Artist Statement
Marina Gephart
Statement of purpose:
Through this audio remix I hoped to communicate the lack of decency American
females have today. The various quotes are examples of materialism, ignorance and
vanity. By synching it to the “Barbie Girl” song, I wanted to sort of mock the girls.
The Barack Obama speech was there to hammer down the purpose further: that as a
country, we need more education.
Influences:
That being said, I knew of all these quotes and situations because I watch these
reality shows myself, fully knowing how bad they are. In a way, this remix was a sort
of apology to the world for being one of these girls, or at least supporting them. I
was influenced by pop culture and the media, and by my sense of humor. Though
the topic was kind of heavy and controversial, I wanted people to get a laugh out of
just how ridiculous these people are.
Fit Within Larger Notion of Aesthetics:
Materials:
I got all my audio material through Youtube.com, and converted the videos to mp3
files using an app through Firefox. After I collected all the raw material, I used
Garageband to compile the files and edit them. These methods are protected by Fair
Use in the Copyright laws. Because of the nature of my assignment (for school and
not for personal gain) my actions are pardoned.
Methodology:
I wanted this audio remix to contain lots of material, so the clips I used were mostly
short and choppy, but not so short as to lose meaning. I was able to compile so many
through the power of hyperlinks and the never ending trail of Youtube videos I got
caught up watching. I chose to use the most well-known or memorable clips for my
remix, though, otherwise it could easily have been an hour long.
Desired Results:
I mostly just wanted people to realize that the current state of ignorance and lack of
knowledge in America is repulsive and requires immediate action. Through my
research I discovered one in three American citizens failed the citizenship test that
foreigners are given to become Americans. I thought President Obama’s speech was
indicative of the problem we face. Hopefully it will get you thinking!
Actual Results:
I think my purpose will be easily read (or heard) because of how short and concise
each clip is that I used. They all got straight to the point. I do wish I would have
given myself more time to work on it though because I may have added other
speeches and maybe some audio effects to make the production more sophisticated.
Outcome:
I achieved my purpose, though it may have generalized Americans a bit. I chose the
most notoriously stupid people to quote, which may have made my project a little
biased. I do think the quotes showcase American ignorance perfectly, though. The
previous paragraph already dove into this topic a little.
The following links are the videos I used for my project:
Barbie Girl: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyhrYis509A
Instrumental Barbie Girl: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1k102lZc9E
Simple Life: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzM5JJ8YiXs
Newlyweds chicken or tuna: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2h72aXVP8o
Snooki lobster: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJfh8ZzaM-w
Miss America: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtkX3OyPF4Q
Kelli Pickler: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cey35bBWXls
Maury girl: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDijQwR80Oc
Farrah Abraham: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e83UEqUcVko
Real Housewives botox: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AamVPpOsW9s
Newport Beach: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=detET81JxVU
Get in loser: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOy1EoX5T0k
Paris Hilton “That’s Hot”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbGVqStyAkQ
Barack Obama: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hOp408Ib5w