The Memes of Production: A cultural studies weblog

Just so that you know that we are not all dead in memesland, I just read this article by John Birmingham on the Brisbane News website. His argument is that despite the popular stereotype of the social media user being a sad, lonely, loser, alone at a keyboard, his experience is the opposite:

The net and its various ways of connecting people is not driving us all apart. Quite the opposite. It’s creating virtual communities which can easily, and often do transform themselves into real world friendship circles or social networks, to use an uglier, more sociological term. I’ve been online for years now, and although I gathered my oldest and closest friends to me long before I sent my first tweet or wrote my first blog entry, most of my new friends, and they are real friends for the most part, have come from the unreal world of the web, from the supposedly isolating, distancing digital realms.

Most of the friends I connect with regularly on Facebook, Twitter, and other networks we have developed over the years are people I knew before the relationships moved online, the social network provides another channel to exercise that relationship. There are also people I only know through social networks, and I look forward to meeting them in person, sometime.

My eldest is an avid user of Twitter, and on turning 18 started attending the monthly meetup of Brisbane Twitter users, moving hitherto online relationships to face to face ones.

I know of research being conducted that suggests that this sort of social media use—using online mechanisms to enhance pre-existing relationships—is common. Maybe a bit more about that later…

In the meantime, Birmingham’s take is a refreshing antidote to the doom and gloom that usually surrounds social media use.

Last week I visited one of the local bush care groups around here. They were an amazing group of people; ordinary people who have taught themselves specialist knowledge so that they can rehabilitate green space. They know what to remove, what to leave, and can tell the difference between native versions of things and very similar looking varieties that are weeds. Once a month they get out of bed in the cold in the early morning and put in a couple of hours of unpaid labour for the benefit of the environment and local wildlife. Some of them work with several groups. And they are cheery and friendly at that hour of the morning, which is well beyond me.

The thing is, when I think about it, there are lots of amazing people around here. . .

A friend on facebook today said: “What is it with cretins raping or stabbing women, and setting them on fire?! It’s making me so frickin’ angry. Those who think violence against women is a passe issue? Take copious notes.”

I suspect she was referring to this story and this one.

While I certainly agree with her sentiment, I’m inclined to think that the underlying problem is broader than one of gender-related violence, although gender certainly comes into it in many instances.

What I’m about to say is personal opinion formed through thinking about the issues and observing patterns and connections. I don’t have any academic or research backing for this other than the interpretative and analytic skills that I’ve developed over years. Nor am I a lawyer, so I’m using terms with commonly understood meanings, not legal or philosophical definitions.

It seems to me that a lot of violence and injustice (and sometimes just plain rudeness) is born out of a sense of entitlement, and sometimes ownership, on the part of the perpetrator and that this is mostly subconscious on their part. . .

Just a reminder to head over to Circulating Library for live blogging of the Eurovision Semifinals on Friday and Saturday nights, Australian time (yes, I know we are three days behind Europe).

And for what it’s worth: Greece, douze points!

Here is the ill-informed speculation I promised about what I see as the narrow and
unadventurous entries in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.

Let me first assure you that I do not actually think that Eurovision is the place to find interesting and innovative music. But within the context of the competition there have been—especially in recent years—entries that stretch the boundaries of what is acceptable.

While Dana International (Sharon Cohen) may have been the first transgendered person to win Eurovision (Israel, 1998), much to the consternation of conservatives in Israel at the time, her performance had nothing of the flamboyance of more recent cross-dressing acts such as Verka Serduchka (Ukraine, 2007), which came second (watch it here), or Denmark’s 2007 entry, Drama Queen which failed to inspire the voters (19th). Watch it here.

For a few years there was a preference for chains, leather, and ethnic music, started perhaps by Ruslana’s winning entry for Ukraine in 2004 (still a personal favourite), and including Bulgaria 2007, the camp, gothic stylings of Switzerland’s Vampires are Alive (2007), and Azerbaijan’s 2008 entry, Day after day. The move possibly
culminated in Ukraine’s (again! gotta love those Ukranians) entry last year that included the “hell machine” and dancing centurions! Relive the magic.

And of course, that isn’t to mention the entries that were novelty at best: Dustin the Turkey for Ireland in 2008, or the sadly incorrect We are the Winners of Eurovision entry for Lithuania in 2006. And another personal favourite, “Pokušaj” by Laka for Bosnia & Herzegovina in 2008. Watch it here in all its glory, but don’t let the knitting brides freak you out. And I haven’t even started on Lordi!

The 2010 Nebula Awards for science fiction and fantasy published in 2009 were announced at a ceremony in Florida yesterday.

Unlike the Hugo Awards, which are popular awards voted on by registrants at Worldcon, the Nebulas are peers awards, and nominations and votes are limited to active members of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.

Novel
The Windup Girl – Paolo Bacigalupi (Night Shade Books, Sept. 2009)

Novella
The Women of Nell Gwynne’s – Kage Baker (Subterranean Press, June 2009)

Novelette
“Sinner, Baker, Fabulist, Priest; Red Mask, Black Mask, Gentleman, Beast,”
Eugie Foster (Interzone, Feb. 2009)

Short Story
“Spar,” Kij Johnson (Clarkesworld, Oct. 2009)

Ray Bradbury Award
District 9, Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell (Tri-Star, Aug. 2009)

Andre Norton Award (for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy)
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making,
Catherynne M. Valente (Catherynne M. Valente, June 2009)

Additional Honors
During the ceremonies, Joe Haldeman was honored as the next Damon Knight Grand Master, while Neal Barrett, Jr., was honored as Author Emeritus. Vonda N. McIntyre and Keith Stokes were honored with SFWA Service Awards while the SFWA Solstice Award, bestowed upon individuals who have made a significant impact on the science fiction or fantasy landscape, was presented to Tom Doherty, Terri Windling and the late Donald A. Wollheim.

