WHAT IS MEDIA PRAXIS?

MEDIA PRAXIS theorizes and makes media towards stated projects of world and self-changing. This ongoing project, as old as cinema itself, links culture, theory, and politics, in the 20th century, through mediation technologies and indebted to Marxist theories. While I name this a radical web-site in that it directly refers to what Marx, in Theses on Feuerbach calls “revolutionary practice,” a project of interpreting and changing the world, this site is equally radical in that it presumes that we are all participants in making history. It asks you to both study and join the tradition of Media Praxis.

Man with a movie camera
Dziga Vertov, “Man with a Movie Camera,” 1929

In 1922, Lenin informed his minister of culture that “you must remember that of all the arts for us the most important is the cinema.” It is the goal of this web-site to demonstrate that early Soviet cinema is not the exception, even as it is the most heralded of such convergences; rather, the explicit linking of art, culture, revolution and philosophy has inspired a great many of the seminal works and theories of cinema history as well as today’s new media practices.

brenda laurel
Brenda Laurel, from Purple Moon, computer games for girls, 1997

I organize the web-site through ten chronological moments (10 Media Praxis Histories) where media is theorized, by someone who is making it, and as a vital component of political struggle. The site archives theoretical writing, video clips, and related web-based activity from ten periods in media history, commencing with the years surrounding the Russian revolution, then moving to the Popular Front in France, Germany and the US in the 1930s, to the beatniks and underground denizens of American bohemia in the New American Cinema of the 40s and 50s, and then to the cinema connected to the decolonization of the third world in the 60s, and in France and the UK in and after 1968, then to feminism and the black Atlantic of the 70s and 80s, AIDS and ethnographic film in the 1980s and 90s, and concluding with media organizing that occurs in and about cyberspace in our time.

Isaac Julien directing “Looking for Langston” (1989)

Most of what can be read here has already been canonized in textbooks—writing by Sergei Eisenstein and Laura Mulvey, Isaac Julien or Trinh T. Minh-ha—but these seminal theoretical productions have been considered in isolation from each other: as either the hallowed words of a great artist or as part of a national or genre tradition. By putting into one place these discrete but connected histories with theoretical affinities and differences that occur across vast political, global and chronological landscapes, a picture of cinema, and cinema history emerges that is anti-corporate, agitational, intelligent, Marxist, and as often as not gendered female and non-white.

Trin T. Minh-ha, “Sur Name Viet, Given Name Nam,” 1989

MEDIA PRAXIS demonstrates a filmmakers’ ontology of film: what filmmakers know and learn about the medium they shoot, edit, and project because they engage in its sensuous activity. Unlike most collections of writing by filmmakers, the web-site relies upon neither interviews nor memoirs. This challenges the distinction typically drawn between those capable of and qualified to make systematic claims about the media (its theorists) and those whose ruminations are about the particular, daily, and technical (its producers).

I am not the first to note that this bifurcation, in and of itself, leads to a “theoretical crisis.” The founding of Media, Cultural and Minority Studies in the 1960s and 70s were rooted in an energizing political and theoretical investment in practice, daily activity, the personal and the political. “Now I think the true crisis in cultural theory, in our time, is between this view of the work of art as object and the alternative of art as a practice,” writes Raymond Williams in his 1950s “Marxist Cultural Studies.” He continues: “What this can show us here about the practice of analysis is that we have to break from the common procedure of isolating the object and then discovering its components. On the contrary we have to discover the nature of a practice and then its conditions.”

Jonas Mekas, “Lost Lost Lost,” 1976

The theory that makes up the backbone of this web-site, written by those who discover the nature of a practice by practicing it, seeks less to understand the isolated object, the aesthetics and formal structures of film, as it does the nature of its practice and its conditions: what happens when it is made, seen, and used, how it is financed, who gets to see it, and what happens after the screening. In these web-pages, the film object is often over-shadowed by attempts to theorize the extra-textual, such as collective production and radical reception. When makers theorize, political-economic considerations regarding access to both authorship and media education are also definitive. Furthermore, unlike what defines typical anthologies of cinema theory which might focus upon cinema aesthetics or narrative, analyses of realism, documentary, and truth are primary. Thus, most theory-writing producers attempt to prove that realist or documentary cinema is the ideal medium for this work and that the artist/intellectual is the worker best suited for this labor towards the struggle. The writing that is archived here theorizes praxis itself: how do ideas exist in action, and how is this related to the project of radical pedagogy?

