English 1101

Find who you are, while I explore who I am.

[agenuineactuality]

A parody of the stereotypes of hip hop, Macklemore's Thrift Shop is a great satire of the way rappers proclaim themselves as "realer" than the next guy.  Anyways, I could go on about how he makes fun of the stereotypes, but the video speaks for itself. Also, the theme is about clothing and how, unlike other rappers who rap about their gucci, louis vuitton and nikes, Macklemore shops at a thrift store. He "wear[s] your grandad's clothes, I [Macklemore] look incredible". I would go on talk about the attire more, but someone else I know has put it in better words already: Harkey P2 Reality: Retro Reality 

[agenuineactuality]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NSWLa1UtIY

After watching the videos of hip-hop in class, I was really hit by the AraabMuzik video. Coming from a similar background of working with MIDI instruments into a DAW (Lanuchpad+Ableton in my case, the MPC-Ableton in AraabMuzik's). Most people don't understand the musicality required to be a DJ, Producer, or electronic artist, and they criticize not only the musicians, but the genre, calling it out as not being 'real'. But in fact, it has an element of realness. It's a play on realness. By using samples of real instruments, or input from 'real instruments' (MIDI), producers blend real and artificial by adding effects, loops, and splicing. 

[agenuineactuality]

Jay-Z and Basquiat

Notice the similarity between the E's in Basquiat's work and the 3 on the album cover.  

[comicsodissey]

Muhammad Ali vs Street Fighter in Rue Saint Denis, Paris

[agenuineactuality]

A great example of real vs virtual. Muhammad Ali vs. Ryu from street fighter. 

[autopsiart]

Obanksy

[agenuineactuality]

Hosier Lane, Melbourne Australia. I really like how the street art is really this psychedelic, out-of-this-world kind of work. It's a bunch of crazy stuff, just put together like a collage celebrating the non-existent and unreal. 

[agenuineactuality]

Bansky's piece differs a lot from what we commonly refer to as graffiti. Graffiti, in fact, would be the wrong term to use when describing this work of street art. It's more graphic based and tells a story without words, rather than graffiti which is usually text based and used as a means of marking or tagging an area. Bansky really just likes to tickle the user's interest and imagination, with his play on reality, and alterations of that which is normal. 

[agenuineactuality]

Exit Through the Gift Shop

Thierry: It was magic that this person let me film, you know? I felt like I had the piece that will finish the puzzle. It was like getting something in the daylight that... what you see in the nightlight. He was even more than I expected; he was, like, just incredible; he was cool, he was... he was human, he was... he was... he was... he is, you know, he's really like a... what he represents, you know? He's really like a... I think he's really like a... I really liked him!

Banksy: Uhmmm... You know... it was at that point that I realized that maybe Thierry wasn't actually a film maker, and he was maybe just someone with mental problems who happened to have a camera.

Thierry: I don't know how to play chess, but to me, life is like a game of chess.

Banksy: Yeah, I was faced with that terrible thing, when somebody shows you their work and everything about it is shit... so... you don't really know where to start.

Banksy: I used to encourage everyone I knew to make art; I don't do that so much anymore.

Banksy: There's no one like Thierry, even though his art looks like everyone else's.

[jessicawardphotography-blog]

[agenuineactuality]

jessicawardphotography

[agenuineactuality]

Future Reality

[agenuineactuality]

Are you still with me? For real?

But really, think about it. If you were balding, because it's come to a point where you can't get out of bed without coffee or through a day without Advil  you decide to become dependent on another modern day innovation: Rogaine. Sure, you're doing it because you want to look good. You want to feel young again. But who are you actually doing it for?  For your partner, who you feel on a consistent basis would leave you if you ever change in the slightest of ways? Because they don't care for your intellect, but rather your booty? For your boss, because no one wants to fire the guy who brings youth and life to the office? For your kids, because you want to remain a kind of unchanging rock that they can depend on? See. You've become a man who relies on the perceptions of others. Your authenticity remains only because it is accredited by those who depend on you. Does this make you weaker? Yes. But it also makes you stronger, because it gives you a reason to care. And you've come to a realization about who you really are. And what you really stand for. And after reading this semi-pointless rambling of a pretentious college student, you've found your authenticity. Hopefully.

[agenuineactuality]

'Authenticity' pt. 2

Tangible authenticity has more to do with objects, and goods. Really, I'm thinking about the shoes. Other than the increasingly annoying amount of photos of Vans in the authentic tag, the word authentic is used in conjunction with food a lot. Mexican food in particular. This is most likely because of the large spectrum of Mexican food that falls between the categories of traditional to Tex-Mex. All of which I love, by the way. But this particular example holds so much more depth to it than just the notion of whether the food actually exists or not. In fact, it has nothing to do with the food's existential crisis. It's really more about the cultural implications of the food, and how it ties in with tradition and the conventions of what good Mexican food comprises of. Perceivable authenticity is that which is visible. That which what people see. It's really more of a subjective thing, but isn't everything like that. It's what people think of you. And that's what in the end, has an effect on the way we perceive ourselves; our own authenticity. When someone thinks you're fake, you can either choose to ignore it, (and maybe end up making people think you're more fake) or change yourself... which makes people think you're weak. You just can't win. You suck.

[agenuineactuality]

So, I took a stroll through the 'authentic' tag

And other than finding a lot of pictures of Vans (which seems to be branding itself really well, with all the instagram pictures of their products on the internet surfacing on tumblr), I found a couple of quotes and images that caught my attention. (See posts below)

As I looked through all of these images and quotes, I've come to the conclusion that authenticity can be divided between the inward, perceivable and the tangible. Inner authenticity pertains to who we are on the "inside". Or as the stereotypical Miss World answer goes, inner beauty... and something about world peace here and there. Anyways, back to the subject at hand. It's about basically being ourselves, but what does that really mean? Can we really define what is authentic, without being somewhat fake? Maybe we really aren't the quiet, obedient students we like to think we are. Maybe we aren't the crazy party animals we imagine ourselves to be. But that self-delusion, is that authentic? Yes. Yes it is.

[travishuff]

When you’re developing your brand’s social media identity and sourcing the content you want, be R.E.A.L. Whether a brand has just started out, or they are looking to revamp their existing image, it’s never too soon or too late to incorporate these concepts.

Relevant: Most people...

[kristyna-blog1]

[banjibabez]

[30daytransformation]

Today I am: Authentic

“Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day. It’s about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen.”

Brene Brown - The Gifts of Imperfection

Today I am: I speak with an authenticity that welcomes love, compassion, and connection into my life.