Week 15

Week 15: Tu 5.2/Th 5.4
Class: Presentations; Writers workshop
Due: MEME DRAFT (B&W and/or electronic okay); REFLECTION 7

Upcoming:

Week 16: Tu 5.9/Th 5.11
Class: Presentations
Due: MEME—FINAL DRAFT (Email to dhdelao@gmail.com by 7 PM); ENGLISH DEPARTMENT ASSESSMENT (HARD COPY—NO EMAIL)

Week 17: Tu 5.16 (Final class session)/Fr 5.19 (Sec. 1 Final Exam Period)
Class: Presentations; Course wrap-up

Sec. 1 only: Meet from 8:00-9:15 AM—Location TBD
Due: REFLECTION 8

Week 18: Tu 5.23 (Sec. 2 Final Exam Period)

Sec. 2 only: Meet from 8:00-9:15 AM—Location TBD
Due: REFLECTION 8

Reflection 7: GTFO—On Women and #Gamergate

In 2013, gaming developer Zoë Quinn released Depression Quest, an online RPG, which casts you as a young adult battling the effects of depression. While the game was generally praised, some in the gaming community objected to the game's serious nature and felt it was receiving undue accolades. So moved were these dissenters that they immediately began harassing Quinn online. Over a year later, things intensified even more when Quinn's ex-boyfrind, Eron Gjoni, published a rambling diatribe against her. In it, he alleged Quinn cheated on him with a Kotaku writer named Nathan Grayson. Gjoni's essay eventually made it to 4Chan, the anonymous posting forum, where it was erroneously reported that Grayson gave Depression Quest a favorable review. In fact, Grayson never reviewed the game, but the damage was done. A faction of gamers, largely comprised of young, white males, stepped up their harassment of Quinn (and her family). She was routinely threatened with rape and murder and had to hire private security. She was also hacked and doxed. Eventually, this loose band of gamers took up the banner of #Gamergate, claiming that Quinn and Grayson's affair was evidence of widespread collusion between female, independent game developers and pro-feminist, male writers. Gamergate, advocates argue, isn't about female intimidation, but free speech. Soon, dozens of female developers, critics, and gamers were routinely harassed, often threateningly. The movement has spurned a hostile anti-female gaming environment in which woman are now routinely shamed, harassed, and intimidated. Five years later, Gamergate is now part of an informal, but vast, social landscape called the "Manosphere," which includes the men's rights movement (see The Red Pill), the Sad Puppies (an anti-diversity push in science fiction), and the Alt-Right nationalist movement. Of course, Gamergate, and its like-minded compatriots, also now exist against the backdrop of a Trump presidency. To many Gamergaters, Trump's election is a societal validation of their beliefs. They also consider the new president to be sympathetic to their cause. Moving forward, how should social media handle movements like Gamergate? Is silencing offensive movements censorship? How do we balance the safety of female users, gaming or otherwise, with free speech? When does free speech cross a line into something illegal? And does such a line exist?

Include at least two of the following in your discussion:

• "#Gamergate: Here's Why Everybody in the Video Game World is Fighting" (Vox)
• "What Gamergate Should Have Taught Us About the 'Alt-Right'" (Guardian)
• "How Women in Gaming Face Hostility" (Polygon)
• "Rally White Men. Demean Women. Mock the Impact of Misogyny. How will Gamergate Values play out in Trump's America?" (Los Angeles Times)
• "The Ultimate Troll: The Terrifying Allure of Gamergate Icon Milo Yiannopoulos" (Fusion)
• "How #GamerGate Made Me Red Pill" (reaxxion)

Requirements:

• MLA Style
• 1.5 pages in length
• Works cited page

Due: Thu 5.4

The Meme Project

As you know, an "Internet meme" typically refers to an activity, concept, catchphrase, or piece of media which spreads "virally" via the Internet. We will focus on what is arguably the most popular form of meme today: the "image macro." An image macro is an illustration or photograph with text (typically in Impact font) superimposed onto it. For this assignment, you will create and examine memes, specifically image macros, from three vantage points: you will dissect one, you will rehabilitate one, and you will create one.

