Blog 3: Method of Choice

          The method that I will be applying to the critical perspectives term paper is Narrative Criticism. Narrative criticism was developed by theorist Sonja Foss and is based upon the notion that the stories people tell help us make meaning out of our daily interactions and experiences. According to Foss, narratives can be found in “short stories, graphic novels, comic strips, films, plays, and songs.” In addition, Foss believes narratives take place in our “dreams, conversations with friends, interviews, speeches, and even artifact such as paintings and quilts.”

Before one can begin to analyze a narrative, four criteria must be met to determine if the artifact is, indeed, a true narrative. Most importantly, a narrative must be comprised of two events. These events can either be “active (expressing action) or stative (expressing a state or condition).” The second characteristic of a narrative is the specific order of the events taking place. Although the events do not have to be in chronological order, they must be sequential order. The third characteristic is the prevalence of a causal or contributing relationship between the events in the narrative. According to the text, if one event leads to another, this must be accounted for and mentioned in the story in order to provide a clear depiction of what took place. The last requirement for a narrative is that it has to be about a unified subject. This means the narrative should create a, sometimes intimate, connection between the storyteller and the audience.

After these four requirements have been met, the selection of the artifact can be made. Once the artifact has been chosen, the analysis will ensue. During the analysis stage, one must identify the objective of the narrative, identify the features of the narrative, and assess the narrative. When identifying the objective, one is hoping to locate the “situation or condition the story is addressing. According to the text, an example of some objectives are to socialize into a community, to challenge perceptions of a situation, or to comfort or bring relief.

For the purpose of identifying the features of the narrative, Foss constructed a guide that provides questions one might ask themselves when analyzing the artifact. The key choices that are used by the storyteller when deciding how to develop their story are setting, characters, narrator, events, temporal relations, causal relations, audience, theme, and type of narrative. Links should forms when discussing these key choices, which will help in finding the objective of the story.

Lastly, one may or may not decide to assess, or evaluate, the narrative. This may be completed by scrutinizing the objective to determine if it is or is not appropriate and assessing the “strategies used in the narrative to see whether they accomplish the objective and allow it to work in the world in the way in which the objective suggests. The concluding steps will be to formulate the research question and to write the essay.

I believe that the theory of Narrative criticism will be appropriate for applying to my artifact and discussing in my term paper because the meme I am using is derived from a story. The specific meme is a still frame from a scene in the movie The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. In the still frame is Boromir, a character from the film, warning the hobbits of the extreme complexity of entering into Mordor by saying, “One does not simply walk into Mordor.” I believe I can apply each of the narrative criticism components to the meme, such as determining the objective and identifying the features. Although I will have to be creative when determining the events of the meme, I am confident that I will be able to support my ideas. It makes sense to me to use a theory that is based on storytelling to discuss an artifact that began as a story and developed into a film.

My second choice for a theory applied to my artifact is Ideological Criticism. This form of criticism is my second choice because it is specifically concerned with finding traces of ideologies in an artifact and exposing the dominant ideology in order to locate the suppressed or silenced ideologies. According to the text, the “primary component of an ideology are evaluate beliefs---beliefs about which there are possible alternative judgments.” I think that if I can determine the overall ideology of my meme then I will be able to analyze it intelligently.

Blog #2: Are Internet Memes Creating Conformity?

Carl Chen, a Sociologist at Yale University, conducted an in-depth analysis in regards to the wide-spread popularity of memes entitled, “The Creation and Meaning of Internet Memes in 4chan: Popular Internet Culture in the Age of Online Digital Reproduction,” from the view point of various theoretical approaches. But before I dive in, I should first explain what 4chan is. 4chan is an imageboard website where Internet users can post and discuss with full anonymity. Literally ever user has the username, “Anonymous,” which, as you may have guessed, gives people the utmost confidence to say whatever they want about anything they want whilst receiving virtually no accountability or backlash. The website was created by Christopher Poole circa 2003 when he was only 15-years-old. The site has since grown to gigantic proportions and has served as the mother of Internet memes. In this particular article, Chen uses 4chan as an example of a site that promotes the production of Internet memes and creative control for everyone.

