Panda in Cyberland

Good evening, Cyber Pandas! I hope you have all had a wonderful week. This week we will be discussing media that has caught my attention, however the theme of this post is happiness created through media. When consuming media, the act of active reflection does not always have to be serious. At times, it is appropriate to realize how content creators try to amuse you or make you smile.

First, let us take a moment to celebrate the best news that has been released in a long time: The Jonas Brothers are back together! If you were a pre-teen in the early 2000s, you likely remember the Jonas Brothers. This boy band featured a real group of brothers that sang pop hits such as “Year 3000.” This week the brothers appeared on The Late Show with James Corden to make fun of their past selves and to make fun of the year 2019.

The video includes the three brothers wearing wigs that resemble their hairstyles from roughly 10 years ago. The boys then sing “Year 3000,” but instead of the original lyrics they sing about the quirky aspects of 2019 and how everything has changed since their mass popularity in the early 2000s.

I originally saw this post from my friend Molly Bennett on Facebook. I shared the video and tagged several friends that I know are also Jonas Brother’s fans. I absolutely loved this video because it is self aware. The Jonas Brothers are aware of the nostalgia they are giving their old fans by making this comeback. I believe this video is important as we academically engage in media because not all content has to be serious. Some media, such as this, is simply meant to bring joy (and possibly nostalgia) to audiences. It’s comforting to know there is still media that serves to delight and entertain.

Another post today that I found both humorous and interesting, was finding out through Facebook that there is a breakfast place in Portland, Oregon that has an excellent pun in its name. If you are a fan of classic rock, you may be familiar with a band called The Cure who are famous for many works including a song called “It’s Friday, I’m in Love.” I tell you that, to tell you this, there is a breakfast restaurant called It’s Fried Egg I’m in Love!

I saw these images from a Facebook meme page I follow called” Tumblr Addicts Only.” The title of the page is deceiving, as it does feature content from many social mediums, however many screenshots from Tumblr are on the page.

When I saw the posts of the restaurant I laughed for a solid twenty minutes. I then quickly shared the post with my friend Xay Desiree who lives in Portland and asked her if the establishment was real. There were multiple references online indicating that it was real, but I wanted to hear it first hand. She told me that not only is it real, but one of her favorite places to get breakfast.

The purpose of the original image on “Tumblr Addicts Only” was likely to entertain audiences with the punny title of this eatery. The purpose of the punny title is to give a restaurant a unique name that sparks a conversation. I know that if I am ever in Portland, Oregon I’m going to make a stop here. I also was listening to “It’s Friday I’m in Love” for many hours on repeat the day I saw this post.

Next, let us take a moment to celebrate 30 years of the Walt Disney classic The Little Mermaid. This week as I was scrolling through YouTube, I noticed a video featuring voice actress for Ariel, Jodie Benson, giving an interview to the Today show commemorating the 30th anniversary of the movie.

In this interview, Benson discusses how she is still grateful to be a part of The Little Mermaid and how she still performs the famous “Part of Your World” song often. Benson goes on to discuss how there are many stories that lovers of the film have shared with her, some beautiful and some heartbreaking. In the video, Benson describes how one child had to be skin graphed due to a severe burn and would listen to songs from the movie as comfort.

When I saw this video, I honestly teared up a bit. Not only because of the burn victim’s story, but because Benson said how much she loves Ariel’s curiosity and tenacity. I consider myself a big Ariel fan, and I love her for the same reasons. Also Benson mentions how she is best friends with the voice actress of Belle (Paige O’Hara) in real life. “I think because we have such a great friendship, Ariel and Belle would naturally have a great friendship,” Benson said. Belle is also one of my favorite princesses and when I heard this, part of my childhood naturally felt alive again.

The purpose of this video is to celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Little Mermaid and also to provide heart warming comments from Benson made to inspire joy in audiences.

Lastly, this next post commemorates the beginning of Daylight Savings Time (gaining one hour of daylight).

I saw this post on Facebook shared by a page called “Wine Moms.” I am not a Wine Mom, but I like their content, so I follow them regardless. Because of the watermark, the post likely originally came from a meme page called “My Questionable Life.” I found this content humorous because although I look forward to spring time and more daylight, I do not look forward to losing an extra hour of sleep. My response was to save the post for this blog post and to also share it on my own Facebook page.

The purpose of this post was to entertain audiences with a joke about Daylight Savings time, as many people do not like losing an hour of sleep.

This blog post featured mainly feel good stories and videos intentionally. Consuming media from an academic perspective does not always have to be serious. Sometimes, it is just as important to reflect on how the author designed content with the intention of making you happy.

Have a safe and fun spring break, pandas!

See you next time!

-Faith

Hello Cyber Pandas! Faith here, and today we are talking about Momo, children’s YouTube and other controversial topics. This week, many news stations, YouTube videos, and parents have discussed how YouTube videos are apparently being edited to show gory images and disturbing instructions to kids. According to many posts I have seen this week, these edits sometimes include a man in the middle of a video telling kids how to kill themselves, murderous versions of the beloved cartoon Peppa Pig, and a frightening character called Momo that challenges kids to hurt themselves and loved ones.