A couple of weeks ago, I took part in an Amnesty International campaign objecting to the suspension of asylum applications from people from Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. It’s one of these things where you fill in your details and they give you the outline of a letter. Of course, you can personalise the wording and I do so. I figure if I care enough about an issue to send an email, then I should care enough to think about what actually goes in it. I was rather surprised and impressed that my local member (or at least his office) replied very shortly after receiving my emails. Got to give him credit for that. It is years since I’ve received a quick reply from a politician in relation to an organised campaign. He seems to be a decent bloke. Most people are, as individuals.

For those of you who missed it, on 9 April this year the federal government announced that they were suspending the processing of asylum applications from people from Afghanistan and Sri Lanka on the grounds that the situation in each of those countries was improving and is under review by the UNHCR and that the government had denied an increasing number of applications from people from those countries in recent months. The government also intends to reopen the Curtin detention centre, as the offshore centres are overflowing.

Now obviously I have problems with the suspension, but I also have problems with the practice of routine detention, still recognising that a period of quarantine while health checks are carried out is probably in everyone’s interest. What especially gets my goat is the way that asylum seekers have been used as a political football by governments and media in a process that brings out the worst in us as Australians and deters the public expression of compassion.

This guy’s response to the overturning of his 1981 conviction for rape is humbling. Where you would expect anger, bitterness, and revenge (of course, that might come later), Raymond Towler, who has spent more than half his life in jail, was forgiving and generous:

Towler deflected a question about demanding an apology and said he understood justice can take time.

“I think it was just a process, you know, the DNA,” he said. “It just took a couple of years to get to it. We finally got to it and the job was done.”

I’m not sure I would be able to be that reserved.

A reporter asked Towler how he would adjust to freedom, and he simply said, “Just take a deep breath and just enjoy life right now.”

I happen to know a little bit about imprisonment, and I’m afraid it’s going to be hard. After 30 years of not being allowed to think for himself, Towler will find it very hard to cope without someone constantly telling him what to do. That and the fact that the society he left 30 years ago was a very different place to the one he’s entering now means that it is unlikely that he will ever be able to get a job, certainly a meaningful one.

I’m not a huge fan of the American tendency to litigate, but I hope Towler does sue: he’ll need all the help he can get to try and create some sort of normal life after this.

But really, what a guy. I yell abuse when someone cuts me off in the traffic: this guy’s demeanor is stunning.

There are always a few complaints that four countries get automatic qualification into the final without having to compete in the semifinals. Eurovision is quite open that this is a reward for the four main broadcasters who effectively bankroll the competition. The fifth automatic finalist is the host country.

Before the final these five entries will be randomly assigned a position in the programme, and then the ten highest placed performances from each of the semifinals will be randomly placed in the remaining positions.

Again, everything this year seems very safe and conservative. I’ll have more about that in a day or two.

France: Jessy Matador — Alllez Olla Olé
Heavy beat dance number of the type you’d hear in any club in Paris, London, Sydney, or Mooloolaba for that matter. Slick and catchy, as you’d expect, but nothing to grab the voter. Sung in English. (Only kidding! But wouldn’t that be a sensation. Sung in French, obviously).

Germany: Lena — Satellite
Inoffensive dance pop with a slight funk feel. Sung in English with a weird twang that makes Lena’s accent sound almost Australian.

Norway: Didrik Solli-Tangen — My Heart Is Yours
And now to the host entry. This is a string-heavy ballad with more than a hint of the Lloyd Webbers about it. Typical over-blown Eurovision by the numbers, but man, that last note goes on for weeks! Sung in English.

Spain: Daniel Diges — Algo Pequeñito (Something Tiny)
Starts as a Gypsy folk waltz, and jumps to production number halfway through. I’m not sure that it didn’t have two key changes. Little more personality than most of the rest. In Spanish.

United Kingdom: Josh — That Sounds Good To Me
After wheeling out Lord Andrew himself last year to no avail, this year the UK are bringing on the big guns in the form of Pete Waterman and Mike Stock. You might remember them from a little production company in the 1980s called Stock Aitken Waterman? This song could only be more terrible if they got Rick Astley to do a cameo on the night (and wouldn’t that be awesome!). Actually, that’s slightly unfair: this is the sort of slick, polished, and instantly forgettable song you’d expect from the writers. I’d guess that Josh Dubovie was chosen more for his sweet smile and boyish charm than for his voice. Sung in French (I wish. English, obviously).

OK, here’s part two of my Eurovision rundown. These are the artists performing in the second semifinal, in performance order.

I must say, there is nothing so far that really grabs me—seems like everyone is playing it really safe this year. I may enter into some uninformed speculation about that in a little while.

Tomorrow I’ll bring you descriptions of the five acts that go straight into the final: the “big four” countries (England, France, Germany, Spain) who basically bankroll the competition, and the host, Norway. In the meantime, enjoy my increasingly cynical observations.

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