NIXEDMEDIA™

In “Roscoe’s Wetsuit: Metamodern Identity and Existentialism,” Camden Ostrander delves into the meaning behind Because the Internet, a project that was created by Donald Glover (aka Childish Gambino) in 2013. This project is incredibly expansive and incorporates numerous modes as Glover takes on the persona of his “The Boy” character. This was a very interesting read because I had no clue that there was so much to this project and learning about it made me wish I could have been a part of the experience when everything was being released.

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Ostrander begins his breakdown by explaining that Because the Internet is a transmedia project that encourages audiences to interact with Glover’s exploration of his vulnerabilities and existential crises, while also examining themselves. From there, he describes the various pieces that comprise the project, including an album that was released with the same name, silent video clips, a screenplay that connects the songs to the clips, a short film titled “Clapping for the Wrong Reasons,” a video game trailer, weekly social media posts, and live appearances.

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After providing an overview of the project’s contents, Ostrander introduces the concept of “metamodernism.” When I read through this section, the term did not make total sense to me, but, based on the context, it seems that metamodernist works encourage both closeness and distance. I feel as though this may be correct because Ostrander includes the quote, “we are more connected than ever but I have never felt so alone,” from one of Glover’s interviews. In this quote, Glover refers to the fact that with improved technology, people are able to talk and connect from opposite sides of the world, but, for those very same reasons, more local interactions have suffered because, especially now, people prefer to be on their phones playing games or scrolling through social media. Ostrander also mentions that metamodern art is often “used by individuals and societies as a generative response to tragedy” because it “gives one a reason to hope and the ability to stave off despair.” I believe this point still supports my closeness and distance interpretation of metamodernism because, while someone might feel alienated by others in their immediate surrounding, they have the opportunity to find people online that are going through the same or a similar situation, have common interests which helps to make issues feel smaller, and more. I have witnessed these kinds of instances a number of times on YouTube, specifically with on the channel “Markiplier.” Since I started watching him, I have seen numerous comments thanking Mark because the compassion and optimism he exhibits in his videos has helped people either feel better about their situations or helped them forget about them.

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Another important aspect of Ostrander’s breakdown was his explanation of “Roscoe’s Wetsuit.” He points out the fact that the phrase is more of a two-part symbol. The “Roscoe’s” portion hinting at identity because it is a name and refers to the Roscoe’s Fried Chicken & Waffles restaurant chain, which is connected to African American culture. Because of these connections, Glover has created a phrase that is general and simultaneously specific to African American identity; the “wetsuit” portion of the phrase refers both the to act of surfing the web and the protective layer one wears while surfing it. This connected to identity because people are able to reveal as much or as little of themselves as they desire when they are on the internet and can create an entirely new persona altogether, which Glover halfway did with The Boy as the character is not him but still includes a lot of aspects of his real self.

After reading Ostrander’s piece, I still was not entirely sure what I wanted to do for my final project, but I was a t least have a greater understanding of the possibilities. While I definitely would not be able to create something as expansive Glover’s Because the Internet, I could still have a similar level of interconnectedness. More than anything, this reading was inspiring and made me eager to get an idea and begin working on portfolio 3.