To be honest, I have not been able to find any exact evidence about any of these claims. I do know many credible magazines and news stations have claimed that this is a real problem and others claim it is not. A friend of mine Heather Childress, posted an article on her Facebook from Forbes magazine claiming that the issue was being widely exaggerated. However, the next morning when I attempted to access the content it was no longer available.

Although there have been countless posts about the threat to children, both hyping up the potential harm and rejecting the potential harm, I theorize that the message is the same. The take away message from this situation is that media consumers should always be questioning content. Rather as a parent you question the content your child is viewing or if as a child-free adult you are questioning the newest hot topic.

To discuss this week’s rhetorical situation I will be using video content to discuss these video threats. This video does support the idea that the threats are real, but it also discusses the logistics as to why people are rejecting the idea. This video also discusses how these threats can potentially harm a lot of children and families.

This content as well as Facebook posts from friends about the subject manner inspired me to create the following Facebook post: “I am absolutely outraged by this Momo thing! Like at first I thought it was an internet hoax. But many friends I know with kids are confirming that this sick person is actually harassing kids into hurting themselves and others. IS THIS THE MODERN DAY EQUIVALENT OF PUTTING PINS IN CANDY???!!!!!! “

When I saw this video via YouTube I felt that a lot of what DerekRants said I agreed with. I liked and subscribed to his channel. Even if you not agree with everything DerekRants states, I do believe that his content is thorough and well illustrated, especially for a smaller YouTuber.

WARNING: There is strong language in the video as well as disturbing images.

This video features a man in a mask discussing the controversies surrounding these threats to children’s YouTube. In this video DerkRants attempts to continue his discussion about how this problem is a true threat and also offers alleged evidence that the threat is real. This video is a continuance of another video, however I felt this content gave more conclusive statements.

To study this content in depth it is best to use the Rhetorical Situation.

The writer of the video is a YouTuber by the name of DerekRants. This gentleman appears to be from Scotland or a neighboring country and is wearing a mask to portray a character. This video’s purpose is to raise awareness about the threats children are facing from edited YouTube videos made to offer disturbing instructions and images. The audience of the video are the subscribers of DerekRants as well as others who are researching these threats. For example, I had never heard of this YouTuber before I began searching for video evidence of these threats myself. During my search this video was suggested by YouTube.

As stated throughout this blog post, this video was presented through the genre of YouTube and discusses the potential threat to the well being of children that is posed by Momo and other disturbing characters.

The context of this video is DerekRants discussing that there is a very big threat to children who see this content and that parents need to be aware of it as well as teachers and other children affiliates. The very important exigence or why of the video is that many people are claiming that kids are seeing these disturbing images and feel at risk for harm and even death. These are horrific ideas that need to be discussed. Also, DerekRants is attempting to prove this issue is actually going on by providing posts and comments from concerned parents and teachers.

Honestly, I find the posts and comments that DerekRants provided very convincing. I also know people personally that have claimed that their kids know about this content and are very frightened by it. However, if we are to be responsible consumers of media, we need to recognize the possibility that some of these claims are either false or exaggerated.

As I stated before I have not found any indisputable evidence that these claims are true. However, I do find it difficult to believe that this many people are exaggerating these claims, however I cannot rule out the possibility. Additionally, I find it odd that Forbes has taken down the article stating that the threats from these videos has been exaggerated. I speculate that the article was taken down because after further research the magazine realized that these threats had authenticity.

Regardless if these threats are being exaggerated or not, the message still stands that we must be conscientious when consuming media. This includes the media that children are watching and news stories.

On a lighter note, if you are as creeped out by the Momo character as I am I found a Momo immunity turtle while on Facebook this passed week.

Terry will protect you from the creepy images of Momo and others.

I hope you enjoyed today’s discussion on YouTube, threats, and how to engage with social media. See you next time!

-Faith

Good afternoon Cyber Pandas! Faith here, and today’s blog post will focus primarily on YouTube content I have come across throughout the week. As you may have heard, YouTube has been a controversial medium this past week. There have been several claims and allegations that certain children’s YouTube videos have been edited to show gory images and to give harmful instructions. That particular topic will be focused on in depth independently on separate blog post, focusing on the rhetorical situation. However, this new controversy allowed me to reflect on how as media consumers should approach YouTube.

I have selected a few videos with interesting, controversial, or emotionally charged subject matters and will demonstrate how I have attempted to reflect on this media through an academic perspective.

First, I would like to point out a video I ran across this week on YouTube discussing the recent controversies surrounding Victoria Secret and their fashion show. The video features Natalie Taylor, an aspiring model and YouTuber discussing the controversies surrounding a recent statement Victoria Secret gave regarding transgender individuals in their show. This video was posted in early January, so while this may not be an extremely fresh news story, this post just came on my YouTube feed this week.

In the video, Taylor laments about how higher representatives of Victoria Secret have said that they will not cast transgender models in their fashion show because the company is selling a “fantasy,” and these individuals do not represent that fantasy. Taylor’s perspective is that the company will surely lose customers because they are not being inclusive to all people. The purpose of the video was to raise awareness about the current statements Victoria Secret is making and to provide commentary about the backlash the company will likely receive as well as how the company seems to be exclusionary to many groups.

