Sayeem Shariff

week 9

In what ways can cosphotography be understood as a form of “fan capital

Cosphotography is the act of photographing and videoing someone who is taking part in the act of “cosplay”. Fans of anime and manga cosplay in order to show their appreciation for the craft, cosphotography is similar, by taking pictures of cosplayers these photographers can share and distribute the photos on online message boards increasing chances of popularizing the cosplayer. For a fan of either the cosplayer or the text the character originated from, taking pictures of, and with the cosplayers can show how much dedication into the “fandom”, you are putting in, much like buying merchandise of the character shows how much of a fan you are.

People usually take cosphotography at conventions, like Comicon and Armageddon, where cosplay is encouraged, and taking photos is allowed. Many cosplayers make builds especially for these conventions, and try to take as many pictures, so as to boost their social media followings, and try to become more popular. Anime fans especially, love to take pictures and interact with cosplayers, as they are the bridge that connects the 2d world to our world, making it possible to interact and talk with their beloved characters. However, there is lots of outcry from the cosplay community of sexual harassment, like inappropriate touching, mainly from female cosplayers. Because a lot of fictional characters (especially female) wear sexually suggestive clothing, some fans think that it’s okay to touch inappropriately because they are, “asking for it”.

“Fan service”, is something used in all media where women wear and do suggestive things in order to gain more attention from viewers, so through cos photography, fans can fulfil their fantasies, and have a tangible record of it happening.

week 12

Can reality tv still be thought of as a genre given the high level of hybridity that exists?

Looking at RTV shows, we can see there is a large selection of shows that cater to different niches, these can be specific shows like; “Is it really dough”, with Scott Weiner, and Mark Icono, which follows two pizza nerds, eating and trying different styles of pizza, and deciding whether or not it can be considered a pizza. Because of hyper-specific shows like that, defining RTV can be difficult. Reality shows were intended to give the public a window into the lives of others, allowing for wider reception and audience interaction. The advent of greater hybridity, in my opinion, has added to the fanbase of the genre as the audience are able to have a greater choice in preference.

In my opinion, reality tv should be considered its own genre, as the shows that are labelled as RTV don’t fit in any other genre other than documentary. The shows have a semi-scripted format, where situations are fabricated and the people in the show merely react to whatever situation they are presented with. Shows like, “Survivor”, where contestants are landlocked on an island and are one-by-one voted off the show if they compete poorly to the challenges they are faced with. Game shows like this have the same appeal as gladiator fights, as the audience watches in amusement as contestants battle head to head, getting eliminated each time they fight. There is no category this would fit in other than reality tv.

When reality television first began with shows like MTV’s The Real World, where a bunch of young angsty 20-somethings would live in a house in close quarters, and the show would stem from the internal conflicts and relationships they develop from living in close proximity to one another. The fights tended to be over nothing, but the drama was riveting, this led to the advent of similar shows like; Big Brother and Love island, with more focus on romance and relationships.

Other genres of shows like; comedy, also have a high level of hybridity, as comedy can come from all sources, yet its validity as a genre is never doubted, only because it is one of the oldest genres. I believe reality television is already and should be considered to be its own genre as shows that are described ad “reality tv”, don’t really fit into other genres, due to it being highly unscripted and also at the same time scripted.

Week 11

How real is reality tv?

Reality television shows have skyrocketed in numbers since they were first introduced. The “unscripted” nature of these shows made them cheaper and easier to produce, leading many networks to heavily invest in the format. Scripted television attempts to replicate interaction between people, and in some cases, it can feel methodical, as each episode needs to have a plot, but RTV is able to circumvent this bu following “real”, people doing what they do on a daily basis, shows like; Police ten 7, Keeping up with the Kardashians, and even cooking shows. RTV gives the viewer a glimpse into the lives of celebrities, or people who risk their lives doing their jobs, and focuses on the personalities of these characters to base each episode on.

