conlon_msm2
TRANSCRIPT
-
8/7/2019 Conlon_MSM2
1/4
ChrisConlon
MediaandSocialMovements
RonDouglas
16February2011
AsYoungmentionsinthebeginningofchapter3,thefocusofColumbiaRevolt
shiftedtocoveringtheeventsthattookplaceduringthepredominantlyWhitesit-in,
ratherthanchroniclein-depththeactualreasonforthesit-in.Youngclaimsthatthough
theinitialprotestagainstbuildingaprivategyminarareHarlempublicparkwas
initiatedbyBlackandLatino/aactivistsandstudents,thefilmendsupmarginalizing
themandfocusingmoreonwhattheWhitepeopleweredoing(Young111).The
demandsofthecommunityactivistsandevendetailsofthegymareshelvedinorderto
covertheeventsofthesit-in.ThisiswhyYoungarguesthatsincethecatalyticevents
inspiringtheprotestaregrosslyovershadowedbytheprotestitself,theactivismtaking
placebecomedilutedandatbestisasocietalcritique.
Havingnotseenthisfilm,thatisasfarofanexaminationofYoung'sinterpretation
asIamwillingtodiscuss,butthinkingaboutthiscritiquebroughtmetonoticeit
elsewhere.FirstlylookingattheBattleinSeattle,itbecomespainfullyobviousthatthe
police/protesterinteractiontakesabackseattotheissuessupportingtheprotest.Only
viewingitforthefirsttimeacoupleweeksago,Icannotrecallevenoneissuediscussed
inalengthenoughtoremember.Onlywhenbeingpreviouslyprimedwithknowledgeof
thisprotestdoeventsbegintocorrespondwithactualissues.Otherwise,itmanifestsas
adramajustcataloginghowpolicebrutalityandprotestordefianceinteractedatthe
endof1999inSeattle.
RealizingthatitisunfairtojustlookattheBattleinSeattle,sinceafterallitisa
-
8/7/2019 Conlon_MSM2
2/4
drama,IthenmovedtoBreakingtheBankandThisisWhatDemocracyLooksLike.Both
ofthesedocumentariesdoamuchfairerandlegitimateoverviewoftheWTOprotest,
butstilllettheirinitialcausesandinspirationslipawayfromthembycoveringtheriot
policeinteractionsextensively.Nearlyeverysceneduringthecenterofthefilmshinges
onimpendingarrestorpepperspray.Thoughthisisobviouslymoreinterestingand
noteworthytoadocumentarian,itgreatlyovershadowstheentirereasonforshowing
upandprotesting.Thegoaloftheactivistfilmmakersisultimatelytodisseminatethe
causethattheyareinvestedin,whichisunderstandablywhytheywouldchooseto
coverthemostinterestingtopicrelatedtotheircause,inthiscasepolicebrutality.But
thishappensatthecostofomittingrelevantmaterialimportanttothe'why',rather
thanesitisthe'how'.YoungsumsthisupwhendiscussinghowNewsreelwishedto
inspireactionaroundtheircausesofinterest.Sheclaimsthatthisis"bestbeachieved
bymakingshortfilmsfeaturingrapidfireactionandstartlingimagery."(Young110).
Anditistrue.Peoplearemorelikelytobeinspiredbyavisceralvideoordramatization,
ratherthanbypureinformation.ButaswithColumbiaRevolt,itlooksliketherewill
alwayscomeatimewhentheprotestitselfbecomesmoreimportantthanthecatalytic
issue.
Thisconceptisalsofoundincontemporarynewscoverageoftheconsecutive
protestsinthemiddleeast.Ihavereadseveralarticlesfrommostoftheseevents,even
fromdifferentprovidersofnews,butIcanpassonlittlemorethanthreeconvoluted
wordsaboutwhytherewasevenaprotestinthefirstplace.Nowifsomeonewastoask
meaboutthephysicalprotest,Iwouldhavemuchmoretosay.Againheretheprotest
-
8/7/2019 Conlon_MSM2
3/4
hasovershadowedthecatalyticcause,whichisunderstandableforglobalnewsmedia
butnotexcusable.WhilereadingthesearticlesIstillhavequestionsandwouldliketo
readmorebutwouldhavetogolookingforitelsewhere.
Theonlyfilmwehaveseensofarthissemesterthatcouldrefutethisargumentis
theDeathofFredHampton.Thisfilmalmosttakespainstocontinuebuildingthecause
oftheBlackPantherPartyupuntilFredHamptonismurdered.Ofcoursethe
documentarianswereinterestedinbuildingthefilmupfortheclimaxofHampton's
murder,butthatisadecisioninpost.Thedocumentarywouldallowmuchmore
exposuretothecoreinterestsoftheBlackPantherPartyifitwerecompletedbefore
FredHamptonwasactuallymurdered,whichseemstoshowthroughinmuchofthefirst
half.Inthisfilm,emphasisjumpsaroundfromissuetoissuesuchascoveringthefree
breakfastprogramandtheBlackPanthermeetingsthroughoutthefilm,untilitlocks
ontoHampton'smurder.Unliketheotherfilms,Ifeelleftwithamoresolid
understandingofwhypeoplegatheredtogetheranddecidedtotakeaction.
Youngmentionsthisconceptinreferencetorace,specificallyhowinproteststhe
actionsofWhiteactorscantendtoovershadowthatofpeopleofcolor,buteasily
appliestojustlookingathowmuchofanactualissueiscoveredinafilmthatiscovering
it.Asseensofar,itlooksliketheeventstakingplaceasaresultofcollectiveactionon
anissuearemorewidelycoveredthantheissueitself.
Sources:
Young,Cynthia.SoulPower:Culture,Radicalism,andthemakingofaU.S.ThirdWorld
Left.DukeUniversityPress:DurhamandLondon.2006.
-
8/7/2019 Conlon_MSM2
4/4