Out in remix culÂture, one is nevÂer sure what one will find. Take this video for examÂple. If you watched AmerÂiÂcan TV durÂing the 1980s, you’re likeÂly to rememÂber DifÂf’rent Strokes, a sitÂcom that had a kind of far-fetched premise: a rich white widÂowÂer adopts two African-AmerÂiÂcan chilÂdren from Harlem, and they live hapÂpiÂly togethÂer in a pentÂhouse with the widÂowÂer’s bioÂlogÂiÂcal daughÂter and maid. The show’s openÂing credÂits were accomÂpaÂnied by an upbeat litÂtle jinÂgle (watch it here). Now watch what hapÂpens above when someÂone layÂers HitchÂcock style music over the origÂiÂnal. How we interÂpret the video sudÂdenÂly does a comÂplete 180. The mesÂsage that leaps out is not one that we’re makÂing light of. Not at all. We’re simÂply feaÂturÂing the clip because it demonÂstrates so well how music shades the meanÂing we give to images.
PS ReadÂers have added some othÂer intriguÂing examÂples in the comÂments below.
Peter KaufÂman comes to us from IntelÂliÂgent TeleÂviÂsion.