To receive full credit, this blog assignment must be posted by Monday night, February 1st at midnight. If you post late, please email me your post directly at sdebross@uvm.edu as soon as you are able, and I'll give you partial credit.
At this course blog thread below, please reflect on all five FEED questions in a SINGLE "post comment" thread. Be specific, descriptive, and detailed, and try not to repeat the ideas already provided by other student colleagues.
1. FEED Characters - Please provide the name of ONE of the main characters in the story, and 5 descriptive adjectives about that character.
2. FEED Vernacular - Please provide THREE "slang" terms used in FEED, and brief IYOW definitions for each. (Example: "brag" = cool, hot, super nifty, boss, really keen.)
3. FEED LIKE Our World - Please make a list of THREE specific different ways the FEED world looks like our own 21st century culture.
4. FEED UNLIKE Our World - Please make a list of THREE specific different ways the FEED world looks UNlike our own 21st century culture.
5. FEED Themes - Please make a list of THREE big media-related themes FEED's author, M.T. Anderson, highlights in his book.
Have at it, units! :)
1. Link- tall, ugly, flirtatious, fun-loving, competitive
ReplyDelete2. null-bored
unit- dude
meg- very, wicked
3. Like 21st century: constant media connection, materialism, saturated with advertisements
4. Unlike 21st century: no nature, brain-media fusion, unlimited corporate power- basically, extremely exaggerated versions of our current and near future predicament
5. Themes- constant media reliance, marketing controlling the consumer, consequences of unchecked corporate power
1.
ReplyDeleteViolet Durn- Different, Tragic, Observer, Abnormal, Dreamer
2.
Brag-Cool
Youch-Pretty/Hot
Cranked-Drunk
3.
The M-Chat is instant messaging, or text messaging. The Banner Ads are targeted individually just like anyone on a social networking site today, which uses your personal interests and descriptions to target us. Lastly, for good or for bad, all births in Feed are in-vitro, a technology that is becoming more widely available today.
4.
Unlike our lives today, the solar system is apparently colonized or in the process, the American school system has been privatized (something that has actually been discussed), and advanced technology like flying cars and tachyon shorts are available widely.
5.
Major themes in the book are, Titus' need to fit in contrasting with Violet's need to stand out, the consumerism that penetrates every facet of life, and isolationism (in people and nations).
1. Violet - Inquisitive, Outsider, Visionary, Idealist, Unique
ReplyDelete2. Unit - Friend/ Pal
Mal - Short for Malfunction/ A sort of trip on the Feed
Null - uninterested/bored/even a little annoyed at times
3. People love the constant connection and when they don’t have it they feel like their World is gone. There are a lot of advertisements controlling our World and what we buy and the way we think. The feelings toward friends and family seem similar, such as the main character hating his little brother, there are still boyfriends and girlfriends and teenage drama.
4. People live in Pods and don’t drive on real roads; they “fly” in their upcars. People can also talk to each other through their minds (Mchat) without talking to each other out loud. People also have little control on what advertising they see, the advertising is smarter and can reach them anywhere.
5. Total reliance and obsession with technology. The inability of producing creative thought. Corporate control over the entire population.
#1
ReplyDeleteQuendy-friendly,insecure,competitive,romantic,fashionable
#2 da da da- rambling, unimportant, boring information
meg- crazy, weird, cool
null- not interested, mellow, bored
#3 Our world, like the FEED world, has places to go to be debaucherous and wild. FEED has the moon which is a spring-break style place where young people congregate, and we have Las Vegas, Daytona Beach, and the Caribbean. Another similarity between the worlds is our constant race to keep up with hot trends. Fashion is ever changing and is an outlet that we pour a lot of time and money into.
And yet another comparison can be made with marketing. Although we are not nearly as far gone as the FEED world we do have corporate sponsorships and logos everywhere. Sports arenas, schools, food products, and even cars spew advertisements.
#4 There are many glaring differences between our world and the FEED world, and thank god for that. One being that we do not, to the best of my knowledge, have computers inside of our bodies. Another being that we do not find open lesions sexy or fashionable. EWW. Finally we don't have flying cars and we haven't populated the moon.
#5 Themes that are present in this book include, corporations having the power to buy out the human body, medias control of world, and the deconstruction of man by technology.
