Abstract
This chapter, effectively being the conclusive one in the whole research insight, attempts a prognostic revision of all the major challenges further researches of universal codes of media might face, both ones connected to international political communication and indigenous to media platforms. Its main purpose is to streamline book's assorted factual and conceptual notions into five main challenges, that of universality, information resistance, codes, media, and absence of challenge. The chapter includes a plethora of cases which might serve as a warning, a guideline and/or additional verified facts regarding universal codes of media in international political communication, aligned with main problematic features of definition and theory in media studies paradigm.
TopBackground
Culturally, decades are usually divided from 0 to 9 years as in 1980’s starting in 1980, 1990’s in 1990, etc. Although mathematically decades actually end in 0 years and start in 1sts, which makes ‘Millennium’ celebrations, essentially, incorrect. True 21st century (which comes as a surprise for many people to this very day) started with 2001 and it could be argued that all the turbulence, tragedy and uncertainty of 2001 were a closer cut and better fit for how new century turned out as of almost twenty years than 2000’s hopeful but essential illogical celebration. In 2020 many people are starting to question whether catastrophic events of that notable year will be recognized. Direct comparisons were drawn between the most devastating event for the U.S. in 2001 and a COVID-19 pandemic, leaving culture with juxtaposition it was not ready for.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Baby Boomers: Demographic cohort following The Silent Generation and preceding Generation X. The term was first coined by William Strauss and Neil Howe and refers to people born between 1946 and 1964.
Charlatan: A person pretending to have skills or knowledge that they do not have, usually with material goals.
Court Jester: See jester.
Anxiety: Feeling of uneasiness and worry, usually generalized and unfocused as an overreaction to a situation that is seen subjectively as menacing.
Chopped and Screwed: Remixing technique characterized by slowing the tempo down to between 60-70 quarter-note BPM and application of such techniques as record scratching, skipping beats, affecting or omitting portions of the music.
Imposter syndrome: A psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their skills, talents or accomplishments, characterized by insistent internalized fear of being ‘exposed’ as a ‘fraud’, ‘charlatan’, etc.
Jester: A type of entertainer common in Middle Ages and Renaissance time periods, often a member of the household/staff of a nobleman or a monarch. Jesters often utilized a vast array of acts: storytelling, acting, singing, juggling, magic tricks, etc.
TCP/IP: Conceptual model and set of communications protocols used in the Internet and similar computer networks. Also known as internet protocol suite.
VHS: Video Home System, a format of videocassettes mass-marketed throughout late twentieth century, which quickly became the dominant video format before introduction of DVD in 1995. Introduced in Japan on September 9 th , 1976; August 23 rd , 1977 in the United States of America.
Blooper: A clip or portion of a media which contains a cast or crew mistake. Primarily used to signify an outtake or a deleted scene containing such, but could be used for a mistake which ended up in the final cut (being partially synonymous with ‘goof’ as used by IMDb).
Vaporwave: Microgenre of electronic music characterized by borrowing samples and sounds from 1980’s and 1990’s easy listening/mood music and heavily reworking them into something new via ‘chopped and screwed’ production approach. Genre is also notable for highly stylized visual style, oversaturated with consumerism themes, brands, Japanese language and other abstract takes at 1990’s corporate aesthetics.
Coronavirus: Contagious virus that causes respiratory infection, the cause of the 2019–20 Wuhan outbreak. Fully known as the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) and also known informally as Wuhan coronavirus.
Caligula: Gaius Iulius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, Roman emperor from 37 to 41 AD (b. 31 August 12 – d. 24 January 41 AD).
Stus, Vasyl: A Ukrainian poet, literary critic, translator and journalist. Active member of the Ukrainian dissident movement in USSR. His works were banned in Soviet Union and he himself was imprisoned until his death in Perm-36 (see). The Donetsk National University (relocated to Vinnytsia) is named after Vasyl Stus (under variant name Vasyl’ Stus) since 10 July 2016. (b. January 6, 1938 – d. September 4, 1985).
Synthwave: Genre of electronic music, heavily based in stylized 1980’s sound and themes, retrofuturism, media references. Partially synonymous with retrowave, futuresynth, and outrun.
Mondergreen: Mishearing or misinterpretation of a phrase or word as a result that leads to new meaning in the perception of listener. Most often associated with misheard song lyrics. The term was coined in 1954 by American writer Sylvia Wright, who provided an example “and laid him on a green” misinterpreted as “and Lady Mondergreen”.
USENET: Worldwide distributed discussion system developed from the Unix-to-Unix Copy (UUCP) dial-up network architecture by Jim Ellis and Tom Truscott in 1979-1980.
Donetsk: Industrial city in Eastern Ukraine, located on the Kalmius river. Formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Hughesovka, Stalin, Stalino, Yuzovka. Since 2014 and of the time of publication remains in the zone of the war conflict and a disputed region between pro-Russian separatists and Ukraine.
Hypnagogic Pop: Genre transfusion of pop and psychedelic music, characterized by exploration of nostalgia, retro and media saturation themes. Term was coined in 2009 by David Keenan, who characterized the genre as ‘pop music refracted through a memory of a memory’.
Millennial: Demographic cohort reaching young adulthood in 21 st century, following Generation X and preceding Generation Z, characterized by deep involvement in digital technologies and social media. It is widely accepted (as per APA definition) that millenials were born between 1981 and 1996. The term was first coined by William Strauss and Neil Howe in 1987.
Chillwave: Microgenre of music characterized by faded retro pop sound, psychedelic and/or lo-fi aesthetics, escapist lyrics, heavy use of effects such as reverb, vintage synthesizers. Term was originally synonymous with glo-fi and hypnagogic pop, both of which since detoured in their own genres.
BPM: Abbreviation of beats per minute.
Industrial Music: Genre of music that uses transgressive themes and sounds, including noise elements in actual music and provocative elements in the meanings and lyrics of the song.
Internet Movie DataBase (IMDb): Online database of information related to audiovisual content, owned and operated by IMDb.com, Inc., a subsidiary of Amazon. Originated by Col Needham in 1990 as Usenet group ‘rec.arts.movies’. Moved to Internet in 1993.