Poe - Informal

YouTube - Hey Pretty

YouTube - Poe - Hey Pretty (Drive By 2001 mix)

After talking about Poe in class, I decided I should find the video I remember from 8^th grade I think.²  I’m not sure, but I do remember someone saying it was really weird that it was the girl’s brother speaking those words at the beginning. (Read: incest)

 

I have two initial thoughts after seeing this on youtube.  First the obvious references to House with Mark speaking and the words/blue box.  This echos the different voices we discussed in class today - how someone speaking someone else’s words changes the original story. ³  I don’t think Mark is speaking about an actual sexual experience with his sister in a car.  Analyzing the context of the book, this is Mark telling Johnny’s story.  I’m sure there is a lot more to think and analyze, but I would have to come back to that (maybe in a blog entry.)⁵

 

My other thought is youtube itself has an abundance of this retelling, revoicing, and echoes of other’s work.  For example I just found a home-made music video for the Postal Service’s song “Brand New Colony”.⁷  Clearly these teenagers used the song and added their own interpretation with video on top of the song.  While this is nothing new, I think it might be interesting to view this platform (youtube) as something that allows for this process to be done.  And to be done by any kid who has a $300 dollar camera and a computer.  There are a ton of other examples.

 

None of these are as painstaking as what Johnny or Menard did, but all these videos which aren’t wholly original require editing and commentary someone else’s work.  Though the more I think about it, how many stories/narratives are wholly original?  Aren’t most narratives using elements (both in structure and content) from other narratives?  Even this very creative novel, House, is using tons of references from literature.¹¹

 

 

 

 

 

²I do plan on mimicking House’s conventions to my own means.  I feel it could be a fun experiment to explain such a strange book.  Plus why can’t we adopt new technique/technology?

³  ENGLIT: Narrative and Technology.  Professor: Adam Johns.  March 27, 2008.

⁵10:50PM – UCLA 20 – 13.  CBS Sports.  I’ll have to finish my thought process when basketball isn’t on.

⁷http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4h7MqeZRU8&feature=related  Feel free to judge the video.

¹¹I’m starting more thoughts than I’m finishing, so before I go too far, I’ll quit.  These thoughts are either completely wrong or good formal blog material.