The Age of the Mash-Up

One of the wonders of YouTube is not just the democratization of the election campaign. And it's not just the ability of a blog like this to channel your favorite movie moments. It's also a creative ferment of mash-up pastiche. The recut movie trailers here and here are a function of amateurs parodying and reimagining the popular culture. Mash-ups are in a similar vein - conflating periods, music, genres, idioms and visuals to create an endless plethora of pomo performance art. Here's another example of this entirely welcome burst of pop-cultural exuberance. It's a classic Fosse number, mashed up with hip-hop. So gay and so black. People are talking as if the YouTube era is already drawing to a close. I think it's just beginning. And it's evidence that democracy and technology need not debase the culture. Enjoy: