Constructing Identity Online (example: Michelle Phan)

The example that I am going to talk about is the online spokesperson
of Lancome --  Michelle Phan.
She is a famous YouTube blogger. Here are some basic information about her.
She has a screenname called RiceBunny. She joined YouTube in 18th July 2006.
Her subscribers in Youtube had already over 1million. Her videos had viewed by people
over 2 hundreds of million times. The above statistics can show how popular she is.

Now, I am going to talk about the time when she was just a normal girl.
She was born in Massachusetts and she is Vietnamese American.
She started her artisitic training when she was 12-year-old. She taught herself how to
paint so we can say that Michelle is a self taught painter for over 10years.
Originally, she decided to cater to her mother request for being a dermatologist at Tampa
Bay Technical High School. But then she convinced her mother to let her major in
illustration at Ringling College of Art and Design.
So, before she became famous she was just a student and worked as a part-time
waiteress in a sushi restaurant.

How Michelle build her fame?
She is known for her high quality makeup tutorial videos. Her video style is much
more technical when compared to others. Her videos incorporate her voice over
instruction and with music and text subtitles.
Videos like "Lady Gaga Poker Face Tutorial" and "Bad Romance Look".etc are
popular among the internet.

 Now, Michelle is a public image over the world.
In November of 2010, she became "the No.1 most subscribed female on YouTube and
the first female to reach 1million subscribers". Untill now, she had created 100 videos
on YouTube. She also created a skin care brand called IQQU which is an online
shop. Amazingly, Lancome saw some of her videos with using their brand products.
Then signed her as the official video makeup artist and spokesperson in Feburary of 2010.

After being famous, Michelle still keep doing the similar things as usual --- Providing
makeup tutorial clips. At the same time, she use her fame to help the weak.
For example, she posted a video to arouse people awareness of Malaria and appeal
people to donate money.
(reference link:
http://www.youtube.com/user/michellephan?blend=1&ob=4#p/u/6/UpnmC3BbvEg)
She taught viewers how to live green to save the Earth.
(reference link:
http://www.youtube.com/user/michellephan?blend=1&ob=4#p/u/3/rDgd4gR9ZfM)
In September 2008, she helped organize a charity fashion show called "Fashion for
Compassion" to help the victim of a Tampa sexual assault case.


To sum up, we can see how her life has changed because of the platform of YouTube.
It allows her to show her skill and develop her professional image.
Before, she was just a normal girl like you and me. And now she has her own business
and influence in society. She constructed her own identity successfully through Youtube.


The most special point is that she is not the only one who influenced by her online identity.
But also others people. She use her fame to help others and change their life.
Even her makeup videos, they are influencing every girl who watched her clips.
As she said, she "wants to help women empower themselves with makeup". She believe
makeup can transform women's life even with one lipstick.


So, in this example we can see how a girl change her life and others' through her
online identity. Her online identity and real identity has mix together and this is what
we called online covergency.


Conclusion of our group:
The boundary between reality and virtual reality are unclear nowdays.
When we started  using our online identity, most people may think that there is
no interaction with our reality. But is it really true?
Through the examples from our group, we can find that what we did through the online
identity actually have some direct or indirect influence to our reality.
Michelle and Jayesslee show their talent via their online identity and finally make
their dream come true. They become popular public images. Even online identity itself
are interrelated with each other. Mia gives her real heart to make friends with a friend
online. However she finally disappointed by her disappearence. Making she feels sad.
We can see the influence of our online identity are not only in the virtual but also in our
reality. Those happiness and unhappiness we recieved are real and undenialble.


____________________________________________________________


Reference links:
- photos reference link:
http://www.google.com.hk/images?hl=zh-TW&biw=1362&bih=584&q=MICHELLE+PHAN&rlz=1R2SUNC_enHK359&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=SkzhTOiRG4GucK2uqZkM&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=6&ved=0CFkQsAQwBQ

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Phan

- http://www.vanityfair.com/online/beauty/2010/05/its-a-bad-pun-thats.html

- http://www.youtube.com/user/MichellePhan?feature=chclk

Is it reasonable to consider computer games as art?

a) How does Adams define art? Do you agree with his definition?

According to Adams, he first said that art can be divided into three types, they
are: literary art, fine art and decorative art.
Also, art work as a way for artist to express their thoughts and feeling. Good art
can even passover generations. Like famous masterpiece "Mona Lisa", it was
produced by Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci in 16th century, it is still so famous 
among 21st century. Aesthetic pleasure and ideas are elements of art.

I agree with Adams statements about art. Art gives us aesthetic pleasure.
I think one of the main "functions" of art is to give the viewer aesthetic pleasure.
Art sometimes work as therapy to cure our nervousness. Like music or a relaxing
film provide us a space to release our pressure.
Art must have content or ideas. According to Adams, "art must have capacity to
express ideas". This is really true. Artists always express their mind feeling through their
work. The feeling of the artist own's and viewers might be different. However,
there is always some message to present. Artists are usually inspired by something
which excite their thought. And the work then have its own content or messages. 

b) According to Adams, what is needed for videogames to be considered
as art?

