Assuming that we live in a performative society (see quote below), what constitutes a worthwhile performance?
Through a COMMENT here, reply to this question in not less than 300 words, making reference to at least five links from this blog.
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Is this cool - or what?
By next week
- Read Chap 1 in Virtual Theatres
This week
- Complete Week 4 tasks
- Establish your group
- Establish a group blog if you don't already have one
- With your group performance in mind, find five examples each of 'worthwhile performances' and put these on your blog
- In not less than 150 words, float a project idea on your group blog
- Add news feed relevant to group project
Group Blogs
new
Week 4 - Lots For You To Do
- Orient your blog to the module content
- Check out class blogs with stars
- Post on module discussion
- Post on what's cool
- Fill your blog with links related to the module
- Find and post cool/uncool video pertaining to module
- Get in a group - max 3 people
- Make a short 'film'
- Define virtuality with ref to Novak
- Define performance with ref to Auslander
- Start thinking about your project
- Search for and post material relevant to your project
Class blogs
Beyond Cool
- Wikipedia on cool
- Excerpt from Laws of Cool
- Interview with Alan Liu
- Cool site of the day
- An uncool site about how to be cool
- AV Festival
- Marcos Novak
- Marcos Novak on virtuality
- Friendfeed
- Electronic Civil Disobedience
- Electronic Disturbance Theatre
- Nechvatal
- More Electronic Disturbance Theatre
- Very Serious Electronic Disturbance
- Critical Art Ensemble
- CAE in trouble
- CAE blog
- Neural
- Art Threat
- Red Herring
- Wired
Week 3 links
Week 2 links
Of Interest
Web 2.0
Week by Week breakdown
Schedule: week by week breakdown (subject to change)
Week 1 – Oct 1-5 – The matrix beyond Facebook: Web 2.0 and wikis, blogs, youtube and more
Week 2 – Oct 8-12 – Theatre and Virtuality (theatre and intermediality 1)
Week 3 - Oct 15-19 – Radio, television and early virtuality
Week 4 – Oct 22-26 – The Laws of cool (The Internet and Virtuality)
Week 5 – Oct 29-Nov 2 – Virtuality and the performative society
Week 6 – Nov 5-9 – Passion for the real: Theatre and Intermediality 2
Week 7 – Nov 12 -16 - Post dramatic theatre and virtuality
Week 8 - Nov 19-23 – Drama and the economics of attention
Week 9 – Nov 26-30 – Theatre and intermediality 3 & Presentations
Week 10 - Dec 3-7 – Practical presentations
Week 11 - Dec 10-14 – Practical presentations
Week 12 – Jan 7-11 - Screening
Week 1 – Oct 1-5 – The matrix beyond Facebook: Web 2.0 and wikis, blogs, youtube and more
Week 2 – Oct 8-12 – Theatre and Virtuality (theatre and intermediality 1)
Week 3 - Oct 15-19 – Radio, television and early virtuality
Week 4 – Oct 22-26 – The Laws of cool (The Internet and Virtuality)
Week 5 – Oct 29-Nov 2 – Virtuality and the performative society
Week 6 – Nov 5-9 – Passion for the real: Theatre and Intermediality 2
Week 7 – Nov 12 -16 - Post dramatic theatre and virtuality
Week 8 - Nov 19-23 – Drama and the economics of attention
Week 9 – Nov 26-30 – Theatre and intermediality 3 & Presentations
Week 10 - Dec 3-7 – Practical presentations
Week 11 - Dec 10-14 – Practical presentations
Week 12 – Jan 7-11 - Screening
Is this cool - or what?
23 comments:
What constitutes a worthwhile performance?
It is difficult to say what constitutes a worthwhile performance due to two main factors; one being the change of time and the other being personal opinions. First of all performance must be defined, is it something we do for others? Something we do for ourselves or a combination of the two?
In my opinion performance is something we do everyday whether we realize it or not.
As time has changed bringing in the media and the use of modern technology, performances have changed, they have become more accessible and in ways more exaggerated. On one side this can be seen as beneficial as performances may apply more to a wider audience, in other ways many may argue that they lack tradition and have become commercial. Facebook has become a prime example of a modern use of performance; we can make ourselves whoever we want to be through the use of face book, portraying ourselves however we choose whether it be real or not. By writing about our interests and our lives to a world of people we know and complete strangers, we all perform in some way or another.
Performance can be considered as anything today, shown by examples on the class blog, but what makes it worthwhile or not, is a very broad question. For example a man drinking salsa in an empty room, has posted it on you tube. Some may see this as pointless, and irrelevant, others may see this as art. A man drinking something that is not associated with “drinking” can give its spectators many things to look into, such as the story behind this man’s short “performance”. Is he trying to tell us something about himself? Is he trying to represent his culture, his heritage, or is he just trying to be spontaneous. As we ask ourselves these questions, we could consider this as worthwhile due to the fact that we are asking these questions, therefore we are intrigued by it. Although this is simple, modern and strange, can a short clip leave us with the same thoughts as an extensive traditional performance? Philip Auslander, who is also posted on the blog, writes about performances studies and is interested in the relationship between live and mediated performances, or in other words the relationship between modern and traditional performances. Auslander quotes “the live can only exist through reproduction” and by this he means the traditional has been reinforced by the modern world today. As time has changed our perception of what is a “worthwhile” performance may have changed. Some may see a worthwhile performance as something that is the new “cool” thing due to the trends and advantages of today; others may see this as cliché or commercial. As listed on the blog there are even websites on “how to be cool”, and traditional plays such as Medea; a Greek tragedy have been computerized? Is this worth watching? Mike Daisey posts random photos and poetry giving the whole world an insight to his life, and his thoughts. All these websites, these personal extracts are all performances, and although they are not Academy award films, or live theatrical performances, these short snippets can still have an if not the same effect on us.