1. Marty- energetic, outgoing, childish, class-clown, talented
ReplyDelete2. exercise the breath= shut up, stop talking
brake and upgrade= stop and grow up
weasel-faced= drunk, hammered
3. The FEED world is like our 21st century culture in respect to the fact that the people are in constant connection with the media and each other, whether it’s through ads, or m-chat (instant messaging). When this is taken away, the people don’t know what to do with themselves. Also, the relationship between siblings and friends is similar. In addition, the concept of the fake ID is the same.
4. The FEED world is unlike our own 21st century culture because in our world schools are not run by corporations. Advertisements, although very numerous, are not quite as invasive. We do not get advertising phone calls or texts as we walk past stores. Also, hairstyles and trends don’t change every few hours like they seem to do in FEED.
5. Some of the major media-related themes of this book are, marketing perpetuating and satiating society’s need to fit, complete media dependence, and intellectual isolation in a world where people cannot be socially isolated.
1. Marty- serious, connected, gullible, excited, talented
ReplyDelete2. Burbling-activity
Meg- super or “mad”
Turding- hating/disliking
3. The feed- like online advertisements or facebook updates with ads
“Slam the ones you love”- bumper cars
The moon- a vacation spot for kids, spring break locations like the beach
4. The fact that the moon or any where else in space is colonized or livable
Having no gravity rooms being a social experience rather than a training tool for astronauts
It seems there is no rules against advertising since it is in people’s brains telling how to act
5. Overwhelming corporate power
Life infiltrating advertising
Self absorption in media
1. Link-ugly, desirable, wealthy, misleading, lively
ReplyDelete2. Meg- extreme or cool
Null- boring, not interesting
Unit- dude, buddy, pal, friend, amigo
3. 1) Having a constant connection to the world/media, and when they are not attached, they feel like something is missing…. Such as in our world, we check the internet, facebook, news, and whatnot constantly, and when without it, we feel like something is missing. 2) Being materialistic. Wealth still is a part of the FEED world, and is a part of the way people run their lives. 3) keeping up with the latest trends…. Feeling the need to be up to date on fashion and other things and not caring because it will “make you feel better”.
4. 1) People living out in space and being able to go to the moon for “vacation”. 2) The ability to not have to communicate out loud, using mchat. This could be connected to our texting, but it is more advanced. 3) Flying cars. That would be awesome if we had that here on earth, but unfortunately we aren’t that advanced.
5. 1) Constantly relying on media and always being connected. 2) The power of corporations. 3) Advertisements and the power they hold.
1. Link: unattractive, appealing, strong, rich, energetic.
ReplyDelete2. Meg: like, really, so, wicked.
Unit: Friend, bud, pal, gang.
Brag: gnarly, cool, awesome.
3. -Easy connection to technology/media, like cell phones are our feeds.
-Destruction and loss of natural habitat; the loss of forests, mountains, etc.
-Advertising/fitting in by consuming products. How things change rapidly so that citizens feel the need to buy a new product because it is popular or in style.
All these three things are similar to our own culture. Many people are instantly connected to their cell phones, which now can be like feeds. People can call people on them, instant message people, check email, surf the web, look at advertisements, all in body of one fancy cell phone. We are losing lots of natural habitat and in their world they have lost all the trees, most of the mountains, and many other natural sites. They also are into material possessions and constantly buy new products to fit in, in today’s society many people will buy clothes to fit in style and will buy products that everyone else is buying so that they feel normal and like they fit in.
4. –No true resistance to technology. The FEED tells them that this is life and they just all follow. Only Violet and her family (and sometimes Titus) resist parts of the FEED, and even they give in at points. There are very few in this novel who are in a movement against it, while in today’s society there are plenty of people that truly oppose technology and/or fight to keep our natural world alive.
-The idea of letting a computer (the feed) control all of our bodily functions. We are not opposed of using technology to keep someone alive, but we are opposed to letting it control our functions when they naturally are working fine.
-Larger universe and advancement in technologies. They have the whole universe to explore which is easy to do if you are rich in the book. They also rely on technology to produce oxygen (such as the air farms) and other needs for them to survive.
5. -Instant connection to information and media.
-Businesses/corporations take over humans and control what goes on.
-Follow the trend, do what is cool, consume to fit in.
1. Titus- Normal, Handsome, Insecure, Adventurous, Shy.
ReplyDelete2. Youch- cool, witty, fun.
Mal- disfunction, trip, illegal.
