DAN JAIME
ENGLISH: READING POPULAR CULTURE
FINAL PORTFOLIO
SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY
PROFESSOR JACOB REESE
1
Dan Jaime
ENG145
Professor Reese
12/10/24
The Na’vi and… Delta Tau Chi? Why They Might Have More in Common Than You Think
As we’ve learned, discussed, and visually experienced throughout the semester in our class, popular culture is a multifaceted domain that not only serves as a reflection of societal values, roots, and history, but can also be a dividing and controversial topic in today’s highly protective social atmosphere. One of the many topics we spent some time discussing that stuck to me was the distinction between “capital C Culture” and “low culture”. How we, as a society, define what becomes ‘high’ or ‘low’ culture says a lot about deeply rooted feelings that often have discriminatory connotations to them, which can lead us - as consumers of everyday media - down a dangerous, slippery slope. This is why popular culture’s role as a medium through which individuals and communities interpret, communicate, and resist dominant ideologies is so vital to the stability of our society. The films Avatar (2009) and Animal House (1978) were groundbreaking for popular culture at the time of their respective releases. They provided us ‘fertile ground’ (as some would like to call it) for exploring critical frameworks and building blocks in pop culture by examining and developing the concepts of media and fan communities, counterculture movements, and finally through encoding and decoding. These two films, though made decades apart and addressing vastly different themes and contexts, produced some of the strongest fan communities that we still see to this day and reflected the countercultural movements of the world at their times, shifting the state of media and popular culture. By encoding symbols of the revolutionary and anti-establishment real-world sentiments of their respective times, Animal House (1978) and Avatar (2009) produced some of the strongest and long-lasting media communities in our social world.
The concept and process of encoding and decoding provides a foundational framework for understanding how media messages are constructed and interpreted. Developed by cultural theorist Stuart Hall (we know him VERY well by now) encoding and decoding are “instrumental in understanding a piece of media’s narrative and broader cultural commentary” (Jaime, Essay 1). In Avatar (2009), James Cameron encodes narratives about ecological preservation, imperialism, and corporate greed. The story of Pandora’s indigenous Na'vi people, their graceful relationship with nature, and their resistance against human exploitation - in this movie’s case, fully nationalized - serves as a representation for historical and ongoing struggles faced by colonized and marginalized communities. The fortitude and resilience of the Na’vi people really resonated with millions of viewers around the world, and especially within the environmentally-active community. These “green groups” as they’re called served a countercultural role in their communities at the time. In a late 2000s time period where global warming and climate change were constantly “debunked” and treated like a faux, few groups truly recognized the terrifying and dangerous path that our planet was - and still is - on. Through the themes and characters of Avatar, these small and few green groups not only boosted their countercultural movements, desperate to make the general public aware of the dangers of global warming, but became closer to each other and built long-lasting bonds in the process, creating a fan community of Avatar that remains massive and strong to this day.
Similarly, Animal House embodies the ethos of the counterculture movement, providing a different yet complementary lens for engaging with popular culture. Animal House became symbolic of a broader cultural moment when younger generations - especially college students - rejected conformity and sought alternative modes of identity and community. Exaggerated portrayals of college life and the unwavering camaraderie between the characters were key parts in the plot that served as the “backbone for exploring the dynamics of the countercultural movements of that time, and the media communities of today” (Jaime, Essay 2). The film satirizes institutional authority, placing the brothers of the Delta Tau Chi fraternity right in the middle of it. They may not know it, but the Delta Tau Chi members' roles go deeper than just some goofy, pleasure-chasing college dudes. They are the symbol of resistance, they are the fight against corruption and evil, and are the representation of goodness (if you’ve watched Animal House this one may be debatable…) This very reason is why - as comical as it may sound - the Na’vi tribe and Delta Tau Chi fictional fraternity have a lot more in common than it may seem to the naked eye. At their very foundation, both of these groups represent the fight against human exploitation and moral evil. They just want to be left alone, they want to be let live. Media communities, fan communities, or whatever else you want to call them, further complicate and enrich these interpretations by creating spaces where audiences collectively discuss and engage with media texts. In Avatar’s case, the film’s release sparked a global fan community that not only celebrated its groundbreaking visual achievements but also extended its environmental and social messages into activism. Online forums (fan fiction and cosplay as well, but those often end up leading you to places most of us don’t want to go) allowed fans to reimagine and personalize the story, creating a participatory culture that blurred the lines between creator and consumer. Similarly, Animal House inspired a subcultural following, particularly among college students, who embraced the film’s rebellious spirit as a form of identity and community building. The characters from Animal House became more than just characters. They “transcended their roles; they were no longer characters, they were a representation and embodiment of a certain group of traits, and for the last few decades, college students have treated them as such” (Jaime, Essay 2) These media communities demonstrate how fans actively decode media texts and recontextualize them within their own lives, creating new meanings and practices that often transcend the intentions of the original creators.
