Responding to the Rise of Remix Culture: Challenges and opportunities for teaching, learning and media literacy Mike RobbGrieco Media Education Lab Temple University Mike RobbGrieco Media Education Lab Temple University

There is something normatively attractive, from the perspective of ‘democracy’ as a liberal value, about the fact that anyone, using widely available equipment, can take from the existing cultural universe more or less whatever they want, cut it, paste it, and make it their own— equally well expressing their adoration as their disgust, their embrace of certain things as their rejection of them � (Benkler, 2006, p. 276).

Are you a part of remix culture?

Do you search others’ work for inspiration? HANDS UP!!!

Do you ever build your work on borrowed parts? Then get your hands up!!!

Do you quote passages?

Do you quote passages? Copy & paste images or text?

Do you quote passages? Copy & paste images or text? Embed video?

Do you quote passages? Copy & paste images or text? Embed video? Soundtrack your slideshows?

Do you quote passages? Copy & paste images or text? Embed video? Soundtrack your slideshows? Or speeches?

Do you quote passages? Copy & paste images or text? Embed video? Soundtrack your slideshows? Or speeches? Then get those hands up!

Do you have a website, or facebook page or myspace featuring media texts made by others?

Do you have a website, or facebook page or myspace featuring media texts made by others? Do you represent yourself by the media you like and the messages that interest you?

Do you have a website, or facebook page or myspace page featuring media texts made by others? Do you represent yourself by the media you like and the messages that interest you? Come on, hands up!

Broadly defined, media remix is “to use or quote a wide range of texts � to produce something new… Remixed media may quote sound over images, or video over text, or text over sounds. The mix creates the new creative work—the remix. � ” (Lessig, 2008, p.61).

As Henry Jenkins puts it, media artists and students “learn how culture works by breaking it down into its basic building blocks and remixing it � ” (Jenkins, et al, 2006, p. 32).

Celebratory Remix: fanship and participatory culture right: Robbgrieco as a Simpson character, simpsonizeme.com Left: Hobbs as Fairey’s Obama icon, obamiconme.pastemagazine.com

Critical Remix: Commentary, Critique, and Democratic Exchange

Remix in Education Potential Benefits Skill practice: juxtaposition, sequencing, multimodal expression Media literacy skill development: access, analyze/evaluate, create in a variety of forms, for diverse purposes Media consumer/producer balance Economic use of time/resources Immersion in participatory cultures Negotiation of cultural identities Work w/ personally meaningful texts Raises ethical issues for debate: copyright, fair use, plagiarism/citation Challenges/Concerns Practice focuses on technical minutiae of editing, copy/paste synching texts and juxtaposition may not involve critical thinking Celebrates conspicuous consumption & derivative production Shallow engagement with content; mere spectacle Remixes are of narrow cultural interest and scope; Celebrates pop culture trash Remix confuses or ignores ethical issues How do we realize potential while facing challenges? Michael RobbGrieco Temple University

Use Fair Use Concepts to Spark Inquiry RBenefit to society vs. cost to copyright holder RTransformativeness RIs purpose transformed? RIs context transformed RWhat is the effect on potential markets? RIs the amount of source text used appropriate for the remix context? RBenefit to society vs. cost to copyright holder RTransformativeness RIs purpose transformed? RIs context transformed RWhat is the effect on potential markets? RIs the amount of source text used appropriate for the remix context?

References: Scholarship Benkler, Y. (2006). The wealth of networks : How social production transforms markets and freedom. New Haven Conn.: Yale University Press. Jenkins, H. (2006). Confronting the challenges of participatory culture: Media education for the 21st century. Retrieved October 29, 2006, from sp?content_id=%7BCD A93B-1D0C07C7B6C1%7D&notoc=1 sp?content_id=%7BCD A93B-1D0C07C7B6C1%7D&notoc=1 Jenkins, H. (2006). Convergence culture : Where old and new media collide. New York: New York University Press. Lenhart, A., & Madden, M. (2005). Teen content creators and consumersWashington DC: PEW Internet & American Life Project. Lessig, L. (2008). Remix : Making art and commerce thrive in the hybrid economy. New York: Penguin Press.

References: Images & Music (2002) Gulf wars episode II: Clone of the attack. Mad magazine (424). Retrieved 10/08: ml ml Hobbs, R. (2009). Hobbs as Obama icon. Created 3/09 at Obtained in personal correspondance. Jones, D. (Director & producer). (2007). Remix culture. Washington, D.C.: Center for Social Media. (Excerpt edited for presentation by RobbGrieco, 2008). Retrieved 5/07 from: Nava, J. (director) (2008). Single Ladies (Put a ring on it). Performed by Beyonce Knowles. Music video retrieved 6/09 from: Excerpt edited 6/09 by RobbGrieco for presentation. Party Ben (2009). We will jump you (Queen vs. House of Pain). (Mashup). Song mp3 retrieved 6/09 from: Party Ben (2008). Single Ladies in Mayberry. (Mashup). Video retrieved 2/09 from: Image retrieved 6/09 from: RobbGrieco, M. (2009). RobbGrieco as Simpsons character. Created 2/09 at Personal collection. RobbGrieco, M. (Songwriter, producer), Beatty, G. (Animator). (2008). Users Rights, Section 107. (Music video). Philadelphia: Media Education Lab at Temple University. (2002) Gulf wars episode II: Clone of the attack. Mad magazine (424). Retrieved 10/08: ml ml Hobbs, R. (2009). Hobbs as Obama icon. Created 3/09 at Obtained in personal correspondance. Jones, D. (Director & producer). (2007). Remix culture. Washington, D.C.: Center for Social Media. (Excerpt edited for presentation by RobbGrieco, 2008). Retrieved 5/07 from: Nava, J. (director) (2008). Single Ladies (Put a ring on it). Performed by Beyonce Knowles. Music video retrieved 6/09 from: Excerpt edited 6/09 by RobbGrieco for presentation. Party Ben (2009). We will jump you (Queen vs. House of Pain). (Mashup). Song mp3 retrieved 6/09 from: Party Ben (2008). Single Ladies in Mayberry. (Mashup). Video retrieved 2/09 from: Image retrieved 6/09 from: RobbGrieco, M. (2009). RobbGrieco as Simpsons character. Created 2/09 at Personal collection. RobbGrieco, M. (Songwriter, producer), Beatty, G. (Animator). (2008). Users Rights, Section 107. (Music video). Philadelphia: Media Education Lab at Temple University.