Defining the Documentary

Documentaries are movies about real life-but not real life themselves. They are thought out and constructed by their producers. There is no way to make a film without manipulating some of the information-otherwise it would not be a film. I never thought about this before and always assumed true documentaries were supposed to be films that depicted real life and werent changed at all by the director. I felt a documentary that is described in the way this essay describes one would be a warped portrayal of real life, depending on the film makers intentions.

I liked the qoute by Micheal Rabiger "There are no rules in this young art form, only decisons about where to draw the line and how to remain consistent to the contract you will set up with your audience". -I think this summarized well, what characteristics a documentary is supposed to have.

It is true that naming matters and also that names come with expectations. The names 'Reality TV' and 'Documentary ' give out completely different vibes. I would say for many viewers different levels of respect and credibility go with these names as well.

Documentary''s must also have some aspect of entertainment in order for people to want to watch it. It is true that our understanding of what a documentary is, shifts over time with business and marketing pressures and technology innovations. This makes sense because these things affect regualr movies as well, and all forms of entertainment in our culture today.

It is always fun to think about how different shots can be framed differently and carrya different meaning depending on the frame. This is so true! I also think a very different meaning can be portrayed based upon the music, or the voice speaking in the documnetary.

I always think about how a camera man must make a documentary film making even less natural for primitive people or animals being filmed. How can they act naturally if they know they are being filmed?

I think most documentary filmers must feel passionately about their subjects and want the world to see more about the truth of them. You can really see the passion in how well films are made. I look foward to exploring documentary film making more in this section.

Essay 2 Option Choice

When we were talking in class, the idea of cultural symbolism and the tan came up. I found this idea more interesting than all of the rest and have decided to write my essay on this topic.
I will use Option 4: "Discuss a powerful symbol (or symbols) in our culture today. How does this symbol affect thinking/stop thinking."

My thesis will involve the idea that people like to use symbols to try and represent who they are. You can represent many things with a tan. You could be trying to be athletic looking, exotic looking, fake looking/well kept, or simply want to have that "California/Coastal look".
People will go so far have these perfect tans, even though they are terrible for your skin, and triple aging rates. Why do they do this? Because like all other symbols, looking at someone with a tan /without a tan is capable of affecting/stopping the thinking of others.

In my first paragraph I plan to talk about the different reasons, people may search for this perfect tan, and why it is such a cultural icon/symbol.

In my second paragraph I will discuss how this symbol affects and stops the thinking of others.

In my third paragraph I will discuss my personal feelings and the underlying argument that although symbolism in our culture is inevitable, judgement is wrong, and people should strive to be themselves, rather than get so worked up in symbols.

Chapters 9-13

Blog Chapters 9-13

Chapter 9- The Little Man Who Wasn’t There

“The more complicated civilization becomes the more conscious we must be that our nervous systems automatically leave out characteristics of the events before us”. (p 98)

It is interesting to think about the truth that we often make seeing and believing into a single process. Isn’t this what we have always been taught to do though? Just like the famous quote “seeing is believing”. If you see something then it must be true, because you are watching it happen.

Fearful words and unthinkable words are sort of silly when you think about it in the way that this book lays them before us. Words like “rattlesnake” are just words. It is the negative connotations of which we learn them in, that make them so toxic. Of course other hate words, and words related to prejudice are much worse to think about than words like rattlesnake.

In response to the question “what is a jew?”. I would say it is anybody who wishes to identify themselves this way. The rest concerning if a person does or doesn’t fit into a certain mold isn’t anybody’s business but that persons.

Chapter 10-Classification

“The effect that each of these classifications has upon what he may and may not do consititutes there reality” (107).

I get from this that classifications are really just groupings, and may or may not be relative in a literal sense. They limit our society by grouping us. It makes sense when Hayakawa makes the statement that classification is not a matter of identifying our “essences”, but simply a reflection of social convenience or necessity.

Classifications are a creation of how we feel people/ things need to be grouped to fit our societal needs. Having read this chapter, I will undoubtedly look at the idea of classifying differently.

From a societal stand point (not scientific) how can we really define truth? How can we ever know what is honestly true?

Chapter 11- The Two-Valued Orientation

It isn’t correct to think about questions as only having two sides. This is an interesting thought to me. In most cases questions seem to be answered either right or wrong. I suppose it is important to pay attention to the middle ground options as well.

This chapter runs through numerous examples of two valued structures, often using the examples of good guys and bad guys. I think we define what is good and what is bad based upon how we are raised and what is going on around us. Because of this, there can be no clear answer of what is good and bad.

“Action resulting from two-valued orientations notoriously fails to achieve its objectives” (p 124).
I feel this quote sort of sums up the ideas of the chapter. It is definitely true!