            There are two main differences of opinion in this study, which stem from Jurgen Haberma’s idea of public spheres, derived from social theories, and Dwight Macdonald’s theory of mass culture, specifically in regards to Folk Art and Avant-Garde communities. Haberms’s stand is a pessimistic one, explaining that through the public sphere lens, Internet memes create conformity. Theodor Adorno agrees with Haberma’s view in the article, even making a comparison of Internet memes to Nazi Germany: at one time conformity central. I highly doubt Internet memes will force the people of our nation to walk and talk in harmony, leading to eminent, negative repercussions. In fact, I believe it does the exact opposite. Adorno fears that Internet memes promote standardization, selfsameness, and the weakening of individual resistance due to the repeated replication of one photo. Although Adorno is correct in saying memes are excessively repeated, I have to disagree with his opinion that it could lead to standardization because it sounds like it stems from paranoia and, as the article mentioned, fear of fascism. Seemingly hinting that Internet memes could lead to the ultimate demise and mass conformity of our nation is extremely drastic and dramatic. Yes, memes are replicated hundreds, if not thousands of times, but that doesn’t make them the same, it makes them beautifully different. Each meme provokes a different reaction based on its word choice and audience, which I think takes a large amount of creativity, wit, and uniqueness.

My more positive opinion on Internet memes mirrors Macdonald’s, who shares an optimistic point-of-view, which discusses a plethora of benefits that arise from the prevalence of Internet memes. Aiding in Macdonald’s discussion is cultural theorist Bernard Gendron, who explains that technology is not as constraining as Adorno alludes to because it provides user-friendly templates, promotes creativity, and is simple in some aspects. Clay Shirky, another noted cultural theorist, also comes to Macdonald’s aid when he claims that we have entered into a “new golden era,” meaning people have shifted from passive culture consumption to active democratic culture production (e.g., people are capable of making their own memes instead of someone doing it for them). Shirky claims this is a benefit because people are now allowed to realize their greatest potential “through the act of creation.” I also think this is a benefit because people are in control of their own production and no longer have to look to large corporations to think for them. The creativity is in their hands and the possibilities are endless. Internet memes have taken over the Internet, this is very true, however,  it is not because people are starting to lack in original thought, but rather becoming more diverse.

http://www.yale.edu/habitus/habitus_design_6.625_%283%29.pdf

Blog #1 Meme

"One Does Not Simply..."

From the exceptional mind of J.R.R.Tolkien came The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, which eventually flourished into a world-wide known feature films. Both the books and the films have won over fantasy genre addicts and applause for them still occurs today. However, along with its popularity came a plethora of memes that paid homage or playfully mocked characters and scenes from the films.

One of the most prominent memes that has taken over the Internet, pulls from a scene derived from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, when Boromir is explaining the complexity of approaching Mordor. Boromir says to Frodo and friends, "One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its Black Gates are guarded by more than just Orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep, and the Great Eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire and ash and dust, the very air you breathe is a poisonous fume." The beginning of Boromir's speech, "One does not simply..." is the premise of these specific memes. Those who use this particular meme have a condescending tone or may be talking down to someone in order to explain the difficulty of doing something.

This meme will resonate differently among different audiences, specifically among people who have not yet seen The Lord of the Rings movies. This audience will not be able to fully grasp the full concept of the meme, which is to lovingly make fun of Boromir and his seriousness of the situation. Conversely, a fan of the trilogy will be able to instantly recognize the meme's condescending nature.


Examples of "One does not simply..." Meme

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

“The Daily Show with Jon Stewart:” News or Entertainment?

Show Summary:

On January 15, 2014, “The Daily Show” with Jon Stewart aired with two top stories.  One pertains to the US and other world powers’ agreement on a date to begin implementing an interim deal to curb Iran’s nuclear program - set to occur on January 20, 2014.  Jon Stewart appears thrilled with the decision, then proceeds to make a joke that the deal could affect Season 4 of Homeland.  He goes on to mention, “That show could end up completely untethered from reality.” The audience laughs.

