Texting, traffic, and the world we live in

What kind of technological age do we live in? I'll tell ya.

Yesterday, I got the following text from my brother traveling from Lake Tahoe to Las Vegas:

Hey, get on the Internet and check out traffic on Nevada state road 28 around Lake Tahoe, we are stuck and not moving for 40 minutes.

I live three time zones away and here he was asking me to find out information that was probably within a mile of his location. What a country. I sat and thought about the implications of this. It strikes me strangely odd and strangely empowering. I didn't know what to think. I mean, is this what information culture has reduced (or "evolved" may be another word) us to?

(By the way, as a sidenote, I was relating this to a class this afternoon and they all had the same blank "So?" stare you probably have ... if you're still reading.)

Anyway, here's the kicker: I found out the holdup. A two-car wreck. I texted the info back to him and then he and I spent the next hour or so texting lines from The Big Lebowski to each other. Ain't technology grand?

But what really struck me is that I found the information from a place I didn't really expect. I starfted with all the biggies: Google maps, traffic.com, even the Weather Channel. But they didn't have squat. No, I found out about the wreck and traffic jam from the local newspaper, the North Lake Tahoe Bonanza.

So, here's to you, local newspapers. Even though many outside the industry say your demise in eminent, you are still vital and cover your area better than any other form of media. Now ... if you can only find a way to pay for it!

This is the point where I could launch into a whole diatribe about the power of local newspapers, but I think I'll just ponder this: if there were a television show that captured the flavor of local, small-town news, would it help? I mean, something beyond Bravo's Tabloid Wars, which I loved.

Maybe like an Andy Griffith-meets-Northern Exposure-meets-Woodward and Bernstein-meets-Doc Hollywood ... maybe I've just found my calling. Paul, warm up the camera! Let's work up a pilot.

Media Literacy Discussion

Part of today's class was to be focused on your reactions to the Marshall McLuhan quote, which was something like this:

All media are extensions of some human faculty- psychic or physical. The wheel is an extension of the foot; the book is an extension of the eye; clothing, an extension of the skin; electric circuitry, an extension of the central nervous system.

The basic question is: If you agree with that logic, what would you say the Internet is an extension of? Why?

Please summarize your answer by posting a comment below. Then, as more people leave comments, comment on two other postings. Lastly, react to others' comments on your original post. In other words, you should have at least five (5) comments: the original, two comments on other people's initial post, and reactions to what people said to you.

Please comment intelligently. A "good job" is not a comment. Be substantial.

Global Communication Discussion

Today in class, we were going to discuss the results of our unofficial content analysis of foreign media. Instead of doing that in person, we will do it virtually. Here are the rules:

Take a moment and write a paragraph (or two) of what you would have presented in class; this would include the media you studied, the time length you studied, and the results of your analysis. Also, try to offer some sort of conclusion that you can make when it comes to the media content in your country (this part could include some allusion to the content pertaining to your country in the text).

After you make your initial post, real all of the other posts. Then, comment on two (2) other posts. Your comments should be substantial and add to the virtual conversation we are maintaining. A "good job!" is not a sufficient. This may mean that you will have to visit this site more than once over the weekend.

Finally, after some time, make a few comments on the comments you received. Again, furthering this virtual conversation.

In all, you should have at least five (5) comments. Your initial comment, two comments on other analyses and two replies to other people's comments.

To kind of get the ball rolling, I came across this item on The Smoking Gun. There are a few things of interest dealing with this item, but two I would like you to consider. Looking at the front page, what do you think about the paper's placement of the Obama victory? Secondly, what do you think The Smoking Gun is implying by highlighting this story? Even though these two items may seem congruent, there are (or, at least could be) some differences that are noteworthy.

Have fun.

Rocky Horror & Cultural Currency

Went to the 4th annual Rocky Horror shindig at the Polk Theatre in Lakeland, Fla., last night. It's the third time I've went and, typically, it was, uhm, interesting. Let me start off by saying that I don't recommend everyone go; this event is not for everyone. So, I'm not advocating, I'm just saying that it's something I do.

A few summers ago I did some research on a Rocky Horror cast in St. Pete, Interchangeable Parts. They were/are easily the best live cast I've seen (including casts in Santa Monica, Calif., Raleigh, N.C., and Tampa). The whole phenomena just strikes me as interesting and I marvel at the planning and dedication of these folks. Here's a quick documentary, which, by the way has some bad language and a bit of copyrighted song on it:

For those who haven't seen it since the '70s, or have never seen it, the whole thing works on (at least) three different levels. There's the movie itself. Then, there is a cast, who acts out the movie in front of the movie. Lastly, there is the audience, which yells at the cast/movie at certain times. This form of interaction, when first taking it in, is mass confusion. It's hard to hear the movie because everyone is yelling, and sometimes you don't know whether to pay attention to the movie or cast or try to pick up the audience participation lines. And don't get me started on the time warp.

But, somehow, through the confusion, it works. It takes work, too. You begin to pick up a rhythm and pace, and you begin to pick up the slang. And, sometimes, by the end of it, you're glad it's over, but you kind of want to do it again.

At least that's how I felt. I told myself I was doing research (and I was), but I also found myself buying the movie and looking online at audience participation patterns. It became a badge of honor when I was able to say the audience participation lines at the right time. And though I never personally did it, I talked with people who added new lines ... and they spoke as if it was a highlight of their lives. It probably wasn't as high as graduating college or getting married or having a first baby (all of which the people at the show did), but it was still a highlight.

This sense of knowledge has a name. It's called cultural currency. People who have specialized knowledge, especially for popular culture, hold it. Generally, this knowledge isn't held in high esteem by the culture at large, but within the sub-group that those people are involved, it is highly regarded. It's a term that sociol researcher Pierre Bourdieu coined in the 1980s and it's been a backbone of fan and sub-culture research for over 20 years. Now you know. You're probably walking around with a mind full of cultural currency you aren't even using. Cultural currency is what keeps shows like Best Week Ever and The Soup and even The Daily Show in existence.

But, basically, it's just an academic term I like to use to make myself feel better about knowing when and what to yell at Brad and Janet.