To be a worthwhile performance is not about how well known it is, or who or what is in it, it is not about how it is done but it is about how it makes you feel. Throughout time people may perceive performances differently due to the changes occurring as we speak, but the feelings do not change. A performance can have the same effect on you whether new or old, traditional or commercial. If it is worthwhile, it will leave you with something to take away, something that makes you think about things and remember it. A worthwhile performance is something that inspires you whatever it may be. Everyone may be inspired or interested by different things, but if you can take away anything from a performance that is worthwhile in itself…
The term performance is described as ‘a musical, dramatic, or other entertainment presented before an audience’ It is something which an audience will chose to see, weather the enjoy it or not.
In today’s society, performance takes place every day, not only in the theatre or TV and radio. But also constantly on the internet, thru the media such as ‘YOUTUBE’, and other sharing programmes. It is hard to determine what constitutes a worthwhile performance, as the material is so vast. It comes down to a personal opinion. For example: During Week 5 seminar, we explored a web page with the thread entitled ‘Top Ten Shock Blogs’. This consisted of 10 You Tube videos, which were extremely shocking; the themes included the broadcasting of bullying, animal cruelty, war, misogyny and work place satire. Some of the class were mortified by the content where as other argued that if the performer had a reason for the performance can be accepted. On a personal note, I can see no reasoning for filming the broadcasting a violent attack! But others may argue it is to raise awareness for the fact it does happen in every day life, therefore by making the public aware and act upon what we have seen the performance becomes worthwhile as it as made a positive impact.
Performances are meant to be shared; there would be little point in a performance if it was to be kept private. But with such powerful tools now such as the internet performance can often been pointless. We also discussed the massive phoneme of Face book, in class, and agreed that it is a personal performance for others. You chose how you are depicted by other, by what you say about yourself, what pictures you put up and weather you tag yourselves in photos or not. To be on Facebook, no longer means to keep in touch with lost friend, but to broadcast and make a performance of yourself, unless you’re honest and show the real you, what your portraying is a lie, and is worthless as it means nothing!
We also looked at a page entitled ‘Weird and Wonderful Blogs’. A page with links to videos which others had taken, including drawings on ideas of what the world will be like in year to come, Hens being filmed 24 hours, and a man in search for a wife. Although at first glance these can be viewed as pointless, it is interesting to note that they all have hidden meanings. For example, the filming of the hens to me commented on how, like hens we to are constantly monitored, making me think about our privacy and raising awareness, therefore like the bullying video the performance becomes worthwhile. On the other hand, it could be just the filming of a flock of hens, and so has no point and is worthless.
Blogging heads was and interesting link we looked at, as it showed to people having a real conversation about current affairs (In this case 9/11). It became a performance once it was broadcasted, and allowed the public to see to different views on such an important affair.
To finish, I would like to comment on the link regarding the High court and You Tube. In very recent news, a member of the public was sentenced, as they recorded a court case on their mobile phone and broadcasted it on You Tube, this is an illegal act. But it raises the question of, why did they feel the need to broadcast such an event? It must have been, to them something they wanted to share, bringing me to the point, that a worthwhile performance is indeed something which has to be decided on personally.
To finalise on what I have discussed, and drawing information from various sources, I think I am just in saying a worthwhile performance, no long means a play, a musical or a Film. With the internet now, anything is possible, and as long as the performer has a worthy reason, or meaning behind their act, it can be see as worthwhile. Even if is to cheer someone up by appearing a fool on you tube! Writing a poem and creating a blog about it. The answer to the above question can not be clear cut; it can not even be answered in full! A worthwhile performance is something personal and something which will constantly change!
Performance today has a much greater meaning than just theatre, television and cinema shows. Performance is in our everyday life. Every person begins a performance as soon as they leave the house (if it has not began already).
Ning is a website that is linked to on the blog, which allows people to join social networks that interest them, similar to Facebook. The issue of Facebook has been discussed in recent seminars, and how people perform on there, by only showing what they want people to see, and deciding what and who to allow onto their site. I don’t think it is only websites such as Facebook and Ning where people perform in this way. People perform like this in everyday real life. Appearance is an aspect of performance. You decide what you want to wear, and a lot of people decide what to wear, based on what they think other people would like to see them in. Although you may wear clothes you like, many people, consciously or subconsciously, also wear clothes to impress other people. When meeting new people, you decide what you want them to know about you, and decide what you want to keep secret from them. People perform on Facebook just as they do in real life.
The weird and wonderful blog list displays a shortlist of what is thought to be the most ‘worthwhile’ blogs voted by Metro. ‘the more compelling, unpredictable and unique, the better’, is that what makes a worthwhile perofrmance?
