The Pursuit of Perfection

Life isn't perfect. I'm not perfect, I'm human. Truth is, we live in an imperfect world. And yet, here we are surrounded by advertisements and images that promote the attainment of the impossible, largely thanks to computers. The moment you Photoshop an image it becomes produced. It becomes fake. Sometimes Photoshop is pushed too far, and the retouched images begin to feel constructed. This is what happened in the pursuit of perfectionism by the German music production companies. In their efforts to produce something that looked and sounded better, they crossed the line of reality. Because no matter how hard we try, computers simply cannot replace reality. At least not yet. Because computers rely on mathematical algorithms which are designed to create something exact. But the thing is, something like music, or rough theater is not perfect. A musician may strum too hard on a guitar or an actor may speak too softly. But people have come to accept these imperfections. Otherwise the line of reality is crossed and the product becomes an uncomfortable experience for the consumer.

This relates to the discussion we had today in class about some of the new HDTVs. They are simply too clear. When looking at others around us, the human eye cannot possibly see that clear. It is almost as if our television set has turned into a microscope. Every detail is in sharp focus and this disconcerts us because the effect is not natural. As if the image we are viewing on screen contains inorganic creations as opposed to actual human beings. Our brains perceive that this level of perfection is unattainable by those who are simply human, and that is one of the reasons such technology makes us uncomfortable.