When I saw this post I myself was outraged at Victoria Secret, but I was not surprised. I have gone into the store multiple times and never truly felt welcome. While I am not transgender, I am considered plus size (size 12) by many retailers. This company doesn’t seem to accommodate women of my size, transgender women, or other groups. My interaction to this media was reading the comments, which honestly sickened me. There were several people in the comment feed who said that Victoria Secret was sticking by God and traditional values. In my personal opinion, it is in a company’s best interest to adapt to current social changes. Also, I believe that religion should be kept out of businesses that are not religion based (Christian bookstores, etc).

When taking an academic approach when reflecting on this media, an individual should understand that this is a very controversial topic. There will be many opinions on this topic that many will not agree with. However, it is important to consider the source of the content as well as some objective points over the matter. The YouTuber discussing this is an aspiring model. She has worked in the industry and has also worked for Victoria Secret at the retail level. She may have a more suitable place to offer commentary than say someone like myself who has never been associated with the company. However, others may argue that a plus sized, transgender, or other person who does not fit the company’s targeted demographic should speak on this matter.

Also, when thinking about the objective viewpoints, it is arguable that despite what the various opinions on transgender individuals may be, a company may lose customers if they state that certain individuals who may purchase their goods do not fit into the “fantasy” they are attempting to sell. Overall, this video offers commentary on a controversial topic and also offers an excellent opportunity to discuss how to reflect on media in a academic way.

The next video I would like to discuss is from a new but popular YouTuber called Mr. Atheist. As the name suggests, Mr. Atheist is an atheist individual who grew up in he Mormon church. In his videos, he does not typically wish to push his views on others, instead he criticizes popular Christian YouTubers who seem to attack nonbelievers and push indoctrination through media.

This week, I encountered a video on YouTube this week, in which he comments on and challenges Girl Defined. Girl Defined is another YouTube channel, where two women girls tell other female viewers how to behave in a way that is pleasing to God. Mr. Atheist has several videos challenging Girl Defined, but recently has begun a series in which he reads a chapter from a book written by the two young women of Girl Defined and offers criticisms.

The chapter itself that Mr. Atheist is challenging discusses the icon Marilyn Monroe and various struggles leading to her death. Girl Defined describe the events of Marilyn’s early life including her mentally unstable mother and sexual abuse. However, Girl Defined then seems to establish a message of victim shaming, by stating that if Marilyn had Christianity in her life she may have been saved from her mental turmoil that resulted from her early life.

Mr. Atheist fully rejects this notion, by stating how mental illness is a real tangible issue that cannot be solved by simple faith. Additionally, Mr. Atheist fully rejects Girl Defined’s rhetoric as well by stating that the way they present their prose illustrates victim blaming of both women and non-Christians. The purpose of this video is to point out how Girl Defined seems to be shaming women, non-Christians, and mentally ill people.

I engaged with the video by sharing it through text messages and a Facebook messages between a few friends. I am a very big Marilyn Monroe fan, and was outraged that Girl Defined seemed to attack her character.

However, when reflecting on the content from an academic perspective, I had to also realize that I haven’t read the book myself. Based on other content that I have viewed from Girl Defined, I am not at all surprised by the messages conveyed through this video. However, it may not be wise to accept everything Mr. Atheist is saying as fact without reading the base content for myself.

Going along with the idea of questioning content, I would like to present a video made by YouTuber Jaclyn Glenn about lies that have been told recently about Eugenia Cooney. A few weeks ago I discussed Eugenia Cooney, a YouTuber who recently announced that she is getting help for her eating disorder. Jaclyn Glenn is a long time friend of Cooney who recently made a video about other people discussing what is happening with Cooney when they don’t actually know. In the video she discusses two other YouTubers: Onision and Dirty Dan. Both of these public figures have a reputation in the YouTube community for being controversial, having drama with other creators, and stating lies and half-truths.

In the video, Glenn discusses how many YouTubers are discussing Cooney and her recovery. Some are claiming that they know Cooney personally and are giving their audience messages such as “I know Eugenia Cooney is okay.” Others are making countless videos speculating what all is going on with Cooney. Cooney herself has not been on social media since she began to seek help for her problem. If you recall the tweet I posted a few weeks ago, Cooney specifically stated she would be away from social media and asked everyone to respect her privacy.

The purpose for Glenn’s video is to illustrate how many are lying about what is happening to Cooney, invading her privacy, and profiting of of Cooney’s recovery by using her name to gain an audience.

When I first saw this video, I was very angry. I had seen the videos she was referring to, and before Glenn even made this content I speculated others were using Cooney’s recovery for their own gain. I commented how I support Glenn. I have seen her collaborate and socialize with Cooney multiple times in the past. So I do not doubt the authenticity of Glen’s video, but I do doubt the authenticity of others. However, while this situation is upsetting, it offers a great chance to reflect and understand that not every one on social media is honest, even when discussing a fellow creator’s health.

When interacting with social media it is always important to question content and to even speak up if you see unethical practices going on. This past week I ran into a video by a channel called Spill. This channel discusses controversial topics occurring on the internet, but attempts to review it from a logical perspective.