The second story covers a search of Justin Bieber’s property for evidence involving the egging of his neighbor’s home.  Stewart mocks the news for covering the Bieber news.  He jokes that a “white guy breaks some shit, cops come, and take the black guy away.” Stewart follows up by singing “America.”

Stewart effectively relates the two stories, one involving news that seriously affects our nation and the other petty entertainment news that only affects Bieber by saying, “Congress is the Justin Bieber of our government….Throwing away a tremendous opportunity because of immaturity and a lack of self-control.” This comment also brings a laugh from the audience.

The show concludes with an interview with Former Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, who wrote a memoir titled, “Duty,” describing his frustration with Washington, specifically Congress and The White House. Although there are a few digs and jokes about the way Washington is currently being ran, the interview is reasonably serious.

Critique the format of entertaining or comedic news:

Comedic news is popular and somewhat effective to certain viewers.  More conservative viewers are, by nature, more likely to stick with the traditional style of news exposure.  More liberal viewers may be more open-minded to mixed paradigms.  Further, those individuals looking simply for comedic relief may be incline to watch this hybrid format, as well.  This format is in a niche environment of viewership, where a specific market is targeted.  Needless to say, the show stills airs with somewhat positive ratings and is, thus, successful to some extent.

Do you believe it is beneficial to society because it is more likely to have people know what is going on in the world?

I do believe that comedic news is beneficial to society for a couple reasons. First being, it’s down right entertaining.  As an avid viewer of comedic news, such as “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and “The Colbert Report,” I enjoy hearing a funny and uplifting spin on the normally dry news that airs on Fox or local news stations. Stewart merely made a delightful combination of classic news and satirical talk shows. Yes, Stewart does make a living mocking important groups and members of society (e.g., George W. Bush, U.S. foreign affairs, and Congress) and tends to make light of serious matters, but Stewart is still educating Americans, such as myself. For example, I was unaware that the United States made a historical treaty with Iran, until I watched this episode of “The Daily Show.” As a fan of talk shows and comedy, I see no tangible dilemma arising just from utilizing “The Daily Show” as one of my new sources. I believe that it only becomes a problem if one only uses “The Daily Show” as a news source. However, that is the case with any source. Stewart has, indeed, claimed that his show is not journalism, and should not be treated as a factual source regarding all topics. The show is biased and has an agenda, just like any other news program. Therefore, I believe the program is beneficial to society because it encourages seeking knowledge about U.S. and foreign affairs, and does a good job in doing so. The show is only not beneficial if the viewer fails to form his or her own opinion regarding the news that Stewart delivers.

Or, do you believe that it degrades news and makes serious topics appear less serious, which undermines any usefulness it may have as format?

“The Daily Show” may make fun of news stories, but it doesn’t change it. If anything, I believe “The Daily Show” is beneficial to young Americans because it encourages them to at least get informed somewhere. For example, I despise when my father comes home and puts on the local news. Not that the news is boring, but how it is presented is. I think it’s done in a mediocre fashion, the newscasters are outdated, and the stories lull me to sleep. Whereas a comedy news show simultaneously makes me laugh, informs me, and keeps my interest the entire duration of the program. I am still getting informed and am aware of serious world events, but in an entertaining way. And I think that if that’s what gets me interested in news, so be it.

Pulp Fiction: Analysis

Pulp Fiction: Analysis

Film Summary:

Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, the movie Pulp Fiction effectively reforms customary cinematic norms through use of anti-chronological sequences.  Albeit, the dialogue remains procedural; that is, there is no discernible evidence proving that the dialogue is also portrayed within this anti-chronological paradigm.  Nevertheless, the movie begins at its end where, despite the viewer’s lack of understanding, a burglar couple make the conscious decision to rob a restaurant.  Their aliases, as declared in the film, are “Pumpkin” and “Honey Bunny.”  Both Pumpkin and Honey Bunny fail to succeed in robbing the restaurant, but this never comes to light until the film’s conclusion.  In-between the start and finish of Pulp Fiction, a series of events happen in an intermittent order, but for the purposes of this summarization, the paragraphs below represent a chronological representation of the story.