Whether a performance is worthwhile or not, I believe is down to the individuals of the audience and their personal preferences. There is not going to be a performance that is agreed by each and every member of the audience to be worthwhile. Performances can gain a higher status by appealing to more people, and the majority of the audience finding the performance worthwhile. Don R Hall’s website entitled ‘an Angry White Guy in Chicargo’ posts comments about performances that he does not find worthwhile. Although he finds some things unsuited, he explains that in some of the shows, most people in the audience enjoy the performance, which would make the performance appear worthwhile even though he does not agree.
The ‘High court footage’ on YouTube is an example of people performing. As are the ‘Top Ten Shock Blogs’. Even though these acts are not very pleasant and are seen by most people as unacceptable, the people that carried out these actions and placed the footage onto the Internet obviously wanted to share them with other people. These are not seen as worthwhile performances because the majority of people don’t think they are. However the individuals who did this obviously had a reason for doing it and thought other people would find them worthwhile.
What Constitutes a Performance?
What a difficult question.........
It is something that i have been encouraged to think about for a few weeks now, and I am perhaps a little clearer about it in my mind.
I feel a performance is...........
* A group or individual presenting themselves in any form of time and space.
* Something which is witnessed by others
* An occurance or event which leads to some kind of provokation of thought for
spectator or performer
I feel a performance does not have to be.....
* A planned event
* Ocurring in any defined space such as a theatre or T.V studio
* Justifiable
It seems that Auslander believes that one should not attempt to distinguish clear differences between live and recorded performance. Rather he draws on their similarities. For example saying that much like a T.V. image can be there and gone in an instant so too can a live performance.
Auslander writes:
"On this basis, the historical relationship of liveness and mediatization must be seen as a relation of dependence and imbrication rather than opposition."
I do feel that I have a strong feeling that there is great difference between live and recorded performance, in terms of impact, excitement and passion.
I have personally never been able to reacreate the sort of connection that I get with live actors on stage or vice vera when performing myself the electricity that comes from an audience which enevitably makes every show exciting and different, when watching recorded performances.
For me there is something very stale about watching a T.V. programme or an internet video, its old and you can turn off the switch whenever you want. In a live performance the 'actors' must work hard to keep you drawn in and at the end of the piece you feel appreciation for their visable efforts. With the 'live' every time is different, mistakes may happen or spectators reaction may put a completely different spin on events.
My View on Live V's Recorded
When you watch a performance it is you and only the others sharing that experience with you, who will ever witness that event in that exact way.
There is something special about that, isn't there?
I do believe very much in Baz Kershaws view of a 'performative society'. I feel that you see the effects of 'performance' in politics and the media every day. Through censorship, publicity, generally gaining power over others. Those who 'perform' best are clearly the most popular and successful.
It worries me however after looking through some of the given sites on how many people seem to feel they are valid performers. So many bad things seem to pop up all over the internet and it worries me greatly. For example on the shocking blog page. A woman stamping a cat to death - there was no sense behind it and the fact that it's their just proves their are sick people who are happy to watch such stuff. I also hated the virtual version of Medea a classical Greek text that in my opinion has been destroyed by putting it in this form.
Novak seems to believe that the virtual is everwhere and perhaps he is true.Confusingly saying that the 'real' is already virtual. These ideas are things that I can see where he is coming from but I will always refuse to accept. I belive that a virtual performance can be worthwhile but it always stems from the real anyway. A real peson had to create and generate the idea to make virtual. I think we need to be scared when virtual can be created from the virtual.
In Conclusion........
Worthwile to me means in some way thought provoking (not nessecarily good or bad)but that is I know still a very broad definition.
What is a worthwhile performance?
The question that has surrounded this module since the beggining, and is one that is extremely difficult to answer.
Personally I dont feel that a performance needs to necessarily be driven by some deep meaning or political message that can be derived from simply watching.
As the discussion last week examined, alot of imple everyday tasks can be considered to be a performance of sort. Simply choosing which pictures you display on facebook, or choosing what clothes to wear each day is driven by the notion of being seen.
For me, a worthwhile performance does not need to be justified, but instead, the idea of simply gaining an audience is a performance that is worthwhile. Once a performance of any sort gains an audience, even the most bland of performances can be individually interpreted by the audience members to have a message to them. It is this gaining of audience that justifies the performance as worthwhile. On my blog I have posted the most veiwed youtube.com video of all time. For me, this video could be considered the most worthwhile performance on youtube, and it does not contain any messages, political standpoints, or resistance to popular notions. Instead it is just simply entertainment. Something that compells people to watch. That is worthwhile.
What constitutes a worthwhile performance?
By Dineo Moema
I interpret a worthwhile performance as something that is performed and leaves a lasting impact on its audiences. Whether it is a political, social moral or entertainment. To make my answer more precise I will draw focus on performance in terms of theatre. A performance should always show that the concept has stemmed from somewhere; therefore, the performance should show a level of understanding to the subject matter. The performer should demonstrate extensive knowledge around the subject matter, in order for them to leave an impact on their audience. If the performer is able to do so, the performance will be worthwhile as we as the audience are able to connect with what is being performed. I think it is easy to look at a performance and disregard it because we do not necessarily agree with what is presented, an example would be the video of the kitten ‘Animal Cruelty.’ However, it makes the audience connect, think or react on an emotional or even an intellectual level, so it could be argued as a worthwhile performance.
