Amy Sebring: Welcome to the EIIP Virtual Forum Round Table! Amy Sebring: For the benefit of our first-timers, when you see a blue web address, you can click on it and the referenced web page should appear in a browser window. Amy Sebring: After the first one, the browser window may not automatically come to the top, so you may need to bring it forward by clicking on a button at the status bar at the bottom of your screen. Amy Sebring: Right before we begin the Q&A portion I will review how to submit questions. Amy Sebring: Today we are pleased to host a continuation of the discussion of The Popular Culture of Disasters. Amy Sebring: If you were with us last October for our Classroom session, you will remember that Gary Webb introduced this topic to us at that time. Amy Sebring: As a reminder, the background page for that session, with links to transcript and slides can be found at http://www.emforum.org/vclass/981021.htm . Amy Sebring: A lot has gone on since then, and here today to tell us about it is Tricia Wachtendorf, a Graduate Research Assistant at the University of Delaware's Disaster Research Center. Amy Sebring: Welcome Tricia, and thank you for joining us today. Tricia Wachtendorf: Hi Amy and thanks! Tricia Wachtendorf: Good morning to everyone and welcome to our second round table on the popular culture of disaster. Tricia Wachtendorf: This is a wonderful opportunity to follow up on some of the points raised in our well attended Oct. 21st virtual conference when Gary Webb led a very interesting discussion regarding what might constitute disaster popular culture. Tricia Wachtendorf: Before we begin, I would like to first remind everyone about a few items. (Slide One Please) Amy Sebring: http://www.emforum.org/vforum/tw1.htm Tricia Wachtendorf: First of all, our mailing list is constantly growing. It is very encouraging to see new names added regularly. Tricia Wachtendorf: If you would like to post to the group a question, comment, or announcement about disaster pop culture, you can send it to discult@kfs009.soziologie.uni-kiel.de. Tricia Wachtendorf: The DisCult web site is up and running. If you have not already signed up to be on the mailing list, you can do so at this site. Please check it out at http://kfs009.soziologie.uni- kiel.de/~discult/ Finally, there are several upcoming meetings which will have sessions on disaster popular culture: Tricia Wachtendorf: 1) The July Natural Hazards Workshop in Boulder Colorado - proposals from practitioners for presentation at this session are invited, and those interested or with questions should contact Elaine Enarson (enarson@interchange.ubc.ca) - Tricia Wachtendorf: 2) The August American Sociological Association meeting in Chicago - which is sponsored by the ISA Research Committee on Disasters - 3) and we just heard of a session on the Literature of Natural Disasters at the American Literature Association in Baltimore, May 27-30th. Tricia Wachtendorf: Now on to the discussion! I would like today's round table to genuinely be a COLLECTIVE discussion of the topic. Tricia Wachtendorf: I will begin with a 10 minutes introduction of today's theme and raise some questions we may want to discuss. However, I then encourage everyone to join in with your own questions, examples, and valuable ideas. Tricia Wachtendorf: At the end of the round table, Gary Webb will provide a brief summary of some the points raised. Tricia Wachtendorf: In our last session, Elaine Enarson raised an interesting question: What are some of the lessons learned from the popular culture of disaster? I would like to use this question as a starting point for today's discussion. Tricia Wachtendorf: Whether we are talking about movies, games, products such as t-shirts or quilts, songs, or jokes, it is important to consider what these social products are telling us about specific emergency events, or about disasters in general. Tricia Wachtendorf: Moreover, when we look at these resulting disaster conceptions, how similar (or dissimilar) are they to what others are saying about the event, or to what research tells us about disasters? As an illustration, let's look at three examples. Tricia Wachtendorf: The slides that accompany each example raise several questions we may wish to discuss. First of all, let's consider what some of the recent disaster movies - such as Armageddon, Dante's Peak, Volcano, and Deep Impact tell us? Tricia Wachtendorf: In all of these movies, government officials hide information about the disaster because they fear panic. Tricia Wachtendorf: Concerned about the disruption of routine activities (e.g.: commuter traffic or tourist activity), officials also delay issuing warnings. Tricia Wachtendorf: These movies also tell us that a lone researcher or lay person will be the one to discover the potential hazard. Tricia Wachtendorf: The government or responsible agencies will either be completely ignorant of the hazard, or ignore warnings of the threat. Movies present statements about race, class and gender roles, and differences in the ways these social groups may behave. Tricia Wachtendorf: Some of you may also have noted that many disaster movies include a pet component. Even though it may be stranded in the middle of a large lava flow, the dog always lives! Tricia Wachtendorf: When I was back home in Manitoba this Christmas, a new Canadian disaster movie