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Private Notes
Here's an idea: Game Of Thrones owes its success to piracy.
If you're like us, you LOVE Game of Thrones. But if you're also like us, you may not, technically, have... cable. So how are we seeing this amazing show on HBO, which is stuck behind a pay wall? A huge amount of viewers (not us of course, no no no) are downloading the show illegally. But despite being the most pirated show of 2012, the Game of Thrones DVDs are top sellers, breaking HBO's own sales records!! Could it be that piracy is actually HELPING the show?!
You may have heard about the recent overwhelming success of the Veronica Mars movie Kickstarter, or you might be a "Marshmallow" yourself and have contributed. This is a big moment for fan communities, with Kickstarter giving them the opportunity to challenge the closed gates of the Hollywood system. Although it's funding is nowhere NEAR the amount Hollywood invests in moviemaking each year, crowdfunding is a way better indicator of what the audience wants to see, the one area Hollywood has failed in time and time again.
Here's an idea: Community is a postmodern masterpiece.
Though the TV show Community has never achieved huge ratings, it has a passionate cult following, including us here at Idea Channel. The show plays with genre and narrative in such a creative way that it brings to mind the cultural and artistic theory of Postmodernism. Previous TV series have been self-referential and culturally reflective, but none so successfully as Community. The show flips traditional expectations so consistently that it questions their importance in the first place. And it has brought the word "meta" into the cultural vernacular, to boot.
If you play video games, you've shot a gun. And those guns are REALISTIC. So real that many are actually LICENSED by IRL arms dealers. Which means that when you buy a video game, you're also putting money in the pockets of those gun manufacturers. That's fine and dandy if you're a fan of guns, but if you are someone who considers themselves anti-gun, this creates quite the moral quandary.
Here's an idea: a tagged Instagram is more than just a photo.
Sure, Instagram is pretty awesome, but it's even more #INTERESTING than you think! The hashtag, so simple and ubiquitous, raises the image from mere photo to a new complex entity. An extension of the social media aspect of the Instagram app, the hashtag enhances searchability and allows connection to a variety of communities. Some tags can definitely be redundant or even useless, but the right ones can add context, greater meaning to the picture, and chronicle our changing relationship to Photography!!!
Here's an idea: a DOS attack is a weapon.
Denial of Service (DOS) or Distributed Denial of Service (DDOS) attacks take down servers by distracting them with meaningless traffic until basically they can't take it any more. Scientology, Westboro Baptist Church, and others like them have been hit, and if you look at the coverage of these events, the descriptive words "attacks," "violent," and "weapons" are telling. The way we talk about the result of a software program reflects the way we view "online", and the value we place on its content, be it the FBI homepage or cat videos on YouTube. But what does it do to our comprehension when we lump violent acts online with real life physical violence? Watch the episode to find out!!!
Be it Elliott Smith or Queen, classical or dub step, there's usually a clear understanding that some songs are sad, and some songs are happy. But what is it about the music that makes us feel these feelings we're feeling? You might think it has something to do with the notes or how our brain's natural response to these sounds, but you're wrong. Or at the very least incomplete in your thinking. We've just been culturally trained to respond to music in certain ways because if you ignore the lyrics, music itself doesn't actually contain any emotion at all. Watch the episode to find out more!
If you're even the slightest bit familiar with pop culture from the past 50 years, you know that we've been anxiously awaiting robots to become a part of our daily lives. From R2-D2 to the Jetsons, our future robot companions promise to be helpful and handy! But many people have their concerns: will the development of artificial intelligence end up REPLACING humans in the work force, pushing already high unemployment through the roof?!?! These new laborers will likely do not just undesirable jobs (janitorial, coal mining, etc), but also the high paying premium jobs, like surgeons and lawyers. But can, or SHOULD, we stop progress? Watch the episode and tell us what you think!
