I AM A GOLDEN GOD!!!

The media have a funny way of getting exactly what they want from their consumers.  Do consumers get what they want from the media?  Is the reality the media machine puts forth a reality that is livable?  For some, yes.  Some people enjoy the media’s power so much that they can’t help but get sucked into the swirling notion of a distorted reality.  For others, the media’s perception of reality reminds them to hold on to what they’ve got.  In Cameron Crowe’s film, Almost Famous, some characters venture within their own realities while others step out of their realm to experience a new culture.  The effect this film has on its audience is quite similar.  Almost Famous as a commodity and media machine has the power to control its audience…to inspire some to become free, open rock stars or to cower back into the hole of reality that they are already a part of.

(Cameron Crowe takes pieces of his life and creates this film as a reconstruction of his own life experiences.)

Almost Famous is about breaking the barriers of a socially constructed society and forming one’s own reality.  William takes the lead of his older sister, Anita, after she leaves home to become a stewardess—escaping the dreadful wrath of their mother in an attempt to see the world on her own.  William is left with her old records and immediately becomes obsessed with the rock bands that Anita’s life was shaped around—Led Zeppelin, Cream, Joni Mitchell, etc.  (Anita’s sense of reality took form within her musical preference, and her escape from home was in search of the new life that this music—medium—offered.)

Not only does the media offer different concepts of reality for its audience, but the media within this film alters the realities of its characters.

William begins his career in rock journalism when he is sent on assignment to a Black Sabbath concert.  He meets Penny Lane and the other ‘band aides’ at the concert, as well as the opening band Stillwater, whom he travels on tour with when Rolling Stone magazine discovers his writing abilities (without knowing his real age, of course).  William’s perception of reality has never really been ‘normal’ because of his placement in school with older children.  However, a new reality forms as a result of his adventures with Stillwater, Penny Lane, and the rest of the gang.  Penny exposes William to an array of people, places, and things along the way.  Despite being exposed to the extreme rock star lifestyle, William manages to stay level-headed, focusing solely on interviewing each member of the band for the Rolling Stone article (that is eventually considered for the cover feature).  William’s main goal is to figure out who the real Stillwater is.  This proves to be difficult for him because the band is so immersed in their rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle that they fail to embrace the reality that surrounds them.

TINY DANCER = This clip shows the band and ‘band aides’ getting completely lost in this wonderful Elton John song.  So many of us today get lost in music and allow the lyrics and sound to become tangible…we allow them to evoke emotion (another machine that has control over society).  This clip is also important because it shows William’s struggle with his new reality.  He begins to smile and get involved with the song.  The clip cuts to the different band members and ‘aides’ on the bus…some are closing their eyes and swaying side to side with the music…letting the song control them.  Just when we think William is close to getting lost in the song with them he states, “I want to go home.”  Penny Lane smiles at him and tells him, “You are home.”  William is not ready for this reality.  Or, better yet, he is smarter than the rock stars (but we already know that).  He knows where he belongs, he knows where his roots are and understands what’s truly important to him.

I AM A GOLDEN GOD = This clip is interesting because it shows Russell on acid (obviously).  It glorifies his rock star lifestyle, being amidst teenagers, being an idol to them, showing them how great his life really is…on drugs.  When it comes time to choose his last words he says, “I’m on drugs!”  This makes the crowd go wild.  They like it.  William cringes, showing how he disproves of this response but also isn’t yet acclimated to this new reality that he is experiencing.  He still feels out of place, like a follower…only on a mission to get that last interview from Russell…but Russell continuously does something to put it off further and further.  When Russell changes his last words to “I dig music” it seems that William is somewhat satisfied with that response (although not completely), but the rest of the crowd is disappointed….so he reverts back to “I’m on drugs!”  Just as he is about to climb down off the roof, someone yells “JUMP!”  Without thinking, Russell turns around and leaps off the roof into the pool…Oh the joys of acid.  (Did anyone note the awkward discoloration in the clip?  I thought that was interesting…adds to the effects of being on acid!)

One person’s response to the YouTube film trailer —

“ikenny83uk:

lovin it so much! turns me really into a good rockin’ mood!”

But what is considered “real” reality?  How does this film, the media machine, affect the reality of those who watch it?

Almost Famous strives to provide its audience with the feeling of invincibility.  Nothing is unattainable or out of reach (especially if you’re on drugs).  William, at 15, shows us how dreams can most definitely become a reality if you put your mind to it (he also shows us how to deepen your voice to give your editors the impression that you’re older).  Seeing this movie will inspire those searching for some sort of reality to quickly stand up and pursue that dream.  Penny Lane even shows us at the end of the movie that despite her crazy disillusioned rock star lifestyle, she still made her dream of moving to Morocco for a year a reality…changing her identity and culture to the fitting lifestyle in Morocco…although we never know what happens to her, except that she leaves those big bug-eyed sunglasses behind.

When I was done watching this film, it made me want to blast my classic rock mixes, smoke a joint, and get completely wasted…and not do any of my readings for class.  Is that the proper reality though?  Is that the way I should live my life?  Is that the reality for me?  Is that the reality for anyone?  Almost Famous, through the media machine, sold me that reality.  Rather than doing anything inappropriate (although I did listen to some classic rock), I gloated in my newfound inspirational reality, chugged some water, and went to bed with a smile on my face…excited to begin a new day, a new reality.

On the contrary, this movie might evoke a different kind of perception of reality.  Someone who is living a typical lifestyle in their own eyes….someone who goes to work, eats a proper diet, provides for one’s family, lives the “American dream,” etc., might see this movie as a negative, rebellious lifestyle.  Deep down inside they might yearn for that type of freedom, but is it really freedom at all?

There really is no right or wrong answer to this.

Ultimately, the media machine, through television (reality shows like Idol, Biggest Loser) and film construct this notion of reality that becomes confusing for its audience.  What reality is the correct reality to be living in?  Ultimately, this leads to the audience member embarking on a soul-searching journey to find the proper reality…using the media machine as its crutch…watching certain shows or films that offer the message that one is looking for as inspiration.