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