In this post, we shall look at how audience make use of the multi-directional/bi-directional flow of
information in new media to counter the influence of media on the rather negative
portrayal of self image through culture jamming. Using the
multi/bi-directional flow of information model, audience now can feedback
through various platforms to not just the producer itself (bi-directional), but
also to the masses (multi-directional).
Culture jamming could be done in
both reality by literally coming up with posters on the streets and malls and
it could be done on the internet today as well. With the availability of the internet,
audience can subvert messages through co-opting the language and strategy of
the targeted corporations that they feel are influencing negatively in their
self image. It does not necessary limit to targeting a specific corporations,
it could be done to jam a certain culture in the era, such as the perception of
a healthy self image and beauty. Culture jamming could be done on the
internet today through the spreading of online posters, self-made
advertisements and self-made videos through the various platforms to photo
share or video share. As the internet attracts a total of 2,267,233,742 users
of the world population now, culture jamming can be spread easily to the
masses and not just the producer themselves but also to express the views to other
audience.
Below are the examples of culture jamming done online on the
internet to counter the influence of the media on the physical self-image. These
photos are created by individuals who wish to stand up and voice out what they
think about what the commercialized corporations through the utilization of media, are doing unto them. This is so as to counter the media's negative influence on their physical self
image.
Examples of culture jamming done on the streets even in substations in reality against the influence on the physical self image can be seen below.
Refering to the picture below, many models are portrayed as having a certain
stereotyped figure which is termed as "beauty" in today’s culture. To culture jam
this influence on what the media portrays about beauty, individuals or culture
jammers took their initiatives by sticking stickers of quotes, hoping to catch
the attention of the masses, to change their views on their pursued self image.
Examples of culture jamming done to counter the influence of
online self image can be seen below. These images below are
spread through the internet such as even Facebook itself which is an irony. The subtext of this picture below shows how
people got addicted to the internet and how they portray their online self
till the point that they become so technical (computerised) and robotic which
then loses their authentic self and thinking.
Facebook is culture jammed as fakebook, to emphasize the
inauthentic self image of people online.
There are people who culture jam but do not target a
specific commercial corporation. A good example is Curtis Kulig who came up
with an independent initiative call “Love Me”, a tag line that he uses and
spread around. He do so by drawing and writing the word “love me” at
practically everywhere like underpass, walls, buildings, dustbins, skateboards
and so on. He even brought it across continents by flying to other countries to
showcase and voice out that the society today need to recognize that a healthy
self image both physically and online, should be anchored on relationships
where people love one another. With these basic words, he successfully gained
recognition as even an artist who is highly sought after for his tag line and
works. He is an example of how the
audience successfully culture jammed legally and recognized for his effort to promote
healthy self image. Beside influencing the audience views on how important the healthy
self image should be anchored on love itself, he also alleviates the normalisation
of self image where beauty and online self is not judged according to
races. He also promotes non-racialisation, where a person self image is not anchored on
his inborn culture like religion and race as mentioned above.
All in all, we can
see that there are various platforms for audience to voice out and counter the
influences of the media on self image using strategies like culture jamming to
reach the masses. Even though corporations and commercial companies may seem to have the money to reach out to the audience on their message on self image,
audience still can counter these influences and freely express (although not
legal sometimes) their views on how the self image should be, with the advantage of the mutlidirectional information flow of new media.
Resources
statistics of number of population using internet : http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm
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