Math is invisible. Unlike physics, chemistry, and biology we can't see it, smell it, or even directly observe it in the universe. And so that has made a lot of really smart people ask, does it actually even EXIST?!?! Similar to the tree falling in the forest, there are people who believe that if no person existed to count, math wouldn't be around . .at ALL!!!! But is this true? Do we live in a mathless universe? Or if math is a real entity that exists, are there formulas and mathematical concepts out there in the universe that are undiscovered? Or is it all fiction? Whew!! So many questions, so many theories... watch the episode and let us know what you think!
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is about everything. Life, the Universe, everything. If you've read these amazing books, you know the answer is 42, but what's the question? To find out what the question was, they built a giant computer we call Earth. And though it seems silly, perhaps Douglas Adams was correct, and that not just earth, but the WHOLE UNIVERSE is an incredibility complex computational system, processing the answer to some unknown question. The universe IS made up of information, similar to a computer, and physics (you know, the basis of the universe) certainly is based on computational principles. But is it running some grand program? Will the answer be 42? Make sure you have your towel, and watch the episode!
Zombies are EVERYWHERE!! Wait, don't panic- we mean in pop culture, not outside your window. But why is that? Bad guys and monsters seem to go through phases: one decade there's a dozen movies about aliens, ten years later it's vampires. And right now, it's zombies. And monsters don't pop up for no reason at all. There must be something that makes us fixate on one antagonist trope; some qualities they hold that echo a deeper cultural fear... So what are we afraid of now? It might just be technology. Watch the episode and find out!
As our South Korean friends can confirm, video games can most definitely be a spectator sport. But will they ever catch on in a huge way in the good ol' U.S. of A? Well, pro leagues already exist, but to know if they'll ever reach the levels of March Madness and Superbowl Sunday, we need to take a closer look at traditional sports spectatorship to figure out the REAL reason we watch. It's more than just winning and losing: there are characters, rivalries, histories, and a host of other background information that coalesce into an AMAZING story, and we're dying to know the ending. Could eSports ever achieve this level of storytelling? Watch the episode to find out!
Global warming exists! But how do we know that? It may seem like a simple process of just looking at the temperature from year to year, but it is SO MUCH MORE than that! Our understanding of the global climate comes from a compendium of data including measured and tracked temperature, humidity, wind speed, and barometric pressure, spanning over 100 years of observation!! To study this massive amount of information and be able to surmise that the increasingly extreme and bizarre weather patterns are a result of human influence... it's truly an incredible accomplishment. So everyone who says during a blizzard "so much for global warming"... shut up. You're wrong.
Like us, you may not have initially realized the significance of Animal Crossing. Sure it's a simple game for kids, with cute animals and bright colors. But could it be true that it inspires otaku citizenship?! Otaku, if you don't know, means obsessive interest and collection, usually associated with Japanese culture, but it can apply to ANYTHING. In Animal Crossing, as mayor of your town, success is defined by maintaining friendships with your townspeople and collecting natural resources to cultivate the perfect town. Is this promoting otaku? Watch the episode and find out!
Yes he's a video game system, but she is so much more than that!! BMO from the fantastic show Adventure Time identifies as both male and female, and because of that expresses the ideals of Third Wave Feminism!! Third Wave Feminism questions if gender is actually binary, tied to our biological sex. Is our understanding of masculinity and femininity fair, or even ACCURATE? Of course, BMO has no biological gender, so there's no cultural expectations that anchors her (him?) down. But it all seems a non-issue in the Adventure Time world. What do you think, is BMO male or female? Or does it even matter? Watch the episode to find out!
We all love broken things. WAIT WHAT?! Yes, you read that correctly. You may have noticed this thing called "glitch", where people purposely push machines to malfunction, creating fascinating "mistakes". But instead of being frustrated and disdainful of these errors (like we usually do when our technology fails mid-workflow, grrr) we find them to be bizarrely beautiful! Why are we so interested in these images, music, or objects that are structurally or formally broken? Watch the episode and find out!
