Recently in American Studies, a certain thought has been crossing my mind as we discussed September 11th Remembrances, stories we are told, and watched the documentary Grizzly Man. In our discussions of 9/11, we discussed the Verizon Commercial that aired as a tribute to the victims of the attacks. Many argued that simply making a commercial about 9/11 that will associate their business' name with good deeds, and respectful decisions makes the attempt at a tribute deceitful. As opposed to donating some of their profits to a cause of 9/11, they chose a very public way to remember the victims, that could benefit themselves more than it would ever benefit an American affected by that day.
Later in the week, we watched the Werner Herzog documentary Grizzly Man. The documentary focuses on the life of Timothy Treadwell, a man with such a passion for bears, he chose to live with them in their natural, and very dangerous habitat for many years. While he did seem passionate and loving toward the animals, the critic in me could not help but consider his motives. While filming his journey, he many time took many takes, a perfectionist at documenting his endeavors. Although he did not attend all of his trips into the wild alone, he made sure it came off this way. He hid his girlfriend, who also risked her life by living with the bears, from the camera, but why? It could be because a story about a man all by his lonesome living with bears would be a more captivating story to sell to the media than a man who lived with the bears, but also with human companionship. It is not to say he did not love the bears, I truly believe he did, but it is interesting how he constructed his own story for America to see. These two completely different stories discussed in class were linked in my mind by one question: At what point does the manner in which a story or idea is publicized affect its sincerity?
The manner in which a story is constructed and put together could potentially carry more truth about the creators than the story in itself. Does the motive matter? These stories that have been created for us completely change the way in which I view the attempt. While attempting to seem earnest and kind, both the Verizon Commercial and Grizzly Man documentary reveal an underlying desire for personal attention and gain.
Recieving credit has proven to be an American goal. It's the result in American minds, rather than the process.
I really agree with this post. It's hard to find an unbiased publication these days. The way the audience reacts has everything to do with the way the story is portrayed.
ReplyDeleteI feel as though the documentary we watched did a good job in being unbiased, though. There were times where Treadwell's passion for grizzlies seemed pure and there were times when his takes felt insincere. People who loved him and his work were interviewed and people who thought he was stupid were interviewed.
The sincerity, or lack of sincerity, is difficult to determine. We will never be able to discuss with Treadwell his reasoning behind doing several takes. Maybe his friend didn't want to be filmed. Maybe he hid her from the public because if authorities slammed down on him they wouldn't on her.
I think you raise a very good point about the desire for personal attention and gain shown in both Treadwell and the commercial. I definitely agree that it is possible Treadwell enjoyed the attention he received for being a Grizzly Man, but I do not believe this was his primary motive in any way. Someone who lives in such close quarters with bears for 13 years is not just doing it for attention. I'm sure he would've realized within that time span that there are plenty of other ways of getting noticed- (ways that don't involve constantly risking your life). I think that sometimes when people see others going against the grain, they assume they must be an attention seeker. Although this may sometimes be the case, I don't find myself putting Treadwell in that category.
ReplyDeleteAllison,
ReplyDeleteGood range of topics with these early blogs. The current post on commerce and authenticity and sincerity holds loads of potential, but it hovers at the general level. Look into commercial costs of a business like Verizon? Check our Herzog's production costs, and the distribution process for an indie film like his? If you want to go farther afield compare pure artists like Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen who refuse to sell their music to companies looking to move product. Most other artists do. In short, anchor your post to a text.