In
Jill Walker Rettberg’s discussion of filters, she reminds us of their many functions; coffee filters, cigarettes, even the clothes dryer. Things we don’t give a great deal of thought to, just accept as the norm. But
filters extend beyond these simple purposes as an active part of our
culture. Technological filters such as the baby journals she
mentions, are one example. I remember trying to fill in all the correct areas in those books,
when I had my kids. Sometimes, there were sections that did not apply to our experiences, so I did exactly what
she said—placed photos or other memorabilia over them, to record what
was really going on. But as a new Mom, I was concerned we were missing important
firsts for our baby daughter; luckily, I had other moms at work who reassured
me those sections were not for everyone. That made me feel better, and looking back, the “firsts” it contained were helpful prompts and the ones that
didn’t apply made me try and create them for that book!
As
for Twitter, it really does inhibit long-form writing—says the long-winded
newcomer who quickly saw the need for brevity in my tweets. That is not just a
filter but a constraint on my thoughts; sometimes I have trouble saying my
peace in 140 characters. I am, however, trying…Other technological filters refer to self-representation, often through photos and the filters applied to
express ourselves as we want others to perceive us. Possibly because of my age,
I do not partake freely in this; I was never happy with my photographed self as
I felt the person in the picture was not the person I perceived as me. When I saw a photo I liked of
myself, I readily saved that one! If I were a younger lady, I would probably be
taking many selfies until I could
capture that version of “Debbie” I wanted the world to see. These chapters
actually put in words what I have seen with many of my fellow students, especially
younger theatre friends, and my nieces. My own children must be more like me,
as they rarely post a new photo (unless they are holding a baby or two). But
the ability to freely take photos until you get a good one is quite a treat
after waiting to get your pictures developed only to find out you look like
Frankenstein’s bride instead of your favorite Cover Girl model...
I
liked the concept behind “365 Grateful” as I too believe there is beauty in
many things we see in our everyday experiences; this should remind all people
to be grateful for these little things, lest they be gone. Filters added to
them perhaps create something far more beautiful than the ordinary, or simply
draw focus to the grace of simplicity. This idea relates to Victor Shklonsky’s
theory of “defamiliarisation” and the purpose of art in general. Making
something unfamiliar—out of the ordinary—changes one perception of it’s worth. Cool
idea.
“Skinnee Pix” sounds like my generation having
their photo air-brushed or touched-up by the studio; I guess if it helps to improve
one’s self-image, people will use it. One thing I found fascinating was the
problem with lighting pictures for the best results; lighting does not work the
same for light-skinned people as for dark-skinned people. This seems like an
obvious detail, but how to take pictures of both skin types together?
Evidently,
people accepted this as being a scientific problem; the film‘s fault. Although
the problem was noted as far back as the 1950’s, nothing was addressed until
the 1970’s when Kodak developed their Gold Max film which worked for all skin tones. One would think this
could have been corrected sooner, but looking at the racial issues of the time,
the delay is self-explanatory and very sad. What was far worse was the “stereotypical
drawings of Africans in the mid-twentieth century” (29) which distorted images
in an unflattering way. Such negative cultural filters were an impetus for people,
like McFadden, to perfect taking their own picture rather than trust any other photographer with getting their photo
the way they want it to be seen.
Genres
as filters directly relates to what we are doing with these blogs, making it of
interest to me. The ability to go back through our posts and see if our
opinions or our growth as writers has changed, the knowledge these entries are
documented and dated—is all exciting. But the words are only what we choose to
share--filtered. Many customs, traditions, and rituals are filtered to avoid cultural
misundertandings or prejudicial treatment. Our culture is filtered in many ways
that we never think about, but simply accept as our norm.
I
love the self-presentations discussed in Chapter 3; Szucs kept with it for
fifteen years, from Polaroids (my Dad’s favorite) to selfies. Such cumulative
self-presentations are not new, but one has to be thick-skinned enough to see
themselves every day, looking whatever way, and feel strong enough about the
statement they are making to be public with their pics!
Time-lapse
selfies were another approach; one has to be committed to their art to accept people’s
ignorant comments. But both Ahree Lee and Noah Kalina also received positive
feedback, and an exorbitant response through YouTube; this became so popular,
they now have apps to help one create such videos. Karl Baden’s twenty-years of
daily photos was even more of a statement, as he remained expressionless, bare
shouldered, and in front of a white wall. And the progression of Rebecca Brown
as she grew from a happy 14 year-old to a young woman of 21, documenting her
depression, hair loss and regrowth, complete with explanatory notes, really is
an inside view of this girl’s visual and emotional identity over time.
Which
brings up profile photos and visual identity. Are they coercive, or used to
connect oneself to a group or cause? That would depend on the person, and what they
want their picture to express. danah boyd’s intervention for the young man who
had photos on his MySpace account is a great example. He posted pictures to
insure acceptance in his neighborhood, but the profile he created almost ruined
his chance for college admittance. Defining oneself through photos, and social
media, can be unacceptable in many situations. Luckily, boyd spoke in the young
man’s defense, but not everyone is that lucky. Filters can work both ways.
Automatic
portraits or the photo booth will always remind me of Woolworths. These were a
lot like selfies, because people felt free to act any way they wanted behind
the privacy of the photo booth curtain. Inside, couples kissed, people looked sexy,
silly, tried new hairdos, poses or anything they could think of—just like
selfies. The control was less—the camera might flash before you were ready—but the
feeling was the same. Once you put the coin in the slot you were the one in
charge of the camera—at least until the flashes began. You were in: “The
curious combination of intimate, hidden space within a public setting” (44),
getting ready for your private photo
shoot. With selfies, there is the same line between what one decides they will
make public, and what they will keep private. The freedom to express the real
person, and then discard the picture if it is not what you wanted, is a throwback
to the photo booth, only better!
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