Reality-TV has a very diverse selection in its shows, it can go from competition/ game shows to following professionals do their daily jobs, like pawnshop owners and truckers, to “traditional”, RTV where they follow rich people living in extreme wealth. Because this genre has such a wide variety there is a show made for everyone’s specific interest. But the main point linking these shows together would be a focus on these wild and zany personalities that seem too good to be true. To even have a reality crew following you around requires a huge ego in believing you are interesting enough to have a show based on your life. So this format of personality-driven shows means they have to deliver, when it comes to content, as the show needs interesting things to show its audience, so in many cases, they exaggerate reactions and events to make it seem important to the viewer.

A person going on about their day to day lives honestly won’t have major and important events occur multiple times a week let alone multiple times a day. So it is obvious that producers of RTV must fabricate events in order to give the show some sort of coherent plot, like in celebrity-based RTV shows, the addition of throwing a party could add interest in a show, as further antics could be built upon this event, for example, things could fall apart at the last moment causing the host to have a meltdown and begin crying, or a rival could throw a separate party hosted at the same time, causing drama and rifts in the cast permitting for more episodes to be built on this conflict.

Many people know that RTV is, for the most part, fabricated to a degree, but still, watch the shows, as many characters have created their own dedicated fanbase, like the Kardashians. And due to their fanbase, they grow more and more famous with spin offs for different people. Reality television breaks down the privacy of certain people and broadcasts both the high and low points of people’s lives, it gives the viewer an idea of what it’s like to be rich and famous. Viewers could care less if RTV was real, they only care about their favourite personality, whom they have been “hanging out” with and following around.

week 10

What distinctions are there between alternate history, postmodern alternate history and uchronie genres?

The genre of science fiction has always asked the question, “what if”, and in other genres, it would be difficult to approach topics like, “What if the nazis won WW2”, without talking about hypothetical scenarios, but in the Science fiction genre we are able to fully delve into worlds like, “The Man in The High Castle”, where fascism is now the norm, and how German and Japanese culture has penetrated America and their beloved “Values”. This question of “what if?”, can be explored using many forms, three of which are; Alternate history, Postmodern Alternate history and uchronie genres.

Alternate history is a considerable sub-genre of science fiction. It explores the history of our world but through this idea of, “what if”, where some key points in history are changed, and because of this the world is completely different due to these differences. Alternate history looks at how events would unfold in real life, effectively giving the audience a look into a different timeline. Alternate history shows how changes in our timeline could lead to us living in either better or worse conditions, The Man in The High Castle, takes this very approach and shows us how the axis countries would rule the world, dividing America in half and reaping the reward, turning everyone into Nazis. However, with every fascist rule, there will be people who oppose it, leading to the creation of the resistance, and even in this world, there is a portal to our world, showing its inhabitants what would have happened if the Allies won, making the story seem more believable.

Postmodern Alternate history is very similar to alternate history but focuses on a single point in time, a “synchronic” event, where a doomsday type event must be stopped in order to save the world. Postmodern Alternative history uses the imminent threat of annihilation in order to further the plot, unlike Alternate history, where this event has already happened, and the story is about how life is like after this drastic change.

Uchronia is a french word which is a genre that describes and encompasses both Postmodern Alternative history and alternative history. It is the idea of alternative universes, worlds, and timelines, “pure uchronia,” consisting of one alternative world; “plural uchronia,” in which this and an alternate world exist in parallel; and “infinite uchronia,” in which there are many, even infinite parallel worlds” (Mountfort, 2017). The genre shows how key changes in major decisions could sculpt an entirely different world, for better or for worse, and the idea of multiple realities existing beside our own can feel comforting to readers as it shows events could be different and can get better if we enact change today. It shows that the fighting and protesting currently happening like BLM, can and will lead to real-world change that can be felt throughout history. We must enact these changes, and keep on trying to make our world and our reality the “best timeline”.