Da Da Da- yada yada, unimportant, annoying.
3. The Feed world resembles our own world in many ways. Ads are thrown at you from every direction, and are nowadays even based on your interests, like targeted ads on your social networking homepage where you have information about yourself. Small percentages of the world know or care about all of the environmental problems technology causes. Lastly, although we dont have instant information like a Feed would, we can get it almost as fast with a computer or smartphone.
4. A few differences between the feed world and our own are financially stable people live in their own bubble with their own controllable weather, the feeds in everyone's brain can communicate with each other telepathically, and meat and air are created technologically.
5. Themes- the dominance of media, technology is changing traditional values and lifestyles, and the susceptibility of humans to targeted advertisements.
1. Violet - eccentric, challenging, self-motiovated, trying, inquisitive
ReplyDelete2. meg - super, extremely, a general superlative descriptive word
re: - "regarding", in reference to, in relation to
mal - "malfunction", a downloaded hallucinogenic experience, getting high
3. The most obvious comparison is the complete inundation of our culture with advertising and mass marketing, as well as targeted marketing. Other similarities include fringe movements, such as the "hacker", who are brushed aside and not even considered by the mainstream, and the idea of youth looking for a means of escape, here exemplified by "going into mal", similar to the way many teens in America will experiment with recreational drugs.
4. Of course, the "feed" doesn't actually exist in the way it is manifest in the book. In addition, we are still growing our own food from the earth(although how much of it is artificial versus real is up for debate), and we haven't made travel to the moon or other planets a readily available technology for the average middle-class person.
5. Themes - For me the biggest theme was the necessity for questioning what the media shows us, as well as the possible consequences of that line of questioning. Other themes include corporate control of all aspects of civilian life, including government, and materialism at our fingertips, incorporated into every part of our lives.
1. Titus: romantic, sentient, literal, emotional, confused
ReplyDelete2. Scrambler: weed, particle: person, prong: boner
3. The internet provides more and more of everything the feed provides them, and a lot of it has to do with entertainment. They vacation on other planets as we would other places in the world. Also the basic lifestyles of Americans and the basic processes and places they go are paralleled with those in the present world.
4. Every aspect of nature is trademarked and boasts an ad of some kind. There are fake clouds, there are genetically engineered filet minon farms, flying cars and they live in bubbles. They have holographic teachers, and spend down time hanging out at other planets. They are never free from the feed, and if they are it is due to a hacker, and it’s considered dangerous and not enjoyable.
5. American lifestyles disregard nature and take advantage of other countries for materialistic purposes that feed the rich and ignorant. Consumption is not the measure of self-value. Resist the feed.
1. Marty- athletic, capable, friendly, cordinated, silly
ReplyDelete2. "unettes"- babes, chicks, girls
"big spit"- hot shit, bees knees, cat's meow
"spine"- body, figure
3. One way in which the Feed world is similar to our own is that people enjoy watching sports like football more than playing the game itself. We also have English-English translators... thank you google translator, oh yeah... and the dictionary. In this day and age, we also have chocolate mouse in a tube. Any endurance athletes out there ever use GU sports gel? I think they also try to sell yogurt in tubes to children...
4. Unlike the Feed world in our world, there are people resistant to technology- skeptical old and young people. Unfortunately, we do not have easy space travel for the masses to enjoy, and lesions are not appreciated by those who have them or those forced to look at them.
5. Three themes displayed throughout the novel were background noise/fear of silence, living soley by the ID (thinking only of our most primal desires and immediate gratification), andthe control the media has over society and many people's actions.
1. Violet- inventive, unique, individualistic, anti-corporate, rulebreaker
ReplyDelete2. meg- very, alot unit- friend da da da da- gibberish ...
3. Constant media feed through different medium are very much like it is today. There is also a similar teen culture with parties and illegal substance abuse. The idea of travel and vacations is also similar. It is unlike people to stay in one place for a long time.
4. One thing that is significantly different and almost creepy is the abiltiy of mind control and being able to tune out noise. There is also corporate control over mind where memories or ideas can be erased. Lastly, we haven't been able to travel to the moon which is a common vacation spot within FEED.
5. One of the main concepts is constant media feed through different mediums and how it affects our brain as well as every day life. Also materialism and why the media has played a huge role in why this has happened. Lastly, the ability to deny what is happening and resist that Feeds that were translated into the mind.