The chronological perspective begins with Vincent Vega and Jules Winnfield, who are two hit-men employed by their mob boss, Marcellus Wallace.  Both Vega and Winnfield successfully initiate a search for a stolen briefcase belonging to Wallace, but end up killing several men in the process.  In disarray, Winnfield calls Wallace, who calls Winston Wolf to help clean up the mess.  Wolf consults the men and informs them how to clean up the scene.  Subsequently, Vega and Winnfield decide to have breakfast at the Hawthorne Grill, where the actual (anti-chronological) beginning and ending occur.  Winnfield reveals his plan to leave his current life and travel the world as a beggar, helping those suffering under oppression.  Vega ridicules him, then goes to the bathroom.  At this time, it is observed that Pumpkin and Honey Bunny begin their robbery. Winnfield consequently pulls his gun and disarms Pumpkin, while Vega proceeds to detain Honey Bunny and prevent the full-extent of the robbery from taking place.

The next chronological sequence is one where Wallace asks Vega to keep his wife, Mia, company by taking her out for dinner when he goes out of town.  Mia subsequently overdoses on cocaine, but is brought back to life by a nearby drug dealer’s effort to inject a dose of adrenaline into her heart.  It works, and Mia lives.  Both Vega and Winnfield agree not to tell Wallace about the incident.

In parallel, Butch Coolidge, an experienced boxer, is asked by Wallace to lose his next fight in hopes that Wallace will make a large sum of gambling money.  However, Coolidge accidentally murders his opponent during the boxing match and subsequently plans his escape.  Realizing that he cannot leave town without his prized possession, a golden watch, he returns to his apartment only to find Vega in his bathroom.  Coolidge kills Vega and flees but, to his disadvantage, runs into Wallace during a car-accident in the street.  Now on foot, Wallace chases Coolidge into a pawn shop where both of them are detained by the sadistic owner, Maynard.  Maynard, full of grotesque intention, rapes Wallace.  Coolidge manages to escape and free Wallace.  Wallace is grateful and allows Coolidge to be set free so long as he never returns or speaks of the events that occurred that day.  Coolidge rides off and the story ends.

Anti-Chronological Tone:

Tarantino revolutionized cinema when he broke the movie’s sequence of events into pieces and cleverly placed them in an uncanny, anti-chronological order that comes full circle in the end.  Although the aforementioned summary describes the story in a sequential manner, the implementation of non-sequential scenes provide a tone that cannot be realized until observed, in full, by the viewer.  The impetus behind this is clearly intentional.  Tarantino must have understood that the anti-chronological sequence of events could provide a more robust and intensified conclusion.   To do this, he had to create a sense of dramatic irony in the film, where the viewer is unsure of the logical chronology until the conclusion.  This puts the viewer in a position of uncertainty, only to strategically (and cleverly) accumulate and stack the rising action sequences to a more intensified climax.  That, in effect, gives the movie a unique texture and tone not previously seen in cinema.

Effects of a Chronological Model:

                  Should the movie be placed in chronological order, as depicted in the summary above, the entire tone would negatively change.  In fact, the climax would not be nearly as climactic and the viewer would observe the movie and a series of events that occurred at one point in time.  In turn, the viewer may not feel a true connection with the film, nor would they care about the welfare of the characters.  By implementing a traditional order for a movie like Pulp Fiction, no real assembly to the film could be made.  Part of the greatness of doing things in an unprecedented way is the conclusive appreciation of the film.  Once the film ends, the viewer then begins to put the pieces together in a normal, chronological manner.  Thus, in effect, this film makes the viewer think long after its credits.  This would not happen in a traditional, chronological model.  The movie would end and the viewers would leave it behind.  This movie is superb because of its modification; changing it back to a customary sequence would strip the film of its stout impression on the viewer.