References

Mountfort, P. (2016). The I Ching and Philip K. Dicks The Man in the High Castle. Science Fiction Studies, 43(2). doi:10.5621/sciefictstud.43.2.0287

week 8

2. What does the terms détournement mean and how is it applicable to cosplay?

Détournement is a french word meaning; rerouting or hijacking, and in the context of cosplay it can mean reappropriating other culture and even text, into a costume. Cosplay, as we know it today, originated in Japan, and is a short form for the words “Costume play”. Cosplay in its early days was mostly restricted to when cosplayers would dress up and act as Anime and Manga characters, but today there can be cosplay of literally anything, even inanimate objects like phones or shoes. The art of taking a character and reappropriating its costume is a the core of cosplay, as most times costumes of the game and comic-book characters aren’t licenced with their companies, and instead, the costumes are made by the cosplayer, who will play the character, with no official support from their parent companies.

Cosplay is referred to as a citational act (Mountfort, 2018), where normal people who are fans of the anime, wish to show their appreciation for it through their time and effort by making and wearing a costume of characters in the series. Anime and manga are heavily dependant on fan support and outreach, and if a series doesn’t meet certain criteria, it could mean the show or manga won’t continue with sequels, so in Japan, it is very common for Otaku’s to buy figurines collectables, and merchandise, in order to show their dedication and appreciation for the authors work, and to have a physical, tangible representation of their fandom. Cosplay is very similar to this practise, as cosplayers spend both their time and money into sourcing materials, designing and creating props for their costume, to show their support for the content they are fans of.

In my opinion, Cosplay has dramatically evolved from its origins, with the advent of sites like; Patreon and OnlyFans, where cosplayers now have their own dedicated fanbase willing to pay various sums of money in order to see their favourite cosplayer donning their favourite anime character. The process of cosplay has gone from a casual pst time for many to a fulltime job, where greater amounts of time and money are spent to create a higher quality cosplay than they were capable of doing before, as now, their fanbase is paying for it, which gives them a monetary incentive. Even now that cosplayers are getting paid for their craft, I believe the concept of “Détournement” is still in effect, as they still have to have an appreciation of the anime for them to spend hours on a costume build.

To conclude, Cosplay has evolved over the years, from dressing up as your favourite character to go to a convention, to a legitimate business practice with a dedicated fanbase in and of itself. However, the practice of cosplay still requires knowledge of how to make costumes and make props, and also know how the character behaves and their speech patterns, because cosplay, requires the cosplayer to become a character. This justifies the use of characters without the need for permission, as they aren’t making a fake bootleg version of the character, they are expressing their appreciation of them.

References

Mountfort, P. (2018). Cosplay as Citation. In P. Mountfort, A. Peirson-Smith, & A. Geczy, Planet Cosplay. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press

week 7

2. What is the philosophy of cosmicism and how is it used to convey a sense of dread in The Colour out of Space?

Cosmicism is based on H.P. Lovecraft’s idea that humanity and what we do are mere illusions, that “Human consciousness, human civilization, humane values, and all the rest, add up to a bubble that surrounds us and keeps us from seeing that the cosmos is wholly indifferent to us.” (Patheos). The concept of how small and insignificant humans are to the sheer size and age of the cosmos and cosmicism tries to use existential dread to provoke fear into its audience. Lovecraft used Cosmicism a lot in his stories, the most famous of which would be, “ The Call of Cthulhu”.

Lovecraft’s horror doesn’t use much blood or gore, it uses the fear of the unknown, where he would introduce an antagonist that was immense in power, an existence that was as old as the earth, that had no malice but had enough power to destroy humanity without any regard for resistance. Lovecraft’s “monsters” would view humans the same way we would view ants, as either; something to admire from afar, or as a minor inconvenience that posed no threat, which could be dealt with by flicking it away, “Cosmicism is rooted in the absence of God and, ultimately, any sort of morality and meaning tethered to such a Presence.”(Duran, 2016). The Colour out of Space film based on H.P. Lovecraft’s story, directed by Richard Stanley, follows Nathan Gardner portrayed by Nicholas Cage as he moves to the countryside with his whole family after a health scare, where he sees a colourful and bright meteorite that falls on their land. The meteorite gradually reveals itself as the film progresses, to be an evil entity from beyond our concept of reality that corrupts and warps whatever it touches with its colour.