"What the game industry does is not art, but popular culture". (P.257)
According to Adams, he used movie as an example to explain most videogames are not art.
It is more suitable to regard videogames as popular culture rather than art.
Art can provide aesthetic pleasure. Videogames can gives players excitment but not
aesthetic pleasure.

What videogames is needed to being art is the communication between viewers and the 
"author" (designers of the games). Although in videogames there is some interaction 
between players and the games. The interaction is lead by the players.
For art, it is different, the communication is lead by the author. The tension is
controlled by the artists.

Videogames emphasize on fun. But Art isn't. Videogames need more aesthetic elements
in order to become artistic. Also, we need to develop "a way to judge the artistic merit
of the elements that make up games."(p.261) Just like how we judge an artwork or a movie.
Because without any standard, it is hard or impossible to judge which is art which is not.
Also, there is no artistic standard for videogames developers to consider.

Adams also mentioned Impressionism as an example to explain that "Game developers
must experience with their medium. They must try new things and take risks."
The exsistence of Art is to broaden the way of human hearing, expecting or thinking.
So, great artists must not afraid to breake new ground. 
If videogames want to be art. It must do the same thing as artwork does.
Bringing some new ideas and things that players never expected to experience before.
Just like the Impressionism, it challenged the normal art world at that time. And brought new
outlook on art to everyone.

To conclude, videogames could be art. But obviously, there is still a long way to acheive.
As many tradtions of making videogames must be changed.

Discussion on Videogames

1.) According to the film, what are some pros and cons of playing videogames for individuals and societies?

    Videogames are popular among children and adults nowadays. In both societies and individuals, there are some pros and cons. Let's talk about the effect on individual first.

    For the positive effects, people can have basic concept on some situation, like as an army.
In the film, American army have a videogame shows the situation virtually. It can help those
youngsters who have interests in being an army to know what may happen in the battlefield.
To give them some general concept of being army, which is not having fun and very dangerous.
    Besides, people can learn some knowledge from videogames. Like a boy in the film, he played a videogame which aim at killing cancer cells to rescue people. This kind of games can tell players how the cancer cells spread in our body. At the same time, reminds people of the important of health. As the cancer cells are so stubborn that it is difficult to kill them all like in
the videogame, this can urge people to stay healthy.

    However, everything has pros and cons. Some videogames may affect us badly. Take the
American army videogame as example again. In the game, people can be the first person in the battlefield and kill people with guns and bombs. This situation may encourgae somebody
to do something similar in reality. Especially those teenagers, they may not mature enough
to distinguish right and wrong, reality and virtual. Videogames may mislead youngsters.


2.) According the film, is there any evidence that digital games can encourage aggressive values and anti-social actions in the real world? Do you agree?

Yes, there is. A boy shot his classmates with a gun without missing. According to the video,
the reporter said that was the first time the boy used a gun. But why he could be so accurate? Because he played a shooting video game very frequently.
This example tells us the harmful effect of video games. Sometimes video games
may include acts of violence. With long period to get in touch with these games,
players' mind and behaviour may easily be affected with time.
Like some shooting games, it made players being tension at a long time.
It brings excitment to them and may raise their bad desire, like, shooting with real gun in reality.
3.) Should governments have the right to ban certain games? Why or why not? 

If government have the right to ban some violence games is good.
Because it can stop the spreading of violent behaviour in our society.
Avoid teenagers to being polluted by this type of videogame.

However, how to define the boudaries of which are violent which are not is difficult.
Different people have different standard of violent.
Like the America's Army game, if I am a American, of course I would support the game.
But if I am not, the answer could be different.

I support the idea, but how to demonstrate the idea is another problem.

4.) A videogame that I like:

My favourite videogame is Fantasy Restaurant.
It is a game about developing and operating a restaurant.
Players can decorate their restaurant according to their choice.
The situation, types of dishes and employees are also choose by players.
I like this game very much. Because I think it works really quite similar to reality.
Players need to think and make right decisions to run the restaurant well.
Like, different situations have different kinds of customers.
Players need to choose the right design of decoration, play the suitable music to attract
customers.
So, it is not only a videogame but also a game test players business wisdom.

Feelings towards Mouchette's digital artwork

1. My feeling towards the Mouchette's digital artwork:

I think the website is quite strange. However the way the artist express the her work is special.

She type some words at every pages of the website. Different pages with different sounds.

The artist said she was only 13-year-old. But I don't believe this is true. It might be a way to

attract more people to search her work.

I think it is an artwork that in order to develop a new identity. What the artist mentioned may be

true or false.

When I click on the website, I don't know how to analyse her work.

Some flies appear on the website. It gives me a sense of realistic. At the same time, a bit disgusting and

annoying. 

However, after I doing some research about the work. I slightly understand what the artist may want

to express. The idea of the website is based on a film called "Mouchetter" by Robert Bresson in 1967.

The film is about a sucidal case --- A girl was raped.(Mouchette, 2007). So I think some picture and

sound arouse some erotic feeling may related to the raping case.

