What's the meaning of Tumblr?

I take a look at Tumblring as phenomenon, it doesn't have to happen on Tumblr.com and not everything that happens there is included.

On Tumblr most of the users repost "cool images" that talk to them or inspire them. Most of the users don't actually create content themselves, but rather recycle content created by others, corporations or independent artists. Often posters don't even comment upon these images. However most of them think and feel that they are creating something, that their stream of consciousness is something to be appreciated by other users. And it is, because others love finding images to repost on their Tumblr. Isn't this a paradox? People doing nothing but sharing other people's images, but thinking they are creating something. With enough images it turns into a recycling vortex where new users repost old images and there's no real need for new images. Sounds like something Borges could have thought up.

 Tumblr's slogan is: "Follow the world's creators". But the user interface allows for the users to take images from other people's Tumblr's and repost on their's. The connection with the first poster or actual source remains minimal, but traceable. As it now turns out Tumblr has been sued over it's users copyright infringement. “Accordingly, Tumblr should be held liable for its failure to abide by its obligations under the DMCA and for willfully ignoring the widespread and uncontrolled copyright infringement pervading its website.” So Tumblr is ignoring the fact that it's users are posting copyrighted images and furthermore has given the tools to do so.

The cynical approach to the matter.

A meme can't be owned by anyone, as it lives in the culture and would seize to live if captured. The kids of today take that approach to every kind of content. They take the (pop) culture around them for granted and think they have a right to use it for what ever purposes. In a way they are right, as it's just copies, ones and zeros or pixels. It differs from the time when there was one of every creation. On the other hand they don't stop there and they feel as curators, creating never-ending exhibitions which form meaning for themselves. A Tumblr account is like a mirror that the users use to look back at themselves. It's the visual projection of the perfect me. "The next best thing to doing, is posting about it."

The images are used out of the original context. The context is created by the surrounding images. There's no (or hardly any) denotation only connotations and these are different from person to person, page to page. The potential to communicate is minimal and it's mostly auto-communication: "you understand, what you want to understand."

The common explanation from Tumblrers is: "I just gather images that inspire me." If that was the goal then why not gather those images in a file or a folder on your hard drive or a private Tumblr. Why does it have to be published? Why does the world need to know what inspires YOU? I say it has to do with modern laziness. The implicit statement would be something in the lines of: "If I am inspired by these cool works by cool artist, I am a (potentially) cool artist myself." The possibility of being perceived as creative without much effort. The perceived illusion is reality.

Meaning of circuit bending

Circuit bending is rewiring electronic toys to produce new sounds or visuals. A bender takes the electricity  and points it to a strange shortcut. The new sound is usually bizarre and unpredictable. Blur, Devo and Kraftwerk have used circuit bent instruments in their music. However what's the meaning of this act?

Photo by Casper Electronics

Circuit bending is done in three stages. First the instruments circuit is exposed and using a wire, new paths for electricity are tried. The combinations that produce interesting sounds are marked down. Anything potentially harmful or dangerous is left aside. The new paths are tried with different resistors and condenser and the productive ones are equipped with switches and fitted on the casing. In the last stage all the different possibilities are tried combined.

Circuit bending is a way of resistance and anarchy. In life "fight the system" and "fight the machine" are statements that "cool punk kids" make. In circuit bending they are very real, as the machine and its system exist physically. The bender opposes the system and rewires it to fit its needs. Bending toys made by corporations isn't playing nice. The toys meant to be mentally dulling for children end up in the hands of music enthusiasts, who use them in practical ways and might even make money doing so. Toys are rewired into tools.

Bender reroutes electricity

Circuit bending can also be seen as a virus as it's installed on the working unit and begins altering its performance. The original isn't altered but rather upgraded, this can be seen as benevolent physical hacking. It opposes conformist consuming and makes the user a co-author of the product, claiming power over it.

Stay mad!

Meaning of lyrics - Justin Bieber - Baby

Today we look at the meaning of lyrics and the first song is Baby by Justin Bieber. There are people who say that pop lyrics don't mean anything and that Biebers lyrics aren't poetic. Lets see if that's true.