There are instances that could be argued that are not performances, an example of this would be Facebook and Youtube. When videos are posted on Youtube, are they always posted for the purpose of performing? Although people may post them with the intention of fun or light entertainment, they are still performing as their intention is for the footage to be seen. The same can be applied to the new craze of myspace and facebook. Both can be seen as a performance as it allows the performer to take on a character, when using the example of facebook, I question whether it can be valued as a worthwhile performance. This proves that this question is a personal opinion and interpretation.
What is a worthwhile performance?
For me the very nature of this question is far to broad to give a definate answer that everyone will agree with.
With this in mind the answer i will give will be my opinion and only that.
So first off what is performance? I have answered this question on my personnal blog, so if you follow the links on ians blog to the class blog Dan then you can find it in full, but for now i will give a brief summary. i believe a performance to be any act carried out with the intention of other people witnessing it.
So with this in mind how can we decide what makes these performances worthwhile?
Well for me a performance becomes worthwhile when it reaches its desired audience, so for example if a performance for teenagers reaches a networking site aimed at secondary school pupils.
However as in Mentioned in the article by Baz Kershaw on Ians blog the society we live in is being saturated by acts coined as 'performance', so how can we make sure performance is relavent?
I dont think we can!
maybe the best that a 'performer' can hope for is to make their work so acessable that some relavent audience will observe this.
So in conclusion it may appear that the internet and the media are full of rubbish and nonsense but maybe that is because you are not it's intended audience.
A worthwhile performance? Well a worthwhile performance is dependant on the audience. Many things these days can be seen as a performance and so I can only talk about what I think is a worthwhile perfomance.
Performance is a widely used term these days, mostly thought as a piece of theatre or art, but now it can mean many things. On the internet, radio, video and new media people can express their views more feely and create new and exciting ways of reaching people theatricaly.
Having an audience would be the first starge. It can't be a good performance if there is no audience memebers. Taking away the audiece would mean taking away the point, the very meaning of the performance.
Creating emotion for the audience is very important for me. Being able to provoke a reaction, a feeling and sturring the audience, not necessarily emotionaly but politically or in any other way.
Performance works on many different levels. Now, a person walking a dog, once on youtube, for example, can become a 'performance' Read into it what you will. Is it, or is it not a performance.
With new performance it should be approached with an open mind and with ever increasing ways to self-express and perform, these sorts of 'dog wlaking' performances will be a part of the future of art.
Loking at constituting a worthwhile performance, I would have to say that today there is no such thing as a 'worthwhile' performance however there are any performances that have been performed and in turn do not have to be 'worthwhile'.
Looking the the wide world of youtube and google and the internet in general its easy to see that the world we live in, being the cyber world, there are no boundaries of any kind. We are free from censorship and each 'piece' uploaded onto the internet is simply someone saying; here I am and this is what I did.
Through the internet peoples 'performances' today are meereley seen as a method of getting attention and attracting a new audience and gaining popularity. Compared to someone say like the Beckhams, someone like Chris Crocker has become infamous through posting weekly video/podcasts about himself and what has happened to him whether its actually important or not. His best 'work' came when britney spears gave an awful performance at the VMA's and was slated for it within the press, but Chris took it upon himself and created his own video to apparently defend her and gain himself popularity and attention at the same time and even a spoof version made by Seth Green (famous actor within Austin Powers, Buffy, etc) has been made about Chris Crocker.
Using him as an example its easy to see that within the internet, a 'worthwhile performance' no longer exists and is only a performance that defines itself through its po;ularity and connection with others.
What is a worthwhile performance?
To me a performance is something that either entertains or provokes an audience.
Generally a performer performs to show a talent, or to show themselves at thier best ability. To show off!
but does this make it worthwhile?
if the performer gets a buzz from a performance, does that justify creating it? If the audience leaves a performance questioning the motive is that worthwhile? But is any performance worthwhile? does a performance change the way that you live your life?
Facebook is in our lives everyday it effects the way we communicate and the way we organise our lives. but at the same time it allows us to perform, we can be anyone we want to be, we can change things about ourselves to show ourselves in the best light. You can create yourself to be the person you want to be. But what makes that worthwhile? The fact that you are lying to yourself and a world full of strangers is not worthwhile. Performance on Tv and the internet is growing bigger everyday. It is becoming something that you cannot escape. In the past Performance was being an actor becoming a character now in our technological society everyone becomes a performer. Youtube is not full of professional actors showing a talent, it's full of homevideos where the performers want some kind of recognition. Will there in the future be a awards ceremony for the best youtube video? Why? Why not?
This brings me on to the question is there such a thing as a worthwhile performance? I don't believe there is or I just haven't seen it yet. Everyone has there own Idea of what is worthwhile, I just need to find mine.
A worthwhile performance can be many things, it depends what the purpose of the performance is and if it has the desired effect. Performances are worthwhile if they are informative, entertaining, persuasive or simply beautiful. Even if a performance does not have the intended effect, it's value can be found if only someone who sees it thinks it has is worthwhile. This idea is similar to Foucault's ideas on "what is an author", what does it matter who is speaking, or in this case performing when the true worth of the piece is in its audience's interpretation.