was released: "Last Night." Although I did not get a chance to see it, most of the reviews I read juxtaposed this movie with its American counterparts. Tricia Wachtendorf: Instead of the Bruce-Willis-like heroes and the rioters in US movies, these reviewers stated that the characters in "Last Night" were quintessentially Canadian - polite and apologetic to the end. While one can argue the stereotypical personality traits of Canadians, cross-cultural comparisons of pop culture products tell different stories about what a disaster is like, and how people may behave in it. (Slide Two please) Amy Sebring: http://www.emforum.org/vforum/tw2.htm Tricia Wachtendorf: What about disaster graffiti? As research on the Red River Flood by Hagen, Ender, Tiemann, and Hagen shows, a variety of disaster graffiti often emerges following a disaster. For example, messages are sometimes humorous, while others provide sharp criticism of governmental response. Tricia Wachtendorf: Some indicate survival, yet others point to ongoing frustration and victimization. Whether it consists of texts, pictures, or objects, the graffiti tells a story. (Slide Three Please) Amy Sebring: http://www.emforum.org/vforum/tw3.htm Tricia Wachtendorf: I recently looked through the lyrics of several folk songs with disaster themes. Many songs presented the victims as brave heroes, and included a verse about the grief of surviving friends and loved ones. Tricia Wachtendorf: Less attention was given to placing blame on individuals or organizations for the incident. Most of the songs concentrated on people coming together to help - the disaster myth of panic and disorganization were not prevalent. (Slide Four Please) Amy Sebring: http://www.emforum.org/vforum/tw4.htm Tricia Wachtendorf: The use of pop culture products are one way to socially construct and present a disaster event. The choice of presentation medium, the message conveyed through the pop culture product, and the consistency or inconsistency of the popular message with other social constructions are just a few of the interesting areas we could explore. Tricia Wachtendorf: At this time, I would like to open up the discussion. Does anyone have any comments or questions they would like to pose to the rest of the group? Amy Sebring: Thank you Tricia and we will now open it up to discussion ... Amy Sebring: audience please enter a question mark (?) to indicate you wish to be recognized, go ahead and compose your comment or question, but wait for recognition before hitting the enter key or clicking on Send. Amy Sebring: Ok, we are ready for your questions or comments. Avagene Moore: ? Amy Sebring: Ava please. Lindsey Burke: ? David Crews: ? Avagene Moore: I was wondering if anyone knows whether FEMA or other sources are involved in any of the movies mentioned? Ken Patterson Sr: ? Tricia Wachtendorf: ! Amy Sebring: Go ahead Tricia. Tricia Wachtendorf: I haven't heard about FEMA but... Tricia Wachtendorf: I heard that the Canadian Red Cross was setting up information booths outside of popular disaster movies. This is a great opportunity for an organization to take advantage of the large audience disaster movies draw... Tricia Wachtendorf: Disaster movies often do a great job showing the destruction a disaster can cause, however they also perpetuate many myths. On the one hand, such information booths can take advantage of a captive audience to dispel those myths, but can it compete with the big screen? Amy Sebring: Lindsey please. Lindsey Burke: The sad fact about the movie misrepresentation is that in our society, we don't like to see wrong. We go to watch our hero save the day. However, the old China Syndrome movie certainly posed a lot of fear in those in Penn. during the TMI incident... Lindsey Burke: Why do think that people see one movie and are glad the hero saves the day, when other movies strike fear? Amy Sebring: ? Amy Sebring: Tricia do you note the difference that Lindsey is referring to? Tricia Wachtendorf: That's an interesting question Lindsay... Tricia Wachtendorf: does anyone else in the room have any comments on it? Amy Sebring: Well think on it and lets go to David next please. David Crews: I live in Kansas, I have a coffee cup that says "Toto I don't think we're in Kansas anymore" and 2 T-shirts " Toto with a bad hair day" and "Run Toto Run! (Tornado in the background) Also have a yellow sponge "Follow the Yellow Brick Road" Wizard of Oz is big here! Amy Sebring: Ken please. Ken Patterson Sr: Does the movie industry realize or even care about the image they are portraying to the general public about Emergency Management agencies? We are trying to improve the image and Hollywood is damaging the work that is done. Lindsey Burke: ? ryc lyden: ? Amy Sebring: Yes, I wonder Ken if they have any consultants and I think that was what Ava was getting at with her first question. Tricia Wachtendorf: Re: Lindsey's comment, it seem all of these movies exploit people's fear, but part of it is that we as the audience can watch from a distance. Amy Sebring: My turn ... Amy Sebring: was just thinking about how the movies perpetuate the victim mentality ... Amy Sebring: that the public is helpless in face of disaster ... Amy Sebring: this is a stereotype to overcome if we are to make any progress. Amy Sebring: Lindsey next please. Tricia Wachtendorf: Back to Ken's point, some movie