In Colour out of Space, we see the usual conventions of darkness, and muted colour in horror completely ignored, as bright colours are not only used, but they represent the main villain of the film. The main antagonist was simply too large for the Gardner family to face as the entity could corrupt anything it touched, including plants, insects and animals. Near the end of the film, we see Ward played by Elliot Knight, returning to the Gardner farm, which has now been completely overtaken by the Colour, he sees Livinia who has been also taken over by the colour, all the while the Colour is trying to open a gateway to its home above the property. When Livinia touches Ward, both he and the audience are connected to the Colour, and it shows its homeworld, which looked like a bunch of abstract colours, we then see millions of worm-like creatures writhing around, with several giant worm-like creatures moving towards against monument, which looks like an eye which is also seen as a symbol on Livinias forehead. Here the audience is able to see what the colour had in store for humanity and that we would be hopeless in the face of such unimaginable power.

References
King, S. (2010). Stephen King’s Danse macabre / by Stephen King. Retrieved November 6, 2020, from https://cpl.catalogue.library.ns.ca/Record/5394/Excerpt

Week 6

What is the philosophy of cosmicism and how is it used to convey a sense of dread in The Colour out of Space?

Lovecraft’s horror doesn’t use much blood or gore, it uses the fear of the unknown, where he would introduce an antagonist that was immense in power, an existence what was as old as the earth, that had no malice but had enough power to destroy humanity without any regard for resistance. Lovecraft’s “monsters” would view humans the same way we would view ants, as either; something to admire from afar, or as a minor inconvenience that posed no threat, which could be dealt with by flicking it away, “Cosmicism is rooted in the absence of God and, ultimately, any sort of morality and meaning tethered to such a Presence.”(Duran, 2016). The Colour out of Space film based on H.P. Lovecraft’s story, directed by Richard Stanley, it follows Nathan Gardner portrayed by Nicholas Cage as he moves to the countryside with his whole family after a health scare, there he sees a colourful and bright meteorite that falls on their land. The meteorite gradually reveals itself as the film progresses, to be an evil entity from beyond our concept of reality that corrupts and warps whatever it touches with its colour.

References
Reimann, T. (2020, February 28). ‘Color Out of Space’ Ending Explained: Color Me Bad. Retrieved from https://collider.com/color-out-of-space-ending-explained-easter-eggs/#:~:text=Based on the short story, from beyond space and time.

Wiley, C. R. (2017, September 28). Lovecraft’s Cosmicism: What it Is, How It Works, and Why It Fails. Retrieved November 6, 2020, from https://www.patheos.com/blogs/gloryseed/2017/08/lovecrafts-cosmicism-works-fails/

Duran, M. (2016, October 31). The Real Horror of Lovecraft’s Cosmicism. Retrieved November 6, 2020, from https://www.mikeduran.com/2016/10/31/the-real-horror-of-lovecrafts-cosmicism/

week 5

. What is the ‘shōjo’ and how does it often function in anime?

Shojo in Japanese means a young woman or girl, in the context of manga and anime, shoujo describes a genre, most stories feature a female protagonist and plot that is based heavily in romance. Most shojo anime and manga are based in highschools and feature a slice-of-life based story, and have drama stemming from the romance. “Shoujo anime will typically feature romance as part of the main storyline. There are an endless number of shoujo anime and manga on the market revolving around high school romances.” (Angle, 2018).So the intended audience would be teenage girls. As both settings and plot are similar to what young women are experiencing through high school. There are several sub-genres of Shojo, there is the Mahou- shojo, which features a girl who is able to transform using either magic or an alien power, to defeat monsters plaguing their area, the most popular example of this genre would be Sailor Moon, which has since become a classic, inspiring many similar stories.

