In class this week, when we discussed Benjamin, there was one quote that stuck out to me. "I'm principle a work of art has always been reproducible" (38). To me, this quote means that there is always going to be a way to recreate a piece of art or media; nothing is ever fully left untouched. This led me to think about a book that I was required to read in high school called How to Read Literature Like a Professor. A great portion of the book asserts that there is no text that is truly independent of the rest, and that texts always borrow ideas from one another. The idea that nothing is truly original can be seen in various parts of our world; ideas and creations are rarely authentic.
The first week of class, we viewed the music video "Vogue" by Madonna. It was a black and white montage of video clips displaying different types of fashion. Lady Gaga recently released a song called "Born This Way" a few years ago and the music video parallels Madonna's. Many people may have thought this was an innovative move on Lady Gaga's part, however, it is merely a reproduction and actually looses it's value and creativity because of the replication.
When discussing how film is a perfect example of how authenticity is lost when reproduced, I couldn't help but think of the tv series, Sex and the City. I can agree that when every day life is conveyed through film, there is a sense of disjunction. We don't connect with the actors because they aren't physically in front of us so we don't have that sense of realness.Sometimes the plot line or events that take place are so far fetched that it seems to be unrelatable and surreal. However, I'd like to argue that film DOES capture a realness that can make the viewer feel as if they are actually a part of the scene. In Sex and the City, the group of four women constantly discuss their problems pertaining to guys and every day life. I often find myself becoming very invested in each episode because of the way the women talk about their problems. The problems are similar to ones that women face at certain times in their lives; they act the way we act, they vent to each other the way that we do. Also, the background of New York City or even their apartments make it easier for me to feel as if I'm a part of this 'world' that is being created. As much as I can see Benjamin's point that there is a sense of authenticity lost when reproducing something, I also can see that how that loss of authenticity isn't necessarily recognizable by first glance.
Very interesting Ms. Savannah. I thought you made some really nice points. I would argue back saying that the authenticity of the situation of sitting around a table having dinner at a very fancy restaurant in New York City, is lost when portrayed through film. The authenticity of the situation is yes, conversations and life is like that but when portrayed through a film, the situation is not authentic. Everything is scripted and everything is made a certain way for a purpose. The problem with this is our society perceives this situation as authentic or real but yet everything going on in the scene is done so specifically. So, in Sex and The City, they are recreating a real life experience which in turn is teaching us how hanging with 4 girls in a really nice restaurant in New York City should be. The authenticity of the situation is lost. By the way, I used to watch Sex and The City and I loved it. lol My mother and I used to watch it.
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