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Alien Attack

Program Length: 1 hour
Produced: 1996

The Persuasion of Titles:
The title of MuchMusic's program is Alien Attack. How might this title prejudice viewers' points-of-view about aliens? Suggest some other titles that might have been used. How do the other titles prejudice viewers? Which title suggests the least prejudice? Why?

In January, 1996, some newspapers reported that life on Earth might have had its start on Mars: bacterial life-forms from which Earth's current living things has evolved may have arrived on Earth on meteorites originating on Mars. Find the articles. How plausible are they? How do the attitudes in the article reflect some of the ideas in Alien Attack

The Sunday, February 11, 1996 edition of The Toronto Star contains a feature article examining many of the issues put forward in Alien Attack. It especially provides new information and a Canadian context for UFO sightings.
- Repeated sightings of UFOs have been occurring during the fall and winter in a Northwest territories city.
- The National Research Council and the Canadian military have officially stopped investigating UFO sightings.
- Several Canadians have described their experiences of alien abduction.
Obtain a copy of the article and use it to expand and inform the issues surrounding alien encounters.
 
Host: "The signs of extra-terrestrial life are all around us, not just in sci-fi movies, but on T-shirts, album covers, skateboards, advertising and on the Net. Ever since flying saucers crash landed into our psyches in the late '40s, alien life forms have become an obsession for some or signs that anything is possible -- you are never alone in a universe full of possible encounters."

Why do we need to believe in extra-terrestrial life? Some people believe, some don't. Suggest some reasons why, whether UFOs exist or not, some people need to believe there is extra-terrestrial life. Suggest some reasons why other people do not believe.

Music Video Clips:
Following is a list of the songs and videos sampled in Alien Attack.
a)Working from this list, describe the various points-of-view that musical artists have taken towards the existence of aliens and UFOs.
b) Examine the list according to the kind of music (metal, pop, reggae, rap, soul, etc.) that each video is an example of. Do all kinds of music seem to express a concern with alien/UFO issues? What kind(s) of music are not represented on the Alien Attack list? Can you think of a song from that kind that does involve alien/UFO issues? What conclusions can you draw about different kinds of music and extra-terrestrial life?

When you See those Flying Saucers; Buchanan Bros. '48
Judy Staring at the Sun; Catherine Wheel
Flying Saucer Rock n Roll; Billy Lee Riley '56
I'll Stick Around; Foo Fighters
Folly of Youth; Pere Ubu
I've Been Waiting; Matthew Sweet
Fantastic Planet; Din
American-Merkins; Chris Millington
Riding on the Rocket; Shonan Knife
Welcome to Planet MF; White Zombie
Planet Love; The Dylans
UFO Rosie; Weeping Tile
End of the World; The Waltons
2010; Andy Summers
Let Me Talk; Earth Wind & Fire
Rocket; Smashing Pumpkins
I Would Be Your Man; Odds
Dementia; Tad
Leafy McLine; Tad
Copper Theft; Monster Voodoo Machine
Out of Space; Prodigy
Starseed; Our Lady Peace
Warped; Red Hot Chili Peppers
Space Oddity; David Bowie
Allison; The Pixies
Hangar 18; Megadeath
Rocket to the Moon; The Stranglers
Alien Nation; Scorpions
UFO; Leslie Spit Treeo
Girl Like You; Edwyn Collins
Weird Blue Yonder; Killjoys
Coming of the Century; Course of Empire
Loving the Alien; David Bowie
Jocko Homo; Devo
Party on Plastic; Bootsy Collins

Book Connections:
Read The Sirens of Titan, by Kurt Vonnegut. Which of the representations described in the list above are used by Vonnegut? What is the theme of his novel?

Following are some of the books referenced in Alien Attack. Read one of the books and describe its point-of-view. Which of the issues in Alien Attack does it reinforce most?
The Blue Book of UFOs
UFOs Over Canada, John Robert Columbo
We Are Not Alone, Walter Sullivan

TV/Movie Connections:
Following are some movies that deal with alien/UFO issues. View one or more of the movies and compare and contrast their points-of-view to each other and to the videos in Alien Attack.
The Day the Earth Stood Still (Aliens stop time on earth to warn earthlings to mend their destructive ways.)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Aliens are friendly.)
2001: A Space Odyssey (Aliens are unknowable; man is insignificant in the greater order of time and the universe.)
Starman (Earthlings need to learn to become more humane, less hypocritical.)
The Last Star Fighter (Earth is a small part of a large community of life-supporting planets.)
Star Wars (Earth is a small part of a large community of life-supporting planets.)
Alien (There are some nasty aliens.)
Species(There are some nasty aliens.)
Predator (There are some nasty aliens.)
They Live (There are some nasty aliens.)
ET (Aliens can be fun, self-sacrificing, and home bodies.)
Communion
Star Trek (Aliens are just like us, with hopes and fears.)
Babylon 5
Tek Wars
Above Top Secret

