RIP: A Remix Man-I-Don't-Think-So (Manifesto)

The Remix Manifesto is:

            1. The future always builds on the past

            2. The past always tries to control the future

            3. The future is becoming less free.

            Upon seeing the Manifesto for the first time I was unconvinced. The manifesto seemed extreme. Although the first line in this argument rings completely true considering the history of borrowing within most musical styles and the practives which  have built up most of the large corporations we know today (thank-you Piracy notes); The second statement of the argument had me baffled. Does the past actively try to “control” the future? I can’t imagine a singer/songwriter deviously plotting  how their songs will control the ways of life in history. It seemed unrealistic that figures of the past had intentions within their work to control the future.

               It was only after watching the movie that I realized… it was not individuals or pieces of work themselves which were responsible for this kind of control mentality.

It was the evil corporations (Enter thundercrashing sound effects here).

Or more accurately the copyright and intellectural property laws which have been put into place to safeguard the earning potential of their ‘property,' thus finally like a sheep lead to water I could rest. The film did all the hard mental work for me making a very convincing argument in the Micheal Moore-esque documentary style.

For viewers who are not nessecarily cultural studies majors or directly engaging with the discource around remix and the issues of authorship and ownership I believe it was a very well done film. The theorectical and popular culture blend was refreshing, and well done. It incorporated Lawerence Lessig himself and his work, as well as popular culture figures. It also gave clear defintiions of terms like remix, and demonstrated the techniques it uses such as: sampling and mash-ups.

        It even went to far as to bring back gutenberg and a small lesson on the history of technology and copyright (I emphasize SMALL). Although it may present one side a little heavily (as arguments in documentaries tend to do), I believe the discussion of copyright and the issues of freedom and financial gain which are at stake within the laws are made easily digestible to a broad audience. It opens a window to what is behind the concern with piracy, downloading while showing how essential it is in the media saturated environment. Since studying this topic, I believe the arguments were effective within the video and that it did a great job of grounding itself in the debates of remix and remix culture.

My Verdict: Watch it with friends from another Facultly and see what they think.
http://films.nfb.ca/rip-a-remix-manifesto/