The Quality of Copies

I have a question for you. If availability and price were not an issue, which would you choose:

1. An original painting or a reproduction?
2. A concert with your favourite band or a local cover band?
3. The Twilight/ Lord of the Ring trilogy or the films based on them?
4. An Armani suit/ Louis Vuitton bag or a Chinese copy?
5. Attending Woodstock in August 1969 or hearing your parents talk about it?

My guess is you chose the first alternative more often than not. Also, I wager your argument for doing so was that the first is better, but why is that? What makes an original better than a copy, and is the original really what you think it is?

Original and Copy

When a painting is being made, it represents reality. When your local cover band performs, they play already existing songs. The films adapt the readily available books, the Chinese copies mimic the originals and your parents tries to present reality as it was in 1969. The arts' role in representing reality emphasises the distinction between original and copy and Graham Allen, professor of literal and cultural theory at University College Cork, examines the nature of this relationship in Intertextuality in reference to Walter Benjamin's seminal essay The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction:

In an age before the mass publication of books, possession of an individual text was extremely rare and of enormous value. The prices still paid for original classic paintings also attest a residual attachment on contemporary society to the aura of the original work of art. Technological society, however, is dominated by reproductions of original works. The signed copy of the novel may be preferable to the unsigned copy, an original painting by Van Gogh may seem priceless, attendance at a dance performance may seem preferable to viewing it on video, but in contemporary society our experience of these and all other arts are generally of their technological reproductions. New artistic media of the twentieth century such as film, video and television, are, indeed, based on technological methods of reproduction. The aura which surrounds The Mona Lisa or the eight-century Book of Kells in Trinity College Library, Dublin, is unavailable to, and indeed an irrelevance for, these kinds of art forms (i). 

Allen, of course, neglects to mention that by their very nature the original painting by Van Gogh, the Mona Lisa, the Book of Kells and even the dance performances are themselves reproductions. Each of them mimics either natural entities, persons, stories probably already in existence, a dance script or an earlier performance.

Not original

With licence to copy (©)

Dance, by accompanying and illustrating originals such as music, narration or in hunter gatherer societies the movement of animals, necessarily has to imitate an original through body movement (ii). The hunter gatherer would accompany the rhythm of a primitive drum and dance to give a representation of his genesis myth through body movement. He might also dance to mimic the hare which he caught earlier. In these cases, the hunter gatherer tries to adapt cultural expressions like music into another art form, reproducing music and myth narration as dance, or he is imitating the world, reproducing the movement of its animals.

Still not original

The signed copy of a novel is arguably just that, a copy. The Mona Lisa is a static reproduction of the visage of a real person and the Book of Kells is a reproduction of Christian sacred documents and a summing up of contemporary religious discourse.

The basic argument still stands, though, because in the original-reproduction dichotomic relationship the original is the source from which the reproduction borrows and as such truly original within that relationship. Likewise, by being a part of a cultural context, the original appears as a segment of reality, however many earlier sources it may have imitated. Thus, art is always to some extent a copy of reality and it is this copy which is generally encountered in contemporary society.

Copy of Kells

This, in a simple and applicable form, is exemplified by news media. As soon as we do not experience an event first hand, we miss reality because any other way of becoming aware of the event after its passing has to be through a reproduction. This could be in terms of someone having experienced the original event and then reproducing it by narrating his or her experience. Alternatively, it could be in terms of a newscast reporting a real event, its content and form edited and adapted in order to be presentable through a different medium, film (iii). As representative for an age of multi-media, this latter case is symptomatic for the emergence of the field of adaptation where narratives are adapted into new technological modes of expression.

"Do I have an original thought in my head?"

So if everything is inspired by something and nothing is original, does that mean that everything is of poorer quality than some mythical source?

Well, it depends on how you look at it.

A pessimist would say that you cannot create anything new and original and by borrowing, willingly or unwillingly, you make a patchwork which is less coherent and less consistent and therefore of lower quality. Since you cannot help drawing your inspiration from your experience, you are doomed to reproduction and, at best, repetition. The pessimistic approach is expertly exemplified in the opening monolgue of Adaptation:

The pessimist would say that the film takes what you read in the book, leaves out the bits it finds irrelevant and adds bits it thinks should be there, like music or moving images. The chances of these corresponding with what you would think appropriate are slim to none and the rest of the audience faces similar odds. Because of this gap between priorities and between expectations, any new cultural product would in fact be a poorer one.