Laura Mulvey and Peter Wollen, “Riddles of the Sphinx,” 1977

Over this 100-year theoretical tradition, there are notable changes. While the film movements from the first half of the century are rooted in local, often national struggles for change, a noteworthy adjustment occurs in the sixties, where cross-cultural, global, or identity-based politics of representation and personal liberation take dominance. Who, we might ask, is better qualified to theorize the nature of a practice than its practitioners? And why is this most obvious truism such a bitter pill? Perhaps for the majority of scholars whose ideas come from their heads alone, there is the fear that their theories will be proven inadequate. But Marx cautions us in Feuerbach: “The dispute over the reality or non-reality of thinking that is isolated from practice is a purely scholastic question.” Perhaps for the discipline, one that moved so quickly from margin to center, its legacy of both partisan politics and hands-on practice must be closeted like so much Marxist dirty linen. Serious academic disciplines must claim a theoretical, not a political lineage at their core. MEDIA PRAXIS challenges Media Studies’ tautological advancement towards theory abstracted from politics and practice.

juhasz
Alexandra Juhasz, mediapraxisme, on YouTube

Needless to say, I chose my graduate education in Cinema, drawn to the promise and history of a young discipline that claimed to be “representing the point at which theory, politics and the academy intersect.” In the 1980s, I was a graduate student at NYU and an AIDS activist videomaker. I was supported to write my dissertation about a media movement in which I was an active participant. In that work, “AIDS TV: Identity, Community and Alternative Video” and in later projects where I made and theorized feminist or queer film as part of those political movements, I also marked myself as a participant in the very tradition of media praxis I map in the web-site with the same name. I name my role in this history not to mark my prowess, but quite the opposite, for MEDIA PRAXIS focuses upon what we theorize and learn about the media when commitment and engagement are more valued than artistic or intellectual genius. I make video, along with teaching, scholarly writing, and organizing—to speak with different audiences, in multiple settings, using a range of tactics, so as to address real-world conditions that matter to me. This web-site continues the dialogue in another medium.

Thus, MEDIA PRAXIS simply prompts us to know film theory, history, and studies not as something written on paper, the mark of some other’s formidable mind, but as a thing that was made to be used and re-made by us, in our world, towards what matters most. I want the theorizing that has been born from sensuous human engagement with the medium and the world to be granted the central place it deserves in the history and current shape of our discipline. This because I want to pass and together chew on and make use of the theoretical legacy of “revolutionary practice,” a 100 year old project of interpreting and changing the world with film, this so that present-day theorist/makers can learn from and expand upon these magnificent and flawed ideas to contribute to the real world changes that we all know must happen here, and soon, in this radically media-saturated world in great need of a counter, intelligent, angry, and artful media praxis.

Esfir Shub, “Fall of the Romanov Dynasty,” 1927

 

45 comments on “WHAT IS MEDIA PRAXIS?

  1. I believe the video is Media Praxis because the young lady presents a theory that Homosexuality should be seen as a norm, just like Heterosexuality. The young woman then takes action/practice by interviewing her mother’s boyfriend, going head to head with an adult neighbor, and talking to one of her friends about how they feel about homosexuals in their community.

  2. The video is a form of media praxis because the child states her theory and subsequently puts it into practice by debating her opinions with others. By engaging in these discussions, she is attempting to influence the opinions of those she is directly engaging with, as well as the viewing audience, who she is engaging with indirectly. Starting a dialogue in order to provoke thought is, in my opinion, an effective form of media praxis.

  3. The video “One Child’s Point of View”, is a media praxis, because the young girl takes action for a problem, and despite her young age she starts interviewing people of different ages (even older than her) on camera, in order to make a change in the society. Jazzy puts her opinions into action by asking and even confronting different people with different arguments, so that it would make some changes in society’s mentality about homosexuality.

  4. Post #1:
    Homosexuals: One Child’s Point of View is an example of Media Praxis because the child in the video gathers what her views on the matter and then puts this information into action. She interacts and communicates with others about their views on homosexuals and listens to what they have to say. She is knocking down the hard wall of separation by making this video because she is empowered and tries to inspire others to state their views and make a change.

    Post #2:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dA5Yq1DLSmQ

    The clip I chose is the Kendall Jenner Pepsi commercial. In the required reading, Think, Point and Shoot, it asks the question “Are there gaps between messages sent and messages received”, referring to the ethics of visual media (Danto). I chose this clip because Pepsi tried making a statement but the message received was appalling. In the commercial it ties a bunch of different stories within and connects them at the end. There is a protest outside and all the different stories tie to being at the protest in the end. Kendall Jenner, who was being photographed for either a magazine or print, goes to the protest and gets a can of Pepsi to give to a cop. The cop then opens the Pepsi and gives a smirk to other cops, while everyone is jumping with glee. This commercial states that Pepsi can solve the world’s problems. This commercial came out during the Black Lives Matter rally, which lead to many people being unhappy with this commercial. This commercial is unethical because during the Black Lives Matter rally, people were getting arrested, beaten by cops, etc. and Pepsi shows that by giving a can of Pepsi the world is united. “Visual Communication is always an unreliable universal language given viewers’ differing emotional needs, life experiences, cultural, religious, and educational backgrounds. Applying a “one size fits all” does not work – neither in global cultural politics, nor in aesthetics” (Danto). Pepsi did not take into consideration of people’s experiences and emotions that was going on at the time the commercial came out. As a visual media, although Pepsi tried to make a political statement, their message was not well received. Pepsi then removed this commercial from their Youtube page and no longer ran it through television commercials.

