Blog 3

Keesha  

 

This past week, the class explored the concept of media ecologies and how different media assemblages and ecologies are constituted by several sets of articulations. I have chosen to explain further the third articulation, which entails how media artifacts and messages are produced and spread through society and manifest in Spatio-temporal dynamics by using the exams of the viral women yelling at the cat meme and Martin Luther’s 95 Theses.

Firstly, in discovering the origin and production of the woman yelling at the cat meme, the meme initially was derived from two separate pictures. The first picture was a snapshot of two cast members of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills arguing at a dinner table. In contrast, the second picture of the cat originated in 2018 from a post on Tumblr in which the user was simply sharing a picture of a white cat with an expressive facial expression; a lot of users found this post to humour it gained over 50,300 likes. The combined version of the pictures, creating the meme exclusively surfaced on Twitter in 2019 and then began the uprising in the viral nature of the meme. This meme was simply a template in which users would now, through social media, add their texts and humour to said meme. The circulation and distribution then occurred through various social media sites users used. From Twitter to Facebook to Instagram, the viral nature of the meme enlarged through each share and recreation of the meme. Lastly, in addressing the consumption and reception of the woman yelling at the cat meme, with the consideration of meme culture, the consumption of the meme or simply its template was able to be retained by various people from different cultures and demographics simply because of the vastly different references, texts and situations in which the meme discussed. For example, the meme can share humour even in different countries through the varied words used by the uses since the original meme itself is simply a template and can be used in Canadian and American cultures. 

In discussing Martin Luther’s 95 Theses, “Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences,” and how it became a viral media text at a time in which social media and advanced communicative technology did not exist. Firstly, in discussing the production of the press, Martin Luther’s 95 theses which various people in Latin and German-produced copies. Although its circulation and distribution only occurred once Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the wall of the Roman Catholic Church, which was oblique at the time as commonly only invitations to academic debates would be nailed. Still, placing the texts on the church allowed for various members within the community to read, share, and be accustomed to the beliefs of Martin Luther. Luther also successfully used the printing press to spread his message through broadsheets and pamphlets distributed amongst each person, leading the printing press to become one of the most popular mediums of communication and media during that time and future years come. Martin Luther's works were then experienced and well known through the Christan society and world.

Keesha Chinyenze