1. "Mouchette", 2007, Brown University Wiki, retrived from 30 Oct 2010:
https://wiki.brown.edu/confluence/display/MarkTribe/Mouchette

2. What is online identity convergence?
It may refer to people who has multiple identity. Take me as an example, in school, I am a
university student. At home, I am a daughter of my parents and sister of my brother.
In my working place, I am an employee. In our daily life, we have many different identities.
Even in the Internet world is the same. We have many accounts, such as, MSN, Facbook, Email
and so on. So, identity convergence refer to people nowadays have many (online) identities at the same
time.

 

The Inter-Discommunication Machine

1.Which artist’s work do you find the most interesting?

                                  

I think among those artists' artwork, I love Kazuhiko Hachiya's work most. (The

Inter-Discommunication Machine, 1993).

I think the idea of the artwork is really funny. We see everything from our eyes

and point of view every day. And people always say that sometimes 

we need to stand at other's stance in order to feel what others feel.

This artwork, finally makes the above words come true!

Although, the machines can't let us know what another people feel and

thinking. We can see another people sight. It is really funny. I can imagine

when I wear the machine, how interesting it will be. And I can even see

myself through other's eyes! So unbelievable!

Describe one work by that artist in detail, and explain, what is
interesting about it.

Name of the artwork: The Inter-Discommunication Machine

Artist: Kazuhiko Hachiya

Year of the work: 1993

The above is the basic information about the artwork. It was made by a

japanese artist. Two people need to wear the machine in front of their eyes.

So that they can see another's point of vision. For example, if A looking at a

tree, B would also see the same picture by the machine. Once you wear the

machine, your own point of vision would

be replaced by other.

                                 

                  

(pictures from: http://vimeo.com/7900466)

I think this artwork impressed me a lot. Normally, we can only observe and

use our imagination to think of what other is seeing. And then get our own

picture in our mind. However, Kazuhiko Hachiya created this artwork and

make the picture shown in front of our eyes. The main idea of the work is

to confuse the line between the identities of "you" and "me". Like I stand

here with your vision, and you stand there with my vision.


Then "you" and "me" seem to be dependent to each other.

According to EYEBEAM, (which is a website showing some electronic art.)


it described this work as "allows its wearers to ‘enter’ each other’s body

and perception without being able to influence it."(Inter, 2004). I really agree

with the describtion. After wearing the machines, we can enter into others'

vision without disturbing each other. We can know what other is looking at

or interested in. I control the other one's vision, and vice versa.


I know the artist always concern about the symbiosis between art and


science.(Kazuhiko, 2004).


I think this artwork can truely present how these two elements assist each


other. Use scientific way to present his idea. It is modern and special from


the past artwork I have met.

1. "Inter-Discommunication Machine", 2004, EYEBEAM, retrived from 27 Oct 2010:

http://www.eyebeam.org/projects/inter-discommunication-machine

2. "Kazuhiko Hachiya", 2004, EYEBEAM, retrive from 30 Oct 2010:

http://www.eyebeam.org/people/kazuhiko-hachiya

My Online Identity Biography

I have 5 online identities.

They are Lingnan Intranet account, email accounts, Facbook, MSN and Xanga.

They are slightly different to my in person identities.

For example, I won't use my real name as the person name on Facebook, Xanga and MSN.

I only show part of my information which is not important on the internet, such as hobbies.

Sometimes, I may express my feeling or opinion through these online identities. But for my secrets or

important issues, I won't show it online. I usually being an observer on the internet.

Through these identities, I can also hide my real identity and get qutie a lot of information easily.

I only need to click a few buttons to get those information. Very convenient!

Besides, through identities like Facebook, I can exchange my recent life and situation with my friends.

Although we may work and busy on our own studies and things, we can still keep in touch with each others.

Nonetheless, everything has their good and bad. Online identity may bring some risks to us.

Our personal information may expose easily. If there hackers steal our accounts, they can release some

incorrect and irresponsible comments and words through our accounts.

Also, some people show fake information through their online identity. We may easily confused by these

false information or even cheated by others.

Constructing Identity online

key links:
1.http://www.youtube.com/user/MichellePhan?feature=chclk
2.http://www.michellephan.com/
3.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Phan
4.http://www.mahalo.com/michelle-phan

key books and articles:
1.Millennial makeover: Myspace, YouTube, and the future of American politics
2.Internet power searching: the advanced manual
3.Celebrity Names as Web Site Addresses: Extending the Domain of Publicity Rights to the Internet
(http://www.jstor.org/pss/1600458)

case study: famous Youtube blogger: Michelle Phan's

The maker of the blog: Michelle Phan

When was it released:  18 July 2006

Describe it in detail : 
It is a very popular video blog in Youtube.
The creator, Michelle Phan is a person of mixed blood of America and Philipines
Michelle created the blog at 2006. The blog aim at teaching people how to make up.
She uploads make-up tutorial and beauty tips videos on the blog evenly.
Her video blog is so popular among the YouTube. It is not difficult to find Michelle's
tutorial video on the "Most Viewed" column.
Recently, she even become the online video producer of LANCOME.