Part I: Anatomy of an Image Macro
You are first tasked with analyzing one of the following image macros:

A.

B.

C.

In you analysis, consider:

1. How would you describe the premise? 
2. What is the meme's intended effect? Does it achieve it?
3. What does the viewer have to be "in" on in order for the meme to succeed? What do you miss if you're not "in" on the joke?

Word count: 250 words

***

Part II: An Image Macro  Rehabilitation
For this section, you will choose a less successful image macro (of which there are many), and examine its shortcomings. In your review, explore the reasons the meme falls short. What was its likely original intent? How was it executed? Is it logically sound? Finally, how can it be improved?

Note: Paste a copy of your meme at the bottom of the document.

Word count: 250 words

***

Part III: An Image Macro is Born
First, using one of the images below, you will create an original image macro. The goal is to successfully marry image and text into a succinct and effective message. Use one of the stock images below. Secondly, encapsulate your image macro in a short summary. Explain what your goal was and how image and text came together to execute your vision.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

 10.

11.

Note: Use traditional Impact font in your design.  

Word count: 125 words

***

Written requirements:

• MLA Style 

Sources for image macros:

• KnowYourMeme  
• Cheezeburger
• Imgur  
• TheChive|Memes
• Memes.com
• Reddit/r/memes
• Reddit/r/dankmemes

Note: Many of these sites contain NSFW material

Due:

MEME DRAFT 1—Th 5.4 (B&W and/or electronic okay)

MEME FINAL DRAFT—Th 5.11 (Email to dhdelao@gmail.com by 7 PM: Parts I & II should be preferably in Word (or a comparable program), Part III should be a screenshot or an image (JPEG, PNG, etc.)

Social Media News 4.24.17

• Teen's Black Lives Matter-tribute prom dress goes viral (Yahoo! News)
• Facebook ricked by another Facebook Live murder (Telegraph)
• Has social media democratized fame? (Adweek) 
• Meet the GOP lawmaker secretly responsible for Reddit's misogynistic Red Pill subreddit (Daily Beast)
• Instagram goes down—and the Internet cries (The Sun)
• Hackers flood ISIS social media accounts with gay porn (Telegraph)

Week 14

Week 14: Tu 4.25/Th 4.27
Class: Presentations; Writer’s workshop
Due: MEME—DRAFT 1 (Bring 2 copies—B&W okay)

Upcoming:

Week 15: Tu 5.2/Th 5.4
Class: Presentations
Due: ENGLISH DEPARTMENT ASSESSMENT

Week 16: Tu 5.9/Th 5.11
Class: Presentations
Due: MEME—FINAL DRAFT (Email to dhdelao@gmail.com by 7 PM); REFLECTION 7

Week 17: Tu 5.16 (Final class session)/Fr 5.19 (Sec. 1 Final Exam Period)
Class: Presentations; Course wrap-up

Sec. 1 only: Meet from 8:00-9:15 AM—Location TBD
Due: REFLECTION 8

Week 18: Tu 5.23 (Sec. 2 Final Exam Period)

Sec. 2 only: Meet from 8:00-9:15 AM—Location TBD
Due: REFLECTION 8

Social Media News 4.20.17

• Twitter turns Trump's first White House Easter Egg Hunt into a meme-fest (Time)
• Facebook's F8 developer conference comes to downtown San Jose
• Indians are turning on Snapchat after CEO's offensive remark (Buzzfeed)
• Also: Snapchat debuts 3D filters (WGN-TV)
• FTC: Celebrities and influencers still sneaking in ads on Instagram (BBC)
• In wake of Facebook's video killing, will social media murders become a new norm? (Vocativ)