You know you love me, I know you care

Just shout whenever, and I'll be there

You are my love, you are my heart

And we will never, ever, ever be apart

Justin Bieber got dumped.

Justin is talkin. Saying he knows the girl loves him and he loves her and promises to be there for her (as Rick Astley will never let you down). As it later turns out the girl doesn't know she loves Justin and goes for someone else. Justin says they will always be together. It all takes place in the present with promises for the future or even eternal love. Everything seems to be going well from Justin's point of view, but what about reality?

Are we an item? Girl, quit playin'

"We're just friends," what are you sayin'?

Said "there's another," and looked right in my eyes

My first love broke my heart for the first time

By the second verse something has changed. His optimism is gone and the girl has revealed to him that they are just friends. In fact there's another boy as she tells him in person (maybe they only met online before). Justin is surprised and heartbroken by this message. He probably didn't listen to the girl before. The time is now in the past. There must have been a considerable pause between the first and second verse or the first verse was just denial and delusions. Justin goes a bit crazy and starts talking like a valleygirl.

And I was like baby, baby, baby, oh

Like baby, baby, baby, no

Like baby, baby, baby, oh

I thought you'd always be mine, mine x2

Justin showing off  his love skills.

Time for the chorus. Still in the past and mostly "baby". Repetition decreases the significance and turns "baby, baby, baby" into bla bla bla. "Baby" loses all meaning in the end. When we remove the extra pop baggage it's basicly: "And I was like baby, oh no. I thought you'd always be mine". Justin thought she would own the girl forever and is shocked to discover that it's not like that. It's not nice to think that you own another person, that's why they probably broke up in the first place. The first verse must have been delusions as he reveals in the chorus that they are no longer together.

For you, I would have done whatever

And I just can't believe we're here together

And I wanna play it cool, but I'm losin' you

I'll buy you anything, I'll buy you any ring

Back into the present. Justin seems to be together again with her heart breaker to his amazement. He would have done anything in the past, but now he just promises to buy her back with gifts or even a ring. Who would want a girl that runs around for a ring? No doubt Justin has money to buy the girl anything she wants, but the girl isn't going for it and I would say that's a good choice. 

And I'm in pieces, baby fix me

And just shake me 'til you wake me from this bad dream

I'm goin' down, down, down, down

And I just can't believe my first love won't be around

As many men before him, Justin goes on a bender with his broken heart and waits for his first love to get him out of it. She isn't wasting her time on losers like Justin and is probably having fun with her new boyfriend, who didn't try to buy her with a ring or other stuff. Men, don't be losers whining to your ex when heartbroken. 

When I was 13, I had my first love

There was nobody that compared to my baby

And nobody came between us who could ever come above

She had me going crazy, oh I was starstruck

She woke me up daily, don't need no Starbucks

She made my heart pound

I skip a beat when I see her in the street

And at school on the playground

But I really wanna see her on a weekend

She know she got me dazin' 'cause she was so amazin'

And now my heart is breakin' but I just keep on sayin'

Ludacris comes to rescue and tells about his first love. He was 13. She drove him crazy and got him out of the bed in the morning (at 13?) with his heart pounding. At least this helped him battle his Starbucks coffee addiction. Now his heart skips a beat when he sees her on the street or at the school playground. It seems love can do a lot of things to your heart. He is 34 now so his heartache has lasted 20 years. Justin's heartbreak opens up the wounds in Ludacris' heart and there comes the chorus.

Baby, baby, baby, oh...

I'm all gone

(Yeah, yeah, yeah)x2

Now I'm all gone

(Yeah, yeah, yeah)x2

Now I'm all gone, gone, gone, gone

I'm gone

This is the good part. Justin is all gone. Gone fishing? Gone insane? Possibly both, we are gone for now, but we'll be back with a fresh insight into the meaning of stuff or the meaninglessness.

Stay mad!