Connecting these two films through the frameworks of encoding and decoding, counterculture movements, and media/fan communities reveals key insights into the nature of popular culture, and critically engaging with popular culture through these frameworks is essential. It allows us to move past surface-level consumption and appreciate the true complexity and creativity of these media texts, demonstrating that popular culture and media isn’t just a passive reflection of society, but an active participant in shaping cultural values. Avatar (2009) and Animal House (1978) exemplify how social media and pop culture serve as sites of negotiation, where meanings are constructed and interpreted within specific contexts. By analyzing both of these films through the concepts of encoding/decoding, counterculture movements, and media/fan communities, we are provided with a powerful framework for defining and engaging critically with popular culture.
2
Dan Jaime
ENG145
Professor Reese
10/10/24
Did James Cameron Deceive Us? Decoding Major Themes in Avatar
“Suffering From Success.” That’s the name of a studio album released by pop giant DJ Khaled in 2013, and also a longstanding, commonly referenced meme in pop culture. It’s also one of the first things that came to mind when considering the topic for this paper; encoding and decoding in Avatar (2009). The highest grossing film of all time, Avatar, directed by the globally-known James Cameron, has been subject to hundreds of different interpretations in the twenty-five years it’s been out, and most of them are equally reputable. It’s what made me think of “Suffering From Success”; with the glory of becoming the highest grossing film of all time, comes the backlash from people who have analyzed the themes and plots so deeply, that they find that maybe Cameron’s intentions were more malicious than it initially seemed. The themes of encoding and decoding are instrumental in understanding the movie’s narrative and broader cultural commentary, and through encoding and decoding we can identify some racially and culturally troubling processes specifically during the casting of Avatar (2009), as well as themes of human desire for the other worldly.
The decoding of the casting for the film brings up some very problematic points, especially through the casting of the Na'vi characters. The casting of predominantly Black and African actors for Na'vi characters adds another layer to the themes of encoding and decoding, particularly regarding representation, cultural identity, and the dynamics of colonialism. One could look at this choice of casting by James Cameron from both ends of the spectrum, or from the ‘good’ or ‘bad’ put more simply. For one, the choice to cast almost all Black and African actors for Na’vi characters immediately and rightly stands out as problematic. The Na’vi are an indigenous, “other worldly” species in the lens of the film. They have blue skin, are 10 feet tall on average, and speak their own unique language. All of these components are obviously purposely integrated into their characters and the film, but it raises the question; why were barely any white actors selected to play this alien-like species? Through decoding, it seems like maybe Cameron thought white actors were too ‘normal-looking’ to play Na’vi characters, and it’s hard to brush away such an explicit racial implication like that. It becomes especially harder when we take into account that on the surface, this movie does a great job of bringing awareness to themes like environmentalism and anti-colonialism.
