Last Friday MTV aired a special called "Iraq Uploaded," focusing on soldiers who've taken footage of the war and cut the images to a song, creating their own music video of sorts. I didn't get to see the special but the You-hear-it-first clip "TRL" played last Thursday was enough to convince me that video clips are practically taking over the world. It began with recorded violence on video phones, escalated to sheer stupidity on YouTube and has now transcended into self-expression. Leave it to the young generation to introduce a new era of information, sidestepping corporate media and creating their own letter to the masses.
While many magazines are focusing on how the war is affecting the newly discharged soldiers and their lack of employment, very few are tapping into more obscure and unexpected side effects of war. Other mediums are picking up the slack. MTV's "Iraq Uploaded" expresses the emotions of hundreds of soldiers whose voices will never be heard, soldiers who use lyrics and the images of their everyday life to get through to their generation about their opposition to war.
Meanwhile, NBC's new Fall show "Heroes" relays a different message. On janemag.com there's an exclusive video interview with Milo Ventimiglia ("The Gilmore Girls") where he talks about Rocky Balboa and his part in the new pilot "Heroes." The drama follows everyday people who slowly discover that they have super hero related powers. Ventimiglia mentions that their development isn't the side effect of a spider bite or a toxic waste leak, but of evolution. In a time of war and terrorism, people begin to adapt to their environment, developing defense mechanisms that are supernatural, and evolving into bonafide super heroes.
As the box office is bombarded with super hero movies...in the wake of war and death...we now search for the real heroes within ourselves.
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