Chapter 12-The Multi-Valued Orientation

“Although we like to think of ourselves as rational beings, there are few of us who do not exhibit the two- valued orientation when we are stirred up by controversy.” (p 128)

I feel that this quote is something that people try and tell themselves is not true, but I think it is pretty accurate. When people feel passionately about a subject, they often feel there is a only a right and a wrong, while not leaving room for a shade of grey. This is a pitfall for debate, when we are arguing with one another.

Chapter 13- Poetry and Advertising

“The most important respect in which poetry and advertising resemble each other is that they both strive to give meaning to the data of every day experience.” (p 135)

I really like this passage because it is true, and I never thought about the way that poetry and advertising were similar. Both use symbolism to either sell an idea, or make us think deeper about an idea. They both make us think farther on a subject or idea than we would normally. This is what I like about both poetry and advertising-making us think outside the box.

Language in Thought and Action Chapters 5-8

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Chapter 5 –The Double Task of Language

Language has multiple tasks: Instrumental, as in fulfilling the task of communication. Also language is used to help us express our feelings.

“In addition to tone of voice and rhythm, another extremely important affective element in language is the aura of feelings, pleasant or unpleasant, that surrounds practically all words (pg 43)”
It is interesting to think about language in the terms of tone of voice and rhythm, because these influence so heavily how our words are understood and reacted to. You could be saying very kind words, in an angry tone of voice and most likely what you were saying would be taken in a negative way because of your tone.
“Almost all verbal expressions of feeling make use, to some extent, of the affective connotations of words. (45)”
This is so true and isn’t something I have thought about much before because it comes so naturally to use these words with certain connotations. Over time words have taken on different connotations that severely influence the meaning of what we say, or the way the person we are saying it too decides to take it.

I also found the passage about how the fear of death can be symbolized by our society’s fear of words having to do with death to be interesting. For example, we use words such as passed away, departed, or gone west. I always associated the use of the softer words for describing one’s passing as a sign of respect rather than fear. It definitely makes sense that some of this usage may come from our own fear.

I think the connotations of words are fun to study, because we learn so much about ourselves and the development of our language. Sometimes doesn’t take much for a word to develop a negative connotation, other than repetitive use.

Chapter 6- The Language of Social Cohesion

“We use language in presymbolic ways; that is, as the equivalent of screams, howls, purrs, and gibbering.” (p 56)
It is interesting to see our complicated language system compared to screams, howls and purrs. It really simplifies the fact that we are just using language as a way to communicate to each other, the same way that is done in the animal world. We express our desires, and feelings often through language rather than sounds or noises.

“We talk about nothing at all and thereby establish friendships” (pg 58)
This is so true, often times when I get together with my girlfriends we will sit and talk about things that would be seemingly meaningless to others who didn’t know us. However, it is talking about nothing that seems to bring friendships closer together, because just enjoying each other’s company is the most important. “The togetherness is not merely in the talking itself, but in the opinions expressed.” (page 58)

I really like the following quote for the means of summarizing this chapter:
“Presymbolic communications have this characteristic in common: Their effectiveness does not depend on the use of words. They can even be performed without recognizable speech at all.” (p 62)
What I get from this: Communication is not necessarily about what is said, but about the need to listen, be heard, and feel as if you are interacting with another person. They want to hear one another’s voices, and their own. It’s all about the interaction between two people.

The Language of Social Control -7

Words can be influential and used as a means to try and make things happen in our favor.

“The future, like the recorded past, is a specifically human dimension.” (p 65)
Dogs, for example, may know that something specific will happen every morning (in a sense knowing the future, but cannot gather something that will happen in the future from a word or command. Animals cannot really control future events.

It is interesting that the book brought up propaganda on page 67. I studied propaganda extensively in a media class, and it is so true that people react almost instantly in favor or against what propaganda is telling you to go out and buy, believe or not believe. The human opinion seems to be so easy to influence by the work of others through language and means of communication.

“Society is a vast network of mutual agreements” (68)
This is something I have never thought about, but the way we have come to be the society that we are is by many, many mutual agreements upon laws, rules, cultures, norms, etc. It makes you wonder why people tend to agree so much on certain things? Like driving on the right side of the road rather than left in the U.S.

Chapter 8—How We Know What We Know

This chapter seems to somewhat target the questions that lingered in the back of my head during many of the previous ones. Why are this just the way they are? How did so much in our society come to be inferred and understood?

“The indispensability of this process of abstracting can again be illustrated by what we do when we calculate.” (p 87)
It is interesting to think of abstracting as such a complicated act, when our brains seem to do it automatically. For example, inferring that Bessie is a cow (ex from book), by looking at her features, and actions. We are calculating in our minds.

“Definitions tell us nothing about things” (88)
If definitions tell us nothing, and only describe people’s linguistic habits, than observations must be what really tell us something about things.

Abstactions go deeper into different levels of being abstract. Psychological well-being requires the constant interplay of higher and lower level abstractions. Its interesting to think that this all goes on in our heads and we don’t seem to notice it.