At the same time, one could look at this from a completely different perspective. Someone could argue that the casting of mostly Black and African actors as Na’vi characters suggests a deliberate connection to real past histories of oppression and colonialism, and that by choosing those actors, the movie encodes a message about the rich history and resilience of those very cultures that have suffered for centuries. Throughout the film, the Na’vi embody traits of resilience and a deep, spiritual connection to their environment, which one could also argue parallels the way of life of many African cultures. It’s almost inviting us as the viewers to look at the Na’vi not as fictional characters, but as representations of real struggles against colonialism and environmental exploitation. This is why encoding and decoding is such a crucial part of defining narratives in any form of media, because not only does it help us delve deeper into complex themes that might seem trivial or unproblematic on the surface, but it can reveal multiple completely opposite - yet equally valid - arguments.
Avatar also uses technology as a whole to encode certain themes, especially the human desire to reach and communicate with extraterrestrial life. Jake Sully’s use of the ‘avatar’, a genetically engineered Na’vi body, is similar in many ways to someone sitting down and playing a video game, which is the most common way in today’s world that people live ‘other’ lives. These escapes from reality serve as a metaphor for the complexities of representation and identity, and Cameron even takes it a step further by having Sully bring his consciousness into the avatar. The desire to transcend physical limitations and enter an unknown world mirrors the desires of many regular people who escape into their own versions of the ‘perfect fantasy’ everyday with their video games. That’s why it seems like Cameron and the producers encoded this idea of the escape from reality, so it could resonate within the hearts of so many people who have the same longings that Jake Sully did, to live in a physical and spiritual realm outside of our understanding and existence. The fact that Sully was physically handicapped is also significant for this theme of the escape from reality. His inability to use his legs was a component in choosing to control the avatar, and his life in Pandora as both a human and a Na’vi almost gives him the best of both worlds, literally and metaphorically. At the same time, it’s important not to discredit or downplay the ability and importance of physically handicapped people, and the film struggles with that at times, making it seem like Sully is almost useless in his human form. How his disability is “fixed” when he becomes an avatar is again problematic, as it implies that physical impairments are things to be overcome as opposed to be embraced as part of one’s identity. When framed like this, it just reinforces the unfortunate societal view that prioritizes able-bodied individuals and often overlooks disabled ones.
So why is encoding and decoding so important if it can give us completely different explanations? The answer is the question. Because encoding and decoding allows us to view different themes and plots from so many cultural points of view, it allows us to take in almost every possible perspective, in turn making us more educated and open-minded. It also opens doors for us, creating complex questions and arguments out of components of the film that might seem trivial at first, like Sully’s technological escape. It makes us more curious, it implores us to ask questions and challenge normative views, and the racial implications and handicapped discrimination that the decoding allowed us to discover in this specific film are primary examples of why encoding and decoding makes us better critical thinkers.
3
Dan Jaime
ENG145
Professor Reese
11/19/24
Animal House, the Counterculture Movement, and the Versatility of Media Communities
Media communities. Fan communities. Stan communities. Whatever you want to call it, they are incredibly influential, and have been exponentially growing in today’s fluid social landscape. They play an instrumental role in young people’s senses of identity and belonging, and they have become a huge part of today’s popular culture. What makes media communities so special is the way we can find hundreds, thousands, and sometimes even millions of people with our same interests and hobbies, and none of those people have to be in close physical proximity whatsoever. Sometimes, these powerful media communities can be catalysts for countercultural movements, which change our social landscape as we know it. A great - and quite comical - example of this phenomenon is National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978), which has created a ‘cult’ following in the (almost) half-century since its release. The result? A fierce rise in the popularity of countercultural movements, and somewhat of an extraordinarily ordinary fan community- mostly white, young adult, fraternity men. Animal House (1978) serves as a very useful cornerstone for exploring the dynamics of the countercultural movements of that time, and the media communities of today. Through its use of exaggerated portrayals of college life and direct themes of rebellion and camaraderie, the film offers complex and symbolic commentary on the state of America’s countercultural social landscape at the time, shaped public perception about fraternity life, and created one of the most unlikely media communities in modern popular culture.
