Translate

Thursday 23 February 2012

Might Morphin teenage mutant organised crime.-subject to edit.

Just something interesting, i typed Mafia and Yakuza in to Google images and found the highest viewed images are for video games alongside the images of the criminal organisationsand their  cultural signifiers.
A cultural signifier is just a symbol that identifies a particular language, country or culture. For example one might a string of onions, we identify as France, or in this case tatoos for Yakuza, and hats and tommy guns for mafia.
Advertisers use signifiers all the time, as a shortcut to your emotional identification with a  fake history of a product they are selling. I made art on this theme.
http://sundersartwork.blogspot.com/2011/09/sincerity-integrity.html
This is a fairly fun blog about signifiers, a good beggining guide to start your interest.
http://philmon.blogspot.com/2008/02/cultural-signifiers.html

analysis: With shows like Sopranoes, The Wire and the less complex Dexter and the immersiveness of video games that parallel and parody  this culture of violence and reward the image of organised crime and criminals has never been more prevalent. And now with the internet, rumour and bravado can take the place of facts and history in the minds of  those easily impressed.
This, i think is very similar to the culture and mindset of the real life criminals, who we are told play the same games and watch the same movies that we do. Unaware of the irony of their position. And now are allowed when they they finish, to sell a book on their crimes, star in documentary's all for an eager public already having lived their life by proxy  through the games and tv shows.
One could argue , and it has been said , that this fascination with criminals is a delayed and frustrated primordial response to the flight and fight instinct.
Organised crime operates like a business, much like the business we see today dominate our cultural landscape,and they use the same tactics of cultural signifiers to develop an emotional connection.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ezk0e1VL80o   This dodge ad i thought was a snl spoof at first.It's signifiers are egregious  and only worth watching for the humour value.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6LZc5eCgAI&feature=related  : Mcdonalds ad trying to identify an emotional connection by entering your personal history. Do you see how they are grabbing at your memorys?. What they want to do is develop your history to include Mcdonalds.

If you have thoughts on this topic, please leave a comment, anonymously if you want, you don't need a blog to do so.
Thanks .

2 comments:

  1. Yeah society has become mind numbing to the fact that these guys are supposed to be bad and liking them thanks to all the stuff prevailing them in new lights. They forget that it is written and not real life, thinking they no it all. They do run like businesses, except businesses usually don't put you in the ground literally.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Their part of culture now, but with the net and instant access to their crimes there is little distance. We lost objectivity, and we don't get the material from news sources now but from the internet, free from professional context. I love Sopranoes though.

      Delete

Message me, i always reply. I love hearing peoples thoughts or views about what i make.