A performance is not confined to what can be viewed on a stage. Increasingly it is what can be viewed through your TV and your computer monitor (Yes, this does allow a lot of crap to be sent out there into the world, who cares about some woman’s cats?)This is at least an interesting development in performance and at best the most innovative thing to happen to performance in its history. This is an opportunity for the theatre to embrace virtuality. I do not want to repeat what people have already written but there is one thing that I disagree with. In my opinion a performance does not need to be performed for anyone but you. Isn’t singing in the shower a performance simply to entertain and humor you?
[I found the web 2.0 film the most informative and it changed the way that I consider the internet because before I thought of the internet as one steadily improving thing, but I was not aware of the term web 2.0 at all.]
What constitutes a worthwhile performance?
When asked this question in class last week, we had a long debate on what we thought we classed as a worthwhile performance.
Before the Virtuality and Performance module I would have classified performance in what I had thought were pretty broad terms, but in retrospect I am not sure that I completely understood my reasoning, I guess it was a fairly narrow stream in which I had imagined performance to be.
Today; 7th November 2007, I recognise a wider vocabulary of performance, from Youtube, to Sims and Facebook to Secondlife, I am able to realise that these are modern platforms on which real people are ‘acting-up’!
Are they worthwhile performances though?
I am not sure how far I respect the performances from these mediums as more than for entertainment value. To me I think that for anything to be worthwhile it has to be inventive, intelligent and engaging, not to mention the ability to make one think. However, based on these criteria a murder scene could fit the bill. So how can I put into words, the conventions of what I believe to be a worthwhile performance?
I believe that questioning what a worthwhile performance is, is a question that I may take time in finding an answer in which I am fully immersed.
For me to comment on something I like to have watched a performance and I critique it then and there, I may go away thinking about it, or I may forget completely.
To leave the performance space and think about it positively or negatively makes it worthwhile. I may not like it, but if it is making me think about it as a performance, entertainment or a life-lesson then it has fulfilled it’s requirement as an art form.
Thank you
Drama and performing has literally taken over peoples lives who dont even want to act or perform- as a society I believe that we are now PERFORMITIVE as our industries have got more competitive due to people getting more degrees we have to make an extra mark and ehance our personalities even more so. This is seen on facebook - which has also become a sort of show- show casing who we are as individual (an almost cating - blog), we have to now have the ability to stand out of the crowd.
With everyone from democrats to people everyday using sites like faceook as a way of performing it is diffcult to consitute a worth while performing. Art is often regraded as a reflection of life. So therefore; everything in life should be consituted as a worth while performance.
However, as an actress I dont agree with this- I believe it should only constitued as a performance in the tradition sense set on a stage purposfully performing to an audience- who know you are PERFROMING!
A Worthwhile Performance
When we attempt to define the word performance or indeed any word we are required to consider its elements, implications and indeed any other influential factors. A hamster for instance is a small, furry rodent that is often domesticated and primarily used as a pet for children. There are only one or two elements in this, and there always have been.
Worthwhile performance however, is brimming with elements and implications far in excess of the lifespan of a regular hamster, and it’s not becoming any clearer. Baz Kershaw explains that we are now living in a Performative Society; a society where, due to the capitalist multi-media pressures everyone is forced to sell both themselves and aspects of their lives, and therefore are performing as part of a certain personal goal.
Websites such as Facebook and YouTube are prime examples of this. Both encourage the public presentation of normal people by normal people, and this isn’t in nature a performance, merely a method of communication. However, humans are naturally devious and will automatically filter and edit what they don’t want others to see. In effect their presentation on these sites becomes an idealised representation of themselves and this is in its nature a performance. It is the creation of a persona, the manipulation of the truth in order to create a certain image. Don’t film directors do this when they edit a script?
Worthwhile performance though? Guillermo Gomez Pena, in a piece on YouTube drinks a bottle of Mexican salsa. This is undoubtedly a performance. Everything from the persona to the movements suggests this. In order to label it worthwhile however we will have to read more in to it. First of all it has an impact, both visual and psychological. Secondly, it makes you consider the performance, and thirdly it is a striking personal act on his part. These are all elements that could be defined as worthwhile; they denote that effort, imagination, creativity and a feat of endurance have gone into the piece.
Where do we draw the line though? These are noteworthy definitions, but surely any creation has elements of these invested in their birth. Some are criticized for posting videos on the web explaining themselves and fulfilling their intentions without considering the entertainment needs of others. If a girl posts a video on YouTube listing her favorite Spice Girl Songs in order of release then surely she is still putting in effort, and being creative and imaginative. The only definition that might not exist is a sense of endurance. She has been talking about her likes to a little plastic camera. Not a huge amount of endurance is generally required for such a thing. Conversely, if she had been presenting it to a panel of judges and was arguing her perspective then this would demonstrate what is otherwise lacking.
One can find videos on YouTube where individuals have played pranks one each other with fire-crackers. As funny as these can be they don’t seem to require much effort. Buy a firecracker, light it, and film it. Again one of the three definitions for a worthwhile performance is lost. At least the girl had a structured presentation and script. It seems then that the three magic elements of a Worthwhile Performance are effort, imagination and creativity, and a feat of personal endurance. They can exist at any level though if one is missing, then we, the viewer can’t appreciate it as thoroughly.
