I’ve recently become fascinated by Rehabilitation TV. Shows in this genre include Supernanny, Dog Whisperer, and Kitchen Nightmare. Each have the same format: episode starts with a hopeless situation involving a troubled individual or group; the host/expert confirms that yes, it’s really that bad; as the episode progresses, the individual is rehabilitated, culminating in a tear-jerker climax. This is clearly reality TV territory (with all the editing gimmicks and after-the-fact voice-over and interviews), but I like it more than the elimination format.

There is always an ace in the hole, a trick played in every episode that gets the subject most of the way there. For Supernanny it’s structured activity, for Dog Whisperer lots of exercise, for Kitchen Nightmare simplifying the menu. This trick combined with the self-confidence boost from having the expert’s attention nearly always results in a happy ending.

Like all rehabilitation, these shows take the non-conforming, uncontrollable element of the population and show how they can be molded into a functional part of society. The tears come at that moment of connection, when the castaway is pulled back into the world with the rest of us. In so doing, the audience is given hope that they too can connect.

In a way, the shows are about prisoners accepting the fact that they’re prisoners. Dogs and children are clearly prisoners of their owners/parents, and the restauranteur is usually a prisoner of debt. The cause of the conflict is always the subjects’ struggling and panic at this situation. When the expert convinces the subject to conform, to resign to the world’s will, the problem dissolves.

Not to be cynical about this, conforming in this context is a positive thing. By conforming in one dimension (eliminating items from the menu), expressive power is gained in another dimension (improving the quality of the food). It’s like the paradox of standards: One would think that by forcing compliance with standards, possibilities would be reduced, but instead possibilities are created because of all the connections that can be made (think TCP/IP, mattress sizes, or language). Conformity enables coupling.

I spot Warhol via Bowie, Cronenberg, Lennon via Ono. Brand new wave upper ground indeed. This song is sweet and the dancing is really good.

Sundialtone - Drunk Dial 1.mp3

I started a Vimeo account. I’ll gradually upload all my old videos. Also I promise to make/save new video work in better resolution!

Made for 4.366 in September, 2005 from video clip-art. When presented, this was overdubbed live by Bill McKenna.

Music: Don Costa - Adios

The first 4.366 video. Assignment was to make a video about an object.

This video makes me pretty happy. Bryan and James tire swinging. I think it’s early spring, 2004. Music is The Kinks - Big Sky.

If Modern was about manipulating space, and Postmodern was about manipulating time (Western culture’s timeline), then Altermodern is about manipulating alternate universes.

Our understanding of time (with respect to quantum physics, for example) is beginning to suggest that alternate realities exist. Exist in that they have some sorts of relationships with our reality. Or at least are a useful extension of our understanding of our reality. Like complex numbers as an extension of real numbers.

So I’m excited about this new “movement”, though I don’t know if it has started moving yet. I don’t think we’ve yet started seeing the art. When we do it will manipulate contexts like a sculpture.

I was really surprised by this movie. The whole thing is told by an internet forum. The world as experienced by the ether, which is a dream of the title character.

Debussy and Satie are used extensively. They do some cool things with the exposure; I think it would a good one to watch while tripping, if anybody still does that. There is a fantastic home movie in the middle with a best guy, caught on characters’ cameras (ether).