Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Performance Riots
While watching some videos of the riots in Baltimore-- a terrible thing for that city-- I noticed something fascinating: There were far more people filming what was happening most of the time than there were people doing bad things. For example, in the video above at about we see a few guys jumping on cars-- and more than a dozen filming it on their phones at different times.
People taking videos with their phones has (and this is a very good thing) led to the documentation of police violence that up to now has hidden in the shadows. But what does it mean in this context that we have become a nation of documentarians? Does it propel people to action or deter them to know that they are being filmed at every turn?
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I think initially, yes. However, I believe we are in the midst of a transformation as a society: Most people have become so accustomed to shooting their own photos/videos -- and being in others' photos/videos -- that the novelty of it has worn off and the inclination to perform for the camera has mostly disappeared. Would the demonstrations/riots/looting/etc. happen without folks shooting video? Yes. It may be more exaggerated, dramatic or whatever because the participants see that they are being filmed -- but they would do what they are doing regardless of whether cameras were rolling.
There is still some of it, but years ago the cry ,"Show your t_ _ _ s," raised the blouses of myriads of college girls "come to the Mardi Gras." Then a few photos were posted on the internet and a lot of it stopped. Some are inhibited by exposure, others not. Some are encouraged by the presumed anonymity of the crowd. some are not.
C'est la vie.
C'est la vie.
# posted by 
: 11:39 AM
: 11:39 AM
The sad reality is they are filming so in the event the police come in and do something stupid it will be caught on tape. In the mean time they are watching their neighbors destroy their neighborhood. Sad!
They whole thing has become senseless. Everyone wanting their moment in the sun.
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They whole thing has become senseless. Everyone wanting their moment in the sun.
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