The video game Prince of Persia takes place in India, where the prince combats against the evils of the country in order to get respect from his father. Prince of Persia has a strong relevance to ethnicity and the culture of power, where at times the two intertwine. The majority of cultures men are seen as strong and powerful. As well as having a very chauvinist attitude, where as the child –regardless of age—feels the obligation to make his father proud and prove his manhood, even if that meant the killing of who he perceived to be his enemy. You wouldn’t see the princess of Persia killing men; it wouldn’t be seen as believable for a female character to kill 4 or 5 men at a time. It goes back to the power of a man. As far as culture of power goes, why is it that we didn’t see a female character to begin with? We speak about sexist ideas, and how most cultures’ dominate figure is the man, this ethnic custom also becomes a culture of power issue. Where the women is sadly seen as less important and therefore marginalized within media, and as seen in the game women are not even mentioned in this male environment.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Prince of Persia
The video game Prince of Persia takes place in India, where the prince combats against the evils of the country in order to get respect from his father. Prince of Persia has a strong relevance to ethnicity and the culture of power, where at times the two intertwine. The majority of cultures men are seen as strong and powerful. As well as having a very chauvinist attitude, where as the child –regardless of age—feels the obligation to make his father proud and prove his manhood, even if that meant the killing of who he perceived to be his enemy. You wouldn’t see the princess of Persia killing men; it wouldn’t be seen as believable for a female character to kill 4 or 5 men at a time. It goes back to the power of a man. As far as culture of power goes, why is it that we didn’t see a female character to begin with? We speak about sexist ideas, and how most cultures’ dominate figure is the man, this ethnic custom also becomes a culture of power issue. Where the women is sadly seen as less important and therefore marginalized within media, and as seen in the game women are not even mentioned in this male environment.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
GAMER
First and for most, since I am one of the biggest film nerds ever, I have to break down the film artistically before anything else. The movie Gamer has to be one of the most visually captivating films I have seen in a very long time. The screenplay itself is ridiculous. I’ve seen other video game based films and they tend always have this unreal vibe to them. Take eXistenZ for instance, yes the game seemed real but just because you had to speak a certain way to get a reaction from other people playing made it virtually choppy, which don’t get me wrong it worked in its setting. However, Gamer took it to another level, where in the beginning it felt as if you were actually in a jail or war scenario and fighting for your own survival, then you come realize that it’s part of the game when the graphics later appeared. Just that concept of being an actual person stuck in this game as a puppet and knowing the odds of survival is slim, is a genius idea and the creators of the film did an amazing job in executing such unreal reality.
The film goes back and forwards from the game to the even crazier reality of life and its creator, which is taking advantage of the human life and taking real people --even if they’re convicts that are stuck in the game, they are human beings nevertheless-- and placing them in a torturous dimension of life where in the end everyone is supposed to die. The creator of the game takes a somewhat godly stand, where he praised to the level that everyone is constantly watching him and the game to see which convict will die next. It’s kind of sickening if you think about it. An even a more sickening side to the game’s creator, Ken Castle, is the other game within the film which is like a Sims type of game, where women are looked down as only sexual beings. This game takes the side of excessive sexuality and the rave club scene. What connects the two games is that Kable --the main character in Slayer-- and Angie --the main character in the Sims game-- are married, and Kable is trying to survive in Slayer in order to save wife and daughter.
Other than an intense script, I would like to mention how crisp the cinematography and editing are. I don’t want to go too much in depth, so I don’t ruin the film anymore for those who haven’t seen it, but it’s definitely worth mentioning. Like previously said, you feel as if you’re in the scenes battling with Kable, this is only possible through mood lighting and the structures of the sets. Nothing is ever a coincidence, however, you never want to make things look so obvious that it’s not believable, and therefore you don’t keep the audience intrigued. Also the setting where Simon, the teenage boy that plays Kable, is in his game room is extremely incredible. He can “walk through the walls”, to enter the room and it’s like he enters a 3-D touch screen room, where he’s connected to the world through the internet. I can only imagine how difficult it can be to just set up that one room, which is of high importance. Editing wise, it’s flawless. I normally watch films and try to find errors in the editing, sets, costumes, etc, but Gamer is almost flawless, or at least it’s captivating enough to keep you intrigued in the film without noticing any flaws.