This video features Jeffree Star, a YouTuber and makeup entrepreneur who was discussed recently on this blog. The video discusses how recently Star unveiled alien themed merchandise. However, fans on social media quickly revealed that the concept was stolen from another artist called Hey Monster Art. Star was unaware of the plagiarism and quickly pulled the merchandise and fired the individual who created that art for his merchandise.

This video’s purpose was to share the situation and to congratulate Star on acting ethically once he realized the mistake of his employees. But the bigger purpose of this video was to discuss what plagiarism is, what it is not, and to encourage the audience to defend artists.

After viewing this video, I commented on it complimenting Spill on drawing attention to these issues. I have seen that art design other places, and I will be sure to not purchase any art that I believe is being stolen from Hey Monster Art.

Altogether, these videos demonstrate how YouTube content may offer commentary on controversial issues such as transgender inclusion, religion, eating disorders, and artists’ rights. However, if we are to take an academic perspective on this content, we have to reflect intelligently on the messages being offered. We have to consider the sources of this information and do our own research before we come to our own conclusions.

After presenting these YouTube videos, I must say that is a wrap on today’s blog post. Have fun surfing the web, Pandas.

-Faith

Good afternoon Cyber Pandas! This week, our in depth examination involves a post that stirred up my personal emotions. Last week, a statue in Sarasota, Florida that replicates the iconic photo of a sailor kissing a nurse after the end of WWII, was vandalized with the tag “#MeToo.” This act comes after the death of Geroge Mendonsa, the sailor in the iconic photograph, passed away at 95.

After his death, several articles sprang up on social media discussing how the iconic kiss was not consensual, and therefore the act could be classified as assault. Many were quoting the nurse in the photo, Greta Zimmer Friedman, who said in one statement that she hadn’t consented to the act. However, in other statements, Friedman goes on to defend Mendonsa and describes the moment as one of celebration and relief.

Many posts on social media have spun Friedman’s narrative to be one of repulsion and regret. I myself saw one post from the website WokeSloth that used this type of rhetoric in their article. This was prior to me beginning my own research and I was very upset by the article’s headline. To put it into context, I have been to the statue in Sarasota that was vandalized and took a photo replicating the pose.

After seeing the article’s headline and the comments suggesting that the moment of the photograph was actually an assault, I felt wrong for loving the image and replicating it when I was in Florida. I felt that in doing so I had become a rape apologist, and was hurting my fellow woman.

Below is the headline and post.

After seeing this article, I was very upset and captioned it with “I took a kissing photograph underneath the statue in Sarasota, I don’t know how to feel.” However, soon after posting it, friends began to comment, these comments were meant to educate me on the entire story.

After seeing my friend’s comments and reviewing some of these articles, it became clear to me that there was more to the story than what I originally thought. I needed a more informed person to shed light on this subject and to help me evaluate all the messages illustrated by these articles.

I asked a professor of mine who has a military and feminist scholar background to let me know her opinions and provide a few sources that may grant me clarity. I will keep her identity private, but her words I feel were very powerful, ” I have problems with anybody deciding that another person is a victim.” This professor went on to say, “They are taking one small part of an interview she gave and turning it into much more than she intended, without reading her fuller explanation of the moment.”

I realized that at that point, like I said in my last blog post, that the topics that are worth discussing do not have simple answers. There are many different statements from Friedman, many of which defend the sailor. The purpose of the original article by WokeSloth may have been to raise awareness about the #MeToo movement, but has instead twisted the words of a woman.

My professor was very clear that she did not want to sway my opinions, but did give e a resource to help me come to my own conclusions. This interview was part of the Veterans’ History Project and offers a more full picture through the words of Friedman. Fieldman said, “I’m not sure I — about the kiss because, you know, it was just somebody really celebrating. But it wasn’t a romantic event. It was just an event of thank God the war is over kind of thing because it was right in front of the sign.” She also said, “We send each other Christmas cards. And he has a very lovely wife, and I’ve talked to her. But we’re not friends who see each other, but through this happening, you know, we have something in common. And probably at Christmas we’ll get in touch by sending cards again.”

The link to the interview is here: ID=sr0001http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/story/loc.natlib.afc2001001.42863/transcript?ID=sr0001

I believe keeping in mind this interview, my reaction, the words of my professor, and the comments from my friends are important to keep in mind when examining the rhetorical situation for the WokeSloth article.

The writer of the WokeSloth article is Emily Burns. WokeSloth is a internet publication that is affiliated with the Good Lord Above Twitter account. The Good Lord Above is an anonymous poster(s) that takes on the personification of God and discusses controversial topics. The original purpose of the article was to report that the Unconditional Surrender statue in Sarasota had been vandalized by #MeToo activists and to bring attention to the #MeToo movement. However, that purpose may have been met in not the best ways, because the story behind the statue and original photograph is more than what was reported.

The audience of the article would be viewers of the WokeSloth page and followers of the Good Lord Above. However, through those viewers sharing the content, the audience expanded to general social media users. The genre would be a typical internet article, however the Good Lord Above has also shared it though their Twitter and companion Facebook page. The subject is the Unconitional Surrender statue that was vandalized with the #MeToo movement tag in Sarasota.

