Whistle NFL Replacement Ref Remix

Remix culture is something that is hard to ignore.  Anyone who knows how to edit a picture or video clips can make a remix video.  One of the most recent videos that I have seen is a perfect example of remix culture.  On Monday the 24^th, the Green Bay Packers lost to the Seattle Seahawks in what many were saying was an unfair call by the replacement referees.  Due to the referee strike, replacement refs have been handling the last few games.  This last game seemed to be the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back.

A very popular song “Whistle” by Flo Rida was remixed to talk about these replacement referees and how they have no idea what they are doing when they ref a game.  It changes the lyrics of this song to match along with the NFL ref issue at hand, such as “I just bought a whistle baby, whistle baby, let me ref.  Girl I don’t know the rules except they tell me how to dress
I just wave my arms around and then I throw my flag.”  They also make jokes about specific events that happened in Monday night’s game.  For example they sing “My kid’s hero is Roger Goodell. So what—I missed a little cheap hit.”  A lot of people have talked about how when the official refs went on strike, they put random people on the field to ref who had no knowledge of football at all.  They emphasize this point by talking about how they are just waving their arms around and throwing flags, and they don’t actually know what is happening.

This is video has copyright implications because it is using photos from the NFL game in a reproduction, which stated at the end of every game is a violation of copyright laws.  It also uses the name, music and some of the lyrics from Flo Rida’s song “Whistle” which is also protected.  Although it is using these two elements to create something completely new, it is still using those characteristics and is walking a fine line between illegal use and legal use.

Drive + Star Wars

This video, combining the cinematic trailer for the movie Drive with scenes from the Star Wars series is an example of remix culture because it combines two existing media texts into one and thus creates new meaning out of two preexisting cultural forms.

Since not everyone has seen Drive and Star Wars (which is a travesty), I will fill in the spaces of the connections that this remix is making.

Harrison Ford’s character in Star Wars is named Han Solo. What you need to know about him to understand this video is, basically:

He is a smuggler on the run from his past employer for outstanding debts, he is the pilot (along with his co-pilot Chewbacca) of the ship Millennium Falcon. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker hire him to charter them to the planet Alderaan. Although he claims he is only “in it for the money,” he eventually becomes involved in the causes of the Rebel Alliance and falls in love with the princess he helped rescue.

Here’s what you need to know about Ryan Gosling’s character in Drive:

He is a stunt driver for Hollywood movies, works in a mechanic shop, and also holds a side job of driving getaway cars for criminals. He works by a code of ethics that strictly outline that he does not get involved with the crime or the people, he simply drives. But, of course, Gosling becomes involved with a female neighbor of his and offers to help her husband who owes a debt. He becomes deeply involved in the situation, risking his life for the cause.

The person who made this remix presumably saw similarities between the story lines of Han Solo and Ryan Gosling’s unnamed character from Drive. As a huge fan of these movies, I can see the similarities as well. And, despite the shoddy dubbing of voices, I think this remix creates a very intriguing portrayal of how these story lines overlap in a lot of ways. There are many other nuances of the two films that are parallel, but they are really only noticed by people who have seen both the Star Wars series and Drive multiple times. To me, this remix serves as a nod to those who have seen/love both.

This video and many like it within the remix culture present an issue of copyright because copies of the original video/music/images need to be made to remix a media text. The creator of this video did not secure the copyrights from the creators of Drive and Star Wars to compile this remix. But, as we discussed in class, I think this video with its 45,856 and counting views serves as its own new cultural artifact.

Yes, the material that makes up this video was taken from copyrighted films, but I believe that remixes should be considered as a new media artifact rather than in terms of the pieces that make it up. Much like Lessig’s discussion of documentary in The New Republic, I think we need to stray away from the idea that a remix needs to forever answer to the parts that it compiles. Rather, remixes like this one carve out an entirely new space and create new cultural meaning that is different than any of its parts by themselves.

Giving quotes new life

       The remix culture that we currently seeing, no one would ever think that most of it is from copyrighted items.  A remix is when a portion of a media type is used or changed to make something different and changes the form.  Most music now uses samples of movies or other songs in a way that it was not originally meant to be used.  An example of this is “Niggas in Paris” by Jay-Z with Kanye West, when they sample the movie “Blades of Glory. “  The movie id copyrighted and that usually means that it is illegal to use any quotes from the movie, however it could be said that they transformed it.  Transforming something is changing its original meaning or use and or using it in a different manner. 

            This song changes the meaning of two quotes by using them in a different context.  At the start of the song they say “We’re gonna skate to one song and one song only,” if you have seen the movie you know this is not the song that was meant, but they used it as this is the one and only song.  The next quote was used at the 2:30 mark they use the quote “No one knows what it means, but it’s provocative … it gets the people going!” Again it’s implying that the song itself is what gets the people going and provocative.  Apparently before they sampled the music Jay-Z and Kanye West went to Will Farrell to ask if it would be ok to use those quotes in the song, while he allowed it, it was illegal to sample it because they didn’t go to the owners of the copyrighted product to get permission.  The coming of the remix age is renewing old products and giving them new life, this movie was not very popular in 2007 however now this song has given new life to it.