film was paced too slowly and that it was closer to “science fiction pornography” rather than science fiction. After its release it went on to develop a cult following and has since been re-released without the initial narration by Harrison Ford’s character (this was the version I watched).

While I agree that the pacing was slow at times, overall this was a very interesting movie as well as very relevant to some of our class discussions. Set in a future, November 2019 to be exact, Los Angeles, the movie tells of a world where humans and robotic humans struggle to coexist. The future is dim according to this movie. The film has a very gritty and dystopian feel. One of the features I liked most about the film is that it had a noir style to it, even though it was set in the future. The traditional noir style mixed with a futuristic setting is not a technique that is used often in movies. In fact I can’t think of any besides this one. I’m sure that the version with narration gives it this feeling even more so.

Some interesting themes were brought up in this movie as well. In particular when Deckard falls in love with Rachel, one of the latest versions of the replicants. Not only does the film touch on human/robot intimacy and love, it brings up the question of what effect it would have on society. Here is a man trained to kill these androids on sight, living in a society legally forbidden to interact with these machines, and he ends up falling in love with his sworn enemy. How a human can have relations with a robot is not detailed in the film, but to me it is the ultimate example of man merging with machine to form cyborgs, written about in Donna Haraway’s Cyborg Manifesto. This also poses a problem for Deckard. Society is not likely to understand a human/android relationship and they would definitely not allow Rachel to remain on Earth alive. To be with the one that he loves he must either run from Earth with her or go into hiding permanently.

Another topic that is apparent is how these robotic organisms view life. I did not mention this before, but their purpose for coming back to Earth was to confront their maker, Dr. Eldon Tyrell of the Tyrell Corporation, to see if they could extend their life cycle beyond four years (the average life span given to them as a protective design measure). It seems that all anything with life desires to do is to keep living, regardless if they are human, animal, or synthetic organism. Once they become aware of their inevitable demise, the robots struggle in dealing with the fact that they are mortal and eventually have to succumb to death. This is an emotion that I am sure every being who is aware of their own existence must struggle with. Overall, this was a great movie and very relevant to what we discussed in class. If anyone is interested in science fiction or classic American films than I strongly recommend that you watch Blade Runner.

Apple's 1984 Commercial

Little Big Apple, Here I Come!

Choice Blog Post #2

Ever since the release of the first Grand Theft Auto game I have been a huge fan of the series. The unbelievable depth and storytelling that each game has been capable of is astonishing to me. It seems that with each new release, the Grand Theft Auto series only gets better at being able to deliver. Not to mention that Grand Theft Auto III basically gave birth to a new genre of video games, the open-world sandbox game. The purpose of this article is not to praise Grand Theft Auto, to be referred to as GTA from now on, and sell copies of it though; instead this posting is meant to discuss how it relates to me and why I prefer GTA to real life in certain situations.

As I write this there are just under two weeks left until the highly anticipated release of Grand Theft Auto IV. The latest installment of the GTA series set in a fictional version of New York City, aptly named Liberty City. For well over a year I have been anxiously awaiting the release of this game. Compulsively checking the fan website http://www.gta4.net/news/index.php for any sliver of news about the game I can sink my teeth into. I like video games as much as the next young male of my generation, but normally I do not become so obsessed with one that I track it progress with such attention. For some reason this game appeals to me in a way that other games can’t even come close to. When I think about it, it doesn’t seem that complicated. Who out there wouldn’t like to explore a digital recreation of the city in which they were born and the area where they have spent most of their life. The increased freedom and fantasy that video games provide makes it all the more appealing. But, could it be something more than that?

I have the luxury of living not too far outside the city limits of the real New York City. On any given day I can drive or take public transportation into NYC and experience whatever I choose, within reason. If I want to take in a Broadway show I am more than capable of doing so. Even if I just want to sight see and explore some of the many wonderful areas New York City has to offer, there is nothing stopping me. Interestingly enough, in real life I avoid New York City like the plague. The crowds, the traffic, the noise, it is almost enough to drive any sane man nuts. Why is it that I am so eager to lose myself in digital Doppelganger of the Big Apple?

