Jenni's Perspective

“The Lie We Live,” a short film by Spencer Cathcart, presents a sweeping critique of modern society, economics, and power structures. From a Marxist perspective, the video becomes a rich text that unveils the realities of capitalist domination, ideological control, and the alienation of labor in contemporary life. The film addresses how capitalism shapes our consciousness and reproduces inequality under the guise of freedom and progress. At its core, Marxist theory seeks to expose how economic structures determine societal conditions, including people’s beliefs, relationships, and values. According to Karl Marx, capitalism is a system rooted in class struggle between the bourgeoisie (those who control the means of production) and the proletariat (the working class). “The Lie We Live” echoes this structure through a compelling narrative that condemns consumerism, corporate power, environmental degradation, and wage slavery. One of the most striking Marxist elements of the video is...

  Oppositional Reading  In Stuart Hall’s media theory, an oppositional reading happens when a person completely disagrees with the message a video or film is trying to send. That’s exactly what happens with some viewers who watch Spencer Cathcart’s video, “The Lie We Live.” While the video paints modern life, capitalism, and technology as harmful and fake, an oppositional viewer pushes back and says: “Nope, I don’t agree with this at all.” From the very beginning, this viewer disagrees with how the video shows today’s world as corrupt, depressing, and meaningless. They think the message is too negative and ignores the good side of things. For example, the video says capitalism is a big lie but this viewer believes capitalism, even with its flaws, has helped billions of people escape poverty, encouraged inventions, and given people the freedom to choose their paths in life. They feel the video exaggerates the problems and forgets that the system can be improved rather than t...

  Assignment 2: Stylistic & Technical Review of Fincher’s Direction Title: “Fincher’s Code: Crafting Genius and Alienation in The Social Network ” Introduction Just like any of his works, "The Social Network" is also intricately crafted with astonishing attention to detail, which is something Fincher is widely known for. The film delves into the ideas of ambition, groundbreaking intellect, and emotional disconnect. Additionally, it touches upon how Fincher approaches editing, mise-en-scene, performance and sound. In this review, I will focus on the character of Mark Zuckerberg and the overwhelming emotions and deeper thoughts he goes through, and how Fincher's directorial choices shape those emotions throughout the film.   Mise-en-Scène & Cinematography Fincher employs mise-en-scène and cinematography to illustrate Mark Zuckerberg’s social withdrawal and emotional hollowness. The dorm rooms and courtrooms’ lighting is soft, and the temperature is cold and de...

  Assignment 1: Blog Post Review Using Stuart Hall's Encoding/Decoding Model Title: “What We See vs. What It Means: Decoding The Social Network ” Introduction Stuart Hall’s Encoding/Decoding model enables one to analyze the communication processes between media texts and various audiences. David Fincher’s The Social Network is a narrative regarding the Facebook phenomenon and the individual as well as societal ramifications of technological advancement. Through the lens of Hall’s theory, we can contemplate on the ways Fincher encodes power, ambition, and loneliness, as well as how those messages are decoded based on a viewer’s social standing or perspective. Encoded In the film, Fincher intricately weaves together themes of isolation, power, and intricate layers of betrayal. Through his cold lighting and solitary framing, Zuckerberg is shown as emotionally detached, albeit a technological genius. These choices reinforce the notion that even as Zuckerberg builds a platform f...