Tara Hughes

My ideas seem to have become lost in the sea of blogs, so just to refresh and gain some more feedback...

GUILTY PLEASURES
As Schadenfreude is often considered the ultimate guilty pleasure, below are possible outcomes to this theme.

1. Though everyday experiences of Schadenfreude (pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others) are interesting on an observational level, I'm thinking more about the current climate whereby the media actively encourage us to feel the tabooed emotion and increase a hunger to see humiliating photos of stars or hear about the scandelous lives of politicians. I've thought of producing an outcome that highlights this media influence and social comment in a non-preachy way.
Therefore, an alternative, sophisticated method of re-telling a glossy, overhyped celeb scandal would be to present it in monochrome within a zoetrope (reminiscent of the Victorian era). This would also comment on the shift from what was considered traditional family entertainment to how we gain our thrills today.

The zoetrope itself would have most effect and a heightned sense of relation to the viewer if it were to human scale. One piece would be constructed with many graphic strips of the embarrassing misfortunes available to slot in.

Considering the scale of the piece and the fact that it would be positioned in various locations in the city (particularly squares, as almost circus/freak show events) it would invite the ultimate opportunity for Schadenfreude as the public would be in control of it's movement. Without their participation, the scandals/misfortunes would not unfold and so again it plays with the idea of temptation.
Perhaps the whole motive could be to take the stigma out of an emotion we all feel but deny to exist. Making the experience so public could take it from being a guilty pleasure, to one of accepted celebration!

2. The opposite of a celebrated pleasure would be in considering Schadenfreude as a 'guilty pleasure'. Therefore, perhaps the above idea would work on the complete opposite scale of being a miniature zoetrope produced in beautiful detail, and designed as a portable device to sneekingly lift one's spirits, boost an ego or to gain a malicious laugh?

3. Simply, a photographic collection of hiddden Schadenfreudian smirks and giggles from all walks of daily life. For example a bus driver's self-satisfaction when closing the door to someone left standing in the rain, a student's subtle glee when a fellow competing peer has their work critised and so on. Small-scale subtle shows and physical manifestations of Schadenfreude rarely noticed but captured on film. The images could become large prints annotated to describe from where such smugness was retreived creating uncomfortable reactions amongst viewers.

3. In isolating this term of the 'guilty pleasure', I thought of finding out exactly what people in London are ashamed to admit to loving or owning. As a nosey person I'm always intrigued to know what people have hidden under their beds, in their bottom drawers and hide away when they are expecting visitors.
The idea would be to advertise for a 'Guilty Pleasures amnesty' where the public would hand in all their embarrassing and cringeworthy objects, clothes, ornaments and nerdy collections. The objects could be archived and photographed in an attempt to find some glimmer of attractiveness or purpose.