The Cyborg Cometh: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Blade Runner

Blade Runner is a 1982 American Sci-fi fiction film based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? By Philip K. Dick. The film takes place in LA in November 2019, where genetically engineered organic robots who visually look the same as humans, are manufactured by Tyrell Corporation. They are banned from Earth, but those that return to Earth are hunted and killed or “retired” by special police operatives “Blade Runners.”

The theme of identity is very apparent in this film, not only with the replicants but also with Harrison Ford’s non-replicant character, Deckard. While each replicant tries to make his or her’s own identity with the memories they are told by Tyrell or, whether they choose to be good or bad. However the replicants do not have long to find those identities, as they will either be hunted or die after 4 years. The same sense of identity is seen with Deckard. He has been brought onto this mission to kill any replicants on Earth, however he finds himself having feelings and helping one of these replciants named Rachael. Deckard does not see her as a replicant because she has such vivid memories and even pictures – those memories and pictures however are of Tyrell’s neice.

The replicants have 4 years to find their identity; some were evil such as Roy and Pris, some were almost human-like, Rachael and others went about trying to live a “normal” life. Deckard thinking his identity as a Blade Runner are over until he is called back onto the job near the start of the movie, he then finds himself totally emerged into his work, retiring replicants everywhere. Until Rachael, he finds a companion in her and develops feelings for her, choosing to protect her and run off with her at the end.

Hybridized Forms: The Postmodern Body & Identity

Orlan vs. Gaga

Two years ago I first heard about French artist, Orlan, who is best known for using plastic surgery on herself as an artistic medium. Not until she was brought up again in class today, did I ever think to compare her to Lady Gaga – but here it goes.

Both artists use their body as a way of sending a message. Orlan, however physically alters her body with surgeries. Gaga usually uses costumes, head pieces, sunglasses and different hair styles to alter her look. Orlan used her body as a medium for her art; Gaga claims her outrageous outfits, such as her meat dress, are sending out important messages. Does this make Gaga an artist, in the same light as Orlan? Or is she simply just trying to get on the front cover of tabloids each week with her over the top outfits? She said her meat dress had a very important message; no one knew what this message was until she explained days after she wore it. Some, like PETA, were outraged with her dress and some people still have no idea she was trying to send a message. Gaga’s most recent album “Born this Way” figures her with horns protruding out of the sides of her forehead, similar to those that Orlan had surgerically put on her forehead. The difference; Gaga’s horns were put on with make-up and could be taken off at any moment. Does this make her not as committed to her “art” as Orlan was? Or does it go back to the fact that Gaga was never intending on having a message or conveying art, she just wanted to be the centre of the “papa-paparazzi”?

Postmodernism and Consumer Culture

Consumer culture has made its way online, newest trends are becoming more and more popular because everyone can access them online. People always want the newest, faster, strongest, best items. Now that we are able to purchase items online, we are more inclined to buy more items and those items that are the most popular. Even with facebook, while writing on your friends wall, there are suggestions for items you would be interested. With the fact that facebook takes facts from your profile on stuff you would enjoy, the suggestions are usually very relevant to you and more than likely have you clicking on that ad. People want the latest items and with the internet throwing those items in your face everytime you log onto the internet, it makes it hard not to want or purchase those items - thus resulting in so many people having the same items.

Technological Innovations in 20th Century Popular Music

I knew that The Beatles Sgt. Peppper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album was something very special and different but I did not know to what degree. This album took 9 months to record – whereas the first one only took 12 hours. It had a four track medium – meaning they did not all have to be there at the same time, they would record vocals and each instrument separately. It was released in stereo, so those unfortunate ones with mono speakers could not hear the whole album. And this was the first concept album – meaning the entire album had a theme. What was their concept? To create an alter ego band, named the the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. That is why the album artwork (designed by Peter Blake) features the Beatles twice. Once, in their normal clothes off to the side and again, centred in more unusual clothing, representing their alter egos. Interestly enough however, the Beatles in their regular clothing are actually wax figures of them, this really shows how they were this alter ego because they actually dressed up in these new outfits – they didn’t just throw some outfit on a wax model.

Looking behind and beside the Beatles they are surrounded with some familiar faces: Bob Dylan, Marilyn Monroe and Shirley Temple. They wanted it to be seen that all those cut outs of people on the album artwork were seen as ‘helping’ the band complete this album.

FUN FACT: Paul McCartney actually has an OPP (Ontario Provincial Police) badge on his left arm.

Better Living Through Chemistry: Countercultural Environmentalism and Technology

Stewart Brand is an American writer who wrote the Whole Earth Catalog. Brand was also responsible for the button campaign in 1966, where he had buttons made that said, “Why haven’t we seen a photograph of the whole Earth yet?” Brand sent them out to NASA officials, members of Congress, UN officials, Soviet scientists and diplomats, Marshall McLuhan and Buckminster Fuller. He began selling them at Universities for twenty-five cents.

While majority of people suspected the Earth was just flat and infinite. Brand’s perspective changed when he was gazing at a San Fran skyline – with the little help of some LSD, he realized the buildings were not parallel, because the Earth seemed to be curving under them. Wanting to show everyone that the Earth was not just this infinite flat world, he needed something to prove this. He believed that seeing a photograph of the whole Earth would change a person’s perception. Having no one ever seen a photograph of the Earth, it made him even more curious. Earth, where we live, what does it even look like? Is it in fact round or flat? A photograph of the whole Earth, Brand knew, would be a very powerful symbol. Proving to all these people, changing their whole perspective on the world, that the Earth is in fact a sphere.