Author Archives: jwsander

John Sanders — My Final Thoughts

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I had no idea what I was in for when I came to this class. No, that isn’t true — I THOUGHT it was going to be focused on new media (web-series, hypertext, and my beloved video games) in comparison to other traditional media, to theoretically locate the new technology in relation to the old. I would have loved a class like that, especially since I’m into philosophy, genre, and media in general.

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[Fight! Fight! Fight!]

What I got wasn’t what I expected, of course — a team-based, socially aware course focusing on the issues surrounding race, gender and New Media. It wasn’t what I expected, but it was a wonderful experience all the same. In fact, I’d say it was all the better because it WASN’T what I expected. All we’ve touched on — the definition of new media, television and postmodern media theory, and the scary role that Google has in our lives — have challenged my original views and sense of security in my knowledge and beliefs. It has expanded my knowledge base and range of perspectives, something essential for my academic career going forward (and, in many cases, just good for me as a human being.)

(Like this, except perhaps less dramatic)

Our project on Google and the Academy has been particularly eye-opening. The thing that got me most was the idea of search tracking and filter bubbles. It’s not that I’m worried about the government getting my information or detest ads, really — the biggest thing is that Google thinks it knows what I want to hear, and shows me that. I know what I want to hear, but I don’t know what I DON’T want to hear — the search items that will challenge me and force me to expand my viewpoint. I think, because of this, I am going to try to switch to DuckDuckGo for a while as my primary search engine.

(The duck’s name is Dax, by the way. It’s great to have a Mascot!)

Since it doesn’t track, I’ll get very different results. Now, that may end up to be no different than Google, better than Google, or perhaps even worse. Whatever comes of it, however, I want to give it a try. The last thing I want is to remain too comfortable in my beliefs, to get fat and lazy upon my indulgent pieces of knowledge. I want to remain curious, discover all there is to see in this realm of new media, and always remain on the edge of my comfort zone. I know I have to be vigilant about this, too, because it’s all too easy to lean on the familiarity of a search bar.

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(Ironically, that’s exactly how I found this stock photo.)

 

Gamer

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The term gamer is used to self identify or label a particular person as a participant in gaming and gamer culture. The term is ambiguous in that no one set of attributes subscribes to the identity/label. Gamers may play “hardcore” games or social ones, may dabble in many games or immerse themselves in a few, may be very present on game forums and produce walkthroughs or keep to themselves — no one criterion fully encompasses what it means to be a gamer.

Shaw uses Bhabha’s theory of hybridity to highlight how multiple “gamer” identities can intersect to exist in the meta level of gamer culture (Shaw 35). For example, the term “gaymer” is an identification that encompasses “gamer” and LGBTQ identities into an individual aspect that is greater than the sum of its parts.

A somewhat controversial identity within the term “gamer” is the female or “gamer girl” identity, which often carries a negative connotation both within the misogynistic gaming community (Shaw 33) and from non-gamers (Royse 569). Anita Sarkesian’s work on gendered representations in gaming have made steps towards true gender equality among all gamers.

 

Works referenced:

Shaw, Adrienne. “Do You Identify as a Gamer? Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Gamer Identity.” New Media and Society 14.28 (2011): 28-40. Web. 5 Mar. 2014.

Royse, Pam, Joon Lee, Baasanjav Undrahbuyan, Mark Hobbson, and Mia Consalvo. “Women and Games: Technologies of the Gendered Self” New Media and Society 9.4 (2011): 555-574. Web. 5 Mar. 2014.

Templatability

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Templatability refers to the feature of having a set structure that is easily manipulated to fit new situations. This allows for content creators to comment upon new situations while alluding to already popular memes on the internet, mainly through image macros or snowclones. In addition, having a set form to work off of makes the process of content creation much easier for users, increasing the fecundity of the templated meme. According to Sean Rintel, this makes the feature of templatability  “the heart of online memes.”

Multiple sites, including “Meme Generator” or “Rage Comic Builder“, make this process even easier by storing templates and making them intuitive and available to those with no access to editing software. They are so easy to produce, in fact, that Rintel notes that they are some of the first methods of expression used to respond to a crisis (for better or for worse.)

Works Cited:

Rintel, Sean.  ”Crisis Memes: The Importance of Templatability to Internet Culture and Freedom of Expression.” Australasian Journal of Popular Culture 2 (2). <http://www.intellectbooks.co.uk/journals/view-Journal,id=202/>

Image Macro

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An image macro is an expressive template involving the pairing of image with a caption/catchphrase.  The meaning expressed correlates with the emotion or idea that the picture displays, often resulting in very iconic images becoming memes (i.e. “Scumbag Steve” or “Overly Attached Girlfriend”). The text that is superimposed over the image is usually in large capitalized bold letters, and the phrasing usually follows an easily identifiable and modifiable structure (also known as a snowclone) (Rintel, Crisis Memes).

Some well-known groups of image macros would be LOLcats, Advice Animals, Rage Faces, and Demotivational Posters.

Works Cited:

“Image Macro.” Know Your Meme. Cheeseburger Network, n.d. Web. <http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/image-macros>.

Rintel, Sean.  ”Crisis Memes: The Importance of Templatability to Internet Culture and Freedom of Expression.” Australasian Journal of Popular Culture 2 (2). <http://www.intellectbooks.co.uk/journals/view-Journal,id=202/>

Numerical Representation

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Numerical representation is one of Lev Manovich’s five features of New Media. The term refers to the fact that all new media objects are composed of digital code, like binary, which is the primary language that computers use. According to Lev Manovich, this numerical representation has two key consequences:

1) New media objects can be described formally, or mathematically.