  5. #1
    Homosexuals, One Child’s Point of View, is an example of media praxis because the media, which is the film, is made to educate the viewer on homosexuality. This short film shows from Jazzy, a young and poor African-American child’s, view. Jazzy puts her opinions into action by using books, poems, and interviews. She deals with deep theories that a child would not normally discuss. Hearing these ideas from her perspective, and seeing her actually go out and talk to people makes it much more empowering. It could also educate someone who may not come from the same culture as her, or who may not be around people who are homosexuals. Jazzy, although she is a child, is an activist. She recorded her activism through film, and that is what media praxis is all about.

  6. #2
    Behind The Leather: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs8yqcrqo1s

    Behind the Leather is a piece of media activism done by PETA. The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals made this video with hopes to educate viewers on the cruelty of the exotic skins industry in Asia. In the book, Think, Point, Shoot, chapter one discusses the powerful impact visuals have on the viewer. This video did exactly that. The video needed the gruesome visuals of the customers opening the bags because it brought meaning to the designer items. It showed that they were not just objects, but they were once living breathing animals. I first saw this video on Facebook, and it had millions of views. It left an emotional impact on me, and also sparked a conversation in the comments section below. The fact that PETA could spark a conversation and impact me all the way from Asia proves that it was a great piece of media activism.

  7. #1: Homosexuals: A Child’s Point of View
    Homosexuals: A Child’s Point of View employs one of the practices, filmmaking, to deliver a message, and even though the movie does not have a traditional sense of movie making aesthetic, it is still effective in that it delivers a message, a condition, that is important to both the filmmakers themselves and to others who may be watching. The nature of the play-pretend (or not!) of the conversation between the two girls, the interviews conducted by Jahanara, the examples that she showed, all of these actions are essential in media praxis, because she is communicating her ideas and beliefs; that homosexual people are normal and that they are as important to a society as people who are not homosexuals.

  8. #2: Media Ethics
    My piece of media is an advertisement by United Colors of Benetton, where it wasn’t necessarily advertising the brand itself, but the values that they carried. There were three hearts that resemble human’s with big, bolded fonts on top of each saying: “White, Black, Yellow.” The media was successful in that it employs shocking images to attract and draw in audience. However, the ethics of the advertisement can be murky. While the ad contains a simple and easy-to-interpret message – everyone is the same on the inside, the intent and ethics of Benetton can be questioned. Maybe they are trying to express their ideals and values to a big demographic, but they are possibly more concern about their image as a brand, and when they use such controversial images to attempt to shock and appeal to the viewers, it can seem superficial. In the end, the advertisement is still what it is, an ad, and Benetton was exploiting viewers into purchasing their products.

  9. Post #2

    The piece of media activism I chose to write about is a video titled Kony 2012 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc). The video quickly went viral after it was uploaded in March 2012. Its purpose was to bring awareness of the war crimes committed by Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony, with the goal of having him arrested by the end of that year. The film was lauded by many for educating people on an issue they might have been previously unaware of, but it was also torn apart by many critics for a variety of ethical missteps.
    One of the primary criticisms of the film was its oversimplification of Africa’s sociopolitical climate, which is generally regarded as a complex issue. For instance, the film calls for intervention from the Ugandan military, which has been accused of a multitude of their own sins in the region. The film has also come under fire for perpetuating a “white savior complex,” as it is produced by, and prominently features, white Americans who are hoping to save people of color in need. The nonprofit organization behind the film, Invisible Children, was also criticized for the questionable way they allocated donations raised by the film.

  10. POST #1 (Revised)
    Media Praxis is the utilization of media as an outlet in order to transmit an idea or belief to a mass audience. It is about the handling of content that an individual for one reason or another believes is vitally important and should be disseminated to others as well (or else it remains a simple thought with no reality) Media Praxis is comprised of two critical components, Theory and Practice. It’s based around the notion that when an individual takes their strongly held theory and asserts it through actions, such as presenting it through a form of media such as a book, film or even a song. These actions are usually done not only to invoke a theory, but with the optimistic intentions that the theory itself could lead to some kind of change. Hope of change is typically the endgame of someone using Media Praxis, it would most certainly be mine.

    The film Homosexuality: A Child’s Point of View uses Media Praxis by using several forms of media and utilizing them invoke an idea of tolerance. Not only does the young girl use film, but also literature (the children’s book she shows and the poetry she reads) as a means of “Practice” or action in order to better convey her initial theory, that homosexuality is normal and non-shameful. She clearly wishes to instigate and provoke change with the media she is creating, as made humorously evident during the interview portion of the documentary in which she fearlessly chides back at those who disagree with her. This may be a raw and unsophisticated form of Media Praxis, but it is quite effective and a good first lesson for those like myself who are only know beginning to understand it’s complex webs of meaning.

