Legend - Bob Marley & The Wailers

Introduction:
In the growing age of technology, the “wired world” alters how we produce, experience, and interpret literature. Not too long ago I thought of literature only as books we read to engage academics and to understand significant authorial figures’ views. Evidently, literature has changed into various forms through remediation. In effort to improve, remediation manipulates a medium to represent a reality. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, we were able to recognize remediation, which is seen through the experiences of various characters. Presentation: Mary Shelley The letters between Walton and his sister are constant reminders that theres a story being told. With the repeating changes between literary forms hypermediacy is shown, because the medium is acknowledgable. Besides Shelley’s Frankenstein, there are other forms of remediation that are used within the evolving world of literature, such as immediacy. Immediacy can be seen through our growing use of technology and our connection with the vast amount of literary mediums available to us. Films and video games are prime examples because many people watch and play to experience a representation of literary work with a transparent medium. Though there are a variety of mediums, validity is under question when utilizing online literature, because there are so many communities and an extensive amount of information shuffled around. Within these online communities a different way of learning and experiencing literature is created because of the worldwide reach and availability of the web.

The Internet is considered the literary medium of our era and has significantly changed the institutional foundations of our civilization. Along with altering major aspects of life the web also significantly changes the connection between author, reader, and text. Presentation: Mary Shelley Critics have questioned the way in which we interpret information from the web and the effects it has on our learning abilities. Nicholas Carr states the net seems to be "chipping away at our memory,” because now that we can access information quickly we expect to learn at the same pace. Within the various new ways of writer/reader relationships are online communities. (ref) An online community commonly used for most literary works is an interpretive disputes community. Most communities accumulate collective views, however within an interpretive disputes community people use their interpretations to discuss and debate a literary piece. When we look at online literature the same way as text we can develop engaging environments of communication. Other notable communities are knowledge communities, which provided information of a text by accumulating and combining interpretations to get a diverse individual understanding. Spoiling Survivor is an example of a knowledge community that discusses events prior to the airing of the reality TV series Survivor. Another example that computer users definitely know about is Wikipedia, which is a knowledge community that is formed by the collective knowledge of online readers. Besides these communities I mention above there are many more that structure the involvement of electronic media, and in some cases traditional forms of literature are discussed within the cyber realm. By doing so the foundations of traditional literature are not lost but merely preserved within the formation of the web.

In my project, I’ve decided to focus on the vibrant communities that surround, preserve, and reminisce the literary artwork of the musical legend, Bob Marley. Legend by Bob Marley can be considered amongst the greatest albums of all time. Not only being lyrically inspirational, songs from Legend have sparked political views, revolution, culture, and lifestyles across the world Since the dawn of the Internet and handheld technology numerous communities have been devoted to Bob and his music, which allows for anyone to get an in depth understanding of his work and how it came about. Ever since Marley’s passing, these communities thrive on his legacy and in many cases they interpret his lyrics and reggae style. His music having stretched across the globe to places like China, Africa, and New Zealand, only strengthens his digital media presence. Diehard fans have created fan representations of art, music, and in some cases adopted the ideology of Rastafarian. Marley’s words touched the hearts of millions and in doing so he remediated his lyrical genius from written to oral and visual literature to help unify the world. With the number of communities involved in remembering Marley, I plan to give you a glimpse of his popularity through the communities surrounding his literary work.

Interpetive Disputes:
Being ranked among the top albums worldwide in multiple polls thus far is an astounding accomplishment, however not everyone will understand the uniqueness of Marley’s musical style. Released 1984, Legend by Bob Marley and The Wailers is ranked on various sites, and these sites provide various interpretive communities. The position of the album’s ranking provides lengthy discussions on why its positioned where it is. An example of this is on USAtoday.com, where Legend’s rankings are displayed and briefly overviewed. Beneath the album’s summary a subscriber, cr0m, discusses their admiration towards the music in Legend and their experience at the Bob Marley bar in Universal Studios. Another subscriber, Biker Santa, later in the comments shares his opinion that Bob Marley’s best album is not Legend but Catch A Fire. These two albums within these comments are the topic of discussion competing against one another through the collective interpretations of avid listeners. Despite the fact that Legend is made of songs from previous albums, people still debate the two. Within the collective discussion people are able to understand multiple interpretations of both able and reasoning why each are quality works of literary art.



