Memes: Difference between Defamation and Whining 

In today’s social networking world, memes are often found on many social media platforms. They’re an interesting form of communication that expresses ideas and beliefs by an image tacked on with a humorous catchphrase. Though these can sometimes be controversial, memes are a unique way to explain a certain point of view. The reason why memes are sometimes problematic is because they can at times be taken as a defamatory statement, in which they can portray an individual or public figure in false light.

Recently, Russia leader Vladimir Putin put an outlaw on memes to which “refers to impersonating or sharing doctored images of public figures that are deemed out-of-context in relation to their personality or reputation in real life”. The ban came from Vladimir Putin himself after Russian singer Valeri Syutkin falsely associated Putin with domestic violence. As a result under Russian Federal Law, they are now allowed to block websites without a court order.

One group presentation took this controversy to UNL campus and asked students what their thoughts would be if the United States had the same law on memes. While there were many answers given, it seemed like the majority of students thought the law was ridiculous, as did I. However, the more I looked at it the more I could understand the reason behind the law. In the United States, offensive publicity that is not true is a defamatory statement if it were to be false. There are many elements that play apart in proving that the statement was defamation.

In the U.S court of law, suggests that a false accusation to the plaintiff involving a serious crime can sue for defamation (and respectively so). With that said, the statement must reflect negatively on the plaintiff’s character, morality, or integrity, and a false accusation of a felony can hold up in the court of law. In the case where Russian singer Valeri Syutkin falsely associated Putin with domestic violence would hold up in the U.S court of law because the meme falsely accused Putin of domestic violence and reflected negatively on the his reputation and character. Even though it might be argued that Putin lacks both.

In most recent news, a Russian medical doctor was terminated by the state for sharing a meme that compared Putin to Gollum, a Lord of the Rings character. This without question would not hold up in the U.S court of law and is outrages to even consider this to be an unlawful act. Though this whining about getting your feelings hurt does fit in today’s political correctness agenda.

Visual Arguments

For centuries, Artists and images have been often glamorized and studied throughout human history. Historians attempt to interpret and learn from the remarkable talents demonstrated by Renaissance Artists such as Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello. We can learn how images influence wars by looking at Nazi propaganda during World War II, and the oppression of African-Americans throughout American history. Many paintings and artistic imagery have been carved in human history, and it can help us understand the affects that images can have to influence and argue a social agenda. 

David Fleming rejects the idea that images cannot argue because images do not have both statement and proof. He also stats that pictures “lack the internal linear arrangement that characterizes verbal discourse” and also lacks a two-sided proposition of an argument. I on the other hand, believe images, especially art, can not only argue but also persuade, reflect and influence society.

An argument, based on its definition, is a reasoned attempt to convince the audience to accept a particular point of view about a debatable topic (being two-sided). In order to first develop an argument, communicating a premise is necessary. Artists communicate this through their work in several ways.

There are many reasons why artists create. Some feel that it is a way for them to relax and make something that they find beautiful. Some find art as an escape from pressure or a way to deal with stress. Others find it as a way to convey a certain feeling or idea. In other words, artists can convey an idea through their own artistic work of visual communication. Artists can express society’s ideologies or their own ideas through their own interpretation. Nonetheless, artists can manifest images to state a premise (and sometimes conclusion) and its up to the audience to interpret what the artist is revealing.

Not only do images create statements of a claim, but also indirectly stat proofs of that argument. Humans have the ability to interpret, analyze, and make rationale decisions. Helen Keller still had the ability to interpret the world around her even though she was limited by being both blind and deaf. This is a great example of how humans can interpret and rationalize the world around them even without verbal and visual communication. It is up to the audience to interpret an image’s statement and it’s proof. Neither words nor images do this alone. It’s within the viewer’s power to understand and interpret through our own analysis of what those words or images mean.

Christian Boehm

Final Project Video-Robert Edwards

CAPS #5

Popular culture can allow an audience to have a better understanding of a variety of cultures.  According to Martin & Nakayama in 2013, “popular culture is a new name for low culture, referring to those cultural products that most people share and know about, including television, music, videos, and popular magazines” (p. 361).  Popular culture consists of well-known forms of media that most audiences are aware of.  Martin & Nakayama (2013) believe that there are four significant characteristics of popular culture: “it is produced by culture industries, it differs from folk culture, it is everywhere, and it fills a social function” (p. 361).

            For this blog I looked at three Kia Soul commercials starting with the latest and moving to the most recent. These commercials featured hamster in them and we can see how these commercials are using popular culture to get their brand out along with a changing message while still using the hamster as the center piece of the commercial.

            The very first commercial showed many hamsters on wheels stuck not moving on the road. Then three other hamster roll up in a Kia Soul and the rest of the hamster looked shocked/jealous. Clearly they are grouping people into two categories, those who are smart driving a Kia Soul and those who are “stuck in the same spot” driving older more boring cars. There is also a clear choice in song here, one of the lyrics is “there’s some distance separating you and I”, continuing to play into the idea that there are two group those with the Kia Soul and those without.

            The next commercial in the series then moves the concept from, “we are better than what you have now” to “this is the car of the future”. In this commercial robots that are fighting each other stop to look at the Kia Soul and eventually dance with the hamsters. It shows not only is the Kia Soul a car for the future but it is well received in the future as well. Once again three key themes exists here, the hamsters, those who have a Kia Soul are better off (apparently even in a robot war), and finally the music choice. This time the music chosen was Party Rock. I believe there to be a couple reasons behind this. First is that at the time party rock was a very popular song and second it reinforces the message that the Kia Soul is better. With the Kia Soul you are having fun even in a robot war.

            The final commercial I looked at is the most recent Kia Soul commercial. This commercial follows the Hamster and the cars designer as they both “transform”. For the hamsters they transform their bodies and the car designer transforms the body of the Kia Soul. The three themes are here again. The hamsters are featured in the commercial, as they were in the previous two. Also the groups of people cheering are not only cheering for the hamsters but the Kia soul, once again indicating you can either be someone cheering for the Kia Soul or be the person walking out of the Kia Soul. Finally the music choice is closely tied to the commercial. Once again one of the reasons the song was chosen was due to its popularity but it also has to do with the subject of the song. The chorus is “I live for the applause” clearly suggesting that the Kia Soul exists because it makes people happy.

Robert Edwards's Final project

I had a hard time trying to get this video to have sound when I upload onto here. I couldn't figure it so I decide to post it without sound. However, I came across this website that allows for sound but screws up the pictures in the project here is the link. Thank you guys for your understanding.

Shelby Merry Cultural Identity Video

MMcLaughlin Final project