  11. Post # 2 Media Activism Video
    The video I am sharing as part of this assignment is an MTV Short Film “American Male” which details the struggles of a fictional male protagonist as he tries to fit into the coded societal pressures of masculinity that have been forced upon him since birth. He lists them off in a voice over with a numbness that sounds all too real to any man who has felt different then the macho status quo. The film invokes the message that often times this overtly forced toxic masculinity can lead to violence and injury in a young males life.
    I chose this as my video because I belief this issue of toxic masculinity should be made more aware in our society, especially because it adversely effects both men and women, since women are often the subject of men’s repressed rage and insecurities. I would like to in the future create a media project that would help males feel more open to discussing issues that pertain to their physiological health and social development. Men aren’t known as talkers, but as this film displays, we cannot stay silent much longer.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ-Pyhk7GQA

  12. In “Homosexual: One Child’s Point of View”, Jazzy discusses her theory on homosexuality and what informs that theory. The film gives the viewer insight into Jazzy’s life and the factors that shape her theory. We see her theory road tested, challenged and defended with discourse from the figure in the white shirt and with her peers. Jazzy gives her theory context within her own life and discusses how stigmas, misconceptions, and marginalization of homosexuality affect the real gay and lesbian people in her own life. She then offers a message of solidarity to the gay and lesbian communities in general, directly addressing and acknowledging them. This is theory in practice, she goes beyond discussing theory as if it’s hypothetical, and brings it to the real world.

  13. Post #2: The piece of media activism I chose to share is the 2010 documentary Waste Land, which follows a group of catadores (recyclables pickers) in Brazil’s Jardim Gramacho, which was, at the time of the filming, one of the world’s largest landfills. The film interviews the pickers and follows the progress of an art project they collaborate on with Vik Muniz, along with the process of getting the artwork sold, and putting the money made on the sale and from the film’s awards to the pickers’ union. The film shows its ethics by actively supporting its subject, and bringing awareness to both a global waste problem as well as Brazil’s lack of recycling infrastructure.

  14. Post #3 Activist Website

    The website I chose for this assignment was from the Political Archives section of this site. I decided to pick from those, because I know they are reputable and contain a wide array of material. The websites name is IdentityTheory.com and it is a literary online magazine that covers subjects from celebrity interviews, to political articles and even activists media. It has several different kinds of blogs on it that cover topics from current up and coming musicians to hot button social justice issues. I selected this site because I enjoy the way it combines entertainment news alongside informative media projects and political topics. It is a place of creative expression, which is such a key component for so many activists out there, to be able to express themselves and their beliefs through an art form. This site seems to highlight those kinds of people which I find to be extremely admirable. This is the type of site that would likely have begun releasing many of the Aids Activists videos discussed in the readings, as they release personal content from individuals all the time through music, film and especially blogs. Those videos from individuals with AID’s would be an ideal fit for this sites personalized content. I hope in the future even more websites and media platforms can combine the things we enjoy through entertainment with the things we fight for on a highly personal and spiritual level.
    Here is a link to the website to check it out if you’d like: http://www.identitytheory.com/

  15. In Homosexuality: A Child’s Point of View, the young lady is engaging in media praxis because she is actively participating in sharing her opinions on homosexuality and by creating this content it is a way to sway the opinions of others toward her own.

  16. Post#3 Pick a website:

    I chose greenpeacefund.org because they have been actively engaged in ethical protests against environmental abuse for over 40 years. I’ve watched videos of Greenpeace actually walking the walk by stopping whaling ships from killing whales that have been against international laws. Also, I believe in the cause because they put their lives at risk using no guns to stand up against corporations or individuals that abuse the planet.

  17. Post #1
    Homosexuality One Child’s Point of View is an example of media praxis because of the fact that the author (the director) “theorized” something, in this case, presumably her point of view towards Homosexuality and made an object which is the film itself to communicate and bring her theory to a form of media that encapsulates her ideas on the said subject.

  18. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFzy1l_WoAs

    Following Marshall Macluhan’s infamous line, “The medium is the message” the response that I will provide will be about the video itself as a medium of New Media and not its content. The aim is to have a brief observation on the portrayal of marijuana use in short viral Youtube videos such as the one I provided.

    The ethical standpoint of such a video and many of its kind I provided above though may seem at first well-intentioned— following the liberal cause of taking away the taboo on recreational marijuana use, deserves close scrutiny. As written in the introduction of our text book, Think/Point/Shoot, a lot of young people as early as two years old are already have access to New Media and a 2015 survey, as also cited in the book, of 2,685 8-18 year olds found that this age group spends an average of six to nine hours a day. Videos similar to the example I provided are easily accessible and are widely dispersed in social media feeds. Young people are going to the internet a lot and could potentially see these videos without proper parental guidance. What is alarming is that our society is getting more and more visual as supposed to its predecessor which is textual in our use of language. The danger of it is that images can be interpreted differently by each viewer who are viewing the image. If a 10 year- old kid would see a similar video from my example, she/he could see the intended purpose and supplemented by guidance from an adult could lead to a productive result. On the other hand, it may be signified as a consent to irresponsibly smoke marijuana and disregard any social, cultural, and even medical implications of smoking marijuana. Medical benefits, its apparent social “lubrication” use and its seemingly harmless effects relatively to other hallucinogens like alcohol and cocaine are the main argument why supporters advocate marijuana use , but on the other side of the coin there are also studies on the effects on the mental development of teens and young adults who are abusing marijuana.