1. Titus: handsome, normal, conformist, confused/scared, insecure-“stupid”
ReplyDelete2. Meg-really, super, alot
Whats doing?- whats up?
Null-boring
3. Constant connection and access to people and info through technology
Seems like most Americans are unaware of what is going on around the world
Same basic human emotions and tendencies
4. Schools are owned by corporations
Oceans are completely toxic
Individual nature bubbles for houses or blocks—air factories, individual suns etc.
5. Corporate control and consumerism
The dangers of technology
Complete destruction of nature
1.Link- rich, sarcastic, short-tempered, competitive, and unattractive.
ReplyDelete2. Null- boring, lame, or mundane.
Bonesproket- tool, loser, dweeb, or generally someone who is not considered to be ‘cool’.
Youch- hot, exciting, fun, attractive, or otherwise appealing, particularly in a sexual manner.
3. -Young people are sarcastic, always bored with their current situation, and tend to seek out drug usage to have a good time or be social.
-There is a lot of pollution and broken things. On the flight to the moon, Titus mentions that “there is nothing to see except broken things in space…”
- People are constantly being updated on new trends. In FEED, the feeds planted in the brains of the people represent, among other things, the constant media interactions in our society that we may not realize have so much influence over us. In the book, the girls would go to the bathroom several times as the hair styles changed throughout the night. It is a bit of an exaggeration compared to our present world, yet parallels can be drawn.
4. -Lesions are normal in the FEED world, and people try to incorporate them into fashion. In our world, such lesions would be considered an immediate medical concern, and quite unattractive.
-In our world, people do not go to the moon on weekends to party…yet. I have heard that, if you are very rich, you can go to the moon.
-We do not have “pot stickers” (page 14), as far as I know. I’m not sure exactly what they are in the book, but I am assuming they represent both marijuana and LSD.
5. -The media, technology, and cyber-communication have become a part of the mind itself, because the feed in physically in one’s skull. This may represent a futuristic interpretation of how interwoven our own minds have become with mainstream media and instant cyber communication. “Chatting” in Feed, is comparable to texting and Tweeting in our society.
-Another huge theme is corporate control over society in general. We can see even today that huge corporations, like Wal-Mart, Coca-Cola, and Exxon, have huge influence over what people eat, drink, use as fuel, or even see on the news! Our society is capitalistic, and thus daily life revolves around consumption. In Feed, it is taken to an extreme where pop-up ads and spam literally cannot be escaped, because it is in your brain. “The (corporate) Man” literally owns people.
-The most horrifying part for me is the complete immobilization of natural processes ecosystems. In Feed, clouds have become artificial, ocean creatures are covered in plastic to protect them from acidic conditions, and humans do not reproduce sexually. I can see how MT Anderson got the ideas for these horrors just from our own world. The oceans are becoming more acidic because of the burning of fossil fuels, which has led to destruction of coral reefs. Last year the Chinese shot particles into the sky to make it rain so that there would be fewer clouds of smog during the Olympics. In my own lifetime, I have seen a dramatic rise in the number of couples who cannot have children naturally, and thus seek in-vitro fertilization or adoption.
1. Link: ugly, tall like Lincoln, wealthy, happy go lucky, competitive.
ReplyDelete2. Meg: crazy, insane, super
DA DA DA: like blah blah blah, same old same old, boring
Unit: buddy, or friend
3. Like Our Culture: instant connectedness almost sickeningly close to ours, the control of thought through advertisements, or even the molding of personal belief through things, and the hunger for things or materialism, the importance of having rather than being.
4. Not Like Our Culture: the literal control of all personal choices made by corporations, the lack of nature's existence, and the idea that you are plugged into the consumer market, literally fused to media.
5. Themes: the destruction of self, the importance of choice, the nature of corporate greed.
FEED
ReplyDelete1. Calista - blunt, stubborn, manipulative, likes to start arguments, just a angry person.
2. Unit- Dude, awesome
null- boring, not exciting
Youch- fun, sexy, exciting
3. Like our world FEEDhas places where you can escape reality. Pollution is on the rise and like modern societies advertisements dictate what you should buy.
4. Corporations have access to unlimited power throughout the society.People communicate with each other telepathically with one another through their minds. Going to the moon for parties.
5. Themes include the manipulation of corporations on the common people, dangers of future technology and the changes of a cultures values thoughts and lifestyle.