On AOL Radio Blog, songs from various albums that make up Legend are ordered by popularity and summarized by Sara Anderson. Similar to USAtoday, readers post their views and interpretations, however these are song specific. Gayla, a reader, comments, “this list sucks,” which then sparks an on going feud of Bob Marley’s greatest songs. Cheepoono then replies, “I think this is a horrible top ten….there’s no denying that these songs are unbelievable, but songs such as “Redemption Song” and “One Drop” are songs that should be in consideration.” These people share their opinions and interpretations on songs they like and dislike. Ernest Cooper later comments that “Ambush in the Night” is an incredible track that refers to the assassination attempt on him in the beginning of his career. With everyone posting their interpretation of songs there is a collective pool that helps further expand any viewers understanding of Marley’s songs.

Another site that epitomizes the collective interpretations within an interpretive community is Songfacts.com, because it goes into extensive depth of Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry.” Komaldeep, Siliguri, India says, “ok as seeing all these opinions i would like to add mine too. This song is so powerful and has different meanining to it, as taking it in reality. What i meant to say is that if there are no woman around the world then it is hard for us to find no cries of babies(humanity)......” Another interpretation of the song is expressed when Dustin, Tampa, FL says, “I don't know if he wrote it or not, but this song, along with stir it up and kaya, was written when Marley was in England. The songs were to his wife Rita. At the time Marley was having an afffair, and Rita knew. Bob wrote the songs to reassure Rita that she still got top-billing in his life.” I find these two interpretations to be the most engaging with the Bob’s lyrics and personal life. In the first quote by Komaldeep we notice that he interprets the lyrics and title of the song as literally, in that with no women there can be no babies to cry. However Dustin is able to link Marley’s lyrics to life in that he was having an affair on Rita and the song was made for her in effort to remind her that she was his true soul mate. Not only are these two interpretations insightful but also through the web we are able to gain a collective understanding between people of two different countries. The idea that all people across the globe can collaborate in accumulating an interpretation is amazing and the dynamics of learning are thus altered by the availability of the Internet.

Rotten Tomatoes & Amazon
Knowledge communities, such as Wikipedia, allow audiences to collaborate on opinions, information, and knowledge. Knowledge communities are unique because a number of people can share knowledge to create a particular page, environment, discussion, etc.. When focusing on a piece of work by a deceased artist knowledge communities are the lifeline to understanding and making interpretations on the medium. Rottentomatoes.com is one of the most critical and popular review websites and has an extensive seventeen page long review section on Marley. Most of the reviews are positive but some people give more wholesome reviews such as CV who said, “I had seen and heard most everything in the film, so it seemed to drag a bit.” These reviews allow people to find opinions of real people who share common interests and allow them to make a decision based on a collective information and opinion database.Amazon.com, like Rottentomatoes.com, allows people to find reviews on products before deciding to purchase them. Some people post quick comments such as Julius W. Mayo III who said, “I recommend this CD highly for any Raggae fan, or lover of great music.” while others post multiple paragraphs. Although there are not many professional critics sharing their op inion on knowledge communities there are some comments and reviews that show that a certain person may have more or unique knowledge. Usually these persons or person will leave a longer, more detailed comment and focus on unique aspects of the movie, music, or album. Roy Tatum writes a three paragraph long review on Amazon.com for Bob Marley’s Legend album ; in his review he writes about the influences Legend had on the Jamaican community and how “bob's music made him (me) feel better.” More detailed and unique reviews/comments allow readers and potential buyers develop their own opinion from the collective opinions of others.

ScreenRant
There are, however, knowledge communities such as Screenrant.com which allows for people to comment on an existing, extensive review. The benefits of this type of knowledge community is that it allows for various people to understand and add to the opinion of somebody who has already watched, listened, or read in detail on the subject. Kofi Outlaw is the author of the Marley review on Screenrant.com, he provides a detailed review of the first documentary the Marley family commissioned. He states the benefits of the film having “testimony from those who were actually close to Bob Marley and went through the journey of life alongside him” while adding a few paragraphs on the negative aspects, in his opinion, of the documentary. His “one criticism” is that the film “unquestionably favors and celebrates Bob Marley, while skipping over some of the more debatable or questionable aspects of his personality and choices.” After reading the review audiences can watch the movie or add personal opinions; The Big Dentist comments, “Great review, Kofi. This is on my “must see” list.” One unique point I want to make is that in some ways, as Kofi Outlaw remarks, the movie acts as a knowledge community because “we are getting first-hand insights from a large collection of people who were actually there, who actually know, rather than some studious fact-checker, scholar or filmmaker who simply thinks that they know.”