They spared no expense!! It doesn't matter if it was intended or not, the film Jurassic Park (and book it's based on) accurately illustrate investment and risk, money as motivation, negligent management of capital, and profit as the ultimate end goal. But can anything in our culture avoid this metaphor of capitalism? By stepping back and looking at all media in our culture, we can see echoes of the capitalism theme everywhere. Money (seemingly) makes the world go 'round!! Watch the episode and find out more!
Hideaki Anno says Neon Genesis Evangelion is meaningless. For #GeekWeek we ask if we should listen to him. Neon Genesis Evangelion may be the MOST ultimate work of anime ever! More than just Mecha, NGE is dark and emotional, taking on serious topics such as depression, free will and a host of other intense stuff. But the creator, Hideaki Anno, says that we're all reading way too much into it. Are his words the final say on this piece of media? OR are the author's ideas of his own work EQUAL TO the interpretations of anyone else?!
We can all agree that the Internet has an intense, borderline obsessive, appreciation for cats. With felines as its spirit animal, the internet can even seem cat-like in personality. Where does all this kitteh love come from? Humans made the internet, and humans have had an affinity for cats for centuries. But can we make the jump from "the internet loves cats" to "the internet IS cats"?
"Google it" seems to be the quick and easy answer for every question we could possibly ask, but is finding facts the same thing as KNOWING? Having billions of facts at the tips of your typing fingertips may not necessarily be making us any smarter. Some people even think it's making us more stupid and lazy. Whatever way we process the vast sea of data available, the question remains: is the act of googling the same as knowledge?
Unless you're new to the internet, you probably know that Tesla was an incredibly popular scientist and inventor who was WAY ahead of his time. But was he really the valiant underdog against the Goliath of Edison that we've come to know and understand? Despite what you may think, there are actually TWO Teslas - the meat and bones Tesla, who was born in 1856 and died in 1943, and then there's the culturally created Tesla. Neither is wrong, but all this starts making us question: what even IS "history"?
The titans, from the anime series Attack on Titan, are most definitely the bad guys. But can we call them EVIL? If you're unfamiliar, the titans are huge beings that devour humans, but their motivation is a little unclear. Is it just hunger? Do they hate humans? Are they just dumb? And with all this doubt, what's the use in the label of EVIL anyway? Nietzsche, Kant, and Jung all weigh in.
Night Vale's masterful balance of mystery, humor, and horror has made it the #1 podcast in America. Night Vale employs the techniques of H.P. Lovecraft, specifically his masterful manipulation of THE UNKNOWN, but the medium chosen makes it literally impossible to visually depict its universe. And it is questionable, in our hyper visual culture, whether we are truly able to cope with the mysteries of Night Vale. And not just the mysteries of the plot (like why we're forbidden from entering the Dog Park), but the impossibility of knowing what this fascinating world even LOOKS like!! Are we ok with that?
Introverts are super popular right now, celebrated to the point of meme-level. Stereotypically quiet, smart, and reserved, they are often conflated with nerds (who are also currently deemed awesome according to pop culture). But why do we suddenly want to self-identify as nerds and introverts? Is this popularity connected to technology?
We love Breaking Bad. So so much. But do we ENJOY it? The show undoubtedly satisfies, and over the past 6 years, the show has been a roller coaster of feelings: frustration, respect, horror, amazement, and more. But it may be similar to roller coasters in another way, like with horror flicks and haunted houses, where the enjoyment actually comes in the relief that comes afterward. Is this what's going on with Breaking Bad? Watch the episode and find out! And also... SPOILERS. SO MANY SPOILERS.
Horse_ebooks was a twitter spambot par excellence. It was algorithmic assembled poetry. It was the soul in the machine. But we recently learned that for the past few years horse_ebooks was in fact human authored, by a Buzzfeed writer, no less! And that made us angry. Why? Because when it was computer created, horse_ebooks was, as strange as this sounds, nearly perfect SPAM. It was SPAM that grabbed our attention, that gave us the joy of meaningful nonsense and, most importantly, we chose to participate in its ridiculousness. And that was its art. Horse_eBooks had perfected the art of SPAM!!!