The goal of every film maker –not just producers and directors, but everyone in the crew alike—is to make a film that’s entertaining and keeps audiences intrigued from the first images and words to the last; if you can keep an audience into your film for over an hour, than you’ve succeeded in your job. Even though Gamer is a total guy flick, from every death to every ounce of sexuality, I can appreciate the incredible artistic value of the film from beginning to end. I think that people should watch such films so that it can spark more creativity in others, which personally I believe that creative values in films are starting to get lost. Remember if you’re going to create a film or any type of show, people do not want to see something that has been done the exact same way multiple times, they want to see the concepts redone, but done more enhanced and better, which is then making something old new.
The film goes back and forwards from the game to the even crazier reality of life and its creator, which is taking advantage of the human life and taking real people --even if they’re convicts that are stuck in the game, they are human beings nevertheless-- and placing them in a torturous dimension of life where in the end everyone is supposed to die. The creator of the game takes a somewhat godly stand, where he praised to the level that everyone is constantly watching him and the game to see which convict will die next. It’s kind of sickening if you think about it. An even a more sickening side to the game’s creator, Ken Castle, is the other game within the film which is like a Sims type of game, where women are looked down as only sexual beings. This game takes the side of excessive sexuality and the rave club scene. What connects the two games is that Kable --the main character in Slayer-- and Angie --the main character in the Sims game-- are married, and Kable is trying to survive in Slayer in order to save wife and daughter.
Other than an intense script, I would like to mention how crisp the cinematography and editing are. I don’t want to go too much in depth, so I don’t ruin the film anymore for those who haven’t seen it, but it’s definitely worth mentioning. Like previously said, you feel as if you’re in the scenes battling with Kable, this is only possible through mood lighting and the structures of the sets. Nothing is ever a coincidence, however, you never want to make things look so obvious that it’s not believable, and therefore you don’t keep the audience intrigued. Also the setting where Simon, the teenage boy that plays Kable, is in his game room is extremely incredible. He can “walk through the walls”, to enter the room and it’s like he enters a 3-D touch screen room, where he’s connected to the world through the internet. I can only imagine how difficult it can be to just set up that one room, which is of high importance. Editing wise, it’s flawless. I normally watch films and try to find errors in the editing, sets, costumes, etc, but Gamer is almost flawless, or at least it’s captivating enough to keep you intrigued in the film without noticing any flaws.
The goal of every film maker –not just producers and directors, but everyone in the crew alike—is to make a film that’s entertaining and keeps audiences intrigued from the first images and words to the last; if you can keep an audience into your film for over an hour, than you’ve succeeded in your job. Even though Gamer is a total guy flick, from every death to every ounce of sexuality, I can appreciate the incredible artistic value of the film from beginning to end. I think that people should watch such films so that it can spark more creativity in others, which personally I believe that creative values in films are starting to get lost. Remember if you’re going to create a film or any type of show, people do not want to see something that has been done the exact same way multiple times, they want to see the concepts redone, but done more enhanced and better, which is then making something old new.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Ethnicity & Race
Common people, if you actually think that race and ethnicity in the United States is no longer an issue in the year 2009, you’re wrong. Even though slavery and segregation are problems of the past, it does not mean that minorities don’t continue to be discriminated and harassed. I’m from Cuban descent, born in the beautiful city of Miami almost 23 year ago, and within these 23 years I cannot even count the times I’ve been discriminated against when put in a socially constructed environment where the predominate race is not my own. I’ve even been looked down upon by other Hispanics. Why is it that people have to make a big deal of race, when the only race that truly exists is the Human race. Like the article said, the problem is the confusion between ethnicity and race; they are not the same thing. The definition of ethnicity continues to change, being a problem as well. Ethnicity is not necessarily just your cultural background, but it is also your affiliation within your in group and those who are also associated with the culture that is not of the same background. For example, I am part of the Cuban ethnic group, but as a bigger whole of the Hispanic Culture in the United States of America.
