[From PopTech] The afternoon led off with two interesting presentations, moderated by MIT Good Guy, Henry Jenkins.

Lauren Rabinovitz talked about the social importance of amusement parks at the turn of the previous century when there were 1,500 of them. By 1920, 75% had closed. She presented lots of interesting ideas about a phenomenon I know nothing about. For example, rides weren’t at the heart of them at first, in part because the mechanics weren’t sophisticated enough. But when rides did come to prominence, they enabled people to reverse the usual human-machine relationship, giving themselves over to the machine.

Gerard Jones has a great resume as a comic book writer, video game designer and lots more; his current book is “Killing Monsters.” Movies, he says, always created world liberated from physics and from propriety. Comic books create a different type of world. He discusses both in light of what social and psychological roles they enable readers/viewers to play: “the second self,” “the other,” etc. Also lots of good insights. E.g., in the ’50s, the layout of comic books became much more rationalized and linearity, matching the political and social change. He said we don’t yet know what the form of video games will be, but many games are ominious, playing on a fear of what danger is lurking behind the door. [Definitely. But also the chaotic, in-public mayhem of Grand Theft Auto 3. Not to mention The Sims.]

Categories: Uncategorized dw