The Matrix and The Internet

Ever watched or heard of The Matrix? A rhetorical question, obviously. Almost every person in the civilized world has come to know about the said movie trilogy, and the apocalyptic theme of machines taking over the human race, relying on humans for sustenance. In all machine apocalypse movies, only The Matrix noted the machines' reliance on humans for sustenance, a concept which parallels what I have learnt during the past few lectures. Other movies like the Terminator and I Robot failed to illustrate this idea, and we all know which machine apocalypse movie shines out from the rest.

The internet, as I have come to understand, is created by humans, for humans. Be it intentional or unintentional, the Internet has developed into a self-sustaining entity, which requires little maintenance, and is growing in terms of arbitrary size and intelligence at an alarming rate. I don't know about you but this IS scary to me. with the emergence of 'Web 3.0' and 'Web 4.0' software, the internet is starting to understand humans, and relate to us with unique responses. Honestly, this sounds a lot like the Internet is developing a mind of it's own. Yes, I realize that I am starting to sound like a caveman who shuns that which he does not understand, but I am pointing this out only to make it easier to see that the idea behind machine-apocalypse movies may not be so far fetched after all.

Now, let me explain why I feel that the concept of machines relying on humans for sustenance, is a concept which reflects what I have learnt in the past lectures. The Internet can only exist if WE, the prosumer, continue to use it. Sure there are servers and other various hardware that keep it running, but if we stop using the internet, the internet will not be updated or viewed, and its reach to 11 percent of the world's population would dwindle down to nothing. The only reason why the internet is so powerful is because of its ability to connect individuals through computers. Without this interconnectivity, the Internet loses its power. So, in a way, we need the Internet as much as the Internet needs us.

Perhaps The Matrix trilogy is providing an insight to our future. Nonetheless, the Internet does have its merits, and so far, everything seems to be going a-ok. But if i start seeing people miraculously dodging bullets, flying through the air or suddenly transforming into Hugo Weavings in black suits and sunglasses, I'm going to throw my computer out the window.

I'm sure that would freak you out too...

COM101 is over.. Now, it's time for me to begin on a new adventure..

COM125 !!!!

I'm excited! Soo... Let's get ready to rumble!!

NEVER FORGET

Just wanted to share this picture of me and my mum in Los Angeles.

Something to share so that we never forget the legend: Michael Jackson

Moonwalker

My man.. Michael Jackson.. What can I say? His death shook my world. I reminisce the days when I idolized this giant of a man. In fact I still do. His immense talent introduced me to the world of music.

Just like me, billions of people around the world remember Michael as the one who revolutionized the music industry with his beautiful music, hypnotic dance moves and his epic music videos. He is responsible for shaping our current music industry. Thanks to the media, his awesomeness reached audiences worldwide. He was synonymous with American culture, just like fast food and MTV. He was a main tool in the American Cultural Imperialism. Youths from all over the world began sliding their feet backwards, grabbing their crotches and shrieking in high falsettos. I have to admit, I was one of those youths, succumbing to the media phenomenon of Michael Jackson.

It is sad that his greatness was overshadowed by malicious attacks against his eccentricity. His actions cannot be explained because he cannot be compared to mere mortals. He is MICHAEL JACKSON. He was a beautiful person whose generosity was never properly documented. He financed numerous beneficiaries and rallied for world peace and social equality through his music. He broke racial boundaries, fought to end world poverty and most importantly, saved the children. I sincerely hope that all those inhuman reporters and money-hungry leeches look back and regret their actions. Michael was innocent, fragile and beautiful.

Michael has left this cruel infected world and I hope that in his death, we remember the humanitarian effort that he represented and continue his fight against the injustices in our world.

We will miss you, Michael. I will miss you.

OOPS

OH MY GOD!! I JUST REALIZED THAT I MADE 2 CONSECUTIVE POSTS ABOUT GAY MEN!!

Yes. I'm GAY!

As you can see from this picture of Adam Lambert, yes, he is definitely gay. And recently, he finally announced it to the whole world on Rolling Stone Magazine.

HUH?

Adam's American Idol journey was interesting to watch. The leaking of images depicting his tendency to lock lips with fellow males was a hit with American Idol fans. People began to question his sexuality and Adam was unwilling to reveal his sexual orientation until now. In the US, gay rights is a hot issue as more and more states begin to legalize same sex marriages. In fear of inducing negative sentiments, Adam decided to keep quiet about his homosexuality; subscribing to the Spiral of Silence. When American Idol was over, fan-support was nothing but short, encouraging him to come out into the open.

Adam claimed that he was proud about his sexuality in the article, and we can see it in Adam's song choices during his stint in American Idol. He saw the show as a medium to send a very personal message to his audience. His song choices were very purposeful in his attempt to encourage non-discrimination, social change and acceptance of personal differences. Songs like, 'Black or White', 'Mad World', 'Born To Be Wild' and 'Feeling Good', were songs specifically chosen by Adam to portray these messages.

Personally, I feel that Adam Lambert has a promising future ahead of him and I am eagerly awaiting the debut of his first album. At first glance, people would see him as an entertainer. But if you look deeper, he represents change, a figurehead, spearheading our generation into a world where differences mean nothing.

HE'S GAY AND FABULOUS!!!

The king of culture shock, Sacha Baron Cohen, is back with a new movie: Brüno.  Like his previous movie, Borat, he plays a character that many Americans would deem weird and out of the norm. He puts himself in situations where he challenges the American culture and  forces them to draw a distinct boundary of what is acceptable and what is not. His latest character, Bruno, is a flamboyant homosexual who  is obsessed with media, fashion and latest trends.

With all his previous characters, Sacha Baron Cohen has broken cultural boundaries. In doing so, he manages to portray Americans as narrow-minded people who have strong sets of cultural beliefs, unable to understand or accept any other form of culture separate from their own. This comic genius has successfully proven that the American public is NOT a individualist society but rather, a collectivist society.

I feel that Sacha Baron Cohen's characters do more than just make people laugh. There is a lot of underlying messages in his 'interviews'. His informal methods have managed to uncover society's tendency to discriminate against those who are different. If you care to browse through Sacha Baron Cohen's extensive library of interviews, you will find that many Americans still have negative sentiments towards Jews and homosexuals.

Watching his shows have made me realize that all the 'tolerance' and 'harmony' that we talk about are just facades. Deep down inside, we all subscribe to our own prejudices and stereotypes. No matter how much we disagree, we cannot lie to ourselves. Even though I may project an image of acceptance to foreign workers, deep down inside, I am aware that I still hold a grudge against them for reasons like: they steal our jobs, they steal our women. So what prejudice or stereotype do you subscribe to?