Documentary Essay

I had a documentary in mind to write about until i watched another one last night that was directed by a guy named Jamie Johnson. He is the great grandson of the founder of Johnson and Johnson. Ironically what did he do his documentary about? The Difference gap between the rich and the poor. 1% of the USA are filthy rich and average $1,000,000 per year. The other 99% only average $35,000 per year. Huge gap. Very intresting how he does use stereotypes to utilize the point of his story as well. He has interviews with the top rich people and their family members. One of which was the grand daughter of Warren Buffet (the second most wealthy person in the nation). Because Mr. Buffet was so against doing the interview himself, he was so enraged his granddaughter did it that he legally and emotionally undeclared her to be related to him. Crazy stuff. Then he went to probably the 2 most poverty stricken areas in America: New Orleans and Southside Chicago. He didn't really hit the middleclass i guess to hit a point, but still that left alot out of the mix. Good documentary and entertaining overall. My take on it showed a great eye-opener to what i prepare to write about and present on Wednesday... Guess we'll wait to see what comes of it.

Manipulation

I remember last semester, i took a class that talked about whether a documentary was still a documentary if it was manipulated to having scenes re acted out for the purpose of the film. Now im not talking about Borat where the whole Pam Anderson incident happened, clearly fake. Funny though. Its really i think in the best judgement of the person watching. If they are passonate about that certain subject and the representation does not seem to meet their standards or seems too fake, then shame on that filmmaker in their eyes. African Documentaries can be portrayed that way by how Western Society wants us to think of Africa. From their perspective, all i really get out of it is that they do not know of alot of the technology that we use in our great coveted nation. Which i know isn't true because many cities in South Africa are very commercial based and good in the trade world. Anyway manipulating with a documentary that has to do with African customs and ways, is all alot of us know of. Doesn't sound to funny to people in that extent and probably ticks people off who know the truth of how it really is. Imagine a documentary about Texas shown to people in Africa. It would be a joke! Ye haw!

The Gods Must Be Crazy and discussion

After watching, The Gods Must be Crazy, our discussion in class made me realize alot of things in our governed society that are different from alot of the different third world.

The whole concept of time seems like it is only for the use of documentation and economy purposes. We use time to know how old we are, what holidays are worth celebrating, and when things should need to reach their deadline. Time pretty much infatuates people with more than what is really going on with living, but in our governed society it is perhaps the most important tool we can rely on. In other societies like the tribe in the movie, every day is just another day and every coincidence is just a new adventure. There is no end of the earth as technology and science has discovered, but the tribe in the movie belives there is so on such a planet. They of course do not need to know when a holiday is or how old someone is exactly or what kind of deadlines need to be met. Pretty much just how are they going to live the next day.

This eye opener lets us explore the many tools that we use that are valuable to us, and why it is so "weird" that other societies don't use the same ones. There are other countries with other beliefs and governments. Americans only believe our way is the best way and that is why alot of other countries can see us as cocky and unlikeable. On the contrary, that is also because they are infatuated with how they are raised to what they believe is the right way to live. This has caused many wars and conquest. The only conclusion is that the world is different, but no one is willing to change and that is how the world will forever be. Why change others, when you are content with your self is the real question...