Did you see the scene from the German movie Downfall, in which Hitler is re-dubbed to rant about Facebook's acquisition of Friendfeed?It's hilarious, and it's but a taste of the vast Hitler-as-angry-mouthpiece oeuvre.
The mashups go back to early 2007 (at least), and the same clip seems to have been repurposed dozens, if not hundreds of times. Here are a few recent samples: Michael Jackson's death. The real estate crisis. John McCain's election loss. The new Star Trek movie. Problems with Xbox .Live accounts. The Bills sign Terrell Owens. What's going on?
I say it's description-by-proxy. Outsourced reaction. Socialized evidence, almost as if there's an emotional (or at least circumstantial) "truth" embedded in the clip of Hitler's tirade that's so generically relevant that it can be applied to any number of subjects. "So-and-so really pisses me off, so don't take my word for it...here's a third-party description of how I feel."
If some topic prompts particularly strong outrage, for whatever reason, it warrants the Hitler treatment.Of course, it's mostly intended to be funny, and I don't want to read too much into Hitler having a particular relevance, as much as explore the utility of a video clip showing a character going ballistic (while henchmen stand around nervously for select crowd reactions). But since such mashups are becoming more common, I wonder if there's some visual shorthand evolving in the social space, allowing for individuals to express themselves more easily, graphically, and somewhat more bluntly than they'd be allowed to (or allow themselves to do) otherwise?
Video clips can be rich in information, and allow for the communication of complex thoughts and emotions. Further, clips collect additional information when repeatedly used, right? It's certainly a lot more nuanced than some textual entry on a blog or chat that reads "u suk."
The Bulb Asks:Could brands use mashup shorthand, or would it seem too contrived?Does the image shorthand that brands already use come across as any more sincere?Is there a business opportunity for some systematized production of this component of social language?
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