These issues of race and ethnicity are largely seen in the media and in the entertainment industry as well. Now living in Miami, there are significant amounts of Hispanics in the industries. Yet, why do we not see the same amount of African Americans in the media? Why is it that in sitcoms, cartoons, even in news broadcastings the favored socially constructed race are always White Americans, and minorities if displayed are always given minor roles. This is also seen in video games, where minorities are presented as less important or of threat to the white community. For example, in the game “Grand Theft Auto” African Americans are portrayed as gangsters, however, we all know that gang groups do not see the color of one’s skin nor does is it matter the gender of the person, in order to participate in such association. There are people in gangs that are White, Black, Hispanic, Mestizo and etc, so why isn’t it portrayed likewise in such games.
These issues must first be attacked by the minorities themselves, to continue to make a difference in society; it must start with the minorities in the industry. If there are going to be games like Grand Theft Auto, then there must be a multicultural balance with in such games. This way it is seen as a game, and not discrimination displayed through the game itself.
These issues of race and ethnicity are largely seen in the media and in the entertainment industry as well. Now living in Miami, there are significant amounts of Hispanics in the industries. Yet, why do we not see the same amount of African Americans in the media? Why is it that in sitcoms, cartoons, even in news broadcastings the favored socially constructed race are always White Americans, and minorities if displayed are always given minor roles. This is also seen in video games, where minorities are presented as less important or of threat to the white community. For example, in the game “Grand Theft Auto” African Americans are portrayed as gangsters, however, we all know that gang groups do not see the color of one’s skin nor does is it matter the gender of the person, in order to participate in such association. There are people in gangs that are White, Black, Hispanic, Mestizo and etc, so why isn’t it portrayed likewise in such games.
These issues must first be attacked by the minorities themselves, to continue to make a difference in society; it must start with the minorities in the industry. If there are going to be games like Grand Theft Auto, then there must be a multicultural balance with in such games. This way it is seen as a game, and not discrimination displayed through the game itself.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Culture of Power
Whether or not you believe it, the truth is that the culture of power exists and we are all affected by it in one way or another. There is not one person that does NOT belong to an “in group” and an out group, in which are marginalized. For the most part, those of culture power do not realize that they belittle the ones that aren’t in their group, even though they too belong to a culture that is marginalized. Culture of power becomes so embedded within a person that the harm done to others isn’t a realization. It becomes the situation that everyone gets used to and doesn’t go against. The way to end the thought of superiority is by realizing that the problem exists, and fight against the one track mind, uniting those in the margin to those in power and equalizing the opportunities for all.
Culture of power can be seen as a form of accepted discrimination within society. Its influences can be seen wherever we go. For example, white males are the dominate figure in management in most corporations and businesses, but rarely will you see women in high positions, typically being left to be a secretary. Women will be left to help the manager, not be the manager, and if we’re ever in that position, it becomes difficult for the males in the business to cooperate. It’s a sexist issue, because it’s not the norm. I can speak of this first hand, when I was 19 years old I was promoted at my job of the time to supervisor, not only was I Hispanic working in a predominately white environment, I was also one of the youngest supervisors in the company. When it came down to it, the older groups and the males I worked with it made it difficult for me and would rarely listen. They thought that I would back down, but that’s never in my nature, when I took charge and disciplined several people, then they listened. Some would also listen to the other supervisor more than me, simply because it was man.
This culture of power is seen in the simplest places, even in forms of entertainment, and yes I’m talking about video games. A lot of games will portray women and children as less equal to the male, regardless of race. Yes, the white male will always over power every other individual in the game, however. Let’s take Super Paper Mario for an example. In the game the “in group” would be Count Bleck and his followers, which are trying to take over all the dimensions and in the process take possession of Princess Peach, and eliminate Mario, Luigi and all of Flipside -- the culture marginalized. Here the culture of power goes further than just a belittlement; it goes to the extreme of destruction. While Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and a fourth hero battle against Count Bleck and his followers, to try to save the dimensions of Flipside and diminish the problems that come along with culture of power.