There are many answers I can think of for the aforementioned question. Perhaps it is because if I get tired of walking I can smash a window of the nearest car, “borrow” the ride, and cruise around. Perhaps it is because if people walk in front of my car, as they so often like to do in New York City, I can simply plough through them rather than stop and get stuck behind the next red light. Or more simply it is that fact that I can do all this and more without ever having to leave the comfort of my couch. No matter what the reason, the truth is that this game will be able to provide me with what real life cannot, an opportunity and place to live out my greatest fantasies and deepest desires. Not that I deeply desire to commit vehicular manslaughter on a regular basis, but knowing that there will be no consequences for my virtual actions in GTA IV makes it all the more appealing.

If nothing else, videogames are a great escape from the rules and regulations of everyday life. A chance for people to be something greater than they are in their regular lives. That is why I love videogames and will most likely continue to play, and make (if all goes according to plan), them for as long as I live. As for the game itself, it has been a long wait, but the release is just around the corner and soon it will all be worth it. So when April 29^th of this year comes around I will be instantly teleported to a synthetic world with which I am very familiar and can appreciate that much more. Until then, I can only dream about the fun my friends and I will have in an alternate New York City where anything goes and there are no real life consequences.

Nip/Tuck

Second Life Gender Blog Post

One of the factors that make virtual worlds, such as Second Life, so interesting is that one is no longer bound by the physical constraints that come with being a human. In real life I would never be able to experience what it would be like to live life as another race or gender, short of cross dressing or wearing a lot of skin makeup. Normally I can only read about the chronicled experiences of such a person. However with programs such as these, we are able to experience daily life through their eyes. In the past two weeks I have changed my avatar to first resemble a person of different ethnicity than my own, then to resemble a person of female gender. My first experience of being a different race was interesting, but written more in detail in my previous post about finding racism in a virtual community. What I would like to write about right now is my experience of being a woman for a day in Second Life.

My first true female experience came when we were exploring in our class groups to which we were assigned. While walking around the island of Royier I encountered an avatar who inquired about selling my newly female character a gun. Having zero lindens and wanting to test my new attributes, I asked if there were any other means of payment that could be arranged for the virtual weapon. At first the male avatar declined, but after some conversation he gave me the weapon item as a gift. This was quickly followed by a friend request and an offer to join him on a Wild West role playing island named Tombstone, Arizona. I explained that I was busy at the moment, but offered to join him after I was done with my class.

For the rest of the class I explored Second Life as a female avatar, but noticed nothing that differed from any of my other experiences in Second Life. Perhaps this is because I was surrounded by classmates. After class I did take the aforementioned male avatar up on his offer to join him in role-playing on the island of Tombstone, Arizona. Upon going there he presented me with a female Native American outfit to match his character dressed as a Native American male. I got the feeling he was looking for some female companionship for his role-playing escapades in Second Life. For awhile I complied, trying to find out more about what it was like to virtually be a female. I wore the outfit and followed him around Tombstone, Arizona. He told me about the local citizen avatars as well as some current events that occurred within the island. After some time he attempted to make a pass at my character by telling me that I was beautiful. I thanked him, but not liking where the situation was going I bid him farewell and went to explore other locations. For the remainder of my time on Second Life that night he would send me instant messages asking my whereabouts and what I was up to. I didn’t respond and logged off soon after that.

As a male I have never been pursued in such an eager fashion. Second Life allowing me to switch my gender gave me some insight on what it might be like to be a woman. While this was certainly a very interesting experience, I not sure that it is something that I would be inclined to do again. I know nothing about being a female and something about deceiving others and having them show sexual interest in a digital female representation of myself does not sit well with me. While being able to easily switch your appearance in the online worlds is definitely an enticing option, why one would do it for reasons other that of research or experimentation is beyond me.

Third Time's a Charm

Second Life Blog Post #3

After over a month of participating in Computers and Culture classes in the real world, the time once again came for us to venture into Second Life and see what we could discover in this digital realm. This was definitely an interesting class in which I discovered many new places as well as got to experience what it is like to be a different gender. Upon logging in, I met up with the other class members in order to participate in a lengthy discussion led by the co-facilitators for this class session. For over an hour we sat and discussed the readings from last week, as well as new topics that arouse about racial identity and cyberspace. Although this was informative and educational, most of the action occurred after the class discussion. This is when we separated into groups and explored certain islands that our group leaders had been assigned to take us to. This is when it got interesting.