It
The Fly
Fire in the Sky
War of the Worlds
Roswell

View The Swamp Gas Factor, a mock documentary by Scott Barrie, (McNabb & Connelly, Toronto). The movie examines how and why people create meanings and jump to conclusions when faced with potentially extra-terrestrial events. Compare the ideas generated from your discussion of The Swamp Gas Factor to ideas put forth by people in Alien Attack, or other films.

Possible Uses of Believing in Aliens/UFOs:
Following is a list of the possible uses that people might have for believing in aliens/UFOs. This list, or most of it, might be generated inductively from watching Alien Attack. Students can discuss whether they or people they know use their beliefs in extra-terrestrials in some of these ways. They might also consider ways that other forms of Popular Culture, such as movies, fairy tales, good luck charms, etc. might be used by people for the same purposes.

People might use extra-terrestrials to...

1. Represent anxieties about the future, especially the coming of the 21st Century. (How will our lives change? Will we be happy? Safe?)

2. Represent punishment for humanity's sins against the environment, etc. (Aliens will destroy us for our selfish actions. See the clip from When you See those Flying Saucers; Buchanan Bros. '48)

3. Represent unexplainable thoughts and feelings we have. (It must be the alien blood, or an alien influence, because these thoughts are not human or 'natural.')

4. Represent the surreal experiences of dreaming. (Sleep might be interpreted as a journey to another place, an out-of-body experience to another dimension, even a kind of abduction of consciousness.)

5. Represent our wishes to be special, extraordinary. (Starseeds, abductees, claimants are all unusual because of their alien encounters.)

6. Represent possibilities. (People with predictable, boring lives might use alien encounters to break the monotony.)

7. Represent fear of earth-bound aliens, e.g. US fear of Communism. (This idea applies most directly to sci-fi movies of the 50's and 60's, when foreign spies were stealing military secrets and Communist governments were actively conquering Asia and South America.)

8. Represent a longing to connect with our own inner, unexamined feelings. (Aliens might represent those ideas within ourselves that we believe are abnormal, or alien, but strangely attractive.)

9. Represent a need to explain the unexplainable. (When strange things occur, we seek to explain them scientifically. If scientific explanation fails, we might choose alien/UFO related explanations.)

10. Represent ways to explain why humans are unlike any other Earthly species. (Are humans really starseeds -- descendants of alien-human mating? Is the missing link really an alien encounter of the sexual kind?)

11. Represent the genesis of all religion. (Aliens visited and gave us our religious beliefs. We mistook aliens for god.)

12. Represent life forms from other dimensions rather than from other galaxies. (We live in three dimensions. Maybe the beings we call aliens are really earthlings, but they live in a fourth or fifth dimension, and can visit us.)

13. Represent a shadow government controlling our government. (One musician describes an alien-human conspiracy in which Americans are exchanging (selling) humans for alien technology. A shadow government would be one which is not elected, but which controls the elected government surreptitiously.)

Image Themes:
As you view the video, log the various video clips and record the frequency of the following images: technology, raised consciousness, surrealism, alien-human bonding, alien hostility toward humans. What conclusions do you come to about the variety of points-of-view presented in the videos?

Persuasive Media:
After seeing Alien Attack, do you find it easier or harder to believe in the existence of UFOs? View several UFO/Alien documentaries. Read some alien encounter books. Do they begin to convince you of the possibility of alien existence? How? Why?

Conclusions:
Write several paragraphs that summarize the points-of-view presented by Alien Attack. Be sure to include the connection between music and alien existence.

Written by: Neil Andersen
Neil Andersen is an award-winning Curriculum Consultant with the Toronto District School Board. He is also a speaker and consultant in media and communications technology. His most recent work includes the Between the Lines CDs, the teachers' study guide for the award-winning Scanning Television, and study guides for Space, Bravo! and MuchMusic's Cable in the Classroom broadcasts of original media literacy programming.

For more information about MuchMusic's educational programming -- or to give us your feedback -- please contact: 

Kim Rapagna
Manager, Public Affairs
CTVglobemedia Inc.
krapagna@ctvglobemedia.com




MuchMediaLit
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The following programs air at 4 am ET on MuchMusic on the dates indicated:

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January 28, 2009 – MuchTalks: Violence

A lively debate about the culture of violence.  Topics include: violence in music, video games, movies, and other forms of media.