Quality Score & Justification:

Considered by many to be one of the greatest films of all time, Pulp Fiction deserves an “A.”  The interweaving of sequences and mini-stories make sense when separate, but not together, at least throughout the film.  The genius of it comes only at the end, where all the pieces of the puzzle can be brought together and understood.  Further, and perhaps one of the most impressive qualities of the film, is Tarantino’s ability to create a dialogue that remains sequential.  It is almost as if the viewer has to ignore the words of the characters, so as not to get confused.  This effect is crafted carefully and is fundamentally a work of genius.  Any movie that can manage this and still find room for comedic relief deserves the highest of accolades.

Additionally, the dialogue is thought provoking, interesting, comical, and most significantly, carries the film through a sense of sequence and connection.  For example, the conversation between Coolidge and his girlfriend, Fabienne, is coy and playful instead of serious.  At this point in the film, the viewer might expect the conversation to be serious since Butch just killed a man.  Instead they cuddle in bed and have a normal conversation, which gives insight to the impetus behind this film.  There is connection here similar to that of the viewer and the film, being that not all things need to happen in a procedural manner.  That is, Coolidge does not have to feel remorse immediately after killing a man, it can happen at another time.

Notwithstanding the impressive score, lighting, camera angles, and performances, this movie is at the very least remarkable.

500 word essay: Malaysian Flight

            Kelsey Flinchbaugh

            For the purpose of this Blog Post, I located and read three articles in three different newspapers that included the same story.  Although each paper discussed the same issue, each one approached it in a different way. This form of research most likely proved that a newspaper’s where the paper is printed, its target audience, and readily available information, molds the story and influences what the reader takes away from it.

            The first newspaper that I located was The Reading Eagle. This paper targets the Central Pennsylvania area. It usual includes a wide variety of local stories, such as malls being built, the effects of recent weather conditions, and small town heroes. However, in today’s paper, The Reading Eagle also ran an article discussing the very controversial and ongoing investigation of Flight MH370 on page A4.  As many recall, the world first heard about the Malaysian plane allegedly disappearing off the face of the Earth and have since been anxiously waiting more information with greater detail. The Reading Eagle article that was written by The Associated Press, titled, “Prime Minister: Plane went down in Indian Ocean,” discussed the recent findings of the worldwide mystery. The article read in a factual way then added quotes from grief stricken family members. In the beginning, its goal was to inform the reader of the most recent information that officials have released. The article included a quote from Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, stating, “It is therefore with deep sadness and regret that I must inform you that, according to this new data, Flight MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean.” The article also informed the reader that the search for plane debris is ongoing but was recently put on hold due to weather conditions.  A small photograph of crewmembers inside a British military plane in search for debris is included. After the factual information, I believe the article added a great deal of ethos. For example, it included reactions from grief stricken family members that were gathered in a Beijing hotel, listening to Najib Razak give the latest in his broadcast. There is a graphic scene describing a mother grieving her son’s unexpected death by screaming and crying, “My son! My son!” And a quote provided by the girlfriend of an American passenger who wrote in an email, “I need closure to be certain…” and “I still feel his presence…” A large color photograph of a man holding his face in agony is in the article. The article also provided a text box on the left hand side with quick, important details to answer any questions including the latest news, the plane’s last position, if there were any survivors, who is suspected of crashing the plane and how they may have done it, and what debris is floating in the Indian Ocean.