You can also think of the heroes as another “in group.” Where Mario is the leading character and has all the benefits compared to the others. As of chapter three, Mario is the only character that can flip between dimensions and can find secret passages that Princess Peach cannot. The only special “trick” Princess Peach can do is float in the air, when Mario doesn’t have the ability to do so. Is this sexism within the creators of the Super Mario saga or is it culture of power taking a strong stand against the good in society, or is it the portrayal that in the end we know that good deeds conquer all.
Culture of power can be seen as a form of accepted discrimination within society. Its influences can be seen wherever we go. For example, white males are the dominate figure in management in most corporations and businesses, but rarely will you see women in high positions, typically being left to be a secretary. Women will be left to help the manager, not be the manager, and if we’re ever in that position, it becomes difficult for the males in the business to cooperate. It’s a sexist issue, because it’s not the norm. I can speak of this first hand, when I was 19 years old I was promoted at my job of the time to supervisor, not only was I Hispanic working in a predominately white environment, I was also one of the youngest supervisors in the company. When it came down to it, the older groups and the males I worked with it made it difficult for me and would rarely listen. They thought that I would back down, but that’s never in my nature, when I took charge and disciplined several people, then they listened. Some would also listen to the other supervisor more than me, simply because it was man.
This culture of power is seen in the simplest places, even in forms of entertainment, and yes I’m talking about video games. A lot of games will portray women and children as less equal to the male, regardless of race. Yes, the white male will always over power every other individual in the game, however. Let’s take Super Paper Mario for an example. In the game the “in group” would be Count Bleck and his followers, which are trying to take over all the dimensions and in the process take possession of Princess Peach, and eliminate Mario, Luigi and all of Flipside -- the culture marginalized. Here the culture of power goes further than just a belittlement; it goes to the extreme of destruction. While Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and a fourth hero battle against Count Bleck and his followers, to try to save the dimensions of Flipside and diminish the problems that come along with culture of power.
You can also think of the heroes as another “in group.” Where Mario is the leading character and has all the benefits compared to the others. As of chapter three, Mario is the only character that can flip between dimensions and can find secret passages that Princess Peach cannot. The only special “trick” Princess Peach can do is float in the air, when Mario doesn’t have the ability to do so. Is this sexism within the creators of the Super Mario saga or is it culture of power taking a strong stand against the good in society, or is it the portrayal that in the end we know that good deeds conquer all.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
eXistenZ
Allegra Geller, one of the most notorious virtual reality designers of the world, and the creator of eXistenZ has come together with a focus group to debut her latest game. While commencing the game in an auditorium, one of the game fanatics attempt against her life with a peculiar organic gun; in addition to harming the game pod that is attached to the bottom of the individuals’ spine through a bio-port where the game is installed in to the gamer. Allegra Geller then escapes with marketing trainee, Ted Pikul. In his journey to help save the creator’s life, Ted is convinced by Allegra to get a bio-port in order to play eXistenZ, and test out the possible damages the game has undergone.In many occasions, while playing the game, Ted worries about the conditions of his actual body. Being that the game feels so real, he is scared that he loses touch with his reality. The loss of reality and self control becomes a primary uneasiness for gamers. EXistenZ creates a new identity for those who play. This causes an unreal reality that parallels to the real world and disturbs them mentally, by not knowing if they are in the game or in their real lives. For example, the real and virtual worlds become a confusion to the extent that when you are not playing you think you are, and you then act accordingly. Like we saw at the end of the film when they were done playing, Allegra and Ted were simply characters in a similar game. Here we see the reality, or do we? When they react against the maker of the game they were actually playing, in the same manner as “Allegra” was nearly killed. Was that part of the game, truly reality, or was the game brought into the real world, where the player was acting upon gaming instinct. It seems as if the more you play, the more these impulses become an addiction, and innate to the human being.
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