An optimist, on the other hand, would argue that the novelty is in the combinations. By combining cultural products, like film music, moving images and a story from a novel, the new film could be so much more than each individual product could. You would understand the book differently, listening to the song would never be the same again and seeing that actor play out his part would modify the way you look at both him and other films in which he has appeared.

The optimist would say that because everything is a copy and because you cannot do anything without copying several other copies, you make something original. There are so many elements which inform your creation process, that the likelihood of all those elements having been put together before is as small as the pessimist's priority odds.

An original copy

Let us revisit the list we started with.

1. The reproduction would be more than a poorer imitation of the painting. It would include all the colours, all the interpretations and experiences of the reproducing painter and all the history of the original painting.
2. The cover band concert would update the original song and give it a local flavour. It would reflect not only each musician, but also the musical tradition of the area in addition to what were there "originally".
3. The trilogies could only communicate through symbols or the occasional static image. The films, on the other hand, can tell you things through the sequence of images, through what's in these images and through sound (which includes music, noises, dialogue, voiceover etc.). These would give you experiences you could never create based on just the text.
4. The Chinese imitations would use different materials, different techniques and would probably be more affordable and available. This combination would greatly expand the impact and implications of all these products.
5. By combining the Woodstock experience with all their history after the event, nostalgia and modern sensibilities, your parents will have created a new Woodstock, one which is different from the one they actually experienced. In time, you might tell your children about Woodstock and your story will, with almost complete certainty be a different one.

Oh no! That cannibal from Sin City, Jonathan Safran Foer, has got the ring!

The copy, therefore, is original because it is a combination which did not exist before. Considering it as a poorer version just because it is based on something else might have more to do with the psychological fear of being wrong, of having backed the wrong thing. Psychologist Elliot Aronson wrote:

Far from being a sign of intellectual inferiority, the capacity to err is crucial to human cognition. Far from being a moral flaw, it is inextricable from some of our most humane and honorable qualities: empathy, optimism, imagination, conviction, and courage. And far from being a mark of indifference or intolerance, wrongness is a vital part of how we learn and change. Thanks to error, we can revise our understanding of ourselves and amend our ideas about the world (iii).

So next time you catch yourself thinking that someone has destroyed your favourite book or piece of music, keep Aronson's words in mind and then ask yourself what you have lost, why it was precious and what you have gained.

What do you think? 

How do you react to copies like a film adaptation of your favourite book? Is a copy always poorer than the original? Does the knowledge that you probably are not creating anything new as such take the fun out of creative work? If so, why? Is the alternative that we stop producing cultural expressions or should we open the floodgates and create for the lowest common denominator? Make your contribution to the discussion!

Comments on The Tale of Sir Bob are always welcome!

Sources: (i): Graham Allen: Intertextuality, 2nd edn (Oxford and New York: Routledge, 2011): 176
(ii): Ann C. Albright and Ann Dils (eds.): Moving History/ Dancing Cultures: A Dance History Reader (Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press, 2001): 119-120
(iii): Elliot Aronson: The Social Animal (New York: Worth, 2012)
Pic1, Pic2, Pic3, Pic4

Another Song for the Exhausted

My Fridays are always harrowing. If you were to say; "Look at that fellow, Sir Bunbury, he is a nervous wreck" you wouldn't be far off. Giving lectures for hours on end can really take it out of a poor blighter. In these situations, T Rex' We Love to Boogie and particularly this youtube rendition is like ointment to the wearly limb.

Top Three Dances

These are the three dances I would most like to learn and the music that made me want to learn them. See if you aren't similarly inclined:

1. Jive

This is the dance as presented by Stefano Di Filippo and Anna Melnikova, 2008 World Champions. The dance itself lasts from 1:40 to 3:43.

I would very much like to dance the jive to this song from Hairspray:

2. Argentine Tango

I want to dance the tango like Deborah Quiroga and Carlos Barrionueva did at the 2006 Mundial de Tango in Buenos Aires...

so I can dance to this, Gotan Project's Mi Confesion:

3. West Coast Disco

Just want to expand my swing skills to cover more musical genres such as these:

Benji and Heidi, as posted before:

and the Canadian West Coast Swing champions, Myles Monroe and Tessa Cunningham.

Sources: as given

Successful Marketing

I like to consider myself a conscious consumer and pride myself on being able to see through most commercials. This one, however, had me running for the stores. It advertises small gummy bears with vitamins and fruity flavour. I have never been one for dietary supplements but now I take two of these every morning.