In today’s society 'performing' can be something that we do subconsciously, in relation to how we present ourselves to others. Here's just something to think about...
Research in evolutionary psychology suggests that in comparison to ancestral times, today’s humans are experiencing the increasing need to compete in many aspects of their lives, for example, for jobs and mates. This could be due to the fact that in ancestral times, humans would group into colonies of approximately 24/25, therefore competition would be minimal. In comparison to today’s society where we are basically a world of connections, thanks to the internet, it is no surprise that nowadays we feel under pressure to present ourselves positively, in competition with the millions (perhaps billions) of images of beautiful people that are plastered over the internet and the media. With this in mind, it is no wonder that performing comes natural to us, we have an innate biological drive that makes us want to be the best (another bit of useless info- researchers suggest that the fact that we are in constant competition with the rest of the world is linked to rising numbers in depression). Going back to the question, it could be considered that a 'worthwhile' performance is where a successful presentation of oneself is given to reach a particular goal.
It's an interesting, debate sparking question which will never have a definite answer.
Not unlike the glorious 'used toilet' art debate, it really depends on what you, as an indiviual constitute as a performance (leaving the 'worthwhile' aside for just a moment).
Over the past few weeks of looking into virtuality and giving it more thought than I ever had before, I would define a performance within our 'performatative society' as a concious action or series of actions designed to be seen by someone, anyone. Whether it's rehearsing for weeks or months, having spent lots of money for a grand performance for a paying audience, or trying to talk rationally to your mum after a few too many afternoon beers. I am always picked up on my 'customer voice' at work with people telling me how sweet and polite I sound, obviously not sounding so sickly when around friends. I think people act differently around different people and in different situations.
So what makes it worthwhile? When someone enjoys it, when the concious action has acheived it's purpose. For example when your mum fully believes you've been at the library all day- and the giggles are because you're just walking past a lecture room where your friend looks inanely bored. Or the customer you're serving leaves you a nice tip and says thanks for lovely service.
I don't think everything that everyone does in life can be called a performance, I certainly don't feel like I'm performing in a way which isn't 'me' around my best friends. As for the internet- facebooking, youtubing and blogging...I believe that can be labelled as a performance for SOME people as they will write/produce comments, videos and photos with the intention of coming across in a specific way for other people to see. Are these worthwhile? They are to some.
Before even thinking about answering the question of what constitutes a worthwhile performance, the question needs to be asked, what is performance? Until I truly thought about this question I would have answered saying, performance is found in theatre, it is aimed at a specific audience, it’s scripted and controlled. My problem is considering performance as being found in the theatre only, but once I took the idea of performance out of the theatre it opened up a great deal more formats. However, performance can be found anywhere it can be anything from dancing in a club, a web cam entry or a serious monologue on a stage. Even something like a profile page on Facebook or a teacher’s lecture can be considered a performance.
The problem here is that if, so many things are thought of as performance, is there a need to categorise them? Surely a Facebook profile page is not the same as a west end musical. Perhaps then, there could be the category, Personal Performance, referring to individuals uploading personal information and comments on the internet, or dancing seductively in a club. There could be a category of Political Performance, referring to PM’s speeches or the labour party website. Another category could be Entertaining Performance, referring to more traditional theatre performances, clips recorded then put on You Tube. I feel that I needed to categorise types of performance because they are all so completely different. Finally, all of these subcategories (the ones listed above are only suggestions there could be many more) should be split into live performance and mediated performance. There is, I believe, a considerable difference between live and mediated performance and therefore this should be taken into account when trying to categorise performance.
The internet has opened up the opportunities available for people to perform. Plenty of things on the internet are enjoyable and thought provoking however a great deal of it is completely irrelevant in my life. It is a brilliant forum to view things that otherwise would be unavailable, to have a bit of fun or even to advertise yourself. In my personal opinion I enjoy seeing what my friends are up to on Facebook and I occasionally look on You Tube both as an educational resource and for pleasure.
However, what is a worthwhile performance? This is very much open to personal opinion. In one sense, anything that provokes a response or reaction is worthwhile, even if it is just purely entertainment. If the term worthwhile is changed into, ‘what would you pay for?’ it changes the response. For example, I would not pay to look at one of my friends Facebook accounts, and I would not pay to view the sight “Ask a Ninja”. I would pay considerable amounts of money to see a play at the RSC or to buy my favourite bands DVD.
Anything can be a worthwhile performance as long as it is worthwhile to somebody. If you can gain something from someone else’s performance, or even your own then it is valuable. My personal opinion is different from the next persons, but it is individual interpretation that makes something meaningful to one person, and useless to another.
What constitutes a worthwhile performance?
To think of what constitutes a worthwhile performance, I must first look at performance as a whole. Wikipedia states that in ‘performing arts, people behave in a particular way for another group of people (the audience.)’ It also goes on to list various types of performing genres. Plays, films, ballet, concerts, magician’s shows, performance art and the circus are merely some that are listed. I have to also think of how far performance has gone in the space of our culture. Performance now moves into ideas of non-audience actions, for instance, invisible theatre, where the audience have no idea that they are infact, the audience.
This idea can be seen in YouTube, one of the most popular websites viewed on the web, where people are recorded and posted online, sometimes without their knowledge. My friend recently went out to milsom street and chalked hop scotch on the ground, he then sat, filmed and watched as people passed the chalk without notice, or jumped along, when I watched this it showed me how people seemed to be revisiting their childhoods as they just played along with the chalk game scralled on the floor. There is also an idea of how we live in a performative society, which is dicatated by its culture. Society is based upon the government, the government is run by politicians and the people asking for what they want, in a democracy that is. So why is it that there is so much propaganda needed for the politicians to survive? The Daily Mail for instance, a newspaper quite clearly controlled by the government, makes fun of politicians in comic strips and even articles. Do we need this performance to keep thinking that the government and its people have free speech?
A performance to keep the peace as it were, didn’t Hitler use performance to do this in Germany though? Propaganda went so far as theatre, film, etc. But we did this also with Mrs. Miniver in World War Two, to gain backing for troops fighting for England. Performance moved from simply seeming to act in a certain way, to actual film, actual moves into Hollywood.
Performance nowadays seems to have changed into something that has less definition. This relates to the way the internet has taken away many copyrights; it has taken away what we think of as performance. The audience do not know they are the audience and the performers sometimes do not even know they’re performers. However, this raises new questions, are you the audience when listing to buskers when on your way through town centre? Are you a performer when your friend records you on their phone when you are simply on a night out? When does real life blurr into performative reality? Personal views must be taken into account when thinking of performance aswell when we start to look at a worthwhile performance.
When trying to asses what is a worthwhile performance you have to think in your own ideals of what you like in a performance. For instance, I love films, I am a very avid cinema go-er and love it. I also love theatre, however, I am not a fan of extreme theatre, I find classical to be the best, most worthwhile theatre for me. My friends disagree and think that a worthwhile performance can be anything that anyone has bothered to listen to. I doubt that me watching a YouTube video of a young man singing something awful, is the same as watching Shakespeare at the Globe.
However, I also believe that a worthwhile performance should be defined as anything that is justified and has a point to be made. I see why people would watch certain things or experience performance in different ways, I just have a hard time myself in understanding why they see this as a worthwhile use of their time.
Lucy says:
Before even thinking about answering the question of what constitutes a worthwhile performance, the question needs to be asked, what is performance? Until I truly thought about this question I would have answered saying, performance is found in theatre, it is aimed at a specific audience, it’s scripted and controlled. My problem is considering performance as being found in the theatre only, but once I took the idea of performance out of the theatre it opened up a great deal more formats. However, performance can be found anywhere it can be anything from dancing in a club, a web cam entry or a serious monologue on a stage. Even something like a profile page on Facebook or a teacher’s lecture can be considered a performance.
The problem here is that if, so many things are thought of as performance, is there a need to categorise them? Surely a Facebook profile page is not the same as a west end musical. Perhaps then, there could be the category, Personal Performance, referring to individuals uploading personal information and comments on the internet, or dancing seductively in a club. There could be a category of Political Performance, referring to PM’s speeches or the labour party website. Another category could be Entertaining Performance, referring to more traditional theatre performances, clips recorded then put on You Tube. I feel that I needed to categorise types of performance because they are all so completely different. Finally, all of these subcategories (the ones listed above are only suggestions there could be many more) should be split into live performance and mediated performance. There is, I believe, a considerable difference between live and mediated performance and therefore this should be taken into account when trying to categorise performance.
The internet has opened up the opportunities available for people to perform. Plenty of things on the internet are enjoyable and thought provoking however a great deal of it is completely irrelevant in my life. It is a brilliant forum to view things that otherwise would be unavailable, to have a bit of fun or even to advertise yourself. In my personal opinion I enjoy seeing what my friends are up to on Facebook and I occasionally look on You Tube both as an educational resource and for pleasure.
However, what is a worthwhile performance? This is very much open to personal opinion. In one sense, anything that provokes a response or reaction is worthwhile, even if it is just purely entertainment. If the term worthwhile is changed into, ‘what would you pay for?’ it changes the response. For example, I would not pay to look at one of my friends Facebook accounts, and I would not pay to view the sight “Ask a Ninja”. I would pay considerable amounts of money to see a play at the RSC or to buy my favourite bands DVD.
Anything can be a worthwhile performance as long as it is worthwhile to somebody. If you can gain something from someone else’s performance, or even your own then it is valuable. My personal opinion is different from the next persons, but it is individual interpretation that makes something meaningful to one person, and useless to another.
What is a worthwhile performance?
There is no definitive answer to this broad question as it is completely based upon opinion. With the world of technology forever expanding, the word performance in itself has changed its meaning. According to the online dictionary a performance can be defined as “a dramatic or musical entertainment” http://www.thefreedictionary.com/performance.
However due to the nature of our course we are all fully aware that performance has left the stage and is seeping into the corrupt world of the internet. Performance is no longer confined to the theatre, radio and television. The internet provides a platform for performance, whether it is someone self promoting themselves on ‘Face book’ or a ‘Rapping Rabbi’ on ‘Youtube’. With 90% of children aged 5-16 having access to the internet www.bbc.co.uk, it is no surprise that people are turning to the internet as a source of entertainment.
