Harris talked a lot
about digital modes in the way we remix. These can be defined as videos,
pictures, gifs, memes, podcasts, etc. Take Amber Ruffin and Azie Dungey for example. Ruffin used her segment "Say What" to show short clips and photos to perform
remixes. She often remixed herself and I think we as digital users do that
too. That made me want to
discuss specifically memes and gifs. Today, they are heavily apart of our
culture. As you guys know, we use them in our blogs all of the time! I think
it's interesting how they're used to bring out our humor. I've never created a
meme/gif; however I send them to people all of the time! I either reply to a
text using one or I tag people in them on Facebook. I agree with Harris, it is
a large part of our culture. In the early stages of Facebook, everyone just
uploaded their own posts or photos. Now, when I scroll through my feed it
is nothing but memes and gif! I think they say a lot about a
person's personality and their sense of humor! Many times I think we are
remixing when we use a gif or meme. When you take a photo and add your own
comment, you're adjusting a preconceived text. I decided to incorporate some
memes that we could all relate to on some level and hopefully find enjoyable.
We often choose an image from a movie or show, take it out of context, and add our own touch. The meme itself pokes fun at college debt in a light-hearted manner. Having Gatsby raise his drink to this is so funny! I loved reading The Great Gatsby. The movie came out my junior year of high school. And funny enough, my English teacher had us read the book, then watch the movie. I remember liking the book a bit more, but I mean, who doesn't appreciate seeing Leonardo on the screen!
Okay. Now maybe this one is a bit exaggerated but still funny! This also brings up another point. Sometimes we use gifs/memes to overemphasize something. Often insulting ourselves in a playful way.
And just for you The Office Fans!
That one about the student loans hurts me. I'm not very tech-savvy so I don't tend to make a lot of memes myself, but thankfully there are a lot of programs out there that make it easier. I was able to make the gifs for my post on Buffy the Vampire Slayer without too much difficulty, which is a big feat for an airhead like me. In a way, whenever we use media or quote anything, we're putting them into a new context in order to slightly alter them to support our argument, placing our own slant on the content. I think it's really cool that we have an opportunity in a class like this to use memes as evidence, and I wonder if digital media will become more common in essays, or if it's something that will always be reserved to more relaxed, niche areas of study, like a writing class on "Funny Women."
ReplyDeleteI don't make memes either, but I do find them funny!It is interesting to see the different ways one image can be transformed. I never really thought of memes being a remix until I read this chapter in the book. Memes allow people to be creative! It's pretty cool that you were able to make your own gifs Bethany!
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