Journal 6

A good example of something that has been done very similar for many years is the construction of history textbooks. They use the same information, portrayed in some sort of small column print, with usually dry details and dreary facts. They are then to be taught by a teacher, or professor in a classroom, where the students reading them will barely remember the information they need to pass a test and then forget everything they learned.

An example of ethical assemblage would be the YouTube video “Renaissance Man” which explains the idea of the Renaissance era and what people were famous during the time period using creative repetition through fun pictures, and a catchy song to keep students attentive.

Both of these assemblages have an impact on their audience, but the textbook example has an impact that contributes sameness and blatant memorization of facts, while the YouTube video contributes a new twist to appeal to an audience that learns best through audio or visual ques. When looking at potentially harmful assemblages, it is best to ask, “whom does this benefit?” and if the answer has to do with, “me” instead of, “him or her” we should rethink the assemblage and its communicative needs.

Fair Use absolutely does more than create bare repetition. Without fair use, my example of “Renaissance Man” would be illegal because it uses the beat from the song “Blister in the Sun” by the Violent Femmes. The video uses this song to instate a catchy parody, and an easy to follow beat to their song. It is used for educational purposes, and benefits from the Fair Use act. It is also important to keep in mind how circulation might affect an assemblage’s ethical status. For example, any YouTube video that generates enough views can also generate revenue. If the video was originally for educational purposes, but is now making a profit, there could be concern for the copyright law of whatever “Fair Use” material it borrowed. The authors of both the “original” work, and the Fair Use work would then have a sticky situation to work out. The “original” would be in a position to desire a share of the video’s profits, while the “Fair Use” author may believe they are within their legal rights. There is still much ambiguity around the subject, and much more to discover as technology, and human understandings develop.