scholarly journals NEW HEROES OF MASS CULTURE (CASE STUDY OF THE MAIN CHARACTER OF THE COMPUTER GAME CYCLE “GOD OF WAR”)

2020 ◽  
pp. 106-111
Author(s):  
ANDREY V. LAPIN ◽  
◽  
ELENA D. AGANINA ◽  

The concept of “mass culture” and its content are becoming the subject of reflection of philosophers, religious scholars, culturologists and sociologists. Taking into account the fact that mass culture is a specific type of spiritual production, one of its main features is the possibility of widespread replication of the product. Popular culture is extremely dynamic, influencing the basic feelings of the consumer, it can generate new cultural constants that change the norms and values that have developed over centuries. The constituent elements of mass culture are usually called the media, cinema, music, literature, visual arts, sports. However, recently, a computer game has become one of the basic elements of mass culture. It was computer games that brought specific images and unexpected, sometimes paradoxical, options for rethinking the previous cultural heritage into modern mass culture. In this article, the authors, using the example of a religious and philosophical analysis of the image of the main protagonist of the series of games “God of War”, will show that behind the seeming straightforwardness and simplicity of the Spartan Kratos, there is a detailed study of his personality and history of his life. Philosophical and religious content is in many ways a decisive factor that ensured the immense popularity of Kratos in the modern gaming culture with millions of users around the world.

2005 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Machin ◽  
Theo van Leeuwen

The paper analyses how the March 1993 American intervention in Somalia is represented in the movie Black Hawk Down and the computer game of the same name. Using a discourse historical approach, the paper combines three methods: (1) analysis of the ‘special operations discourse’ that underlies both film and game, and social actor analysis of the way the parties involved in the conflict are visually and verbally represented; (2) the political history of the conflict represented in the two entertainment products, and the history of the ‘special operations discourse’ itself; and (3) an account of the collaboration between the US military and entertainment industry in the production of both film and game.


2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mădălina Nicolaescu

Abstract The paper discusses recent Romanian Shakespeare productions of The Tempest and A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Bucharest. It argues that global mass culture, in the form of TV sitcoms and musicals, YouTube clips and computer games, is re-circulated on Romanian stages with the result of re-mediating the older forms of Romanian Shakespeare performances. The paper interrogates the popular character of the new type of productions, which are largely unpolitical and motivated by commercial reasons. The last part of the paper presents a radical deconstruction of Shakespeare’s text in the form of a computer game, which, however, re-introduces the political orientation of older, pre- 1989 performances.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-120
Author(s):  
Sławomir Kowalewski ◽  

Computer games as hypertexts The article deals with the media-linguistic analysis of selected computer games, in particular focusing on the category of hypertextuality. Different types of computer games are analyzed, with the aim of demonstrating their media-conditioned heterogeneity. It will be examined whether they meet the criteria of hypertextuality and, if so, whether it is full or partial hypertextuality, i.e., whether a computer game is one hypertext as a whole or whether it is a creation composed of one or more hypertexts and possibly other elements. Within the scope of the analysis, it will also be verified whether computer games have specific features that distinguish them from the most popular form of hypertext – namely, from texts that are part of the WWW. Keywords: mediality, hypertext, computer game, textuality


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 263-277
Author(s):  
O. S. Issers

Purpose. The article examines the methods of building dialogue in interviews conducted by the popular video blogger and journalist Yury Dud, who is named the main hero of Russian cultural life in 2020 by Forbes Life. To determine his individual style, the author analyzes strategies of communicative behavior. The following parameters are the most significant for the description of interviewing strategies: thematic repertoire and thematic dominants of the conversation; methods of requesting/extracting information; methods of interpreting and evaluating what the interlocutor said; the choice of language code. The empirical basis of the study contains interviews by Yu. Dud with various interlocutors – journalists, TV presenters, cultural and show business figures, politicians, and other public figures, uploaded on the YouTube video hosting service in the period of 2017–2020. The analysis of more than 40 programs allows observing a wide range of techniques of a journalist, depending on the “addressee factor”.Results. The key topics that are regularly discussed in interviews are identified, including those that violate ethical taboos (about sex, bad behavior, and bad habits, judgments and hot takes on colleagues and senior officials, etc.). The thematic repertoire is considered as a deliberate communicative choice of a journalist, conditioned by the dramaturgy of public dialogue addressed to a mass audience and the tasks of portrayal.The author reveals the distinctive methods of requesting information and eliciting facts, which is inherent to the journalistic style of Yu. Dud: illocutionary forcing reasoning (“why-questions”), clarifying questions, reformulating, role modeling of relations with a guest, where the journalist often pretends being dilettante. Interpretation and evaluation of the interlocutor's statements are based on the clearest identification of their position for the mass addressee by an explication of ideas expressed by the guest implicitly, “delegation of opinion”, and the effects of “insight”.The choice of the language code indicates the “discursive adaptation” of the journalist to his interlocutor and allows the journalist to reveal to the mass audience their personality, including their speech characteristics. The dynamism of the dialogue is due to the setting to dramatize the conversation scenario: this is manifested not only in the choice of somewhat unexpected topics of conversation, but also in the expression of one's attitude to the statements of the interlocutor, explicit/implicit assessments, and the choice of the speech code.Conclusion. It is concluded that Dud’s interviews are a vivid example of the trends of modern Internet journalism, and the communicative strategies he implements allow us to see the prospects for the development of the genre. Given the popularity of the genre in traditional and new media, the author notices that the interview not only reflects the features of social communications of the 21st century but is also a powerful factor of shaping modern mass culture.


