thestig, 1/15

A postmodern society: “here we are now, entertain us.”

I’ve been thinking about Kurt Cobain’s lyrics this past week, and how it applies to my life. I constantly want to have something going on, whether it be some form of entertainment or task. I almost always have more than one web browser page open to CNN, NYTimes, and Facebook; whenever I’m on the go, I’ve got my iPhone: “the world is in my pocket.” Or is it? Am I constantly passing by the world with the time I spend on the “my” everything’s (facebook, myspace, flikr, etc), and the “news?” Am I simply in the moment, looking to be entertained?

I don’t see myself as a passive consumer of media. I do my research if I am making a purchase, and especially since I got involved with this major, I do not see the ordinary as normal, but as a cash crop. The Alcatraz National State Park is a perfect example of a company mastering “here we are now, entertain us.”

Two summers ago I visited Alcatraz for the first time with my family. In order to get to Alcatraz, you meet at San Francisco’s Pier 33. You’re greeted by the ticket booth, a gift shop, a fast food snack bar, and a long line to get onto the ferry. So far, not too bad – the usual corporate spending opportunities. We waited on line for about 45 minutes before we got to the front, when we realized why the line had taken so long. Before boarding the ship, each visitor is asked to stand in front of a picture of Alcatraz for a photo op. The Park services takes the photo of you and your family (like they do in Disney), then charges you $15 for a small, lousy print (like they do in Disney, but for half the cost). My family was in awe: why would people want the park rangers to take their picture in front of a picture of the incredible monument they were about to actually be in front of? My dad took a picture of this, and I’ll share it with you once I get a hold of him – he is in London/Berlin right now. I sent him an e-mail requesting the photo; I’ll post it as soon as I hear back from him.

Dr. Rog, you’re student is right in the case of Alcatraz State Park: “Reality ain’t what it used to be.” Many people enjoyed taking their photo in front of the photo, and will be sharing that photo with family and friends upon their return home. Is that how we want people sharing information about what parts of the world are like? It certainly isn’t “real.” I can re-create the photo they take on Pier 33 right here in my bedroom – it’s sad.