¿Culture Jamming?
Well, I have the slight impression that you are going to think that what you are going to read today is a recurring theme in my content. Because the truth is, that it is true that I have already written many times before on this subject. But what can we do?
Perhaps it is just because in more than six years asking you the same questions, no one yet has provided me with a really convincing answer that clarifies this matter for me in a truly satisfactory way. So, I suppose it is just logical that I insist on being inquisitive to see if I finally manage to satisfy that curiosity. But hey! ¿you wouldn't?
The thing is that reviewing my blog. I realize that the last two posts I've written in these last weeks basically talk about and are related to this same topic. Returning again to the trend of writing on this subject in a more aggressive way practically since about sixteen days ago. Yeah, I think it was in this post when I relapsed into this vice.
And well, I imagine that if you dare to check and read the last two articles that I have written before this one that you are going to read today. I suppose you will realize that, in one way or another, more or less, they deal with the same thing.
But then I wonder...
¿What's happening with us?
Will we dare this time to interact without fear and freely and will we be able to answer the questions in this post and will we clear up all the mystery regarding this prickly subject at once? Well, I'd say let's try it. ¡At least one more time! ¿Correct?
Uhm yeah, I see. From here I can already hear you whispering in your head if you are going to be willing to interact with me or not to clear up this whole mystery. };)
So ok, let's move on now to explain you what Culture Jamming consists of as to give you some encouragement and embolden you enough so that you are not afraid to interact with me and freely and without pressure of any kind we can clarify together this whole matter once and for all. Oh yeah! "Knowledge Is Power" say some out there!
"Culture jamming" is essentially the act of subverting people's cultural expectations by deliberately behaving in a way which violates the usual and expected cultural norms. It often takes the form of "street art" (graffiti), but it can also more generally be doing anything at all which causes people to ask: Hey! but... "¿Why are they doing that?"
Alright! but... ¿What is the goal of culture jamming?
This is an important question which different culture jammers will give different answers to. For many people who practice culture jamming, one of the most commonly cited motivations is anti-consumerism. People are disgusted at how much other people live for the sake of buying stuff. And culture jammers see themselves as anti-corporate, anti-capitalist, anti-consumerist do-gooders who are out to show people how empty and meaningless their goods-focused lives are.
However, I am a little different. Rather, my goal is to get people thinking. As much as I value culture for its ability to provide unity, peace, and harmony to people. I also understand how it encourages people to obey rather than to think. An united culture almost always poses the risk of encouraging people to turn off their brains and just mindlessly follow social norms. This is why I instinctively try too often to get people to question their assumptions. I have always had a bit of a provocative streak in me, because I like to see how people react when they are provoked.
Most human beings run off a script. They usually are programmed by their societies, cultures and "communities" to behave and speak in certain ways. When people meet, the usual routine of greeting each other and exchanging pleasant social chatter is repeated infinitely many times. And in my opinion, this is a waste of time because such conversations are inherently useless and pointless. Done only for the sake of speaking rather than of communicating anything of meaning.
People willingly take on the role of actors and repeat the same theatrical act every day of their lives. Simply because they get used to living that way. I am not interested in repeating the same procedures and conversations every day. I want to see the real face of people when their masks comes off. I want to see what's inside people. But not in the way doctors and serial killers do. I'm looking for authenticity!
¿Do you fit in?
In most cases however, you can only do this when people are taken out of their comfort zone a bit. You can only find out what people are really like when their routine cycle is broken. When people are surprised, confused or provoked and they are no longer running off a script. When they usually no longer know exactly what they should say or how they should react. It is in these moments when you really can see "the person inside". The real nature of that person rather than the "public" persona which they want others see and have been taught to cultivate all their life.
That's important to me. And that's why I have typically sought to "gently" surprise, confuse or otherwise provoke people when I speak to them in a personal setting or here in my blog. The word "gently" is important here, because every human being has a limit to their patience. Every human being will react with anger if you provoke them too strongly. And that certainly may be counterproductive. But a little gentle subversion of their "social" expectations can go a long way toward getting people thinking. And what I have always wanted to do is get people to think!
Last but not least. I will end this post with one last video to clarify the issue of not being afraid and always feel the freedom to interact with whoever you want, such as you really are, without ever feeling any fear, apprehension or remorse to do it.
This particular video is going to be spoken in Spanish. Since this one mainly is aimed at the Hispanic community. Like a few other videos that you will find if you decide to «click» on some of the links that I have left scattered throughout this post.
Although nevertheless, I suppose that this won't be a problem for anyone who doesn't speak Spanish, but who at least knows fairly well how to use the 'tools' that YouTube provides to translate it into their own language. And therefore, learn the important lesson about freedom, audacity & fearlessness that this video tries to teach us.
"The Fear To Freedom"