Blog Post 3 - Articulations 1 + 2

  Memes are a recent form of media text that allows viewers to utilize a previous piece of media and add text to create a certain message. It is through the additional text that the photograph can be translated into different meanings and perspectives. The first articulation of media ecologies provides the relationships between the roles of the media text. In other words, it is the relationship between text and media that allows the consumption of the intended message. 

When looking at specific memes, we can examine how this first articulation is portrayed. Indeed, the first meme that employs this articulation would be as follows:

Indeed, this meme has an image of a man in a body of water, seeming very relaxed with sunglasses on. This image can be taken in various different ways; however, with the addition of text, we can conclude that it is a comedic take on global warming and the story of the Titanic. Granted, the meme is taking a real-life issue, global warming, and creating a propaganda type of meme that is representative of how serious the issue is, taken into a comedic perspective. This relationship between the text and media provides for an understanding of the intention behind the message. Which is a global warming warning, as well as a relationship to pop culture. 

This connection to popular culture can describe the second articulation of media ecologies, which is representative of methods of communication, or the social practices of creating symbolic meaning. So, this meme is communicating a message about global warming through both images and comedic text. Not only does this allow for more possible connections to the media text, it is a method of communication that creates relationships between the message and the media. 

Furthermore, another media text that follows both the first and second articulations of media ecologies is as follows:

    Granted, this meme has been reproduced with various different additional texts, which alters the intended message, yet the image stays the same. Indeed, it is through the image that individuals are able to mold a message by just a few words. When looking at the message of this specific meme, it is clearly representative of a distracted individual, trying to focus on one task, but being pulled into other smaller tasks. Therefore, this meme is representative of both the first and second articulations through means of relationship with the message, as well as the symbolic meaning of this image.