makers came to the DRC some time back re: a script they were writing. Lindsey Burke: I just have a comment... Lindsey Burke: Coming from my point, just learning the EM profession, the movies have only boosted my confidence in how people perceive EM. It gives me hope, in a way. Avagene Moore: ? Amy Sebring: Ryc is next please. ryc lyden: Comment on be frightened: We spend big money on going to horror movies to be frightened.. an emotional response gets people talking about the film. That sells more tickets and makes profit. Tricia Wachtendorf: ! Ken Patterson Sr: ? Amy Sebring: Comment Tricia. Tricia Wachtendorf: Lindsey, I'm curious to hear... Tricia Wachtendorf: why and how it gives you hope? Lindsey Burke: I was always fascinated with Disaster...and the way they portrayed those in charge... Amy Sebring: Lindsey, response? Lindsey Burke: just opens the doors to what I have seen to be how the job is respected. I never have really seen the aspect that Ken refers to as being needed to change. Does that make sense? Amy Sebring: Ken next please. Ken Patterson Sr: Has anyone researched the problem that may be caused by what Americans actually perceive as the government role in disasters? Do they believe what the movies are telling them or what we are telling them? Lindsey Burke: I know all about FEMA reorganization...etc...but a lot of civilian people don't know about that... ryc lyden: ? Amy Sebring: Tricia, can you respond regarding the research on actual attitudes? Tricia Wachtendorf: I don't know of any specific research on the topic.... Tricia Wachtendorf: but I think it's a great question... Tricia Wachtendorf: We should also remember... David Crews: ?! Tricia Wachtendorf: that movies give different takes on government roles... Tricia Wachtendorf: As I pointed out earlier, some movie show the government as the last group to realize the threat.. Ken Patterson Sr: ! Tricia Wachtendorf: while others may show the EM as the hero (Volcano) Amy Sebring: Ryc please. ryc lyden: Just a comment. We may never really know all of the 'why's' that people get into the disaster culture. But, what we should be discussing is looking at what opportunities are now open to us. Amy Sebring: Can you clarify Ryc? ryc lyden: The comment about having booths open at theaters is a good example... or spots on the radio around movies Amy Sebring: Yes, even FEMA had a trailer on the home version of Tornado! Amy Sebring: David next please. David Crews: The X files (The Movie) portrayed FEMA as part of a secret government project. I created a lot of problems for the Public Information Officers in the DFO when it was released. It added to the rumor mill of FEMA leading a government conspiracy that has been circulating in Militia groups in recent years. David Crews: I=It Tricia Wachtendorf: That's a great example David! Amy Sebring: Ken please. Amy Sebring: ? Ken Patterson Sr: Disregard. David covered my comment Amy Sebring: I was also going to comment on David's remark ... Amy Sebring: I expect the conspiracy theory will only get worse this next year with Y2K! Ken Patterson Sr: ! Amy Sebring: Ken please. Ken Patterson Sr: That Y2K problem is running rampant here Amy Sebring: Anyone else? Ken Patterson Sr: the rumors are getting pretty bad...people stocking up food ad everything else for the end of the world Avagene Moore: I have a comment too. The emergency managers in the movies (Tommy Lee Jones in Volcano, prime example and laughable) are real 'cowboys'. However, that is Hollywood and sells tickets. Real disasters, if portrayed realistically, wouldn't be especially entertaining. Hard work and traumatic but not entertaining. Tricia Wachtendorf: Does anyone have any ideas how one can counter this misconceptions of government in disaster? Or are some negative portrayals more accurate than we think (I'm not referring to the x- files movie here) ryc lyden: ! Ken Patterson Sr: ! Amy Sebring: Ryc please. David Crews: !? ryc lyden: Again, take the opportunity during movies to get out the pamphlets, etc. Amy Sebring: Ken next. ryc lyden: Red Cross could recruit! Ken Patterson Sr: When the fires stuck FL, the news was very good about showing the actuality of the disaster, Ken Patterson Sr: taking some of the Hollywood hype out of the community Amy Sebring: David please. David Crews: Tricia, FEMA has built a large cadre for Community Relations to address the many misconceptions the public has about government roles and assistance in disasters. The also have a lot of literature in various languages too. Amy Sebring: ? Amy Sebring: Tricia is media being considered as part of the Pop Culture? Avagene Moore: ? Tricia Wachtendorf: Well, I think so.... Tricia Wachtendorf: but that actually goes back to Gary's talk on what pop culture is.... Tricia Wachtendorf: popular magazine, commercials, I think it's all open for discussion. Amy Sebring: Avagene. Avagene Moore: Tricia, what is the long-term vision for the Pop Culture group that you have gathered as an interest group? Will the group and its deliberations have an impact on the public or the practitioner? Tricia Wachtendorf: Again, Elaine Enarson is trying to make a real effort to attract practitioners to present at the workshop in Boulder.... Tricia Wachtendorf: I think that the messages pop culture tell the general public, and EM's, influence how we are going to react to a disaster event.... Tricia