Do you control or are you your video game avatar? Avatars have increased in complexity over the years, from paddles and Pacman to highly rendered and human-like beings and first-person floating cameras. Whatever your avatar is, it is consistently a TOOL, a way for you to engage with the videogame world. But are you merely controlling it or ARE YOU your avatar? This is an important question because if a player truly feels that their avatar embodies them, we might have to think differently about what our moral and ethical obligations as videogames present us with a plenty of uncomfortable and moral choices. So are you really controlling your avatar?
Slender Man very well may have been "invented" by the internet, but he's been a part of our subconscious forever! Like cultures across the globe, the internet has developed its own stories and characters. Generated by the collective web, Slender Man is our nightmares manifested in digital form. Why do we create these scary tales, indulging in worlds are beyond reality? What is the role of this folklore, and is Slender Man a part of it?
The science fiction novel "Ender's Game" has been a part of the sci-fi canon for the past 30+ years and with it's huge new blockbuster movie release, it's bigger than ever. But its author, Orson Scott Card, has inspired more debate than the novel itself. Card has been labeled homophobic, racist, and a handful of other distasteful things, and the opinions held by Card have created a TON of anger and opposition. But now that "Ender's Game" has been made into a movie, this leads to a big question: should you see it? Does buying a ticket to a film equal an endorsement of the creator's ideas? OR should you join the bandwagon of boycotts against the film? Should you avoid it based on your moral beliefs?
Love or hate pop music, it's pretty hard to escape. From Katy Perry to Lady Gaga, pop songs are recorded, packaged, and sold down a well worn pipeline, designed to make you, the listener, LOVE THIS SONG! But do you really? Does the song have real meaning, or is it just that they play it over and over and over and over again until it wears you down, until you can nothing but... sing along. So is pop music holding you hostage?
It's the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who!!! Whovians everywhere are excited to see what the newest Doctor will bring to the character, and that got us thinking: what makes the Doctor, THE Doctor? 11 different doctors have played the role over the past 50 years, and each was unique, with different personalities and characteristics. But besides the physical symbols surrounding him - the Tardis, the sonic screwdriver- are there larger cues that indicate the man is in fact THE DOCTOR?
In honor of Thanksgiving, we present two ideas to discuss with your loved ones around the dinner table. First up: sandwiches. They are the perfect food for today's fast-paced lifestyle. But was it the creation of this versatile food that ushered in the period of classical modernity? Next up: music lyrics websites. We all love singing the wrong lyrics and then looking look up the actual lyrics on rap genius. But are these sites stealing from the recording industry by profiting off of artist's lyrics?
Is there such a thing as a "DIGITAL NATIVE"? Some experts have suggested a clear divide between "digital native" (the Millennial tech experts) and "digital immigrant" (older generations introduced to technology later in life). The young NATIVES have had technology change the way they think and the way their brain works, while older folk are stuck playing catch-up. But is that fair? Can someone innately understand technology? Is it even a good idea to define people as natives vs immigrants?
Bullet Hell games are crazy. Their onslaught of lasers, bullets, aka DAKKA, seems overwhelming or even IMPOSSIBLE to the uninitiated. Is playing these games an elaborate and stressful mastery of patterns and strategy? Or could it instead be a form of meditation? Maybe the way to find your way through the dakka is to fall into a mental autopilot in the face of complexity, finding harmony within the haze. Is this wild overstimulation a form of modern meditation?
Ah the glorious down time of the holidays. The perfect opportunity for binge watching! Why do we binge watch, and what media do you like binging on?
If you've ever used Google, Netflix, Facebook, or Amazon (and we're guessing that you have), then you've come into contact with algorithms. In fact, it's guaranteed that your life has been impacted by algorithms, even in ways you're unaware of (assuming you INTERNET... which, again, we're guessing that you have...) The point is, the importance of algorithms in today's world cannot be overstated, and their role has been the focus of much discussion- how they're shaping our lives, for better or for worse. But, how far does the algorithmic rabbit hole go, could their influence even have spiritual correlations?!
