Man's Red Flower

There are countless movies based on ancient myths and legends, even Walt Disney has roots in ancient mythology. You may have wondered "What's up with the name of this blog? Mans red flower? What does that even mean?!

You're about to find out!

Walt Disney's movie The Jungle Book. Have a listen and get funky.

I Wan'na be Like You Lyrics:

Now I'm the king of the swingers

Oh, the jungle VIP

I've reached the top and had to stop

And that's what botherin' me

I wanna be a man, mancub

And stroll right into town

And be just like the other men

I'm tired of monkeyin' around!

Oh, oobee doo

I wanna be like you

I wanna walk like you

Talk like you, too

You'll see it's true

An ape like me

Can learn to be humen too

( Gee, cousin Louie

You're doin' real good

Now here's your part of the deal, cuz

Lay the secret on me of man's red fire

But I don't know how to make fire )

Now don't try to kid me, mancub

I made a deal with you

What I desire is man's red fire

To make my dream come true

Give me the secret, mancub

Clue me what to do

Give me the power of man's red flower

So I can be like you

You!

I wanna be like you

I wanna talk like you

Walk like you, too

You'll see it's true 

Someone like me

Can learn to be

Like someone like me

Can learn to be

Like someone like you

Can learn to be

Like someone like me!

Notice how King Louie sings about mans red flower? Did you guess what mans red flower symbolizes? The song gives it away towards the end.

"What I desire is man's red fire"

King Louie desires the power to create fire. Fire symbolizes the dawn of mans civilization and also its destruction (Notice how King Louie lives in a ruin)

There could be countless connections with this song and other instances in movie. Perhaps there is a connection to Greek Mythology. Prometheus is said to be the titan who stole fire from the gods and gave it to mankind.

Wikipedia:

"The punishment of Prometheus as a consequence of the theft is a major theme of his mythology, and is a popular subject of both ancient and modern art. Zeus, king of the Olympian gods, sentenced the Titan to eternal torment for his transgression. The immortal Prometheus was bound to a rock, where each day an eagle, the emblem of Zeus, was sent to feed on his liver, which would then grow back to be eaten again the next day. (In ancient Greece, the liver was thought to be the seat of human emotions.) In some stories, Prometheus is freed at last by the hero Heracles (Hercules)."

Imagine King Louie being man kind and Mowgli being Prometheus. How do your views on the movie change now? With this mindset, what does the name of the song I Wan'na Be Like You mean? Perhaps it displays King Louie's (Mankind's) desire to be immortal or achieve god status/power (Something Mowgli/Prometheus possess)

The Jungle book is filled with metaphors and connections to the mysteries of the world. Another one of the more obvious connections is the snake that hypnotizes Mowgli. To me, this jumps out as a direct connection to the embodiment of temptation in the Garden of Eden. Even more interesting is that the antagonist (The Tiger named Shere Khan) has complete control over the snake (perhaps Shere Khan symbolizes Satan)

So thats where the name of this blog comes from! Next time you watch The Jungle book, keep an eye out for deeper connections.

Stay tuned for more!

Prometheus. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prometheus

Dean Potter - The uncle of one of my best friends

Wether it be though an emotional drive, survival, or to simply prove an underlying point of being Human. Individuals have been pushing the boundaries of their minds and bodies through extreme sports. Im sure the things that the daring individuals do would seem in-civil and would most likely give someone reason to wind up in a mental hospital 100 years ago.

With the aid of media, extreme sports such as slack lining, base jumping and free soloing have telegraphed into a world wide interest. One of my best friends has an uncle who is one of the leaders of this expanding culture, Dean Potter.

Article on Dean

In this article, Dean describes the activities he does as his art. One might say that it is not an art since it is not physical or colorful. However, if one were to say that art is true self - then Dean is absolutely a very passionate artist. I agree.

"The common thread in my 3-Arts is pushing into fear, exhaustion, beauty and the unknown. I willingly expose myself to death-consequence situations in order to predictably enter heightened awareness. In times when I’m going to die if I mess up, my senses peak in order to survive, and I see, hear, feel, intuit in vast detail, beyond my normal, day-to-day consciousness. This pursuit of heightened awareness is why I put myself in harm’s way."

- Dean Potter

Regarding our discussions in class - Would a machine truly be able to mimic this effect of heightened awareness? Would it always have a heightened awareness? I feel that fear of death isn't something a machine would be able to understand. There would be no "extra push" to survive. Is survival/instinct what makes us human?

"I feel fortunate that I listened to my gut and rational thoughts and “looked before I leaped.” I am more psyched for wingsuit flying than ever before. I feel passionate about advancing human performance, technological advancements in gear, safety and predictability. I am also locked onto safely and repeatedly flying and landing the human form." 

- Dean

Its quite obvious without technology, one or more of his arts would not be possible. Humans cannot fly or glide on their own. This is where technology aids us. A wingsuit mimics the action of a flying squirrel by having sheets of material between the arms and legs. 

Left: Dean Potter using a wingsuit.

It is truly amazing how both art and technology have become so intertwined with one another through these sports. With the help of technology - all of these arts became less physically challenging... since it would be quite physically challenging to jump off of a mountain and expect to fly. Instead, these arts become and become more mentally enduring. I am sure there are copious amounts of metaphors you could make about life through the mind in relationship to technology.