Before going anywhere I decided to change my gender first so that I could see what it was like to be a female avatar in Second Life, as well as fulfill the requirements for one of the upcoming postings, to document my experiences while being the opposite gender. After that, I met with my group and prepared to travel. The first place our group ended up was an island by the name of Royier, near a place called Commando SL Base. This area was surrounded by airplanes, boats, helicopters, and other off-road vehicles. Inside of the base, weapons were sold and there was a place called the combat zone on the roof of the structure. To me this island seemed very male oriented and geared toward a masculine crowd since it had a lot to do with weapons, combat, and big vehicles. Being that I was now a female avatar I looked for feminine activities and was not surprised that there weren’t many on this island. At one point I was offered to purchase a gun from another avatar and I tried other means of persuasion to acquire the gun item. This is a very interesting story which I will go much more into detail in my next posting about my transgender experience in Second Life. As for the island, I felt my female character was out of place in this male oriented environment and after some time exploring we decided to move on.

Next was a wedding themed island which was essentially the opposite of the last island we visited. Here we traded the gunshots and whirring chopper blades for a much more peaceful and natural environment. Walking around I could hear water running, birds chirping, and no matter where I looked there was some romantic setting that had to do with weddings. I’m not sure if virtual SL weddings are held here, but one thing about this place is obvious, it has a much more feminine feel to it. After a while we decided to move on to the next location, Bad Boy’s Urban City. As the name implies, this area is a gay club modeled after an urban environment. Walking around, I noticed many position balls for all sorts of sexual acts as well as many pornographic pictures on the walls. It is clear who the intended audience is on this island. One thing that intrigued me was that there were male and female labeled position balls in some places. Being that this is a virtual gay bar, one would expect positional balls only relating to the same gender. Curious I tried some of these positions out to see what would happen. As you can imagine, it is more comical than exciting to watch ones avatar perform a 69 all by its self.

Lastly we went to one more place, Soulphoniks Mega Outlet Store. This is an area where one can purchase clothing and items inspired by the hip-hop community. I noticed that most of the posters advertising the clothing items had darker skinned avatars in them, indicating who the target audience was. After looking around for a bit, we decided to head back to the Purchase College island to wrap up class and discuss our adventure. As I mentioned before there are quite a few interesting experiences I had being a female avatar, but I will go more into detail about those in the next post. In my travels today I saw many examples of locations made for specific races and genders in a supposedly neutral community. As in real life, a person’s preferences and interests vary and specific communities are in turn created to bring those interested in them together. What makes SL compelling is the ability it provides to allow anyone to change their appearance and participate in these communities if they desire. A very interesting class indeed.

Finding Racism in the Virtual Community

Reading Response #2

This week all the articles I read dealt with racism in the virtual worlds that society has created. While some of the articles focused on the more subtle forms of racism, there were also readings that focused on the more blatant and aggressive forms. The article I’ll Take MY Stand in Dixie-Net: White Guys, the South, and Cyberspace, by Tara McPherson, talks of how a part of the country with very racist origins, the South, tries to preserve its heritage in a place where it can never be forgotten, the Internet. Sites such as www.dixienet.org and http://www.hpa.org/ are referenced in the article and used for the basis on its contents. While visiting these sites I could not find any blatant forms of racism, but I also got the feeling that the site was not made with non-whites in mind. Some of the beliefs mentioned, such as strictly patrolling the borders, did not make for a unified utopian digital community. While not outright degrading and offensive, one can get a definite sense of what is implied by visiting these sites.

When the internet first came into fruition many people believed it would be the utopian environment that would save us all from the always evident problems and suffering that plagues the human race. For so long man has suffered in one way or another and has always been at the mercy of more powerful, and seemingly less moral, rulers. Although situations have gotten better over the long span of years, we continue to live in a world that will most likely never be fair and always have some kind of problem. The solution it seems is to find or create another world where everyone is equal and no one suffers. The problem with this theory is that not everyone has the same idea of what a utopia should be. What is perfect for some may be terrible for others. We live in a world with many different beliefs and desires, making near impossible to please everyone. While the internet has greatly improved life for those who can access it, by making information readily available and by improving communication, it is not without flaws evident in the real world.

