Sampling and Remixing

Ethical Heuristic Framework

1. Identification of Producers/Creators

a. Where did your samples (images, video, audio) come from?

Our samples originated from various places, such as parts of the ASPCA official ad commonly seen on television, Taylor Swift’s music video, and homemade videos of pranks, via youTube.

b. Who has taken part in the creation of these samples?

i. Individuals? Sarah Mclachlan, Taylor Swift, and unknown homevideo authors.

ii. A community? Animal Rights Activists and normal everyday people

iii. A company or other organization? ASPCA

c. Do you have a connection to any of these individuals or groups? We care about animals and have pets. Otherwise, no.

i. Is this connection close, or does it resemble seven steps to Kevin Bacon? Not especially close.

d. Do you think your relation (or lack of relation) to these individuals or groups gives you more or less constraints to sample and remix their creative work? A lack of substantial connection to the ASPCA or animal cruelty has allowed for a less inhibited view/use of the materials.

e. If you do not know where your samples come from originally, how do you think you might discover this information? (Once you have done more research, go back and answer the previous questions.) It would be very easy to trace the origin of many of the clips taken. For example, the ASPCA commercial video can be found on youTube as well as their website.  

2. Identification of Caring/Wounding

a. To the best of your ability, please research the groups and/or individuals from whom you have sampled. According to your sources (scholarly, popular, friends, etc.), what are some of the cultural values of these people and their communities? Provide some evidence for your claims. If you identify as a member of one of these communities, explain how you have come to understand the community’s values and how your own understanding of these values might differ from others in the community. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, as their name implies and their website confirms, is an organization devoted to preventing animal cruelty in the United States. Sarah Mclachlan is an advocate of the organization, who has appeared in multiple ads they have produced. Our understanding is that of an outsider who commiserates with the cause, but does not actively participate in the organization.

b. Identify 3-5 of your acts of sampling in relation to the individuals and/or groups you identified above as either acts of caring or wounding or both. Address the following questions in this identification:

i. In your sampling and remixing, are you potentially contradicting, subverting, changing, or even violating some of the values you researched above? Imagine someone sampling your work (something to which you have dedicated your life) and remixing it into a new work that actually violates the values expressed in your original work or that seems to take credit for authorship without acknowledging you. How do you think the “original” authors would react, should they witness your remix? How might it affect them? Our sampling and remixing certainly makes light of a serious issue and completely changes the meaning of the original ASPCA commercial. The original authors might find it humorous because pets are a part of everyday life but because our video makes it seem that pets would rather not be helped, the original idea of the ASPCA is argued against. If our video was taken seriously by an uptight ASPCA member, it would perhaps make them mad but most would regard this video as no hinderance to their goal to rescue animals.

ii. Are you appealing to their values? In other words, do you think the artists you sampled from would endorse how and what you sampled and remixed? The creators would probably acknowledge the humor in our interpretation. In fact, Sarah McLachlan performed a parody of this advertisement in a Super Bowl commercial for Audi. The original video is very “gut-wrenching” and memorable. Obviously the creators know this because they made it like that to convince people to join the ASPCA. Any parody made of it would not be taken seriously.

iii. Under what conditions might your act of caring be an act of wounding (and vice versa)? Our video, when viewed with a certain paradigm, seems to make light of animal cruelty, which was obviously not our intention.

c. How might your caring and/or wounding change your relationship to those individuals or groups? Has your opinion of the different individuals and/or groups changed? Why or why not? How? The ASPCA is a very large organization, which has a very small possibility of encountering our video. If they did, we doubt they would trouble. Our opinion of the organization is relatively unchanged, though we do appreciate the work they provide.

3. Identification of Ethicality

a. After completing and reflecting upon the previous sections, ask yourself the following questions:

i. Do you consider your acts of wounding and/or caring to be ethical?

1. Why or why not? Can you justify your acts of wounding? How? Yes, because it is entirely ethical. An advertisement is made to be watched and therefore criticised, especially one so obvious in its goal.

2. If you decide to distribute your remix, do you think it would be legal? Yes, though we don’t envision a situation in which we would be able to profit from this remix.

3. If not, what would you need to do to make the distribution of your remix ethical as well as legal? (See 2)

Thanks to my wonderful partners Amy and Elli, for making this blog post happen. Also, be sure to check out Daniela and Becky's post remixing project at http://danielapensatroppo.blogspot.com/2016/10/hello-from-single-side-material-in-this.html