Message behind the Remix
The intended message for my video Remix was to examine issues of Sexism, Racism and Misogyny that existed throughout the 50s up till present date. The video cross-examines those issues with present day and questions whether much has changed. In some cases we seem to have regressed in our attitudes towards these problems that existed since the beginning of time. Clips from the 50’s videos from the Archives are mashed in with clips from various super Bowl ads including 2010 banned ads. The video opens with a clip from the Trouble with Women (1959). The title was perfect for the message. It is a reflection of how men at the time felt about women. However I wanted to further this idea that women today are still viewed as trouble and that they are only good as objects especially sexual objects. I slightly edited the title to include MEN AND the trouble with women, because I wanted the males point of view to be the domineering message. The video continued to show clips from the trouble with women whilst at the same time current clips from the Ads are injected between the clips to reinforce the words spoken from the man who is having trouble with women. I wanted to anchor the message to the spoken words and the images to create a cohesive and strong message that the receiver gets. The clips chosen from the ads are sexual in nature and objectify women. The intended message is that women are good for nothing but sex. She cannot be viewed as intelligent or an important and productive part of society. The music I chose to accompany the clips reinforces the message. Half way through the Remix video, I slowly try to invert the message. Whilst man feels that women are objects with nothing to offer and that man is an intelligent being and hence productive parts of society, the chosen images contradict that. We begin to see the man in the clip lament the days when there were only men in the work place and everything was wonderful. The clips I chose to accompany this idea juxtapose the idea of intelligent productive members of society. Thus we see men with out pants engaging in stupidity, and in a sense have become objects themselves.
Although the mood of the topic can be serious and upsetting, I wanted to lighten the mood by utilizing images from puppets. However, the overall message had to be consistent. So I chose clips that depict man as in control of women and how she is still viewed as an object, ready to be controlled. The other purpose for utilizing the puppets is to question the kind of messages sent to the children. I wanted to use an innocent medium to show how that can be skewed to send subliminal messages that can shape the minds of future generations. I tried to employ Hall’s semiotics concepts in constructing the video. Everything had to be examined and reexamined to achieve the desired effect. Towards the end of the video, there is a lot of slapping happening. Woman slapping man, man slapping man, man slapping woman. These clips are chosen to emphasize through repetition the frustration that exists between man and woman. There is a definite breakdown of communication and both sides are unwilling to compromise and reach an understanding. Man fears woman for taking charge of him and emasculating him and woman wants to have control in any way, shape of form, regardless of the consequences. There is no respect for one another!
Racism was addressed through the image of the African American man who clearly resembled a pimp of some sort, utilizing women to pay for his bills. He was dressed the part, and the body language indicated that. So we have layers of issues that seem to have expanded over time.