2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 168-172
Author(s):  
Xia Tsihan ◽  

The article reveals the features of rock opera as a genre of mass musical culture in the last third of the XXth century. On the example of two outstanding genre samples — "Jesus Christ Superstar" by E. Lloyd-Webber and T. Rice and "The Star and Death of Joaquin Murieta" by A. Rybnikov and M. Zakharov — the specifics of the plot interpretation, dramaturge organization, musical and expressive means and life forms of the work are considered. At the same time the author presents the background content of the two rock operas, the characteristics of their creators and the history of the first performance. The conclusion is drawn about their significance in modern mass musical culture. The media side of a rock opera is also emphasized, which tunes it to comparison with the art of cinema, establishing a connection between rock opera and musical, as one of the most popular and communicative genres of modern musical theater. The conclusions highlight the liveliness and innovation of the two works, which are an organic part of rock aesthetics. Both works introduce into the musical and poetic text "lexemes" the spoken language of youth as markers of the genre and attributes of belonging to rock culture. Until now, they are undisputed masterpieces of world popular music and stage culture.


Author(s):  
Natalya Orlova ◽  
Veronika Kostina

Введение. Дилетантский текст представляет собой заметное явление современной массовой (не элитарной) речевой культуры. К факторам, обеспечивающим продвижение данного типа текстов в СМИ, относятся приоритет гедонистической функции в ущерб познавательной, а также интерес социума к публичной личности, которой институт медиа предоставляет возможность высказываться по вопросам, не связанным с полученным образованием и профессией. Цель – исследование восприятия дилетантского текста (его содержание и формы) разными группами реципиентов. Проблематика исследования направлена на выявление неоднородности массовой речевой культуры через сопоставление оценочных позиций разных адресатов одного текста. Материал и методы. Как образец дилетантского текста использован текст главного редактора глянцевого журнала, который подчеркнуто дистанцируется от специалистов в обсуждаемой им области знания (филологии). На основе семантико-стилистического метода анализируется речевой материал, полученный в психолингвистическом эксперименте, т. е. вторичные тексты-реакции. Реципиенты поделены на три группы: неспециалисты от 18 до 44 лет; неспециалисты от 50 до 62 лет; студенты, обучающиеся по направлению «Филология». Результаты исследования. Установлено, что текст транслирует относительно достоверную информацию (научное и околонаучное знание, лингвистический миф), содержит фактические ошибки. Экспериментальное исследование оценочных реакций на текст показывает, что транслируемые текстом сведения некритично воспринимаются значительной частью реципиентов. Отношение к дилетанту как социальному типу у неспециалистов зависит от возраста: молодые участники эксперимента относятся к нему более лояльно, чем реципиенты старшей группы. Студенты, освоившие в теории и на практике обсуждаемую проблему, высказываются о суждениях дилетанта резко негативно. Оценки речевых особенностей текста коррелируют с оценками содержания. Младшая группа одобряет юмор, доступность, «легкость», с которой подается информация; старшая группа отмечает в тексте речевую агрессию, нарушение этических норм. Филологи в своих оценках речевой манеры автора ближе к старшей группе, то есть консервативнее своих сверстников. Научная новизна и практическая значимость. В лингвистический оборот вводится понятие дилетантского текста и его автора; уточняются условия, обусловливающие выдвижение фигуры дилетанта как субъекта массовой коммуникации; на основе отношения к дилетантскому тексту обосновывается наличие поколенченских вариантов массовой речевой культуры. Заключение. Оценочные реакции на одну из разновидностей современной массовой культуры – дилетантский текст – позволяют говорить о неоднородности этой культуры, а именно о существовании старшей и младшей коммуникативной нормы. Позиции младшей нормы в массовой речевой культуре являются более сильными. Этот вывод сделан на основании того, что речевые особенности исходного текста, получившие у реципиентов младшей группы одобрение, а реципиентов старшей – неодобрение, рассматриваются в современной стилистике как наиболее яркие черты прессы в целом.Introduction. The amateurish text is a notable phenomenon of modern mass (not elitist) speech culture. Factors that ensure the promotion of this type of text in the media include the priority of the hedonistic function to the detriment of the cognitive, as well as the interest of society in the public figure, which the media institute provides an opportunity to speak on issues not related to education and profession. The aim of the article is to study the perception of an amateurish text (its content and form) by different groups of recipients. The research issues are aimed at identifying the heterogeneity of mass speech culture by comparing the estimated positions of different recipients of the same text. Material and methods. As an example of amateurish text, the text of the chief editor of a glossy magazine is used, which emphasizes distance from specialists in the field of knowledge (philology) that he discusses. Based on the semantic- stylistic method, speech material obtained in a psycholinguistic experiment, that is, secondary reaction texts, is analyzed. Recipients are divided into three groups: non-specialists from 18 to 44 years old; non-specialists from 50 to 62 years old; students studying in the direction of “Philology”. Results and discussion. It is established that the text broadcasts relatively reliable information (scientific and semiscientific knowledge, a linguistic myth), contains factual errors. An experimental study of evaluative reactions to the text shows that the information transmitted by the text is uncritically accepted by a significant part of the recipients. Non-specialists regard the amateur as a social type depending on age: young participants in the experiment are more loyal to him than senior group recipients. Students who have mastered the problem under discussion in theory and practice speak out sharply negatively about amateur judgments. Assessment of the speech features of the text correlate with the assessment of content. The younger group approves of the humor, accessibility, “ease” with which the information is presented; the senior group notes in the text speech aggression, violation of ethical standards. Philologists in their assessments of the author’s speech style are closer to the older group, that is, more conservative than their peers. Conclusion. Evaluative reactions to one of the varieties of modern mass culture – the amateurish text – allow us to talk about the heterogeneity of this culture, namely the existence of an older and younger communicative norm. The positions of the younger norm in mass speech culture are stronger. This conclusion is based on the fact that the speech features of the source text, which received approval from the younger group recipients, and disapproval of the senior recipients, are considered in modern style as the most striking features of the press as a whole.