Wachtendorf: as well as prepare for it... Amy Sebring: ? Tricia Wachtendorf: If victims are wearing flood t-shirts and displaying graffiti saying they are still suffering, the media may pick up on this... Tricia Wachtendorf: which could have practical consequences. Amy Sebring: I expect that many adults at least understand the difference between the movies and reality, however, children may be a different thing, and we may be shaping future attitudes. Amy Sebring: Do children pick up on the Pop Culture possibly or are they pretty much insulated from it? Ken Patterson Sr: ! Amy Sebring: Ken please. Ken Patterson Sr: Children I have faced feel that the movies are a somewhat honest portrayal of real life... Ken Patterson Sr: They think the hero will come save them, the only thing I have see that changes this is the actual living through a disaster. Amy Sebring: ? Amy Sebring: I was going to pick up on the lone hero idea ... Amy Sebring: as we know it takes many, many folks ... Amy Sebring: I wonder if this pop culture idea does not make some EM's feel they must be the cowboy? Ken Patterson Sr: ! Tricia Wachtendorf: To build on that Amy..... David Crews: ? Tricia Wachtendorf: other players who deal with emergency management...... Tricia Wachtendorf: may wonder why their important roles are not shown. Amy Sebring: Ken and then David and then we will ask Gary to summarize. Ken Patterson Sr: or some other rescuer out there trying to be the hero, risking everyone else's life! Amy Sebring: Ken please. Amy Sebring: oops, David please. David Crews: The Community Emergency Response Teams and Project Impact (FEMA Initiatives) may actually benefit from the "Cowboy" image, promote volunteerism and personal readiness. Amy Sebring: Ok, Gary are you ready? gary webb: yes, Amy gary webb: Today's session... gary webb: has been very informative and several interesting points and questions have been raised... gary webb: so I will try to summarize some of the major issues raised... gary webb: First, we've focused largely on disaster movies... gary webb: but we touched again on the important question... gary webb: of what is the popular culture of disaster? gary webb: As Tricia pointed out... gary webb: there are other products like graffiti and clothing and buttons, etc... gary webb: from which we can also learn a great deal. gary webb: Second... gary webb: assuming we know what the popular culture of disaster is... gary webb: we need to ask the question... gary webb: why are disaster themes so prominent in our culture... gary webb: Along with that... gary webb: several interesting questions were raised... gary webb: for example... gary webb: to what extent do people believe the images of disaster and emergency management portrayed in disaster movies... gary webb: Another interesting set of issues raised... gary webb: involves the pitfalls and opportunities presented by studying... gary webb: the popular culture of disaster... gary webb: As an example of an opportunity... gary webb: we talked about the Canadian Red Cross using disaster movies... gary webb: as opportunities to distribute information and thereby capitalize on people's interests. gary webb: And as an example of a pitfall... gary webb: we talked about the images of the emergency management profession... gary webb: that are presented in disaster movies. gary webb: It seems to me... gary webb: that today's session is an excellent building block for more dialogue on this topic. gary webb: thanks to Tricia for talking and to Avagene and Amy for hosting the session. Amy Sebring: Thank you Gary and thank you Tricia ... Amy Sebring: before we officially adjourn .. Amy Sebring: Ava are you ready with some upcoming events? Avagene Moore: Thank you, Amy. Tomorrow, Wednesday Feb 24, 12: 00 Noon EST: Edward Addy will be our speaker in the Tech Arena to tell us about the North American Center for Emergency Communications (NACEC) and DVIS: Disaster Victim Information Exchange System. ... Avagene Moore: Background material for the discussion is at .. Avagene Moore: http://www.emforum.org/varena/990224.htm ... Avagene Moore: Thursday night, 2/25, 8: 00 PM EST, we will have an open forum in a Mutual Aid session for a lively discussion of any topic you or other audience members bring to us. ... Avagene Moore: Next Tuesday, 3/02/99, 1: 00 PM EST, we start off March with an invitation from an EIIP Partner, the Unit for Sustainable Development and Environment (USDE) of the Organization of American States (OAS), to a follow up discussion to their virtual conference last October that focused on disaster education in Latin America and the Caribbean. ... Avagene Moore: The Round Table session will serve as a participatory forum to brainstorm and help establish a dialogue on disaster education and to consolidate the emerging network of professionals working in this area. ... Avagene Moore: Wednesday, March 3, 12: 00 Noon EST, we will be in the Virtual Library. The speaker will be announced this weekend -- watch for it! Back to you, Amy. Amy Sebring: Thanks Ava, and thank you audience for good comments and questions. We will officially adjourn for now, but you are invited to remain a few minutes longer for some open discussion. Amy Sebring: Great job Tricia! And thank you again Gary. Tricia Wachtendorf: Thanks Amy, Avagene and Gary! And thanks to everyone who participated!