cultural literacy

I’m reading Convergence Culture and the chapter on Photography and Democracy because I think it will assist me in learning the language of the space I’m joining. So, I’m reading The Matrix chapter just because it is SO interesting.

On page 101 of my copy Jenkins discusses the meaning of the numbers in the movie, and how they also tie into the video games. He talk about Neo’s apartment number 101 being the same number used by George Orwell in 1984 (is it strange that this discussion occurs on page 101 . . . . .oh Jenkins, you’re so sneaky, or super lucky). A paragraph earlier Jenkins talks about the license plates DA203 and IS5416 referring to Bible passages (David 2:3 and Isaiah 54:16). So what this immediately brought to mind is the literacy debate brought on by E.D. Hirsch with his book Cultural Literacy (which has been rewritten a couple times I believe). In basic literacy classes in this department, and in other courses that touch on literacy, Hirsch is dismissed SO quickly, and the elitism that is the cultural literacy that he promotes is completely bashed. But, as I’m reading Jenkins I’m starting to think that a level of cultural literacy needs to be present for television and movie shows that have the cult following like the Matrix. I think Lost fans are very similar, with Dharma from the Dharma project being dissected as a term and a word, and the time travel and all it’s relevant authors being highly discussed as literary (also talked about by Jayne in class on Tuesday). So, participatory culture seems to require an entrance level literacy level for participation to occur. There also seems to be a lot of overlap with Hirsch’s list of things we need to have read to be culturally literate. This access to hidden nuggets in movies and television shows requires us to have exposure to so much, not just other groups that figure it out, but to the original reference as well. Are we seeing a return to Cultural Literacy ala Hirsch to fully participate in some of these cultures?