I believe the context here is the most important factor to consider. WokeSloth is presenting the vandalism event as a way to illustrate that the original image was an assault and should be treated as such. However, if we are intelligently reviewing media, we have to see if that context is actually accurate. Friedman herself seemed to report being surprised by the kiss, and maybe a bit uncomfortable. But, she doesn’t seem to think of it as an assault or an issue that needed to be remedied. She reports understanding that emotions were running high the day the war ended. In my opinion, I believe the actual context is that a man was happy to not have to return to war and acted impulsively in relief and celebration. Was it respectful to Friedman? That is arguable, but if Friedman herself defended Mendonsa, who are we to draw conclusions in 2019? However, others may think that despite the words of Friedman, this impulsive act is still inexcusable. While the issue is conversation worthy, one must look at many different reports and articles before coming to any definite conclusions.

The exigence of the article is to bring attention to the #MeToo movement. However, while this reasoning for writing the article may be met with the best of intentions, it may also be taking a picture from one historical context and twisting it to fit today’s political agenda.

However, these reasoning are up for debate. This blog is not meant to sway anyone, but to inspire everyone to consume media intelligently, and to carefully think about content.

As for myself, I no longer feel like a rape apologist for taking a picture under the statue in Sarasota. Instead I feel that I consumed media responsibly by reading several articles and talking to experts and peers before coming to my own conclusions on a controversial issue.

As always, have fun this next week exploring media and coming to your own intelligent conclusions about content. I must sail away until next time, and kiss this particular post farewell.

-Panda

Good evening Cyber Pandas! This week offered several opportunities to closely examine digital media. This week offered many new controversial posts. While reading these pieces of media I had to be mindful of my own opinions, biases, and emotionally charged reactions. Reflecting over these internal factors will be an important element of this blog post.

Warning: This blog post contains content over racism, sexism, and politics. There is also some strong language in the content we are reviewing.

This week Bernie Sanders announced his 2020 presidential campaign, tattoo artist and makeup entrepreneur Kat Von D has been accused of ripping off her consumers, there are sexist men openly telling women how they should become better wives, and there are racists leaving negative comments in the goth community.

To start off, let us take a look at Bernie Sanders, who at the beginning of the week announced his presidential run for 2020. You may remember Sanders from the 2016 election, in which he ran on a democratic ticket promoting democratic socialist ideas such as universal health care and education for all. There are many supporters of his ideas and many critics as well. Some say the United States does not have the resources to provide such socialized aid to it’s people while others say these programs are fundamental to a functioning society.

I first saw the announcement for Bernie’s campaign Tuesday morning, from a Facebook page I follow entitled “Now This is Politics.” The post was a link to an interview Sanders did for CBS news. Now This is Politics shared it with the caption “Bernie is back.” I first saw it shared by “Now This is Politics” itself, but within a few hours several of my friends were sharing it as well.

I reacted by sharing it to my own Facebook and captioning it “WOOOOO” (I am a Sanders supporter, but I will try to not allow biases to come through on this blog). Below is the video of Bernie Sanders announcing his campaign and issues he wishes to face.

I am very excited for candidate Sanders new campaign, but I am also trying to be mindful of the perspective of his critics as well. I am also anxious about the new media that will result from the 2020 presidential race. I know there will be equal parts positivity and hostility from all political affiliations. The upcoming election is just one reason why it is so imperative to know how to take an educated approach to digital media.

Next, I would like to talk about something that truly aggravates me. I understand that everyone has an opinion on how others behave, but when individuals impose that women have “traditional roles” and are undesirable if they do not fulfill them, I get upset.

My friend Ciera Vaidya posted an article on Facebook earlier this week from a website entitled Someecards.com. The article discusses a man who has strict and sexist guidelines of what women need to do in order to be beautiful. Below are a few screenshots as well as the link to the article.

The purpose of this man’s Twitter is to possibly troll others and get attention by being extremely controversial. Also, he may genuinely believe that he has the right to tell women how to live their lives. Through his Twitter he apparently offers coaching to men and women via a newsletter on how to behave and act in their daily lives. His extreme comments have gained him a lot of publicity, so much so I feel even a bit remorseful giving this man even more publicity on this blog. However, it is important to view how this man’s media has evolved from a Twitter collection, to an article, to a Facebook post by my friend. It is also important to reflect on how this man may be speaking out to gain attention or may actually feel he is entitled to these sexist rantings.

When I saw this post from my friend on Facebook I commented “Oh Jesus Christ” and then proceeded in my plans to make it a part of this week’s blog post.

Although I do believe that everyone has a right to an opinion, I also believe that not just women, but all people, have the right to live their life in whatever way makes them happy, provided they are doing no harm to themselves or others. There is no set guideline that makes any one person more desirable than another, it is simply a matter of preference.

While this topic has me very heated, it is crucial for me and other media consumers to look at media from an intellectual standpoint, especially about controversial posts such as these. This man from my perspective is very sexist and closed minded, however he is gaining the traction he desires. Rather you hate or approve of his content he is starting a conversation, which is one of the overall purposes of media.