Week 13

Week 13: Tu 4.18/Th 4.20
Read: eR—“Cyber Psychology, Part I—Why the Best Memes Go Viral” (BrainBlogger), “Internet Memes” (Science Focus), “The Menace of Memes: How Pictures Can Paint a Thousand Lies” (The Spectator), “How Memes Shaped the 2016 presidential Election” (Complex)
Class: Presentations; Lecture—“Memes Rule the Internet: Share If You Agree”
Due: REFLECTION 6

Upcoming:

Week 14: Tu 4.25/Th 4.27
Class: Presentations; Writer’s workshop
Due: MEME—DRAFT 1 (Bring 2 copies—B&W okay); REFLECTION 7

Week 15: Tu 5.2/Th 5.4
Class: Presentations
Due: ENGLISH DEPARTMENT ASSESSMENT

Week 16: Tu 5.9/Th 5.11
Class: Presentations
Due: MEME—FINAL DRAFT (Email to dhdelao@gmail.com by 7 PM)

Week 17: Tu 5.16 (Final class session)/Fr 5.19 (Sec. 1 Final Exam Period)
Class: Presentations; Course wrap-up

Sec. 1 only: Meet from 8:00-9:15 AM—Location TBD
Due: REFLECTION 8

Week 18: Tu 5.23 (Sec. 2 Final Exam Period)

Sec. 2 only: Meet from 8:00-9:15 AM—Location TBD
Due: REFLECTION 8

Reflection 6: Under the Influence—The Infleuncers of Instragram

Since its inception only seven years ago, Instagram has become a cultural phenomenon. And as with other social media platforms (e.g. YouTube, Twitter), some users shrewdly utilized Instagram to propel themselves to "Instafame," and even financial success. Thus, thanks to tens of thousands—even millions—of devoted followers, several users can also rightly claim to be "influencers"—highly persuasive leaders in areas ranging from food to fashion to travel. (In many cases, followers of these amateur or semi-professional accounts rival those of firmly established celebrities or professionals.) A hip hotel recommendation or an up-and-coming shoe brand spotlight from one of these influencers can instantly trigger a frenzy. But what is their secret? Is there a discernible formula for these influencers? What do they all have in common? And what of the fact that many influencers are now paid or sponsored  by brands?

For this reflection, examine the Instagram accounts of two of the following Instagram influencers:

• Shawn Megira (@shawn_megira), 24.6k followers
• Markus Persson (@notchite), 35.2k followers
• Luis R. Ruiz (@literaluis), 37.4k followers
• Chris Stanley (@cosplay_chris), 39.1k followers
• Alex Tienda (soyalextienda), 96.9k followers
• Ryan Parilla (@ryanparilla), 97.8k followers
• David Mcintosh (@king_david85), 212k followers
• Gabriel Zamora (@thegabrielzamora), 256k followers
• Eugénie Grey (@feralcreature), 449k followers
• Beth Kirby (@local_milk), 766k followers
• Coco Rocha (@cocorocha), 1.2m followers
• Ingrid Nilson (@ingridnilson), 1.7m followers
• Acacia Brinley Clark (@acaciabrinley), 2.2m followers
• Dr. Mike Varshavski (@doctor.mike), 2.4m followers
• Iskra Lawrence (@iskra), 3.3m followers
• Aimee Song (@songofstyle), 4.5m followers
• Roman Atwood (@romanatwood), 5m folowers
• Camila Coelho (@camilacoelho), 5.8m followers 
• Tammy Hembrow (@tammyhembrow), 6.1m followers
• Kayla Itsines (@kayla_itsines), 6.7m followers
• Nash Grier (@nashgrier), 10m followers
• Jen Selter (@jenselter), 11m followers
• Zach King (@zachking), 17.9m followers
• Cameron Dallas (@camerondallas), 19.1m followers
• Dan Bilzerian (@danbilzerian), 21.7m followers

Include at least two of the following in your discussion:

• "The Biggest, Most Popular Instagram Influencers for 2016" (mediakix)
• "Confessions of an Instagram Influencer" (Bloomberg)
• "Sponsored Instagram Posts Average $300 Each. Here’s a Look at Who Makes More (or Less)" (Adweek)
• "Are Instagram Influencers Bad for Fashion?" (HighSnobiety)
• "How These Six All-Stars Turned Instagram into a Full-Time Job" (Elle)
• "Instafamous: Meet the Social Media Influencers Redefining Celebrity" (Independent)