What have you been watching lately? There's a good chance (whether you admit to it or not) that you've been watching some reality TV. The "Reality TV" genre is mega popular, a massive cultural force, even though it's not really "reality". Contrived situations and manipulated scenarios make these shows entertainment rather than documentation, but they still feature real people who are willing to have their lives recorded. As a culture, we've become accustomed to watching people, but how does that affect our ideas about BEING WATCHED, especially given the recent NSA controversies?
In a very special episode this week, Mike rethinks his approach to the episode. Most of you have heard the phrase "Don't Feed the Trolls", but do trolls actually serve a purpose? Found everywhere people converse online, their combative rhetoric can be annoying, even harmful. Can a valid argument be made for the value of trolls? Watch Red Shirt Mike vs Blue Shirt Mike deliberate!
What IS Anime? After binge watching the american produced Avatar: The Last Airbender & Avatar: Legend of Korra, the question seems more complicated. The general consensus in the west is that anime is a product of Japanese culture, and TRUE anime can only come from Japan. But would it blow your mind that in Japan, ANYTHING animated is anime (including Family Guy)?! So what defines anime - visual and tonal style? Geographic borders? Is there a reason to keep the definition of anime limited?
Are we really about to defend SELFIES?! Yup. Despite being possibly the world's most annoying habit, selfies are undeniably a major part of modern visual language. They may be the lowest common denominator of the art of photography, but they are also a legit form of communication ("a picture is worth a thousand words" comes to mind). But maybe all the hate comes from a confusion about what selfies actually are! Is it possible they're not actually "photographs" but a totally different form of communication? Could they even be important and meaningful?!?!
With every new product release comes a glorious wealth of new Unboxing videos. For the uninitiated, unboxing videos are exactly what they sound like. A person gets a new thing, and film themselves removing it from the packaging. But why do people film these videos, and why do others WATCH these videos? Well for one thing, these videos show what the products ARE, without the annoying filter of marketing. Maybe unboxing videos glorify the act of acquiring and owning? Is there a sensual element to these videos?
What IS fiction? That's the question that popped into our minds when thinking about Orson Welles' radio War of the Worlds performance, which set off a public panic of listeners who thought NJ was truly being attacked by aliens. Now those aliens didn't really exist, since it was all pretend. But on the other hand, they did (and do) KIND OF exist. They can be described, referenced, and can have as much veracity to people as physical objects. And the worlds created in fiction can contain REAL things - cars, people, New Jersey. Can something both exist and not exist? Whoa.
We all know who Harry Potter is, and can conjure an image of him in our minds. There are specific properties that make a Harry THE Harry (glasses, scar, wand, etc), so it's safe to say that we're all sharing a consistent idea. But do these physical properties mean that Harry Potter EXISTS? Harry Potter doesn't have a physical referent, but the fact that we collectively KNOW Harry Potter (or Hermoine, Ron, or even Batman for that matter), doesn't that mean there's SOME SORT of existence?
You asked, and we delivered: a Pokemon episode!!! Specifically Twitch Plays Pokemon, which it turns out is a metaphor for ... well, lots of stuff. Twitch Plays Pokemon is a version of Pokemon Red controlled via chat on the video streaming site Twitch. And TENS OF THOUSANDS of people are playing this one game simultaneously! How can a group steer the direction of a game? And what can this tell us about anarchy vs democracy? (Maybe that the US government is a bit more like Pokemon than we realized.)
Old meme is old. But why is this such a bad thing? Once the height of internetiness, the sight of a LOLCat now is unforgivable. Memes become passé crazy fast: after just months or even WEEKS of a new meme, we tire of the once hugely popular. Why does this happen, and happen so QUICKLY? Is it a reflection of the sheer volume of visual information we absorb from the internet? Or does it say something about this specific visual culture?