This is an earlier, less appealing one:

Sources: 1, 2

Hubba hubba Zoot Zoot Animé Karaoke

With Monday morning coming down hard and a similar aspect of solidity marring the remainder of the day, I was pleased to have my spirits lifted in the evening by this. Enjoy!

I Can Make Those People Dance - Songs for the Exhausted, Bar 3

This is the final top 5 of the songs for the exhausted, songs which would reintroduce the spring in the step of the downbeaten and exasperated. The characteristics of such songs are jauntiness, an upbeat rhythm and often overly expressive vocals and the discerning reader has recognised these in the ten songs in Bar 1 and Bar 2. This leaves the final five, the prime of powertracks, the peak of power, the pinnacle of pep, the flower of forcefulness, the zenith of zest, the superiority of spirit, the excellence if élan, for your enjoyment and gratification, starting with La Grange.

5 - ZZ Top - La Grange



The attentive subscriber will have registered the extent to which the Texans have frequented this trilogy. The carefree and unpretentious appeal and the sheer bluff, grittyness of the La Grange riff should justify their position in a catalogue of revitalising canzonets like this.

4 - Tomoyasu Hotei - Battle Without Honor or Humanity



Battle Without Honor or Humanity is a version of Tomoyasu Hotei's Shin jingi-naki tatakai. Originally used in a 2000 film in which Hotei had a role, the instrumental was used in a number of films and games, most notably Kill Bill and Gran Turismo. Both these are admittedly energetic and so are their soundtracks. This full and immersing soundscape is just the ticket for a tired soul.

3 - The Who - The Seeker



From the first chord, the song's sharpish rock'n'roll guitar grabs your fancy and makes you feel like a rock star on stage. That is no bad alternative to feeling under the weather. Please note the legendary Keith Moon on drums.

2 - Lenny Kravitz - American Woman



This 1999 powerload with its bass and drum driving force is designed to give anyone a jolt. The combination of several instruments into a single unity of sound like the guitar and voice following 0:44 gives the song a full, solid and self-confident quality, earning it the second highest ranking on this list.

1 - Bon Jovi - It's My Life



Heading the list, the track at the top of pep, is Bon Jovi's It's My Life. Not unlike American Woman, the song gives you confidence and makes you feel steady and ready. The combination of drums and vocals at the two introductory beats and before each chorus really shakes you awake and makes you want to move to the music.

So that is it from the energy tracks. If 15 songs of pure energy did not present pick-me-ups aplenty you should check for vital signs, because then you are probably dead.

Dirty Talk 18th Century Style

Ever wondered what the charm of those 18th century balls was? Alexander Armstrong and Ben Miller give the answer in the first season of their Armstrong and Miller Show; the quadrille. In a series of skits they perform a number of exchanges while dancing and the discourse reflects the joyous situation. I am proud to present all the lecherous meetings of mind (and body) from the first series of Filthy Quadrilles.

The Quadrille

Wench: You're not moving quite so freely as is your wont, Mr. Gosling. You're usually such a wonderful dancer.
Rake: Unfortunately, Miss Cardew, I am negotiating an obstruction in my breeches with the same tough, knotty and veined aspect as a Portuguese sailor's arm.

Rake: You dance impeccably, Miss Harwood. You've truly awoken the devil in my imaginings.
Wench: And you, Captain Jennings, have stirred something in the region girded by my most intimate undergarments.
Rake: Indeed, madam? And I believe that it will interest you to know that under the restrictions of my pantaloons there is a protrusion so monstrously tumescent that were you to avail yourself of it, I can guarantee your horse would see no action for a week.


Rake: With your hair so prettily coiffed, Miss Harwood, you resemble nothing so much as the most charming French poodle.

Wench: I'm flattered, Mr. Gosling.

Rake: Which leads me to enquire whether at a later stage this evening, I might be permitted to attend to you on all fours with all the bestial vigours of one of my father's prize mastiffs.

Wench: Woof, woof!

Rake: Precisely.

Cover of Season 1
(from BBC's web shop)


Rake: Not too fatigued by this evening's exertions, Miss Cardew?

Wench: Why, no, Captain Jennings. I could go on for hours.

Rake: Then might I suggest that you join me later for some modest theatricals?

Wench: Gladly! And which roles would we be playing?

Rake: I would play the part of a wealthy industrialist, whilst you, Miss Cardew, would play a Whitechapel strumpet of such eye-wateringly low virtue that you would leave me as dry as a ship's biscuit.