Wikipedia
Finally the most well-known and used knowledge community is Wikipedia.com, which is known both for its lack of validity and simultaneously for its vast database, and impressive accuracy. Although Wikipedia.com does not include any reviews or comments the page itself is a collection of knowledge and opinions. This is because anybody can add anything, as long as it is true or perceived to be true, to a page before it is reviewed by the website administrators and professionals. The only fault the site may have is that it truly lacks, in some cases, a good review system because anybody, anywhere can post anything they like on a page which should be only facts. However, Wikipedia pages are becoming more valid and heavily monitored. Another benefit is that it provides information which is hard to find/research on a convenient and easily accessed page; of course the information on each page is a collaboration between multiple people, which we sometimes forget. The Wikipedia page on Legend provides extensive information on the origins, background, history, songs, world ratings, charts, etc. on the album, which gives any person access to a database of information on a particular subject, thing, place, person, or album. Today, knowledge communities are vital for fans, unprofessional critics, the average person, and people all around the world, because they allow opinions to be shared and discussions to be had with a larger more opinionated and perhaps even passionate set of people.

Remediation:
Remediation allows fans to add their own unique variation on an artist’s work. Bobmarley.com shows a variety of examples of remediation such as “Cover Fridays”, “Bob Marley Inspired Artwork”, and “Bob and Me”. “Cover Fridays” give “a chance for musicians to bring the sound of Bob Marley to others in their own unique way.” Musicians are told to submit work they have completed that hold one of the base ingredients of Marley’s music, the gong. Marley once said “"my music will go on forever maybe it's a fool say that but when me know facts me can say facts my music will go on forever." The “Cover Fridays” tradition adopted by Bobmarley.com actually allows his music to go on forever, but with the contribution and inspiration of some of the most dedicated fans.

“Bob Marley Inspired Artwork” is exactly what it sounds like, Bob Marley inspired art. Artists of any skill level may submit a piece of work they have made that is inspired by Bob Marley’s life, music, image, beliefs, culture, etc.. The works submitted include portraits, abstract pieces, and colors of the Jamaican Rastafarian community. The works portray Marley with what he is stereotypically known for, marijuana smoke or devices, which were a huge part of his culture, traditions, and life. Some of the more abstract work such as the piece picturing Marley’s portrait in the bottom left and a collage in the top right corner portrays a more inspired version of the meaning Bob Marley had to the world. The collage in the top right includes the word “love” spelled out in unconventional font, such as a peace sign for the “o”, and a music sign at the end of the formation. Bob Marley is remembered for his peace activism and of course for his love of music, which this artist readily displays in the collage. This type of remediation lets people pursue a more drawing/painting artistic route when dealing with their favorite artist, song, group, or movie.

People pose with images or inspirations of Bob Marley in the “Bob and Me” category. People are able to take pictures with things that remind us of Bob Marley and submit them in this category. Some people are pictured with their own murals of Marley’s portrait, some pose with creative brick designs, while others pose with magazines with Marley’s portrait. Whatever the pose may be, this allows people to connect to Marley, his work, and his legacy in a more goofy and creative way.

Finally I want to address a unique aspect of the Marley film’s use of remediation. The documentary follows Marley’s life through the accounts of his family, friends, and mentors. Although the historical and factual accounts are given by the significant people in his life, I want to discuss the use of Marley’s music as a form of remediation.The music really connects the movie to his life and provides a storyline for the documentary. Kofi Outlaw, author from Screenrant.com, writes a review of the movie and asserts that Macdonald, director of Marley, “makes the smart move of using music as our guide through Bob’s history, from his early days playing in Trench Town bands to the creation of Reggae and his Rastafarian spiritual awakening.” This is a form of remediation because Marley’s songs and lyrics are now used for a different purpose, the purpose of telling a story. His music navigates the audience through the history of his career, major life events, etc. and how all these things connect and influenced his music. This is the most personal form of remediation I have encountered in my research and it is truly magnificent.