Requirements:

• MLA Style
• Two pages in length
• Works cited page

Due: Thu 4.20

Social Media News 4.10.16

• #unitedjourney: Social media makes it displeasure known over United's ejection of a passenger (BGR)
• Study: The less kids are on social media, the happier they are (Guardian)
• Here is how Twitter is fighting the US government to protect the identities of its users (Recode)
• Woman survives a 60-ft fall after leaning over a bridge to take a selfie (San Jose Mercury News)
• Do you know how to access all the personal information Facebook knows about you? (Independent)
• Despite Facebook copying key features, teens stay loyal to Snapchat (CNET)

Week 12

Week 12: Tu 4.11/Th 4.13
Read: Presentations
Due: INFOGRAPHIC—FINAL DRAFT (Email to dhdelao@gmail.com by 7 PM); REFLECTION 5

Upcoming:

Week 13: Tu 4.18/Th 4.20
Read: eR—“Cyber Psychology, Part I—Why the Best Memes Go Viral” (BrainBlogger), “Internet Memes” (Science Focus), “The Menace of Memes: How Pictures Can Paint a Thousand Lies” (The Spectator), “How Memes Shaped the 2016 presidential Election” (Complex)
Class: Presentations; Lecture—“Memes Rule the Internet: Share If You Agree”
Due: REFLECTION 6

Week 14: Tu 4.25/Th 4.27
Class: Presentations; Writer’s workshop
Due: MEME—DRAFT 1 (Bring 2 copies—B&W okay); REFLECTION 7

Week 15: Tu 5.2/Th 5.4
Class: Presentations
Due: ENGLISH DEPARTMENT ASSESSMENT

Week 16: Tu 5.9/Th 5.11
Class: Presentations
Due: MEME—FINAL DRAFT (Email to dhdelao@gmail.com by 7 PM)

Week 17: Tu 5.16 (Final class session)/Fr 5.19 (Sec. 1 Final Exam Period)
Class: Presentations; Course wrap-up

Sec. 1 only: Meet from 8:00-9:15 AM—Location TBD
Due: REFLECTION 8

Week 18: Tu 5.23 (Sec. 2 Final Exam Period)

Sec. 2 only: Meet from 8:00-9:15 AM—Location TBD
Due: REFLECTION 8

Social Media News 4.6.17

• After social media backlash, Pepsi pulls Kendel Jenner's tone-def ad (Huffington Post)
• Do these things to make your social media accounts as private as possible (Gizmodo)
• Michelle Obama sports her natural hair and the Internet roars with approval (Huffington Post)
• The Marines' nude-sharing ring has migrated from Facebook to Snapchat (AOL)
• How the Men's Movement and the Alt-Right are converging (New York Magazine)
• Fourteen-year-old charged with rape streamed on Facebook Live (Chicago Tribune)

Reflection 5: Bombshell!—Inside the Plague of "Fake News"