The articles Same Shit, Different World, by Lauren Ban, and Head hunting in cyberspace, by Lisa Nakamura, described the more evident forms of racism that can be found in this seemingly digital utopia. These articles made reference and occurred in sites and programs such as NetNoir and Second Life. NetNoir is a site that focuses on the African American community and has a graphical avatar program similar to second life. Nakamura uses this program, Club Connect, to document her experiences with race in the virtual. Second Life, on the other hand, is the program we use in class and does not focus on any one race, although it may be predominately white. The article Same Shit, Different World tells of how for research certain users changed their race to document how they were treated differently in Second Life. The results mentioned in the article were appalling and extremely racist.

Having spent some time in Second Life due to this class and having not yet seen evidence of racism, I decided to test it out myself and swap my race. As of last Friday my character went from being an ordinary looking caucasian character to being a darker skinned avatar with a bald head and a beard. Trying to witness some reaction based on my appearance I spent some of the weekend wandering around Second Life and looming around large groups of people. To my surprise nothing happened. You can take that as you like, for I am not sure whether the other avatars avoided me because of my look or if they simply did not bother with me because I was just standing around waiting for something to happen. Needless to say, I was a little disappointed, not because I failed to find blatant racism, but because I did not come away with better examples to report on. After reading about how the characters in the article got chased by cars and called racial slurs I was expecting to come away from this with some outlandish examples of the racial divide in digital communities. Instead I just got treated as if I were another man walking down the city block. In one sense I am greatly pleased with my results. Maybe things in the virtual world are becoming more unified and less racially charged. On the other hand maybe its not getting better and I just didn’t run into the type of people I was hoping to get a reaction out of.

New Media Lecture 3

For the last New Media lecture of the semester there was a lot more going on than usual. When I walked in there were four performers making variations of music using only car batteries to power their equipment. While the confined space made it difficult at times to distinguish who was making what sound, overall I found this to be very interesting. Not only were they refraining from using any house current, they were also using random items that some may consider trash to manipulate their music. An example of this was one performer who was using old shoes as drum pads and a detached steering wheel as a turntable. They were also broadcasting live from the Neuberger Museum during the performances, which I thought was a nice touch.

At the time I wasn’t aware that there was more than one lecture, but when I walked into the presentation room early I was surprised to find a man by the name of Jeff Stark already addressing an audience. Curious, I sat and listened to him and found great interest in what he is involved with. Jeff participates in something called Secret Dinner, a dinner club of sorts that meets for dining and entertainment every so often in rather unusual locations. Inspired by groups like the San Francisco based Suicide Club and Dark Passage, Secret Dinner meets in long-forgotten, rundown, and mostly abandoned structures to host a night full of social activities and dining in very untraditional settings. So far they have been to locations such as the 1964 New York World's Fair in Queens and Freedom Tunnel, an Amtrak tunnel underneath Riverside Park in Manhattan. Settings such as this have always intrigued me and I have always wanted to explore them, but tend to stay away because of the dangerous nature of such places. It is no wonder then that I found his lecture to be of such interest. For those who are more interested in Secret Dinner, photographs of the events can be seen at http://everydayilive.com/worldsfair/.

Last up was a man by the name of Matt Bua. Matt is an artist who builds miniature concept homes out of scrap material, which would otherwise be garbage, he collects from demolition sites and industrial yards. His program, Sing-Sun Room, tries to use as many natural or recycled materials as possible in order to make the structure “green”. He has a rather large piece of land in Catskill, NY where he constructs many of his eco-friendly mini homes. Right now he claims to be more conceptualizing than actually building, but has done work all over New York, including Governors Island. Examples of his work can be seen at http://www.free103point9.org/artists/22/. While this was also interesting, I found Jeff Stark’s presentation to be more appealing. Overall, it was a busy day at the Neuberger Museum with much to experience. A perfect way to wrap up the New Media lecture series for this semester.