The next topic is one about racism in the goth community. I have considered myself a part of the goth, scene, and rocker alternative community since I was about seventeen years old. I have made many friends within this community all of different genders, backgrounds and races. Therefore I was very upset when I saw a comment on a Facebook page saying that people of color could not be a part of goth culture. I also got this piece of media from my friend Ciera via Facebook. An African American man posted a picture of himself in goth attire on a page Ciera and I both follow entitled “Sad Gothic Bf.” The original point of the post was for this individual to express their style, but instead this woman (of whom I do not know) decided to be racist and hateful.

Warning: There is discussion of racism and strong language

I feel that the purpose of the negative comments was to express a hateful and racist opinion. Also, I infer that Tiffany feels threatened by the fashionable appearance of the original poster. However, we can not determine the motives of the hateful speech. We can determine, however, that racially charged speech is present in 2019. As far as my friend Ciera reposting the comments, she was attempting to bring the individual commenting, Tiffany, to public attention for her speech.

From an intellectual perspective and also as someone who as been involved with goth culture for many years, I feel that Tiffany’s assumptions about the Victorian cultural roots of the community are wrong. I have not found one single point that influences goth, scene, or alternative styles. Rather it seems to be a melting pot of many different influences.

Although, I am not in support of Tiffany or her opinions on the original posters outfit, I do believe that discussing these messages opens up great opportunities for reflection and conversation not only about racism, but also the cultural roots of fashion and pop culture. When discussing controversial posts like these, it is best to attempt to be objective and think of the experience as a learning opportunity and a chance to become better consumers of digital media. I myself, feel that I should investigate the cultural influences of the goth community, and also interact even more with the people of color in this community. The best way to overcome racism and hatred is to fight the issue with knowledge and communication.

On a lighter note, we will be discussing a scandal in the makeup community. Kat Von D consumers are claiming her liquid eyeliner product has the same amount of product as the cheaper sample sized edition. Kat Von D is a makeup artist, tattoo artist, and entrepreneur. She has become controversial in the past few years because of public feuds with other makeup designers/influences such as Jeffree Star.

This past week a Facebook post has gone viral. A girl took apart her Kat Von D eyeliner to discover the tube inside of it was the same size as the sample sized version. As should go without saying, there is a significant price difference between the two products.

I found this post on Facebook through my friend Haley Edmonds. I shared it with the caption “I guess Kat Von D is now fully canceled.” The purpose of the image is to make the claim that Kat Von D’s makeup company may be shortchanging their consumers out of product. However, Kat Von D has since said that there is more product in the regular tube vs the sample size, despite the actual length of the cartilage.

When evaluating this media situation, I have mixed emotions. In one way, I acknowledge that I am biased because I am a fan of Jeffree Star. These two public figures have a lot of public hostility towards one another. However, I do think Kat Von D makes a compelling argument. The only way to be sure is if one actually measured the amount of eyeliner of each cartilage type. I have since seeing Kat Von D’s explanation commented on my own post as well as others saying there may be evidence in support of her product, however, I do not see myself investing in her brand anytime soon for my own personal reasons.

I believe all of these posts have one common theme: the posts that get people talking the most do not have simple answers. In other words, if we as media consumers are to be mindful and objective, we must reflect, gain knowledge, acknowledge our biases, and communicate with one another respectfully. Only then will we be on the right path to being responsible media consumers.

I hope you enjoyed these rantings from Cyberland, as always stay tuned for more academic perspectives on digital media.

-Panda

Trigger Warning: This post contains contented related to eating disorders.

Good morning, Cyber Pandas! Today we will be taking an in depth look at Eugenia Cooney’s recovery announcement in the context of academia and the rhetoric situation.

If you are unfamiliar with Eugenia Cooney, she is a YouTube personality that is best known for her Gothic style, costumes, makeup skills, and kind-hearted disposition. However, she is also very controversial due to underweight appearance.

In her videos, Cooney goes through a variety of topics, from video games, to anime, to her love of The Nightmare Before Christmas. However, she never discusses her weight despite the constant pleas from fans. For years, various fans and other YouTubers have suspected that she has anorexia, and have begged Cooney to get help. This week she finally listened to them.

Prior to announcing that she will be seeking recovery, Cooney posted this cosplay video on her YouTube channel.

The video was focusing on her excitement for the release of the Kingdom Hearts III video game, and her creating a cosplay of one of the featured characters. However, because of her frail body many YouTubers and fans began to comment and make videos of their own pleading that she gets help immediately. A few even stated they felt she was beyond help and would die soon.

However, after years of her weight decreasing and the pleas from fans and the YouTube community, Cooney announced her recovery on February 11th.

The entire YouTube community as well as her fans are currently rejoicing in the fact that she is on the path to a healthier lifestyle, and will hopefully recover swiftly from the physical and emotional damage of anorexia.

When looking at a important Tweet such as this it is important to fully analyze it through the Rhetorical Situation Model.

The author of this tweet is Eugenia Cooney who is using Twitter to reach her audience and to announce her recovery. The audience would be her fans, critics, and other YouTubers. Prior to her recovery, her eating disorder has been also heavily criticized due to fear that her appearance may inspire viewers to take the same path. The purpose of this tweet is to not only reassure fans of her recovery, but to silence those critics as well. The subject is clearly Cooney’s recovery and her also asking for privacy as she begins this journey. Ceasing a habit brought on by low self-esteem is a challenging and frightening process. Cooney is asking for her own personal space during this time.