    To add an extra dimension in this issue, we could also observe the nature of the production of these videos, as early as late 2007, YouTube have allowed advertisers to advertise on the site, and later YouTube started paying content creators who can attract views in huge quantities. A new production model has been born since then. At the turn of the decade, YouTube have solidified this model and gave way to a lot of youtubers who can monetize their content creation. The point of scrutiny to any channel that are claiming to make a social change, regardless of its identification in the political spectrum, through New Media lies on whether their content are either really truthfully honest to their goal/ideals, and even if it is, will it result to a better global digital society, or is it mainly economically driven?

  19. Post # 3 Ethical Activist Media Praxis
    The link to the website I chose for this weeks assignment is http://www.thefilipinomind.com

    What it is in a nutshell is a website that amalgamates a vast variety of topics such as theories that varies from political, economic, post-colonial, post-structural and its application in Filipino society; a huge collection of articles about Philippine history from pre-colonial Philippines (Spanish) to the downfall of the Marcos regime in 1986 including a lot of the scandals that took place in between; and other critical analyses such the influence of popular American culture in the Philippines and criticisms of various idiosyncrasies in the every day life of the Filipino people.

    The achievement of the site is providing sophisticated intellectual material while also providing fundamental pieces of literature to be fully immersed in the discourse of Filipino nationalism and history. For example the site includes excerpts of Marxist theory and some works of Noam Chomsky. What is also a notable achievement of the site is that even though it is a website about the Philippines, it refuses to neglect international issues and subjects such as terrorism, globalization, economic pacts (past and present) and even the Wall Street financial meltdown of 2008. I think having this all inclusive approach imparts credibility and an opportunity to encourage its audience to be more aware of global affairs wholly.

    The media praxis here in this case is the act of collecting and publishing information through a form of digital media—the website. The website have a clear intention of disseminating information that are often times inaccessible for a lot of ordinary Filipino people. I think it’s ethical to provide not only subjective opinions on serious topics such as politics, and history (which is often the case) but also provide fundamental materiel to educate and disrupt the convenience of unthinking and light the philosophical fire to enable people like myself to step away from our own bubble and see our country in a more objective lens with the hopes of finding a way to bring us dignity that have been lost after centuries of direct and indirect colonialism. Though it does not proclaim itself as an “activist” website, it sure does help one to direct its energy to a more productive and objective path.

    This website is very close to me both personally and intellectually since it has given me (continuing still during the time of writing) the fundamental tools to articulate my budding nationalistic tendencies and integrate it in my intellectual and artistic pursuits. For example the nexus of ideas from articles about American colonialism and later the effects of American popular culture on Philippine mass media impelled me to make my lifelong mission to find a way to reverse it using media itself (in my case filmmaking) which eventually lead me to the theories of <a href="http://www.mediapraxis.org/?cat=10"The Third Cinema, which incidentally part of our lectures for our class.

  20. I believe that this video is media praxis because it had all the elements that media praxis consist of. The young lady had a theory that homosexuality should not be regarded as an abnormal thing, but rather as a norm. She realizes her project to influence people that homosexuality is a norm by interviewing different people getting their perspectives and also conveying hers. She believed in something, she expressed herself to her audience and she brought change.

  21. Post# 2
    https://youtu.be/6fE4mAE5thg
    I chose this video because its ethic and political views was apparent. Noam Chomsky elaborated on Corporate Media and Activism. He sated that their ethics is that they have owners who value certain things and they are committed to portraying what they want towards their exclusive audience who they valued amid to rest of the public. Prof. Chomsky believe that mainstream media is an ideological medium like any other medium. Prof. Chomsky “I read them all the time.” Therefore there shouldn’t be any illusions which are based on existing institutions of power and domination within our society.

  22. Post# 3
    16thingskidscando.org is the website that I chose because its a place where kids success is a high priority. I used to intern with them and i know that they are really helping the kids and that is something I value. 16things Kids can Do work for the betterment of the kids and the public through a series of books, programs, internships, and media productions. They are also working with government agencies to declare august as national kids month. This website believe in helping the kids and the public and that’s what theorize and practice.

