Fifty-seven years ago today JFK was assassinated. The television images are fresh in my mind even now -- seeing the replays of him dying over and over in the grainy greyness of the huge black and white screen in our living room. For perspective, this was the first time as a student in grade 1, that I had seen someone die on the screen -- really die.
Many years later, when I began my PhD research I chose to study the impact of televised images on viewers. The early images of the death of JFK played heavily into my choice of study subject, knowing it would be central to the rest of my academic career. Granted, I studied images of food and body image then and others related to social, political, psychological, and economic impacts to our food choices and the ability to access food. The power of the medium had been with me since my early years. The moving image has such great emotional effect. Think of the images that you carry with you -- assassination of the Kennedy brothers, unfolding of the Quebec crisis, explosion of the shuttles Challenger and Columbia, embedded journalist views of war in Viet Nam, famine in Ethiopia, and Columbine. It isn't all bad, though. I also recall being introduced to Baryshnikov, George Balanchine, the Beatles, Jane Goodall, Louis Leakey, and the Monkees <smile>. Each of these images -- and so many more -- had a role to play in shaping who I am today.
The JFK images marked a loss of innocence of sorts. From this came a rise of conspiracy theories -- who killed JFK, was McCartney dead, was Elvis still alive and so much more. This day in 1963 was a watershed moment on many fronts and shaped the world around us in unexpected ways. The song shared today speaks to the history and the theoretical underpinnings that have been a big part of my life. Stay safe. Enjoy!
I Saw it on TV -- John Fogerty
No comments:
Post a Comment