Animal House uses hyperbolized humor and characters to build an exaggerated depiction of college - and frat - life that not only entertained audiences, but largely shaped cultural perceptions for both good and bad, and pushed fraternity stereotypes that we still see today. The Delta Tau Chi fraternity - which provides most of the movie’s main characters - serves as a glaring symbol throughout the film. Its chaotic energy and rule-breaking nature serves as the antithesis of the traditional ideals associated with academic institutions. Through food fights, toga parties (more on that later), and an overall disregard for the rules at Faber College, the Deltas embrace this sense of unfiltered, rule-breaking fun that gives the audience a feeling of liberation and even catharsis. At the same time, it’s important to keep in mind other extraneous factors that were going on in the country during the production and release of Animal House that could have affected how the public digested certain characters and plot points. The late 1970s were a time where societal norms and institutions were being reevaluated by the American public in the wake of countercultural movements. The Vietnam War sparked an anti-establishment mood that created a widespread distrust in authority, influencing everything from pop culture to politics in the United States. The Watergate scandal then eroded what little faith was left in institutional power, and the Hippie and Sexual revolutions were beginning to challenge ‘traditional’ American views on relationships. With all of these factors working in favor of the creators, Animal House tapped into the countercultural desire for rebellion, and what better way to represent that than college students? To contrast the unapologetically rebellious nature of the Delta Tau Chi fraternity, the movie presents us with Dean Vernon Wormer. An explicit symbol of entrenched and corrupt power structures, Dean Wormer constantly and secretly works with members of the Omega Theta Pi house to try and find an excuse to kick the Delta Tau Chi fraternity off campus. By crashing Dean Wormer’s constant attempts to get them kicked off, the Delta brothers slowly become unexpected symbols of resistance, embodying a funny, likable, and relatable version of the broader countercultural movements of the time.
These portrayals, while humorous, had real-world implications. During that time, fraternities were often viewed as exclusive and elitist, but the quick rise in popularity of Animal House suddenly stamped a new identity on them; one of unwavering camaraderie and limitless joy. The film’s influence is evident in how the media often replicated these traits in college centered media narratives, both in the 20th century and beyond. Fraternities were no longer just about tradition or status; they became outlets for mischief and bonding, even if that image was largely fictional (Surprise. It kind of wasn’t. Thanks, Animal House). The release of this film helped set into motion what’s known today as Greek life’s version of the ‘Great Shift’. Thanks to the general American public’s reception to the movie, fraternities across the country began a slow transition from being these elitist, pompous clubs to much more liberated, joy-centered, and rule-challenging organizations. Toga parties became an instant sensation across campuses. About halfway through the movie, when the Deltas are on their very last straw with Dean Wormer, they decide to organize and throw a ‘Toga Party’. They simply don’t feel fazed by Dean Wormer’s threats, but more than anything, they just want to have fun. Toga Parties remain to this day as a sign of celebration and good news in fraternities. It is a representation of the unity and camaraderie shared between fraternity brothers, and its longstanding relevance emphasizes the impact Animal House had on fraternity culture.
Maybe the most telling result about the impact that the film had not only on fraternity life, but college students as a whole, is the Animal House fan community that exists and thrives to this day. Walk into almost any fraternity house on an American college campus. They’ll have their versions of Bluto and Flounder. Ask them about their ‘rival’ house, they’ll have their versions of Douglas Neidermeyer and Greg Marmalard. These characters have transcended their roles; they no longer are characters, they’re a representation and embodiment of a certain group of traits, and for the last few decades, college students have treated them as such. It’s almost humorous how, unwillingly and unknowingly, most fraternity members across the entire country have created this media community between each other. Animal House is to thank for that. Through the emphasis and normalization of countercultural norms on a college campus, the film allowed for continued self-expression from young Americans - which was especially rampant during this late 70s period - and introduced a whole new wave of party-loving and rule-breaking sentiments shared by morally frustrated young adults in the United States.
Table of Contents
Cover Page……………p.1
Introductory Essay……………p.2
Essay #1……………p.7
Essay #2……………p.11
Table of Contents……………p.15