living in a den of thieves

in my previous post, this video mashup was highlighted. it is by youtube user blimvisible, self-described as a housewife not a video professional. it’s an amazing commentary on media remixing and the change of copyright, and it is just beautifully done. in it, she uses a myriad of appropriated clips from movies and regina spektor’s song “us” with the prominent lyric “living in a den of thieves”.

we’re living in a time when copyright in the u.s. is being extended, when big companies like disney attempt to protect their intellectual property. the mickey mouse image has an estimated worth of $3 billion.

and at the same time, we’re living in a time when remixing and digital production is so easy now and accessible it is exploding. next, i ask you to watch this ted talk by larry lessig on how our copyright laws are strangling creativity. but from my post yesterday, you could say the copyright laws have a potential to hamper a cultural shift that is tremendously important - moving us away from a spectator-based, suburban TV culture to a more participatory, interactive community again.

i fear our collective understanding of this issue concerning copyright, and our ability to change the laws, is really going to lag behind. so i’m trying to get the word out.

i also recommend the official video for the song “us”.

youtube and cultural change

i highly recommend you watch this lecture by anthropology professor michael wesch, where he discusses youtube and participatory culture. don’t worry, it is not dry and academic. it is uplifted and paints the largeness and the positive potential of video and the internet. watch it all the way through even though.