Rip: Remix Manifesto
We are living in a society where we don’t have the freedom to express ourselves through the recreation and combination of arts because we are being accused of copying or using “ideas” that are not ours. The documentary “Rip: Remix Manifesto” directed by Brett Gaylor portrait this situation, of not having the freedom to recreate something that it’s already created and express ourselves thought to modify them with new ideas we create. The documentary was very thought-provoking in many ways since I was unaware of the situation that’s been happing since decades ago with copyright.
They were many points and facts of the documentary that called my attention. Firstly, how Brett Gaylor explore and investigate the profile of copyrights in this era of information and technology. I had a wag concept of what it means and how copyrights work. I never thought it was so serious. I also was not unaware of how the industry of media and music it’s being controlled mainly by two corporations without realizing it. It was surprising realizing how people were getting suit just because they download a song, or because the remix a song or footage to make a new creation.
One of the cases that more called my attention was the case of Walt Disney, “Mickey Mouse”. It called my attention in different ways. First, because I went to an exhibition about the 60”s, in the Public library in 42 street and they had one of their drawing posters, of Mickey and goofy smoking hashish, called “Ain’t gonna work on Dizzy’s farm no more.” I remember in the description said
“Disney respond with a copyright-infringement lawsuit.” At first it was very funny and interested because they were using Mickey and a figure of protest. However, I did understand in a way that they may have the rights to suit him because of the way it was use. However, I had little knowledge about the cases and after watching the documentary everything make sense. I realized it wasn’t fair suit to the author because how he said in the documentary, “It’s not the same Mickey”. Which is true, it was a different version of Mickey, with different eyes, cloth, and manner. So, they didn’t have any rights to suit him. It impacts me how he didn’t have the “right” s to take ideas from another creation to create one. Here I understood how one the laws or points of the documentary that said that we everyday are less free.
In the same page, another case that called a lot my attention, because I found it didn’t make any sense at all, was the same of Mickey, how it currently be used as a way of teaching and learning. How Disney was suiting a daycare because they were using the image of Mickey. Not thinking how beneficial Mickey was for these kids because for them Mickey was a representative figure which motives them. Because since we are little we been race with this figure and Disney in our heads, not knowing how is based on propaganda. After viewing this documentary, I have a different view of what is Disney as a corporation and how they are. Not like this magical place anymore, as one reading states which I don’t remember the name was stating that Disney was created as a simulation to make us think that we are just child when we are inside there. Instead of we as the adult knowing that this kid inside us, we should always keep him alive.
Remix Manifesto was based on 4 points, which he found and developer the documentary in. This way of producing the documentaries called my attention in two ways. First how he was able to use that technique of portraying these four points so efficiently. The second how these four points are so real, in all the sense and ways in our society. I now can understand that we are just repeating and following the same steps of our ancestor because we are not free. Because we keep being control by two or three corporations. Principally the second and third points which state “The past will always try to control the future” and “Our future is becoming less free.” I agree with it because we don’t have anymore the freedom to express ourselves, without being penalized or judge. We are letting other control our way of thinking and our creations.
On the other hand, this movement or a new way of art called “Mash-Up” it’s interesting, and we should defend it, we should unify with this remixer because of we art part of them. We as students of New Media Arts, we create Mash-Up as well. It’s surprising how now a day we can recreate, modified and manipulate creations and with we are able with the technology to creates a new one, and used it as our medium of conveying our message by doing differently.
In conclusion, the documentary was fascinating and eye-opening. I was able to understand how two corporation which has a monopoly is controlling the Media. Where this corporation and the government are suing for copyright, and this money it’s not even going to the artist, instead to themselves. It’s said realizing how being so many issues in our environment the concentrated in copyrights. As the documentary said its time to unify ourselves and give a change to Mash Up. How “The music industry refuse to evolve, so we evolve for them,” it’s time to keep evolving and making the difference. We should not allow anyone to put barriers in our creations. Especially in music, because music is the universal language that unifies us, no matter race, color or economic position. We have to take as an example Brazil and their “free universal law.”