  23. Homosexuals, One Child’s Point of View: is an example of media praxis. With her knowledge about the issue and her knowledge about basic camera skills, she shows and deliver a message about homosexuality. The video shows her arguing and informing people that homosexuality is okay and people need to accept it. She listens, argues and informs people from different ages about the issue. People are misinformed about it and it feels like its a taboo to talk about the issue. by Ezmeralda Gonzalez

  24. How Indigenous voices are using social media to #ChangeTheDate

    In this article and video its explains how people from Australia (mostly indigenous to the the country) are fighting to change the date, from Australia Day to Ingenious Day. The reason is not just the history of the ingenious but the history of Australia For some indigenous people they don’t feel good about themselves when they celebrate the date because it reminds them of when Australia were colonized by the Europeans. They use the hashtag #changethedate to be spread around social media. They made a hip hop video to catch the attention of the younger audiences who would understand why they want to change the date. In the reading “Think, Point, Shoot” by Annette Danto she writes that in 2015 children from the age of 8-18 spends at least six to eight hours on any type of media. Just image a child was on YouTube and probably came across to the video and problem shared it, shown it to someone or simply just search what #changethedate meant. Little by little they can get informed what the date really means and probably would do or make something out of it. by Ezmeralda Gonzalez

  25. Improvement of assignment 1 and 2.

    Assignment #1

    Homosexuals, One Child’s Point of View: is an example of media praxis. With her knowledge about the issue and her knowledge about basic camera skills, she shows and deliver a message about homosexuality. The video shows her arguing and informing people that homosexuality is okay and people need to accept it. She listens, argues and informs people from different ages about the issue. People are misinformed about it and it feels like its a taboo to talk about the issue.

    Assigment #2
    http://mashable.com/2017/01/24/indigenous-australians-change-the-date/#CcPDcNrQfOql

    How Indigenous voices are using social media to #ChangeTheDate

    In this article and video its explains how people from Australia (mostly indigenous to the the country) are fighting to change the date, from Australia Day to Ingenious Day. The reason is not just the history of the ingenious but the history of Australia For some indigenous people they don’t feel good about themselves when they celebrate the date because it reminds them of when Australia were colonized by the Europeans. They use the hashtag #changethedate to be spread around social media. They made a hip hop video to catch the attention of the younger audiences who would understand why they want to change the date. In the reading “Think, Point, Shoot” by Annette Danto she writes that in 2015 children from the age of 8-18 spends at least six to eight hours on any type of media. Just image a child was on YouTube and probably came across to the video and problem shared it, shown it to someone or simply just search what #changethedate meant. Little by little they can get informed what the date really means and probably would do or make something out of it.

  26. Post #3

    https://www.dosomething.org/us

    The reason i choose this website is because it doesn’t focus just on one subject it focuses on many matters that are important then and now. Especially, now in 2017; this website has about 9 causes and how you can help or spread what you fight for. You can donate, share, do something, etc., it has many options you can choose from to spread the word. It’s media praxis because you or people can make a video or go face to face with others and debate about the subject.

  27. Post #3
    http://proof.org/

    Proof is a social justice media non-profit that teaches the youth the tools to tell personal stories through visual storytelling and education. This organizations uses gathers people suck as journalist and visual story tellers to educate the youth about the power photo and video to have a voice.

  28. Post #1: How is Homosexual: One Child’s Point of View media praxis?

    The short Documentary film How is Homosexual: One Child’s Point of View is a form of Media Praxis because the young girl throughout the film takes the time get other people view points rather she agrees with other people views. She is self-aware about what she believes in, but still, wants to hear from others. At the beginning of the film states her views on what is homosexuality to her then goes out to talk to other. In one scene of the film she argues with an older lady about her views, and she continues to stand by her beliefs despite the older women disagreeing with her. The young girl also brings up her experiences being around someone who was homosexual and how she felt about it.

  29. Post #2: Media Activism: BRIC TV BK Stories on Gentrification

    I was on you tube and saw this short video about the changing neighborhood of East New York and how two art curators of East New York created an art exhibition to showcase the beauty of their area. I thought this was an interesting piece of Media Activist because the video shows the community it self and the current changes that are happening, like signs asking local tenants to sell their properties, and new constructions happening. Arts East New York was created to inform the people of the community of what is going on in their neighborhood and how they can use art as show what their neighborhood once was.

    https://youtu.be/mEbhHL-6lwY

  30. Post #2

    Media Theory Post and Archive Addition

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNsxSV96JQY

    This piece of media by Watchcut video puts together a group of Atheists, Muslims, Christians, and Jews and asks them about their beliefs. On the surface, their views or opinions should’ve conflicted, but it turns out that they have a lot in common. When asked if they think hijab is a sign of oppression, only a couple of people said yes while the majority said no. It is easy to say that the ethics we have are shared by a lot of individuals, even if they are of another religion that teaches another set of rules. However, the creator of the video named the series “Dirty Data” to show that this is poll questioning (They are not asked the question individually). One of the comments is “Maybe people would respond more genuinely if they were asked one by one ? I feel like they’re very influenced each by other ” to which the creator responded by saying, “That’s part of the point. It’s why the series is called Dirty Data. It’s about questioning the polls we see everyday and remembering that people are very rarely rigid in their beliefs.” This shows that our ethics are very unstable and can be swayed by our environments. This might be very scary since we do not live alone but in a society. So does the society actually control our ethics? And our ethics are not ours after all?