February 4, 2009 – Womaging

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February 11, 2009 – Inside your Threads

Examines the working conditions of “sweatshop” employees in Mexico and Bangladesh and provides an updated perspective on this controversial issue for Canadian youth via music.   Viewers follow three Canadian recording artists, Sam Roberts, Hawksley Workman, and Jully Black, as they encounter Mexican and Bangladeshi youth struggling to earn a living wage at a variety of apparel factories.

February 18, 2009 –  MuchTalks: Climate Change

MuchTalks: Climate Change explores what is arguably today’s most pressing environmental concern. VJ Hannah Simone and members of Sum 41 investigate the causes and impact of global warming, and highlight outstanding Canadian youth striving to make a difference. The documentary-style program also provides action steps and information for MuchMusic viewers who want to get involved and combat climate change.

February 24, 2009 – By Their Own Hand

"By Their Own Hand" examines the interrelation of creativity, depression and suicide. The program looks at a variety of music videos that address the subject of suicide, and interviews therapists, artists and critics to understand the connection between music, art, mood disorders and suicide.

March 4, 2009 - Much Talks: Too Hot or Not

Where do we draw the line when it comes to sexuality in music videos?  When does an image change from sexy to sexist?  MuchMusic examines this question with a live audience, panelists including video director Little X, and commentary from such sexy video stalwarts as Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, and Madonna.

March 11, 2009 – Much Talks Body Image

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March 18, 2009 – Hip Hop Consciousness

Hip hop artists discuss their efforts to effect positive change in their community, and comment on the materialism prevalent in mainstream hip hop.  Controversial artists like Eminem and Dead Prez contribute to the debate.

March 25, 2009 - MuchTalks Climate Change

MuchTalks: Climate Change explores what is arguably today’s most pressing environmental concern. VJ Hannah Simone and members of Sum 41 investigate the causes and impact of global warming, and highlight outstanding Canadian youth striving to make a difference. The documentary-style program also provides action steps and information for MuchMusic viewers who want to get involved and combat climate change.

April 1, 2009– MuchTalks: Violence

A lively debate about the culture of violence.  Topics include: violence in music, video games, movies, and other forms of media.

April 8, 2009- MuchTalks: Too Hot or Not

Where do we draw the line when it comes to sexuality in music videos?  When does an image change from sexy to sexist?  MuchMusic examines this question with a live audience, panelists including video director Little X, and commentary from such sexy video stalwarts as Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, and Madonna.

April 15, 2009– Rock Stars for Sale

It used to be that musicians lost credibility if they allied themselves with a commercial product.  Now, with the line between art and commerce becoming increasingly blurry (witness Gap's recent ad campaign), the NewMusic investigates what this all means to music, the music industry, and music consumers.

April 22, 2009- Queer and Now

A special episode of The NewMusic investigates what it means to be gay in today's music industry.

April 29, 2009- MuchTalks: The Bully Factor

A round-table discussion with an audience that examines why bullying happens in schools and what students, parents and teachers can do about it.  Includes accounts from Michelle Williams of Destiny's Child and Jo O'Meara of S Club 7, both former victims of bullying.

May 6, 2009 – MuchTalks: Teen Sex

MuchMusic provides an indepth look at teen sex.  A live studio audience and a panel of teens and experts - including renowned sex educator Sue Johanson - explore the issues:  the commercialization of sexuality, STDs, abstinence, and more.

May 6, 2009 -  The NewMusic: Female Imaging Now

Female musicians seem to be relying on sexuality more than ever to promote themselves.  What influence is this having on their young female fans?

May 13, 2009 - Womaging

Explores the issue of body image, combining feedback from an expert in the field of body image with discussion by influential female artists including former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell and TLC.

May 20, 2009 - Inside your Threads

Examines the working conditions of “sweatshop” employees in Mexico and Bangladesh and provides an updated perspective on this controversial issue for Canadian youth via music.   Viewers follow three Canadian recording artists, Sam Roberts, Hawksley Workman, and Jully Black, as they encounter Mexican and Bangladeshi youth struggling to earn a living wage at a variety of apparel factories.

May 27, 2009 - MuchTalks: Body Image

Join MuchMusic for an in-depth look at body image and today's teens.  From plastic surgery and eating disorders to media images and self-esteem, MuchMusic looks at society's obsession with body image.

 

 

 






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