I on the other hand believe that a worthwhile performance should not be found on the internet as I am perhaps some what of a traditionalist. When I looked at the weird and wonderful blog list, I felt that none of the blogs were a worth while performance, this left me feeling angry and confused to what the term performance should define. Some even dare to delve into the murky waters and believe that everyday actions such as buying a drink or a newsreader’s delivery is a performance, however this messes with my head so I will not be mentioning this!
I do not necessarily believe that a worthwhile performance can be confined to the theatre however I would trade ten million computers in for one performance in a theater as it is real, live and not bloody virtual! To me a worthwhile performance should engage, provoke a response and leave an impression whether it is of a positive of negative nature.
However every performance is worthwhile, just not to me.
liv
Thanks to the ongoing development of the Internet, the definition of what constitutes a worthwhile performance has become even more blurred than before. The Internet is no longer simply a tool for business and commerce, communication and information sharing on a global scale. Web 2.0 is upon us. Global networking sites such as Facebook and Myspace allow users to create virtual online personas, safe in the knowledge that no one ever need know what is real and what isn’t. The video “Gabe and Max’s ‘How To Get The Dreamlife Of Your Dreams Using The Internet’” video cleverly parodies how dependent we as a global society have now become on the Internet. It is becoming almost as tangible as a physical place, somewhere where people can “exist”, becoming popular and even famous amongst their fellow users. Never before has there been a way to reach so many people so easily, and it is for this reason that the important word here is not “performance”, but “worthwhile”. I’m sure everyone remembers the mass flurry of attention generated by the original Hamster Dance website. A page full of cartoon rodents dancing about may be amusing for about four minutes, but whether or not it is worthwhile is a different question. If the aim of the creators was purely to attract attention and entertain others, then yes, it was successful and worthwhile. But in a culture where people will watch absolutely anything, is any performance worthwhile? Or is anything worthwhile if it gains an audience? An example: I typed “falling over” into Youtube. 31,800 results. Many of these videos have hundreds of thousands of views. 31,800 people obviously thought that a video of someone falling over was worth sharing with the world. And this is nothing new really – just look at You’ve Been Framed. Now, a £250 reward does make it seem worthwhile, but there is no such incentive offered to the millions who submit to Youtube every day…I suppose some people’s definitions of “worthwhile” are just as blurred as those of “performance”…
What constitutes a worthwhile performance?
It is virtually impossible to give an exact definitive as to what constitutes a worthwhile performance, and it is inevitably personal. For me, a worthwhile performance has to do one of the following things for me: Challenge me, educate me or enlighten me. That is not to say that performances that are purely aesthetic or funny aren't good entertainment- but perhaps they are not worthwhile to me. A performance doesnt have to be something that is deliberate- ie performed in a theatre, a film masterpiece or a comedian's sketch. Some of the best performances I have seen are political protests, home-made cartoons posted on "Youtube", children's tantrums, or simply watching an awkward situation on a bus, or a couple having an argument unaware that I have placed a frame around them just as a TV does to a soap opera.
Worthwhile performances do not have to be sleek and rehearsed, but I do think it is important that a performance has some something to say that will make the viewer think after the performance after it has finished. When I watched "The Glamorous Kitten Killer" on "You-Tube" I was immediatly repulsed & thought it was awful entertainment, which it is. However, it has challenged me and made me think about the sort of world that we are living in; What stage is society at if somebody has deliberately made a film of brutally killing an animal to ensure popular viewing figures on "You-Tube"? And is it human nature that compells some people to watch the footage or are we turning into a colder, selfish & more perverted & voyeuristic society...?
I have considered this question and believe that a worthwhile performance very much depends on the individual. Not only in matters of taste but also in the way of what the individual is looking for to get out of the performance. At times a certain performance may be more worthwhile than other times; this is because we may be looking for something particular out of a performance at any one time. For instance, I may go to the theatre for reasons of escapism, at which point I would be looking for a piece that is involving. Or I may want to see something for research purposes, in which case I will be looking for particular aspects of the performance.
Aside from the above I think that a worthwhile performance is one that has been interesting to the audience. If the audience has taken something away from the performance, whether it be food for thought or insight into a topic, then I feel it has been worthwhile. For example the Glamorous Kitten Killer in the Top Ten Shock Blogs, although it is not a pleasant performance, it gives us an awareness that things such as this are and have happened, that people can be heartless. The video on How to Use the Internet is interesting to me because whilst the subject is something I already know about, it is the style and humour of the piece that brought interest to me. This shows that it is not only the substance of any performance that can be worthwhile, but also the style in which it is done.
As we have discussed in the classroom, many consider social networks such as Facebook, and Myspace to be types of performance. Although whether they are worthwhile or not is up for debate. It seems they are useful; in a digital world we can share photographs and information more quickly, as well as keeping up to date with our friends, for free, online. However, we have discussed the implications of such performance. I have noted from reading Jola Lemin’s blog that on such social network sites we can edit out our blemishes from our personality and be whomever we wish. We can appear ‘cool’ or ‘fun’ by adding certain applications and photographs. But does this constitute a worthwhile performance? I think if you remain true to yourself and are not trying to prove that you are fun or cool, then the sites are useful. However, for people who are extroverted I believe the sites/ pages can become more of a performance than a useful social page.
As I specified above, I believe a worthwhile performance is one that people can take something away from; something that has substance and/ or style, and something that is congruous to the individual.
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