  31. Post#1: How is Homosexual: One Child’s Point of View media praxis?

    Homosexual: One Child’s Point of View is considered media praxis because it employs both definition of media praxis: theory and practice. In the film, the child’s beliefs (theory) is that everyone should view homosexuality as a norm. And the following action (practice), is that she goes around interviewing people about homosexuality and inquire about their viewpoint. When their view clashes, she starts explaining why she believes in what she believes in— and that is a good example of media praxis.

  32. The short film, “Homosexuals: One Child’s Point of View” is a powerful example of media praxis. Jazzy, the young girl who sees no problem with homosexuality (a view not commonly held at the time), goes around and confronts people about the realities of their unfairly held beliefs. When the adults she corresponds with say something homophobic, she corrects them, and attempts to widen their views on the matter. By going out, and raising questions, and filming her progress so as to reach a wider audience, Jazzy is standing her ground, and creating her version of media praxis.

  33. This video is an interesting piece of media activism because, while it spreads the message that “like a girl” shouldn’t be used as an insult, it is also an advertisement for Always. While the brand’s motives for doing a piece like this are clearly an attempt to gain more customers, does that negate the positivity of their message, does that make it less ethical? I’m not convinced it does. A little girl watching this commercial won’t understand that it’s the work of a brand, and will simply feel like it’s a video empowering her and how she runs, fights, throws, etc. As is pointed out in Think, Point, Shoot, “nearly 80 per cent of children in the United states between the ages of 0 and 5 use the internet on at least a weekly basis,” so the fact that media like this exists for little girls to stumble upon is indeed, a positive thing. This video raises awareness about how women’s perceptions of themselves and others get tainted as they pass through puberty and get older, and how we need to work to change that perception within ourselves, so as to change that perception in others. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs

  34. Kevin Arota and Angelica Cornier.
    This is a response to Mark S. King’s segment
    1. By making home videos or humorous short skits and his active participation to express his situation living life with AIDS.

    2. By making humorous content about a serious topic. As a result, the subject of HIV becomes less of a stigma and less scary.

    3. How would you contribute in disseminating information and awareness about AIDS using alternative media?

  35. Ray Navarro Portraying Jesus Christ described by Julie Neira, Luisa Ortiz, Jonathan Mendoza, Chris London:

    1. How is Ray Navarro engaged in Alternative AID’s Activist Media?

    Navarro addresses the topic of abortion and sexuality in the church and acknowledges that it is taboo and gay and lesbian people are usually left out of those conversations when it comes to the after life and whether or not they will enter heaven. Ray also uses comedy to reach the audience in a less serious way. In hopes that perhaps that way people will realize the topic of sex should’t be all hush hush. In that short clip he also interviews his fellow protestors to get some opinions on current events such as informing the public as well as the cardinal of the church about condoms and safe sex.

    2. What is the tactic of media praxis that we found effective?

    Navarro’s depiction of Jesus Christ talking about safe sex and homosexuality relates to the audience in a comical and ironic way. One that informs the public of their cause i.e. safe sex and makes them think about the abjure between church and sexuality.

  36. Post #1
    Homosexuals: One Child’s Point of View is an example of Media Praxis because, in this video, we see the video maker turns her idea into actions. She did an interview with a homosexual person to provide proof of her point. She debated with a homophobic person with the hope that she can change this person’s thoughts towards homosexuality. At the end of the video, she gives a pep talk to the homosexual community.

    Post #2
    Short piece of media activism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=litXW91UauE
    This video is considered as a media praxis because Dove proves the idea that people are more beautiful than they view themselves by letting real people test this idea out. In the Real Beauty Sketches campaign, Dove invited people to describe themselves and compare their description with another person’s description. The results support Dove’s idea and have made a direct impact on the people who participated in this campaign.
    In term of media ethics, this video has accuracy issue, since the editor might have manipulated words of the people who are interviewed in a way that supports its idea.

  37. Media Praxis is more political than anything. It’s about groups sharing a common mindset and working together to further their agenda. I believe that this video is a good example of Media Praxis because the young lady boldly stands on the side of pro-homosexuality, and is actively making a political statement to support her group’s mindset.
    The title “Homosexuality: One Child’s Point of View” is an example of Media Praxis in itself because homosexuality and childhood aren’t synonymous. Homosexuality, as we discussed, is viewed by many people as ‘impure’ and purity is exactly what we associate with a child. For a child to have a perspective on homosexuality messes up the notions of what we thought homosexuality was supposed to be; messy, impure and knowing good and evil.
    Media Praxis goes hand in hand with politics and culture, as stated above. When a girl– who, by default, is associated with purity and naivete– has such a profound, against-the-current view on homosexuality it epitomizes Media Praxis.

  38. Media Activism
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Q1GVOYIcKc
    I chose this video because it’s very bold and is a food example of activism in Media Praxis. The use of blood here is gruesome, rather disturbing and not ladylike. The use of disturbing sounds imagery and blood stood to say “It’s blood don’t be ashamed”.
    This commercial was anti-sexism in the boldest and rudest way.
    I could sense a ZERO tolerance spirit in this commercial which is why I selected this as an example of Media Activism.
    Activism is bold and this commercial really speaks to that.

