#the fact that two out of the three artists in a major lawsuit against Stability AI

[demigirlboss2girlrotboogaloo]

No one on this site-comma-webbed understands how copyright works.

[yasbxxgie]

Breaking Bones, Breaking Barriers: Black Stuntmen Honored at African American History Museum

Greg Wayne Elam knows what it’s like to face adversity.

In 1976, he was a strapping 29-year-old stuntman trying to make his mark in Hollywood. While on the set of the film “King Kong” he was charged with scaling a 60-foot telephone pole, dressed only in a loincloth. Elam gradually inched his way up the narrow structure, only to learn that the stabilizing safety device that the stunt coordinator had assured him would be at the top, was not there.

He had two options: plunge to the ground and risk losing the gig (not to mention, life or limb) or hold on for dear life. He chose the latter.

“I had on a G-string, it was the month of February and the wind was blowing and that pole was shaking,” remembers Elam, 69, with a chuckle. “I just held on tight. About two hours went by; it had gotten to a point where I didn’t have any circulation left in my legs. I couldn’t feel my legs at all.”

As if the situation couldn’t get worse, the crew filmed his scene from various angles and then went on to shoot others without signaling to Elam that he was cleared to come down. Fellow black stuntmen Ernie Robinson and Richard Washington ultimately came to his rescue on the set, helping him down with a crane-like device known as a scissor lift.

“They weren’t hiring black stuntmen in Hollywood back then, so when we did get work they would challenge us on the set,” recalls Elam, of Orange County, California, who went on to snag high-profile stunt work for popular black stars Michael Jackson, Richard Pryor and Gregory Hines among others. “We just took the challenge until they recognized us as stuntmen. We fought for the right to have equal opportunity. We didn’t do it for glory, we did it because it was the right thing to do.”

Elam and fellow members of the Black Stuntmen's Association (BSA) – many of whom had also endured overt racial discrimination in the film and television industry: such as threats of physical harm, name calling and being shut out of jobs altogether – were formally honored at the Sept. 24 grand opening of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.

BSA memorabilia, props, photos and news articles are featured in the entertainment-themed “Taking The Stage” exhibit. Members of the group hope to meet President and Mrs. Obama who are both scheduled to attend and make remarks at the star-studded affair at the National Mall's newest landmark museum.

“The Smithsonian? This is just unbelievable,” gushes Stone Mountain, Ga.- based character actor Alexander Folk, 70, who bonded with BSA members during his brief stint as a stuntman in the 80s. “When we were working out and doing stunts together, never did we think in our wildest dreams that something like this would come. That’s where not giving up comes into play. This honor is a testament to the fact that your wildest dreams will come to pass if you don’t give up. This honor is long overdue.”

A group of 25 black stuntmen came together in 1967 to found the BSA, which celebrates its 50th anniversary next year, in an effort to generate jobs for African American stuntmen. It also provided a safe space for stuntmen – and eventually stuntwomen of all races too – to bond, vent, network and hone their craft.

When the BSA took legal action against the major motion picture studios 40 years ago their main goal was to eradicate the widespread practice known as “painting down” in which white male actors essentially wore blackface. Stuntmen dressed up as women often stood in for actresses, leaving many stuntwomen unemployed too.

BSA members filed Equal Employment Opportunity charges against the major studios in 1976 and ultimately secured a settlement agreement. As a result of their groundbreaking lawsuit, current BSA head Willie Harris says the major studios, including Paramount, Fox, Disney, and Warner Bros. were forced to pay stunt performers of color an undisclosed amount of money in damages.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, a former Equal Employment Opportunity Commission chief, actually helped them secure the lawyer who argued the case.

“Even though the black stuntmen fought tirelessly to get the major studios to end this disgraceful and racist practice some 40 years ago, as recently as 2014, Warner Bros. was slammed for painting down a white [stuntwoman] on the set of the show 'Gotham.' This is Hollywood’s dirty little secret that they don’t want you to know,” said Nonie L. Robinson, granddaughter of late BSA Founding President Robinson, who is best known for his stunts on the “Miami Vice" television series, as well as the films “King Kong,” the original “Planet of the Apes" and "Greased Lightning.”