Alexander Armstrong

Rake: Ah, Miss Cardew! You and your friend Miss Harwood look ravishing tonight.

Wench: Then perhaps you would like to accompany us back to Duxford Hall, where she and I would be most happy to disport ourselves gaily before you on the floor of the parlour.

Rake: And would I be confined to observing these antics, or might I be permitted to participate at some opportune juncture?

Wench: Participate? Oh, Mr. Gosling, I can promise you that you will see more action than the Duke of Wellington's musket.



Rake: Miss Harwood, you look ravishing, though I cannot help to conject that your exquisite gown would look even more becoming strewn on the floor of my bedchamber.

Wench: And a man as exquisitely fashioned as you, Captain Jennings, would look even more becoming on, beneath, behind and, for my own benefit, several inches within me.

Ben Miller
(img.poptower.com)

Wench: Captain Jenning, I am looking forwards to succumbing to your roving hands this evening.
Rake: And it is with the utmost anticipation that I am looking forward to flinging you upon my divan and plundering your most intimate undergarments.
Wench: I'm sorry to disappoint you, Captain Jennings, but in a quite unforgivable display of amnesia, I appear to have left them in my bedchamber.

Rake: Ah, Miss Cardew. I was hoping to have the pleasure of interviewing you this evening.
Wench: Oh, Mr. Gosling, I'm afraid I've rather rashly agreed to receieve Captain Jennings this evening.
Rake: Captain Jennings? But why?
Wench: Because, Mr. Gosling, according to Lady Derbyshire, he is endowed with a sword as elegantly formed as it is epically proportioned and which will leave me walking like an orphan with rickets.

The best part is that according to research, this is probably the way things went down.

The series can be bought at any sensibly industrious vendor.

I Can Make Those People Dance - Songs for the Exhausted, Bar 1

At times we all feel down and in need of a proper energy boost. Arriving home from a hellish day at work or some equally harrying trial, you collapse at your doorstep wondering how to muster the strength to drag yourself indoors and check for vital signs. You muster your last strength, grab for your mp3 player, weakly clasp the headphones to your head and with shrinking field of vision you press play clutching to the last straws of consciousness; the 15th and the last on the list of great power tracks hits you like a shot of adrenalin...

15 - Billy Idol - Rebel Yell



Billy Idol, a powerhouse as an artist, figures as a good last place. The powerful and erratic vocals override the flow of the backup which would otherwise leave the song to sedate to figure on the list.

14 - Wild Cherry - Play That Funky Music



Although there are numerous similar disco songs, I have never seen any of them fill a formerly deserted dancefloor like this did, and surely that is a testimony to its envigorating effect.

13 - ZZ Top - I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide



The sturdy two thirds, iconically bearded Texas trio has had a knack for delivering energic and playful rock hits with a strong link to blues which provides a strong rhythm and avoids songs like Nationwide becoming stressful.

12 - Aerosmith - Last Child



Sooner or later the Boston Bad Boys would have to appear on this list. Although somewhat outside their more well-known street of ballads, Last Child incorporates some of Aerosmith's exuberant energy and makes you want to put on oversized, Tyleresque sunglasses and stride confidently down the road, making heads turn.

11 - Roxette - The Look



For some, including this scriblerian, Roxette is the epitome of 80's energy. The sligthly rasping voices, the energetic hits, the sharp or shabby hairstyles and the in-your-face attitude of the band should serve as a musical pick-me-up for anyone.

Slightly reinvigorated with promising spasms and rising blood pressure a faint hope glimmers; that you once more shall once more obtain an array of arias, a batch of ballads, a clique of choruses, a deportment of ditties or something in the same alliterative genre.

And it just so happens that you're in luck, as there soon will be a Bar 2 in this Songs for the Exhausted series!

My Five Favourite Dance Performances

Tobias Mead in Britain's Got Talent 2010:



Benji Schwimmer and Heidi Groskreutz' stunning West Coast Swing. A study in interpretation:



Some of these moves were taken from their 2001 performance. I still can not see what they are doing with their arms at 1:55:



This is the group routine of "Five Guys Named Moe" from "So you think you can dance" season 4. The versions on youtube are of very poor quality and Fox tries to hinder every leak. Right now, downloading the film here seems to be the only option:

Look out, brother Eat Moe!

Similarly, footage of Mark Kanemura's performance to Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" at the audition for that season is excessively hard to come by. The closest we get is this link.

Mark Kanemura seeing a little silhouetto of a man