In this context, Cooney is discussing her recovery as well as finally admitting that she has a problem. Up until this point she had denied having an eating disorder. This is an issue worth being discussed, because many people have been concerned for Cooney for many years and are also worried about the influence her appearance may have on fans. This is also an issue because this step may inspire other anorexic and bulimic people to seek recovery.

The exigence, or the why of the tweet, is that Cooney knows her fans have been concerned about her health. Many fans have assumed she was going to die soon. Also, many critics have gone as far as to demand her YouTube channel be shut down because of the potential triggers and influences her appearance may have. Cooney shared this tweet to ease the concern from every member of her audience and to announce her recovery.

When engaging with this media, I both liked and retweeted the content. I also shared it on my Facebook. I have also been watching videos from other YouTubers, who have been congratulating her on this journey to recovery.

I am very proud of Eugenia Cooney, and I hope this journey is successful. Also, I hope this serves as inspiration for anyone who is struggling with an eating disorder to get help.

Despite the insecurities you may have, you are beautiful, you matter, and you deserve a healthy life.

Good evening Cyber Pandas! This week’s blog will take a slightly different approach than last week’s blog. As you may remember, last week’s blog had a general theme of Super Bowl Shenanigans. However, this week the media content discussed will have all different themes. This week I will show you some of my favorite pieces of media content, ranging from wholesome, to humorous, to political. After all, media is never a linear experience; media consumers are always engaging with various varieties of content.

First, let us look at this wholesome bear inspiring everyone to aspire to be their best selves.

I saw this on my Facebook feed at the beginning of the week, and thought it was the most precious and most inspirational piece of media I have seen in a long time. My best friend, Deedee Morales shared it from her sister Theresa Velaquez. The original image comes from a Facebookpage entitled “Wholesome Memes.”

This past week had been a particular hard week for me, as I tried to study for two tests in my two hardest subjects (which I did do very well in after all), but this bear made my week increasingly better.

In case you are unclear of the metaphor illustrated here, the bear is sewing himself, thus creating a better version of itself. I believe the purpose of this image is to inspire joy and resilience to the audience. I shared it to my Facebook as well as set the image as my phone wallpaper.

As the week progressed, Valentines day became highlighted throughout social media. My Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter were no longer featuring images of inspirational bears, but images of bears exchanged in romantic relationships.

I have never been a fan of Valentines day. I typically find myself single, or I find myself celebrating romance in a relationship I feel is going nowhere. This year was no exception. Currently, I haven’t had much time to explore romance. I am currently focusing on my academic goals and trying to prepare for graduate school. However, sometimes being studious gets lonely.

This tweet was screenshot and shared by a Facebook page called Student Problems. The tweet fully illustrated what I had been feeling this Valentines season.

To be honest, after seeing this meme I felt personally attacked. I had just finished telling friends how I had been working hard to prepare for my future, but because of the time I spend on those goals I feel that I will be outside of my prime before I find a spouse. Because of those feelings, I found this content very relatable. I believe the purpose of this content is to be relatable to students and other academics as well. It also offers a bit of self-depreciating humor to entertain its audience.

The next piece of content is somewhat political in nature. As you may be aware, the Girl Scouts of America and the Boy Scouts of America are separated, however that is likely to change soon. There have been many news articles and memes discussing girls being able to join the Boy Scouts and the potential of a merge of the two branches.

This post appears to be another example of a Twitter thread screenshot and turned into Facebook meme. I found it on my Facebook, shared by my Facebook friend Matt Kidwall. I am unaware where he originally found it. At first glance, it appears like this meme is saying that it is ridiculous to merge the two groups. If both groups had equal opportunities I would agree. However, I have had many female friends who have been involved with the Girl Scouts of America.

According to several friends of mine, whether or not the girls are able to do the same things as the boys (camping, canoeing, fishing, etc) seems to be entirely up to the troop leader and often varies by the region of the country. For example, my friends in Puerto Rico were able to do the same things all the boy were, while the scouts in Virginia were not.

There are many objections to the new policy. Some are afraid that this will confuse children’s gender identities, others are concerned that the children may interact inappropriately on overnight outings, and others seem to think the system is not broken and therefore shouldn’t be fixed.

In my opinion, if girls from all regions are not receiving the same opportunities as the boy scouts they should be allowed to join the boy scouts. The other concerns seem to be unfounded based on my individual research. However, I will leave it up to you to draw your own conclusions based on this media and any other media that you may find about the subject.

Overall, I believe the purpose of this meme and the article was to get the conversation going about rather or not children’s scout programs should continue to be separated by gender. Gender ideas and organizations that are separated by gender have become a hot topic in the past few years and I believe will only to spark discussion and controversy. As a result, more media content such as this will become available.

On a softer note and more somber note, this past week the internet has been mourning the loss of the Mars Rover Opportunity. Opportunity was a robot that was placed on Mars by NASA to collect information about the red planet. The project began in 2004 and was only supposed to last a few months and instead lasted 14 years. Due to heavy dust storms, Opportunity (Or Oppy, as NASA called her) , collected sand on her solar charging panels causing her to cease function. The internet is currently saddened by Oppy’s last message back to NASA, “My batteries are dying, and it’s getting dark.” The last message sent by Oppy has inspired many tweets, posts, and other content with the sentiment of “She died alone!” I too, found myself grieving the loss of Opportunity.

