Mirror Sites: CSUDH - Habermas - UWP

Caliifornia State University, Dominguez Hills
University of Wisconsin, Parkside
Soka University Japan, Transcend Art and Peace
Created: October 26, 2001
Latest Update: October 26, 2001
jeannecurran@habermas.org
takata@uwp.edu
Olivier Urbain, Soka University

The basis for this essay is A Model for Trying to Get Away from the Commodification of the Media by Geert Lovink, frAme.

frAme seems to be a delightful publication with a heavy emphasis on thinking through the transforming of discourse in the media. For those who have been following cultural studies, American studies, postcolonialism, and colonialism in our advanced theory discussions, I think there is much to share in frAme. Nag me, and I'll get to a teaching essay soon. jeanne, October 26, 2001.

What intrigued me with this first article, which was all I had time for, and then only to glance at it, was the urgent sense that the media have been commodified, and that we need considerable creativity to resist such commodification. I liked the sound of determination and motivation in the statement:

"It is my personal commitment to combine cyber pragmatism and media activism with pleasurable forms of European nihilism. Not the apocalyptic, conservative culture of complaint which post modernism has left behind, but short heroic epics on the everyday life of the media, reporting from within the belly of the Beast, fully aware of its own futile existence, compared to the millennial powers to be. We aren't salespeople, trying to sell the award winning model amongst the digital cities, some exotic Amsterdam blend of old and new media or yet another disastrous set of ideas, made in Europe. Instead, we are trying to exchange models, arguments and experiences on how to organise our cultural and political activities, finance media projects and create informal networks of trust that will make life in this Babylon bearable."

Yep. That sounds like Dear Habermas. We seem to share a certain philosophical approach. I can't wait to sit down and ponder their work. I thought some of you might have the chance to get to it before I do. If so, be sure to share it with us. jeanne