Paragraph ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 273-291
Author(s):  
Carolin Duttlinger

This article argues that attention and distraction form a central concern of Benjamin's writings on literature. Individually and in conjunction, they underpin processes of textual production and reception, yet their relationship is fluid and subject to historical change. In this respect, Benjamin's exploration of the interplay of attention and distraction in writers such as Leskov, Baudelaire and Brecht also leads to more general reflections about the social, cultural and psychological shifts brought about by industrialization and modern mass culture. Benjamin's writings on literature trace developments which he also explores in relation to film. And echoes of his ‘literary history of attention’ can also be found in both his own critical approach and his self-reflexive comments on the process of writing.


Author(s):  
Olena Afonina

The purpose of the article is to study the interpretational possibilities of Dante's code in artistic samples of various types of art. Methodology. Methods of observation, modeling, comparison, analysis, and synthesis were used in the methodology of the work. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the fact that the analysis of interpretations of Dante's code on the example of fine art, computer games, cartoons, musical arrangement in a ballet performance is carried out. Conclusions. Dante's code is a kind of cultural code that contains common information. The observation method was applied to fix the perception of works of art in order to study Dante's code. Modeling and comparison methods allowed us to determine the features of Dante's code in different genres and types of art. In the history of the visual arts, Dante's code is interpreted both in the works of artists and becomes a creative process with a generalized content of D. Alighieri's works, but with the exact use of the code name (S. Dali). Comparing the use of Dante's code in computer games, cartoons, we state that in the visual arts and modern video series, Dante's code is reproduced in accordance with the content of D. Alighieri's works. In the history of music, in the musical design of a ballet performance, Dante's code is reproduced in a generalized form, where the reference to the name and title of D. Alighieri's works dominates. In the libretto of the Kyiv ballet of the same name, Dante's code is embodied in two appeals: to a love story and fragmentarily and generally to the work "The Divine Comedy". The musical series of the ballet "Dante" is not directly related to Dante's code, but there are attempts by the authors to find allusions, reminiscences in the music of composers (A. Dvořák, R. Wagner, Ezio Bosso). Keywords: Dante's code, interpretation, ballet, fine arts, musical arrangement of a ballet performance, computer game, cartoon.


Author(s):  
Liudmila Vladimirovna Baeva

The image of the cyborg in modern society is being formed from the standpoint of modern scientific developments and media culture: the various phenomena of e-culture. The article presents an overview of current research related to understanding the nature of cyborgs, a philosophical analysis of the socio-humanitarian aspects of the process of cyborgization, the arguments pro and contra. The problem of cyborgization considered in the context of transformation of gender, immortality and ethics, etc. Special attention is paid to the study of the image of the cyborg in modern mass culture, from cinema to computer games.


Author(s):  
Benjamin E. Zeller

The Civilization series of computer games (1991–) is one of the most popular and influential series in the history of computer gaming. The game’s impact and exposure indicate that its treatment of religion is therefore significant. Throughout the Civilization series, religion has been a part of the game. However, the role that religion played and the underlying models of religion represented in the game have changed over time. This article considers how the treatment of religion in the Civilization series has developed, what this reveals about the game designers’ assumptions, and what implicit lessons about religion it teaches players.


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