  39. http://dsy.allstars.org/

    I chose this website because the organization’s goal is to give exposure and experience to inner-city youth. People who are often over looked because of their background are put at the front of this organization, which is why I saw it fit to highlight this website as an activist website.
    Not only was this specific ‘Development School for Youth’ program built by activists and volunteers; the All Stars Project as a whole is a grassroots non-government funded organization which was built by community leaders and activists such as Dr. Lenora Fulani, an independent, who works very closely with Rev. Al Sharpton (and was the first black woman to ever be on the ballot in all states.) This website is a snippet of an important political movement.

  40. Post #4: Initial Ideas for Media Praxis Project.

    Ethnically speaking, “native” Filipinos have brown skins. We have mestizos and Chinese-Filipinos who are fair skinned who have been part of our ethnic gene pool for as long as little over half a millennium ago whose fathers are from the fleets of Spanish colonial ships and boats who crossed China Sea to do commerce in South East Asia. Later on the French missionaries and the development of the Suez canal paved the path for French commerce and tourism in the Philippines. Then just under a century later the American “emancipation” of the Philippines from the 500 years of Spanish colonial rule brought American influence in Philippine society and government which effects still lasts until today.

    As evidenced by our history, lighter skinned people are not alien to us. They are part of our history and ethnic makeup for a long period of time. Though if one goes to any given town or city in the Philippines today these light skinned Filipinos are of a minority. But somehow a lot of Filipinos revere lighter skinned ones as “better” and preferable compared to their darker skinned counter parts. Personally, I have never really broke out of the same paradigm until I came here in the US where fair skinned people are dying to get their skin darker.

    With this locus in mind, I plan on doing a video which will include juxtaposed images of people in different shades of skin, a collage of advertisements, a collection of skin whitening commercials, excerpts from TV shows and movies (both local and Hollywood) that exemplifies this phenomenon. I am also thinking of doing an ambush survey in Filipino communities here in New York and New Jersey with my girlfriend (a Polish woman—light skinned) and another female friend (a Mexican woman who have darker complexion) and ask them while in front of the camera whom should I marry and why.

    The main approach of the video is to investigate small details in everyday Filipino society and hopefully in the duration of the film present a convincing structure (perhaps use Lacanian theory as a framework in identifying the symbolic) that would confront my Filipino viewers of this automated preference. Hopefully as an effect, I would invoke reflection and vigilance to this phenomenon to my viewers.

  41. #4
    I’ll be making a video about if its right to kick out innocent children or family fleeing from violence or hunger. It is going to be online either on my youtube channel or i’ll be making a website where people can also post videos or picture and writing about if they agree or not agree. I’ve seen some websites and videos that been shown in class that will follow the guide lines of what i want in mine.

    The reason I’m planning to do this “topic” is because I have friends and family who fled their country due to violence and hunger. It’s a topic that I’ve always wanted to talk or show people that these people aren’t all criminals, they try to do the right thing but sometimes it would end badly.

  42. My media activist and ethics theory will be base on free speech and the many injustices that is occurring here in America. From policing, economic inequalities, racism, and the violations of international human rights.

  43. By Angelica Cornier:
    POST #1: “One child’s point of view” is an example of media praxis because the little girl forces her theories into actions when she interviews people and goes around to shut down different adults views on homosexuality.

    POST #2:Media theory post and archive addition:

    https://www.facebook.com/TheSceneVideo/videos/1170821039651914/?hc_ref=ARTyX1-W7FHBrh7lvervDPqyJjF6ctHG_cTaVhT0siydDN2J4uJZBCPzgUX7ACyiNKM

    This video basically depicts what it’s like to have a negative self image. It pinpoints the insecurities that these two girls have about their own bodies and after speaking it outlaid to each other they realize how negative these thoughts/comments are and how it effects their perception of themselves. At the end of the video they realize that you have to love yourself first and love your body no matter what shape or size you are.

  44. The website/organization I have chosen to discuss is HRC, The Human Rights Campaign, which works advocating for equal rights for the LGBTQ community. They are a wealthy company which engages in many different forms of media to send their information out. They do videos, print ads, posters, etc. to communicate the importance of the issue. I worked for HRC for about a year as I learned what the company stood for from our local NYC office all the way to the HRC Headquarters. I believe the company to be flawed for a number of reasons, most importantly that the most important people in the company, as well as a majority of managers, directors, and higher ups, are white males who display an incomplete understanding of the LGBTQ community. This is my opinion, that of a straight white male, so I am sure members of the community addressed may feel even stronger than I do. The company has also overlooked issues of the trans community while passing legislature, campaigning, and waxing as protector of all. Although I consider them flawed media and flawed advocacy group, their slot as a piece of media is undeniable.

    by Jake Rothpearl

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