The 2016 presidential election was unlike any other in American history. Beyond upstart primary challenges, an historic female candidacy, and an outsider who defied all political norms and conventions, the 2016 election was marked by the preponderance of so-called “fake news.” As election season wore on, the deliberate spread of misinformation, most commonly delivered via social media, became pervasive. Overwhelmingly targeting former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, fake news effectively undermined confidence in the Democratic nominee on all points of the political spectrum. Conservative Republicans, united in their hatred of Clinton, and left-leaning Democrats, hoping to anoint Bernie Sanders as the Democratic nominee, were particularly receptive to fake news stories. Outlandish stories about Clinton were commonly shared among both groups on Facebook and Twitter. When Donald Trump shocked the political establishment to become the Republican nominee, his supporters further rallied around fake news sources, such as Brietbart and InfoWars. In fact, Trump’s supporters soon showed a clear preference for fake news sites over traditional media, such as the Washington Post and NBC News, which they viewed as biased against their candidate. By the time Trump won the presidency, fake news stories were shared more often than legitimate news stories on social media sites. Five months on, American intelligence officials tell us that much of the fake news apparatus undisputedly came from a concerted effort on the part of the Russian government to weaken Clinton’s candidacy. Today, Trump has taken up the fake news mantra, labeling any critical media organization or unflattering stories or polls as fake news. He even took the unprecedented step of refusing a CNN journalist a question, proclaiming “No, I’m not going to give you a question . . . You are fake news!” Whether fake news actually affected the outcome of our election cannot be easily quantified. What is known, however, is that fake news was a highly influential source of information for tens of millions of Americans this past election. Though media giants, such as Facebook and Mozilla, are taking steps (and committing money) to combat fake news, it is not a problem that will easily go away. In fact, other democratic elections, including France, are also currently reeling from the effects of fake news—and possibly, further Russian interference.

What was your experience with fake news during the 2016 election? How did it affect your own social media? Finally, going forward, what can you do to help combat the prevalence of fake news?

Include at least two of the following in your discussion:

• "How Russian Twitter Bots Pumped Out Fake News During the 2016 Election" (NPR)
• "Four Things to Know About Russia's 2016 Misinformation Campaign" (Politifact)
• "We Tracked Down a Fake-News Creator in the Suburbs. Here's What We Learned" (NPR)
• "A Report that Fake News 'Outperformed' Real News on Facebook Suggests the Problem is Wildly Out of Control" (Business Insider)
• "Bernie Sanders’ Campaign Faced a Fake News Tsunami. Where Did It Come From?" (Huffington Post)
• "Inside a Fake News Sausage Factory: 'This is All About Income'" (New York Times)

Required:

• MLA Style
• Two pages in length
• Works cited page

Due: Thu 4.13

Week 11

Week 11: Tu 4.4/Th 4.6
Read: eR—“The 100 Best Infographics” (Creative Bloq), “10 Tips for Designing Better Infographics” (DotDash), “12 Warning Signs that Your Infographic Sucks” (Visme)
Class: Presentations; Writer’s workshop; Lecture—“Infographics 101”
Due: INFOGRAPHIC—DRAFT 1 (Bring 2 copies—B&W okay)

Upcoming:

Week 12: Tu 4.11/Th 4.13
Read: Presentations
Due: INFOGRAPHIC—FINAL DRAFT (Email to dhdelao@gmail.com by 7 PM); REFLECTION 5

Week 13: Tu 4.18/Th 4.20
Read: eR—“Cyber Psychology, Part I—Why the Best Memes Go Viral” (BrainBlogger), “Internet Memes” (Science Focus), “The Menace of Memes: How Pictures Can Paint a Thousand Lies” (The Spectator), “How Memes Shaped the 2016 presidential Election” (Complex)
Class: Presentations; Lecture—“Memes Rule the Internet: Share If You Agree”
Due: REFLECTION 6

Week 14: Tu 4.25/Th 4.27
Class: Presentations; Writer’s workshop
Due: MEME—DRAFT 1 (Bring 2 copies—B&W okay); REFLECTION 7

Week 15: Tu 5.2/Th 5.4
Class: Presentations
Due: ENGLISH DEPARTMENT ASSESSMENT

Week 16: Tu 5.9/Th 5.11
Class: Presentations
Due: MEME—FINAL DRAFT (Email to dhdelao@gmail.com by 7 PM)

Week 17: Tu 5.16 (Final class session)/Fr 5.19 (Sec. 1 Final Exam Period)
Class: Presentations; Course wrap-up

Sec. 1 only: Meet from 8:00-9:15 AM—Location TBD
Due: REFLECTION 8

Week 18: Tu 5.23 (Sec. 2 Final Exam Period)

Sec. 2 only: Meet from 8:00-9:15 AM—Location TBD
Due: REFLECTION 8