2) New media objects can be manipulated using algorithms. In other words, they can be programmed.

Moreover, numerical representation is essentially a universal language that underlies all new media objects, whether they have been originally created on computers, or have been digitally converted from analog forms of media. As a “basic, ‘material’ principle of new media” (Manovich 63), numerical representation is the technological basis for other principles of new media: Modularity, Automation, and Variability. It is even relevant to the process of Cultural Transcoding, because of its role in the “computer layer” of new media, which interacts with the “cultural layer”.

Works Cited:

Manovich, Lev. “Principles of New Media.” The Language of New Media. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2002. 63. Web.

Works Consulted:

Manovich, Lev. “Principles of New Media.” The Language of New Media. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2002. Web.

Snowclone

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A snowclone is a recognizable and formulaic sentence frame that references a piece of popular and/or internet culture. The template is often used to comment upon any situation which expresses the sentiment of the original snowclone.  It is not to be confused with languages like LOLSpeak, which have certain grammatical and content rules; rather, it is a more “direct verbal template” (Rintel, Crisis Memes). Snowclones are most often attached to an image macro, but will still be recognizable by the sentence structure if represented on a different image or with no image at all.

An example of this is “one does not simply” meme.  The original is from the Lord of the Rings movie franchise (A), but the snowclone has been used for various other memes (B), recognizable from it’s “one does not simply {X}” structure. It still retains the sentiment of cynical expressions of impossibility, even when divorced from its iconic image macro (C).

(A)           (B)                               (C)

According to multiple reports, the term was first coined by Glen Whitman on the blog Agoraphilia in 2004. Since then, the term has grown within internet scholarship, spawning its own site (http://snowclones.org/) which collects snowclones from around the web.

Citations:

Rintel, Sean.  “Crisis Memes: The Importance of Templatability to Internet Culture and Freedom of Expression.” Australasian Journal of Popular Culture 2 (2). <http://www.intellectbooks.co.uk/journals/view-Journal,id=202/>

Whitman, Glen. “Phrases for Lazy Writers in Kit Form Are the New Clichés.” Web log post.Agoraphilia. Blogspot, 14 Jan. 2004. Web. <http://agoraphilia.blogspot.com/2004_01_11_agoraphilia_archive.html#107412842921919301>.

John Sanders’ YouTube

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Welcome to my YouTube Exhibition!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmNdZ9elq_AhG1UKnbx4dKNMaoOCsxHkD[/youtube]

My playlist contains videos that are representative of 6 broad elements of YouTube:

 

1.      Videos

2.      Music

3.      Self-Education

4.      Ads

5.      Weirdness

6.      User Created Content

 

Videos

The first five videos are all various types of visual media that exist on YouTube. “Magical Trevor” is a whimsical animation originally published on another site, back before YouTube dominated the landscape. It also showcases the nostalgic value and cultural power YouTube videos can have for those who watch them.

On this theme, “Honeybadger” is one of the first videos I remember going viral, even spawning t-shirts before now being basically obsolete.

To me, YouTube is also a place for people to share clips of shows or movies – which is why the “Whose Line” skit is here. The site provides a forum for the web series as well, like Collegehumor’s “Hardly Working” – one of the first series with a dedicated staff behind it. Finally, my YouTube experience wouldn’t be complete without a machinima, represented here by DasBoSchitt’s well-produced “Gary’s Mod Idiot Box” series. Videos like this are mainly for shareable entertainment and leisure – one of the main reasons I go on YouTube.

 

Music

            To me, YouTube is also a great platform for musical expression. This may come from re-uploads of already produced music, like “The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time OST”, which I often play in the background while browsing or doing work. Music also includes remix culture, represented by Pogo’s “Jaam”, an original song created from clips of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Similarly re-appropriated is the “Literal Trailer,” which is basically a guy singing over a videogame trailer. It’s not really great music, but the tune is catchy and shows how music contributes to the popularity of a video (or, more academically, the fecundity of a meme.)

 

Self-Education

            Besides entertainment, I also use YouTube for self-education purposes. PBS’ well-researched Idea Channel is a favorite of mine, as it explores internet culture through the lens of everything from mathematics to art history. The second show I follow for self-education is Extra Credits, a well-produced series on the video game industry. Those are both weekly shows – Table Top comes on less frequently. Though it is basically somewhat famous geeks playing board games, I count it as “self-education” because it helps me keep up with one of my hobbies.

 

Ads

            YouTube advertising is as commonplace as it is aggravating. However, the site has provided a goldmine for creative marketing, especially when mixed with the weirdness of Internet culture. This Old Spice ad pleasantly surprised me when it popped up – check it out!

 

Weirdness

            If I could describe YouTube humor in one word, that word would be “bizarre.” Whether it’s creepy-bizarre like Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared or WTF-bizarre like YouTube Haiku (which pulls from everywhere), I can’t get enough of it. It permeates almost every video I watch, and has bled into the rest of my humor.

 

User-Created Content

            While my YouTube is mainly about watching other videos, it has recently become about sharing my own. This Epic Baldy Climb video gave me a chance to reconnect with friends from across the country through an easy-to-use tool. The experience of making and uploading this video has made me see the social networking/self-expressive value of YouTube, and means I will probably post more videos in the future.