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10/25 Notes
Considerations for class discussion
-time management
-was the conversation about whether or not Arne Naess was a nazi effective/useful?
Ideas on Serendip Posts:
-topic in class that was left unfinished
-didn’t get to say in class
-evaluation of the reading
-something people can respond to
-Rant about something that you wouldn’t say in class
Topics Covered in Serendip Posts
Narratives, use-value, reality
-uncertainty in etymology
-look for “senses” of words, not definitions
-by shaping a context creating a narrative of the English languge
-no single definitive meaning/reality
-allows for a range of senses
War of The Worlds
1938: dramatic fiction was misheard as a factual report
(LATER interpreted as a metaphor for communism)
->one form of mass communication
->medium: oral, made it easier for people to believe it
->hard to pick up cues
->realistic theater does intend to “fool” people, suspend disbelief, effective
->if you can imagine it, maybe it could happen
->seemed so unbelievable it had to be real, whereas: we’ve been desensitized
Because of 9/11
-bombsquad called for glowing machines that advertised for Aqua Teen Hunger Force
Because of Amtrak Scare
-flower truck crashed, and people were suspicious
Therefore, if people are primed to be hysterical, they will be hysterical
US had never had a massive land invasion
-no reference point, more believable
-didn’t have many sources/background to back it up
No One wants to believe that people can lie so well
-set up in a report style: it’s not in our nature to consider it a lie
It’s not that we don’t want people to lie, but that fiction should remain fiction, and that nonfiction should be nonfiction
There were 4 flags that told you it was fake
Suspicions
-got an expert in two minutes
-11 miles in ten minutes
-only 3.8 miles between cities
^
fact-checking
BUT: no time to fact check, instinct is to protect people
Could have checked another radio station to confirm facts
FDR’s voice was evoked: said it was other government official, but uses his format of speech
There is a strong connection to narratives/dramatic stories
Another planet=unbelievable, their knowledge=limited
Speculated it was an attack from Germany
Science fiction not established, weren’t used to these stories
(WE are used to planets in a fiction setting)
Depends on how familiar you are with the genre & the information you know
Experience: Combination of known impact of threat coupled with the unknown
History/Specific Era
-not out of the depression, concerns w/ japan & germany. gearing up for WWII: trying to avoid war, but getting organized just in case (unconsidered threat: outer space)
Why do we readily confuse fact/fiction?
-mental construct, had confidence
-prestigious people were providing information
-there were specific details provided
-people who were closer to scene cared more
Radio: Entertainment/ News source
Our expectations could affect the view of reality, twist fiction/nonfiction
Facts created by present day of things that happened in the past
Collective Narratives that became factual: believing makes it true
Stories about the end of the world/roller coasters are exciting, deviate from normal schedule
Biblical texts: fact/fiction?
-refigure categories based on the intention of the reader (vs. the intention of the writer)
Recognized it as a Halloween trick b/c they recognized Orson Welles’ voice
It’s accomplishing for a writer to create a world for people to enter into, made it believable
However, it can be disturbing for writers if their readers act as if they know the characters
In YouTube Vid: Orson Welles looked upset, may be performing in order to not look like a jerk
Is your education teaching you to be skeptical?
-unreliability of internet
-people speak w/ an ironic, detached voice
-taught to be critical thinkers
-taught to question everything, which can lead to questioning religion
F for Fake
MTV reality: splicing, narratives, confessional
-style is realistic but about fakery: you’re told its fake
Reactions:
-Questioning if it is real? & If the people really do exist
-Hard time following the plot of the film
-kept off balance in order to make you believe the last 17 minutes
-If interest in art, it would call into question expertise
-Doesn’t matter if paintings are real because if people believe it then it becomes real
(it depends on the intention of the perceiver)
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