Another sub-genre would be the “reverse-harem” genre, in these stories a female main character is surrounded by handsome boys who all want to go out with her, similar to the Shonen “harem” genre. Much like every other anime show, each episode is roughly 24 minutes long and follows a basic episodic approach to TV shows. Episodes usually begin by resolving what the cliffhanger was in the previous episode, and develops the characters and their relationships, and ends with an open-ended cliffhanger, forcing the viewer to want more of the show. Shojo anime functions like regular anime but the only difference is that its intended audience is girls

Comparing Shojo to its more popular opposite, shonen anime and manga. Shounen means “boy” in Japanese, and in the context of anime and manga, it is a more widely known and more accepted genre. Shonen stories usually have a male protagonist, and unlike the shojo genre, stories in the shonen genre vary wildly, with completely different stories depending on what subgenre is watched. An example would be the show, “Konosuba”, where the main character is reincarnated into another world, which is called the “Isekai” subgenre, this particular show is mainly comedy, with a mixture of visual and slapstick type comedy used, but if you look at another show like, “Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari”, it has the same premise of reincarnation, but takes on a much darker tone overall, with issues like; rape allegations, and the class system being tackled.

Shojo anime is the less popular of the two, and so it has less variety in its series, this may discourage new watchers, particularly male watchers, as the stories rely heavily upon the romance aspect. But Shojo is important and necessary in pop culture, especially now that the internet has connected the world close together, many new viewers are able to access these shows. Also Shojo provides a different option for viewers, while shonen anime becomes similar to each other, as they try to copy the success of previous stories that have succeeded, shojo could become an alternate source for watching.

References

Napier, S. (2005). Why anime? In Anime: from Akira to Howl’s Moving Castle (pp.3-34). Hampshire: Palgrave/ Macmillan.

Angle, J (2018, May 28). What is Shoujo [Definition, Meaning]. from https://honeysanime.com/what-is-shoujo-definition-meaning/

Week 4

1. What was the cultural impact of Akira (1988), and why does it occupy a key place in the canon of anime greats?

Anime has been in western pop culture for many decades now, and characters like, Saitama, and Goku are now in the cultural zeitgeist. Akira (1988), by director and creator; Katsuhiro Otomo, is set in Neo-Tokyo a post-WW3 Tokyo, filled with corruption, biker gangs, and addiction. Where politicians seek to make themselves richer while the commoners must live in this dystopian ghetto, amongst the filth and rats. The anime differed form those coming out around the same time, as its art style was inspired more by western cartoons, than other anime. “Otomo’s drawings for “Akira” were distinctive for their realism; he used lighting, color and an attention to detail to create a vivid, lived-in space.”(Chu, 2018)

Akira has remained in the cultural spotlight, due in large part to how many popular shows and films still reference the anime to this day, one extremely popular reference shared by several shows throughout the years would be the “Kaneda Bike Slide”, where different characters would stop their bike or mode of transportation copying how Kaneda did in the film, a few notable shows that did this would be; TMNT(2003), where Raphael can be seen pulling the maneuver on his red bike, Clone Wars (2003), where Obi-Wan can be seen on a hovering machine, but pulling the maneuver, and Ready Player One, where both the move and a replica of the bike itself can be seen. These examples are just some of the few that can be seen throughout recent pop culture. (Shambrookblog, 2018)

Akira tells the gritty world of Neo-Tokyo through the eyes of the youth, It follows Kaneda and his friend Tetsuo, as they are swept up, through no fault of their own into this large government conspiracy, and they can’t do anything about it but rebel. Tetsuo gets spirited away, and awakens to his powers, in a new situation, and Kaneda moves heaven and earth to save his best friend. But as the situation continues we see Tetsuo despising his only friend, feeling oppressed and smothered, living in Kaneda’s shadow. To Tetsuo, Kaneda’s bike symbolized his power, and by trying to steal the bike multiple times and failing due to not knowing how to handle the bike, this shows that Tetsuo wasnt ready for his psychic abilities either.

Akira tells the story of a corrupt government that tries to gain power through any means necessary, and by doing so they forget their citizens and leave them in disgusting conditions with no support to fix these issues. The sense of civil unrest is shown throughout the film, with “Akira”, being used as a synonym for an overwhelming power that will topple the current regime. Which is eerily similar to today in many countries, including America. Countries like; Palestine, India, Kurdistan, Hong Kong, and several more countries, all have ongoing civil rights protests, fighting against the existing regime, and because a godlike power like Akiras, doesn’t exist, people are forced to fight against the common enemy. Beneath, Akiras, amazing and fluid animation, its cyberpunk aesthetics, and its compelling narrative, the underlying story is one of oppression, and how things will eventually get better if people rise up against the oppressing force. Because of this people are able to relate with the text making it forever relatable, which is why it is one of the Anime greats.