“When we started there were no black producers, cameramen, directors, makeup artists and lots of other positions,” asserts Harris, 75, of Las Vegas. “After our lawsuit the big studios had no choice but to start hiring them too. When the Civil Rights Movement was going on in this country, we were doing the same kind of fight in Hollywood and we won. We were the pioneers; we changed the industry for the better. Because of us, folks like Denzel [Washington], Samuel [Jackson], Will [Smith], Jamie [Foxx] Morgan Freeman and Tyler Perry now have access to better roles.”

Three years earlier, in 1973, the BSA took on American Honda Motor Co. Inc., accusing the company of refusing to hire black actors and stuntmen for its television commercials. The job discrimination lawsuit, which was endorsed by the United Auto Workers Union, asserted that over a three-year period, only three black performers out of 120 were used in 27 Honda motorcycle commercials aired on television. Honda reps formally denied any wrongdoing, but Harris says a spokesperson pointedly told their lawyer, “blacks didn’t show a good image on television.”

Harris says embattled actor and comedian of late Bill Cosby is widely lauded as being the first of the major black Hollywood stars – an exceptionally small number at the time – to demand that a black stuntman be hired to double for him on the set of his 60’s era television series “I, Spy.” Actors Harry Belafonte, Lou Gossett Jr. and Sidney Poitier also reportedly pushed for inclusion.

The BSA is also known for promoting equality for stuntwomen, ultimately becoming the first professional organization of its kind to invite women of all hues to join. “You can call it a movement, a struggle or a fight, but overall [the BSA] was about increasing opportunities for African Americans in the entertainment industry,” says veteran stuntwoman Jadie David, 66, who worked as actress Pam Grier’s stunt double during the blaxploitation film era. “It was called the Black Stuntmen’s Association, but their fight evolved to include people of color, women and all marginalized people in the entertainment industry.”

Robinson, of Los Angeles, will be joining the BSA “pioneers” during their trip to D.C. to shoot footage for a documentary she is working on, chronicling their “untold” and “courageous” story of breaking down “the barriers of race and gender in Hollywood against incredible and dangerous odds.”

“Many times they didn’t have the proper safety equipment or airbags; they literally put their lives on the line every day,” adds Robinson. “Once they got on those sets, they didn’t know if they would make it home [alive] or not. They paid a high price for inclusion.”

Robinson says famed music producer Quincy Jones is executive producer for the aptly titled “Breaking Bones, Breaking Barriers,” which Robinson is producing with Cecilia Peck, the film’s director and daughter of famed actor Gregory Peck. The full-length feature is set to be released in 2017 and will include interviews with BSA members, activists, journalists, Smithsonian reps and Academy Award-winning actors Gossett Jr. and Whoopi Goldberg.

In 2012, the BSA received an NAACP Image Award; state legislators in California, Mississippi and Nevada have also celebrated the organization. Most members agree, however, that being a part of a Smithsonian exhibit feels like a once-in-a-lifetime honor.

As for Elam, it seems he landed on his feet in more ways than one, when he managed to get down that telephone pole 40 years ago. He went into full retirement in 2010, after many years working as a stuntman, leading a highly-sought-after stunt training class and also working as the stunt coordinator for many films, including “Deep Cover,” “Hoodlum” and “The Color Purple.”

He has officially passed the torch; all three of his adult sons, Ousaun, Kiante and Kofi now work as stuntmen for some of the most elite black film stars: Samuel Jackson, Morgan Freeman, Will Smith, Don Cheadle and Jamie Foxx.

Harris says he and his BSA colleagues take pride in knowing that they helped pave the way: “We were the ones who opened the door.”

[v]

Photographs:

The Black Stuntmen Association circa 1965

Stuntwoman Jadie David, bottom, hits the ground after jumping from a derailing rollercoaster during the filming of the 1977 film "RollerCoaster." The fall broke her back.

