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Visual Culture Image Presentation
Summary of my presentation:
I first presented a brief history of MGM, also known as Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios, which was founded in 1924 by Marcus Loew. It is an American cooperation that was once the largest, most profitable motion picture studio, reaching its peak in the 1930s and 1940s. With the studio producing great successes like The Wizard of Oz (1939) and Gone with the Wind (1939), its logo is one that appeals to many people’s childhoods.
The MGM logo features a lion. This has been part of the logo since the company was founded in 1924. The infamous roar was added a few years later in 1928, when sound films became popular. The company’s ad executive, Howard Dietz, said he used a lion to pay tribute to the athletic team he played for at Columbia University, The Lions. Metro Goldwyn Mayer ruled Hollywood in the mid 1900s, and its logo reflected this. Many considered the lion to be a truth to advertisement, portraying MGM as the top of Hollywood, since lions often symbolize the king of the jungle.
I discussed the scandal associated with a photoshopped photograph that was posted in 2015 on Facebook with the caption “my whole childhood is fucked up”, claiming that MGM was abusing animals for the making of their logo. The lion appears to be strapped to the table and sedated, surrounded by a black cardboard cutout with a mirrored MGM logo.
Because of the backwards writing, as well as how well known the original MGM logo of the lion roar was, the photograph allows us to assume that the lion is being mistreated for the filming of the famous roar. During the reign of MGM, creating a CGI lion would not have been possible, therefore contributing to the image being believable. The image furthermore seems credible because of the lack of protection of animals in the film industry. It was not always regularized. A ban of cruelty to animals was mandated in 1939 in Hollywood, however this rule was often defied, especially in the 1950s and 1960s, as investigators were only allowed to monitor filming with the permission of producers and directors. The abuse of animals in the film industry has also continued in the 21st century, with films like The Hobbit or The Life of Pi from the 2000s putting animals in danger.
The image of the strapped lion turned out to be real, but was a photograph taken of a lion in Tel Aviv undergoing a medical procedure in 2005. A two year old lion from a zoo was having trouble walking, so a veterinary neurologist decided to do a full neurological exam. The lion is pictured in the image undergoing a CAT scan. He was suffering from damage to the posterior portion of his cranium and underwent a 6 hour operation. The operation went well and he was reunited with his sister in the zoo.
I showed images of the real behind the scenes of the filming of the MGM logo. Throughout the years, several trained lions were used to film the MGM logo. The lions stood in front of camera men on crates without any restraints. While the process may still raise some ethical questions, it is not nearly as severe as the photoshopped image suggested.