References

Shambrookblog. (2018, October 16). An Incomplete History of “The Akira Bike Slide”. Retrieved from https://the-avocado.org/2018/03/28/an-incomplete-history-of-the-akira-bike-slide/

Chu, H. (2018, July 13). Why the pioneering Japanese anime ‘Akira’ is still relevant 30 years later. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/why-the-pioneering-japanese-anime-akira-remains-relevant-30-years-later/2018/07/12/b7577c74-813f-11e8-b851-5319c08f7cee_story.html

Week 3

Week 3 Questions – Tintin

Why might the queering of Tintin offer new life to the series?

Herge wasnt well known for his inclusivity of other cultures and their beliefs, and his depictions of other races were blatantly racist which could be due to his upbringing in a very conservative home. So, especially in today’s political climate, we must look at the text with the death of the author and detach his intended message, and view the text in another context. With this, readers today can enjoy the text without accepting Herges intention with the racist depictions, and readers are able to realise the damage it caused to these communities as the albums were so popular. The “Queering”, of Tintin, is just one way of today’s readers being able to interact and “talk back”, to the text.

These claims that Tintin is either gay or Asexual arent unsubstantiated, as the reader is never shown any romantic interests and the fact that Tintin surrounds himself with only male friends makes a greater cause. He even moves in with Captain Haddock but only as “friends”, which many gay couples used to do to avoid being labelled as homosexual by their peers. The two share an unbreakable bond, where they would risk their lives for each other, and after years and years of adventuring have become each other’s confidants. Tintin also never shares his past life, and according to an article on Business insider, “Tintin never talks about his parents or family, as though trying to block out the very existence of a father or mother. As psychologists will confirm, this is common among young gay men, some of whom find it hard to believe that they really are their parents’ child. The “changeling” syndrome is a well-known gay fantasy…”. (King, 2009)

This topic can be greatly debated, but there is no denying that perhaps subconsciously, Herge was writing the adventures of a closeted gay man, who faces danger alongside his life partner. Or it could just be about two “bachelors”, living the life, travelling the world together, having a blast.

Tintin and Herge, haven’t always portrayed acceptable representations of minorities, and depictions of other races and cultures could sometimes be problematic in today’s standards. Depictions of black and Asian characters always seem to end up as mere caricatures, while Tintin and other white characters are portrayed as the moral compass and heroes, even the Captain who is an alcoholic which is played off as comedy. “Tintin in Congo”, “Recently a Congolese resident in Belgium, Bienvenu Mbutu Mondondo, has litigated to get the album banned, or at least relegated to the adult shelves of bookshops and libraries” (Mountfort, 2012). However, despite the shortcomings of both the author and his series, they remain classics to this day, being enjoyed all over the world, even warranting a Speilberg film adaptation. But as the world moves toward a more progressive outlook, the Tintin albums may fall into obscurity. So by finding new perspectives to look at this text we may be able to interpret the new meaning behind the text, giving Tintin a new lease on life, exposing the next generations to his antics.

References

Calamur, K. (2016, June 03). Coming to Terms With Tintin. Retrieved November 6, 2020, from https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/06/tintin/485501/

King, R. (2009, January 07). Breaking: Tintin Gay. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/2009/1/tintin-revealed-to-be-gay?r=AU&IR=T

Mountfort, P. (2020). Tintin, gender and desire. Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics. https://doi.org/10.1080/21504857.2020.1729829

Mountfort, P. (2012). ‘Yellow skin, black hair … Careful, Tintin’: Hergé and Orientalism. Australasian Journal of Popular Culture, 1(1), 34-49. https://doi.org/10.1386/ajpc.1.1.33_