Pioneer Stuntman and Stunt Coordinator Ernie Robinson and Philip Michael Thomas on the set of "Miami Vice" in the 1980's

Pioneer Stuntman Ernie Robinson dressed as the character "Tubbs" from "Miami Vice", pictured with Edward James Olmos in the 1980's

Willie Harris and Alex Brown in 2016

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Anthology Project

Introduction

In this semester we have explored many topics related to techno-panic and it was an amazing experience to learn so much about technology even though I am working in the tech industry myself. We have explored through many facts of technology starting from techno-panic in history to the fear of the future in the technology industry. It was very interesting to see people discuss our topics in a free to talk environment. This helped me connect a lot of things that I learned in my computer science classes to the topics and feelings and emotions of everyone in the class. I personally have experience in programming artificial intelligence and creating smart systems for the industry. Connecting these experiences from my class and personal life has helped change my perspective on how I should develop technology for the future. The anthology project explores the ideas we have encountered with a more modern approach do what is going on at the current moment and how this is affecting us in our social context in relation to ethical views.

The Key Takeaways

The selected articles/videos focus on the modern view of looking at technology by altering connecting ideas from the past. It challenges how we look at technology by adopting the ideas from our class and also integrating new ideas that are being used in the industry at the current moment. The story of my anthology project captured views of the social aspect of techno-panic in our culture end the ethical viewpoints of it. It formulates the story by moving from the past to the current and explores different social norms and ideas that encapsulates the core idea. It can be easily seen that the articles are organized in phases and in each phase we can explore the idea of social impact and ethical dilemma. Just by looking at the article titles it can be seen that there is a flow of different ideas exploring fear of current technologies and ethical dilemmas. Going deep into the articles it can be seen that each of the articles present an idea that is similar to the rest. Going deep into the articles it can be seen that each of the articles present an idea that is similar to the rest. Furthermore, All the articles talk about the positive future of technology and ethical dilemmas. I will discuss all the articles in the project in phases and relate them in a programmatic way through different sections.

Phase-1: Techno-Panic through History 

We have discussed the irrational fear of technology throughout the previous decades. There was a fear of using too much technology, replacing humans and damaging mental and physical health. This was termed as techno-panic. This paranoia still resonates today in the similar sense. The fear of computers didn't fall out of fashion until the 1990s when a new range of technological anxiety became the norm in cyberspace (LaFrance, 2015). The internet of the 1990s was a perfect canvas for alarmism: hard to define, easy to misunderstand, growing rapidly but not yet vital or even familiar to those most inclined to worry about it. But the internet in 2017 is fundamentally different: both a dominant medium and a medium dominated by a few companies (Herrman. 2017). Hollywood’s sci-fi horror the Ring is the American remake of the Japanese classic Ringu which shows fear of televisions dominant in mind at the time (Cawley, 2016). Envisioning the future defined by our wildest ambitions or our deepest fears is an instinct as old as human culture. We are living in the most socially interconnected and technologically advanced society in history. (Ferreira, 2018) In the article exploring 105 tech experts shows the continuation of misinformation and insufficient investment in science and STEM education were often the root cause of stalling development (Ferreira, 2018). Three respondents, two astronomers, and an archeologist said they did not worry much about the future. 26 specifically mentioned younger generations made them optimistic (Ferreira, 2018). Seven said that the advancement of women’s rights gave them hope, and three mentioned the #MeToo movement (Ferreira, 2018).

Phase-2: The Future of the Body

We as humans have always tried to constantly find ways to make life easier and following that internal wish, technology became our solution. In our class, we discussed the new technologies that try to extend human life from stem cells to even head transplants. The use of these types of technology that enhances the human body can have positive effects such as prosthetics implantation technology that can save a person from dying. In one of my articles, scientists are currently working on the option of uploading all the information from a person’s brain into a machine in order to preserve it (Dear, 2018). This appears with its own complications since people care about continuing, and continuing as a conscious person, therefore, uploading conscious is considered a different person (Dear, 2018). A startup company is planning to preserve the brain for future upload to the internet by injecting the brain with a special formula, in a technique known as aldehyde-stabilized cryopreservation (Georgiou, 2018). This will preserve the neural connections thought by some neuroscientists to encode a person’s mind, potentially for hundreds of years (Georgiou, 2018).