            The second newspaper article that addressed the Malaysian flight tragedy was located in USA Today, on page 6A. This article, titled, “In Malaysia Jet Mystery, the Where is Closer than the Why,” read drastically different compared to the above story. Instead of opening the article by immediately providing hard-hitting facts, it opened with a sentence that said the world is discussing possible scenarios that could have played a hand in the missing airplane’s plummet into sea. The staff writer briefly included one sentence summarizing Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak’s announcement on Monday, March 24. The lack of focus on the broadcast told the reader that the possible scenarios are extremely important to consider since they are discussed the rest of the article. The article went on to elaborate on the theories that have arisen: hijacking, pilot suicide, and mechanical malfunction. A helpful tactic the writer used was comparing the Malaysian Flight to previous flights that lead to plain crashes into oceans regarding each theory. The article concluded with two possible objectives: Locating the aircraft and piecing together what happened is extremely important and that this worldwide hunt for a missing jet should never happen again because “it’s possible to stream real-time location information and other data.” Although it did not put a strong emphasis on factual information, the article addressing the possible scenarios was still relevant to the story and provoked interest in the reader.

            The final article that I read was located in The New York Times, on the front page and A10. The article, titled, “Jet Fell Into Ocean With All Lost, Premier Says,” was written by Thomas Fuller and Chris Buckley, and included a plethora of detailed and descriptive information for the reader. First of all, displaying the story on the front page of The New York Times convinces the reader that the issue is extremely important. The article began by saying a British satellite company used Doppler radar technology to determine that the flight ended in the middle of the Indian Ocean, a method that has apparently never been used to locate a sunken aircraft. Similar to the first two newspaper articles, the broadcast made by the Prime Minister was discussed. However, this article went into much greater detail by providing not only quotes from grieving family members, but also a quote from a popular Chinese social critic, a former Boeing instructor pilot, an oceanographer at the University of New South Wales, and a commander who serves as an operation officer in the Seventh Fleet. By including all five opinions, the article gave the reader a wider perspective of the situation and gives the article credibility. The article analyzed why the flight could have plummeted and what officials are doing now to recover the plane. A picture of the Indian Ocean and a key is provided to show the reader the plane’s possible flight paths, what areas have already been searched, and what areas are going to be searched in the very near future. Also included, is a detailed description of the grieving family member’s reactions to the Prime Minister announcing that all lives are most likely lost. The article reads, “A few people in the hotel ballroom in Beijing collapsed and were put on stretchers and taken to the parking lot, which was full of police cars and ambulances.” This description makes the reader sympathize with the family members.

            In comparing these three newspaper articles from The Reading Eagle, USA Today, and The New York Times, it is evident that where the paper is printed, its target audience, and its ability to get information drastically alters the message of the story. The first article provided factual information almost the whole way through and ended strong with emotional quotes. The second article focused only partially on the facts, mainly addressed possible reason why the crash occurred, and provided no quotes from outside sources. It felt a little more conversational than the other articles. Whereas the last story provided the most information, with the greatest amount of detail, the most credible and primary sources, and an emotional tie to the family members. In conclusion, The New York Times, in my humble opinion, wrote the best article because it provided any and all information that the reader may look for.

Contrasting Stories

I read the front page article, A1, "Snow and ice lower the boom on roofs," written by Mike Urban located in the Reading Eagle. The article discussed the effects of the large amounts of snow that Berks County has been receiving, specifically the damage to the Hopewell Christian Fellowship church in Caernarvon Township. Post snowstorm, the church suffered a severe amount of damage, rescheduled and relocated services, and began rebuilding. The article went on to list other snow-related collapses in the Berks County area. It also offered tips on preventing cave-ins.

The article that I found on page A4, "Gay marriage on fast track to high court," written by the McClatchy-Tribune. The political story largely focused on the huge strides gay marriage is currently making in the high courts. Many states are beginning to show progression by recognizing same-sex marriages. The article quoted the U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen, if marriage is beneficial to families, children, and for society then, we should not deny "gay and lesbian citizens of the opportunity and the right to choose to celebrate, in marriage, a loving, rewarding, monogamous relationship with a partner to whom they are committed for life."

Comparing the two articles, I believe my article is important to the a larger population of people; however, the "Snow" story is important for citizens in the Berks County area who all experiencing similar weather-related problems. Therefore, since the Reading Eagle is a local paper, the front page story should remain and the gay-lesbian story may remain in the Washington section of the paper. I can see the importance and value in each one.