Meaning of rockstars

After the death of Amy Winehouse it's fitting that we look at the meaning of a rockstar. Marco Perego, the sculptor who portrayed her dead already in 2008, said: “Rock stars are the sacrificial animals of society.” We're using a work written by Peeter Kormašov about movies using the rockstar myth, they include Control (Joy Division), The Doors and Rock Star to look into the meaning of a Rockstar.

Amy Winehouse's death sadly fitted the rockstar cliche all too well.

The myth of a rockstar is a guideline for lives, and for creating movies about the lives of rockstars. Pop culture keeps recycling the old myth recreating the (movie) rockstars over and over again. Such films like "Control" and "The doors" portray the era's visions of a rockstar. The lifestyle of a rockstar includes tours, band rehearsals, long hair, leather jacket, lots of sex, drugs, booze, creative crisis and burning out. Pop culture has established a vision of a true rockstar.

Homer Simpson:"I had finally realized every rockstars dream - hating being famous."

According to Barthes a myth distorts and naturalizes a term, while being a compromise - signifier creates the signified. Myth is being perceived as a system of facts, when it's really a system of equal relations and values. (Barthes 2004: 253–255) That's exactly what the myth does with the "rockstar" it creates a certain image of it. The cliche of a rockstar is projected to all the artists and bands of different genres of rock. It becomes a mythical biography. It's a conception based only on assumptions, which functions as structure that describes the life of all the rockstars.

The lives of rockstars are portrayed using a reoccurring structure. The Doors and Control are according to Glenn Smith based on the myth of the american dream. There success is followed by cheering crowds and fame (Smith 2009: 8). Leo Lowenthal finds by comparing the language in biographies that celebrities are  described through superlatives, which should convey their importance in culture (Lowenthal 1956: 100–102). Everything is pictured in excess according to the myth of the rockstar: big concerts, willing girls and constant use of drugs and booze. This shows us the extraordinary nature and position of rockstars in the society.

The meaning of Banksy's art #1

This time we're writing about Banksy's art on Mad Meaning. He is one of the best known graffiti artist in the world. His works are known and exhibited globally. His art has appeared in many locations around the and his canvases are sold at auctions for hundreds thousands of pounds, but nobody knows who he really is.

This print is called “Bombing middle England”. It was auctioned. “On 21 February 2007, Sotheby's auction house in London auctioned three works, reaching the highest ever price for a Banksy work at auction: over £102,000 for his Bombing Middle England” (Reuters 2007). He sold “Keep it spotless” for £950,300 in 2008 which  currently holds the record for the highest price for a Banksy (BBC News 2008).

What does the title exactly mean? Middle England means the middle class of non-urban England. Bombing, is also used as a special term in graffiti, meaning works which are done very fast and have a special style. The picture itself shows three old ladies who are in the middle of enjoying their afternoon entertainment. They are playing petanque with the iconic cannonball like black fuse bombs. They are all wearing hats that remind helmets and they could be seen as soldiers attacking England. There are two slightly different planes of green which depict the grass and the hedge. Both of which are common in English petanque. The English are especially proud of their grass which has taken tens and hundreds of years of care. 

Everything in this picture is in it's place except for the bombs which will shortly blow up the lush grass. The composition has been divided in two. On one side there are three ladies and on the other side three fuse bombs, fuses lit and ready to blow up. One of the bombs hasn't even touched the ground yet. All the fuses are burning short. Banksy has picked his side by signing under the bombs. He admits to wanting to blow up more than just the grass. Rather the whole middle class and the traditional English culture. 

From: "The aesthetics of Banksy's auctioned works" by Pärtel Vissak 2011.

This is what we think about Banksy's "Bombing middle England" at Mad Meaning. Come back soon for more insight.

What does it mean? - Mad MEANing

Welcome to MadMeaning,

You probably got here because you want to know what stuff means. You are in the right place because using the superpower of semiotics we will tell you what it means. Of course ask us about stuff and it's meaning if you have a question.

Today I will tell you what MadMeaning is all about. At first glance it's another wiseass blog, but as you read on you discover it's much more, it's a way of life. Stuff is always there and someone has to see what it means and share it with other people. That's why we are here and through semiotics we will analyze and explain stuff around you.