Imagine a lawyer who charges hundreds of dollars an hour could let people consult a digital avatar instead, for a much lower price (Humphries, 2018). AI would allow us to consult experts with whom we’d never be able to meet in real life  (Humphries, 2018). Rahnama is a company in silicon valley creating a digital avatar for the CEO that they both hope could serve as a virtual consultant when the actual CEO is gone  (Humphries, 2018). A Chinese scientist says he and his colleagues have used the gene-editing technique CRISPR to make changes in day-old embryos in a gene called CCR5. The CCR5 gene enables HIV to enter and infect immune system cells (Stein, 2018). Scientists have long searched for ways to block this pathway to protect people from HIV.

Phase 3: Intelligent Systems

We talked about artificial intelligence and the future of AI in our class. There was a lot of dilemma on whether we should put our trust on AI and also if AI is going to be more human in the future and also should they rights like humans. We talked about Sophia the robot and the controversy behind her. We talked about IBM Watson beating humans at their own game. We talked about smart systems that enhance human life and also changes it. In China, that fear appears to be becoming a reality. In various Chinese municipalities, the combination of facial recognition technology and AI is being used to the benefit of authorities to clamp down on crime (Bradley, 2017). The issue relates to the feasibility of making AI an objective, rational thinker, void of bias in favor of one particular race, gender or sexuality (Bradley, 2017). Trying to humanize AI and give it more complex tasks is that, some people end up passing on their subjective views.AI learned to be aggressive when it felt like it was going to lose (Browne, 2018). Google announced it had developed an algorithm that was capable of imagination (Browne, 2018). Voice is becoming a major new interface between humans and technology and artificial intelligence is at the core of this new wave. This year, Amazon taught Alexa a lot of new skills and despite the arrival of Google Home, Apple HomePod and Samsung Bixby, Amazon still holds 76 percent of the US market (Browne, 2018).

Phase 4: Making and Things 

This Phase talks about the internet of things and how everything is connected and it also talks about 3D printing and all the controversy surrounding it. in our discussions, we had a lot of talk about printing 3D guns and also the security of IoT devices. I have personally reprogrammed a few IoT devices in SVSU and have seen that there is truly a lot of security flaws and that they cannot be personally trusted with any personal information. Ownership of guns is a controversial topic around the world and especially in the USA where gun laws are more open than the rest of the world, I can personally say that guns can be seen as protection but ultimately they are weapons in the end. Nine different states have joined together to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration for its decision to allow 3D printable guns back onto the internet (Coslow, 2018). The suit aims to block the distribution of blueprints for 3D printed weapons by Wilson and Defense Distributed and was signed on by the state of Washington, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Maryland, New York and the District of Columbia (Coslow, 2018). In the realm of 3D printing, HP has signed deals with experienced metal manufacturing partners and with customers including Volkswagen and Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices to print cars parts (Shankland, 2018). It won't be surprising if our next car's gears or suspension links are built partly from this new method of digital fabrication. This will lead us into a future full of automation and innovation.

Phase 5: Cyborgs and Bioart

The last category talks about cyborgs and bio art. Cyborgs are humanoids with metal and organic components with human capabilities that far exceed the current scope of intelligence. Bio art uses organic components to create pieces of art and it represents the future and the feelings associated with technology as a whole. In our discussions, we have seen bio art being a medium to create unique hybrid animals and also an artist creating controversial pieces by altering their bodies representing technology advancements.

Coming back to Hollywood there is a show called “Westworld” that shows the use of cyborgs in a theme park. The cyborgs in the show are all played by real actors, but the conceit is that underneath those seemingly human exteriors, there are ultra-advanced synthetic organs that mimic internal kidneys, intestines, and hearts without actually serving the same functions and the cyborgs die over and over again, just to come back to life (Zakarin, 2016).

Another example of bio art in SAIC (a research facility), art is literally alive. It has art made by students using microorganism to be showcased to any visitors. It has everything from old gaming systems, worms in dirt, a locker full of vials of the distilled essence of gym socks, and a virus made out of a poem (Dailing, 2018).

Resonating Analytical Relations

There is a resonating idea of fear and also acceptance of new technology. All forms of technology are aimed at solving a complicated issue related to our health or society. This can be seen in Hollywood movies that portraits to our fantasies. It is also seen that several tech experts agree that science is not progressing due to techno-panic. Ideas involving uploading our mind or training an AI that replicates our mind shows that there is truly no single solution to immortality. This can also be seen in head transplant and cryogenics. Scientists pursuing these ideas are always under criticism from their community. It is seen that as systems get more intelligent in nature the fear of adoption increases. Most of our advanced technology is nowhere near completion but everyone is very optimistic about it. There is a lot of legal issues that have not been worked out because the technology itself is not finished. We are heading towards a future where everything will be more easily accessible but a lot of jobs will also be displaced in the process. As people try to explore the impact of technology there is an artistic and scientific side growing that tries to define our feelings towards technology. Advanced technologies are no more science fiction they are our reality. All the technologies explored in the articles and in our class have a common role to improve human living conditions. Even though all this innovation is done in good faith, there is a fear of the unknown even in educated professionals in the industry.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the future is always it's a scary and uncertain thing to look forward to but it can also be equally rewarding. After exploring all these topics it is only logical to fear as our emotions lead us into doubt. I feel positive about the future that these technologies are promising to bring for our children and theirs. We as human species United have survived many dangers that could have destroyed us like the nuclear war. We are still here today and tomorrow. We will continue as we are for the foreseeable future.

References

Bradley, S. (2017, December 20). All the creepy, crazy and amazing things that happened in AI in 2017. Retrieved from https://www.wired.co.uk/article/what-happened-in-ai-in-2017

Browne, R. (2018, August 01). Five of the scariest predictions about artificial intelligence. Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/01/five-of-the-scariest-predictions-for-ai.html

Chin, R. (2018, October 03). From cyborgs to sex robots, University of Minnesota professor studies how brain science is changing legal system. Retrieved from http://www.startribune.com/from-cyborgs-to-sex-robots-u-of-m-professor-studies-how-brain-science-is-changing-legal-system/495059721/

Cawley, C. (2016, October 27). 7 Horror Movies That Will Make You Fear Technology. Retrieved from https://tech.co/7-horror-movies-fear-technology-2016-10

Coslow, T. (2018, September 23). 2018 3D Printed Gun Report – All You Need to Know. Retrieved from https://all3dp.com/3d-printed-gun-firearm-weapon-parts/

Dear, A. (2018, November 16). Life after death SHOCK: Scientists working on way to make humans IMMORTAL. Retrieved from https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1046174/life-after-death-scientist-humans-immortal-spt

Dailing, P. (2018, December 15). Inside SAIC's Bio Art Lab, where art is life-literally. Retrieved from https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/bio-art-lab-school-of-the-art-institute-saic/Content?oid=65038140

 Ferreira, B. (2018, December 05). We Asked 105 Experts What Scares and Inspires Them Most About the Future. Retrieved from https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/zmdqye/we-asked-105-experts-what-scares-and-inspires-them-most-about-the-future

Georgiou, A. (2018, March 14). A startup wants to preserve your brain and upload your mind to a computer, with a product described as "100% fatal". Retrieved from https://www.newsweek.com/startup-wants-preserve-your-brain-and-upload-your-mind-computer-product-thats-844622

Herrman, J. (2017, December 05). The Return of the Techno-Moral Panic. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/05/magazine/the-return-of-the-techno-moral-panic.html

Humphries, C. (2018, October 30). Digital immortality: How your life's data means a version of you could live forever. Retrieved from https://www.technologyreview.com/s/612257/digital-version-after-death/

LaFrance, A. (2015, March 30). The 1980s: An Era of Computerphobia. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/03/when-people-feared-computers/388919

Stein, R. (2018, November 28). Facing Backlash, Chinese Scientist Defends Gene-Editing Research On Babies. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/11/28/671375070/facing-backlash-chinese-scientist-defends-gene-editing-research-on-babies

Shankland, S. (2018, September 10). HP Metal Jet might 3D print your next car's innards. Retrieved from https://www.cnet.com/news/hp-metal-jet-3d-printer-may-build-next-cars-parts/

Zakarin, J. (2016, October 26). Step Inside the 'Westworld' Laboratory and Its 3D Human Printer. Retrieved from https://www.inverse.com/article/22166-how-the-westworld-laboratory-makes-robots-and-realism-hbo