However, art shared by the Facebook page Doctor Who and the TARDIS helped ease my grieving. If you are unfamiliar with Doctor Who, it is a sci-fi television show about a time traveler who saves civilizations throughout time and space. The Doctor, as the time traveler is called, travels the universe in space ship that looks like a phone box. The space ship is referred to as the TARDIS or Time and Relative Dimension in Space.

In this art we see the Tardis materializing on Mars. The Doctor steps out of the time machine and tells Oppy, “You did such a good job! Let’s get you home, yeah?” This art was created to both entertain audiences and to inspire emotion from audiences.

I have been a long time fan of the show, and upon seeing this I instantly began to cry happy tears. I shared it, with tears streaming down my face, with the caption “The Doctor Saved Oppy. I am sure of it.”

This week’s media content has been a roller coaster ride of all types of emotion. But, that is the great thing about digital media, is that it has the power to inspire emotions and make you think.

As always I hope you have enjoyed this installment of Panda in Cyberland. What content this week has inspired new thoughts and emotions from you?

If you are not an avid follower of makeup, LGBTQ media, or early 2000 scene and emo culture, you possibly have not heard of Jeffree Star. If you fall into this category, allow me to please inform you that you are missing out.

Jeffree Star is a former Myspace.com personality that originally became famous in the early 2000s. He was known for his edgy style, his blunt nature, and writing and performing punk rock songs. Star has always been a controversial figure due to his androgynous persona and controversial comments, and that has only increased after launching his recent makeup line, Jeffree Star cosmetics. The former Myspace influencer has skyrocketed into a life of entrepreneurship, wealth, and mainstream fame.

You may be wondering why the history and controversy of Jeffree Star is related to media. In addition to the fact that Star is a popular media figure, this week I came across this video of Star reading hate comments from his various YouTube videos in ASMR.

ASMR stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response and is characterized by sounds of tapping, whispering, slow speaking, and other soothing sounds to trigger a feeling of calm and/or scalp tingling for the listener. This phenomenon has become a very popular on YouTube and has inspired many different YouTubers to try utilize the concept in their videos.

This past week while scrolling through my recommended videos on YouTube I stumbled across Star reading hate comments in ASMR. The video was originally shared by Star and had the purpose of being both oddly soothing while making fun of the negative comments he receives about his appearance and sexual orientation.

Warning: I would give the content a T for Teen rating

Shortly after the video begins he says, “If you are offended by any of the words in today’s video, so am I.” He then tells his audience about all of the horrible names he is called on a daily basis, and then concludes his introduction by stating, “Please if you’re watching this, don’t take it serious, because I don’t.”

Star throughout the video reads these various hate comments and offers humorous backlash commentary himself, while providing soothing sounds for his audience.

In an academic context, when fully engaging in media, one must analyze it through the Rhetorical Situation. This means that the media consumer must become aware of who the writer is, why the writer is writing the piece (exigence), what the writer is seeking from the audience (purpose), what the subject matter is, who the audience is, how the subject is being presented (genre or what media platform), and the context of the media.

In this situation, the writer is Star who is hoping to reach his YouTube channel subscribers and other YouTube consumers who may find his videos through related content suggestions. The platform, or genre, Star is using is YouTube. Through this medium he is able to be very unfiltered and causal, but yet can address the issue of cyber bullying and ignoring negativity.
The exigence of the media is Star’s statement about cyberbulling and how to ignore it by making humorous comments and not taking the words personally.

The purpose of publishing this video was to not only make fun of the people who clearly dislike his lifestyle, but also to provide hope to his supporters who may be facing similar ridicule because of their different lifestyles. Star hopes to provide humor as an outlet for those suffering from negativity both on and offline.

The context, as the diagram illustrates, somewhat overlaps with what has been previously discussed. Star is writing about the issue of bullying and cyber-bullying and is offering humorous and sassy comments in a soothing voice as a catharsis for himself, and as a potential catharsis for audiences who may be suffering from the same torment.

The ASMR element I believe is to increase the humorous element of the media, as opposed to actually being soothing. In typical contexts, ASMR can be entertaining, but is normally focused on calming sounds and leading the audience into a relaxed state. Star using ASMR is almost like a satire of other ASMR videos. However, I must admit that I was soothed by this video, despite the funny and outrageous comments offered by Star.

I engaged in this media by sharing it to a few friends by text message and Facebook messenger. Additionally, I used this media to fall asleep, because it did genuinely relax me on a day I had insomnia.

Whether you love or hate figures like Jeffree Star who represent blunt behavior, LGBTQ rights, androgyny, or other controversial topics, it does take courage to take the cruel comments of others and turn it into media content. The purpose and exigence of this media, in my opinion, was very inspiring. Star was able to convey to his audiences that you can rise above hateful comments and even use the resulting emotions into fun and uplifting content.

I am not one for football. However, one thing I look forward to every year are the memes that result from the annual Super Bowl game. This year I discovered many hilarious memes through Facebook discussing the Super Bowl, making fun of the Super Bowl, and sympathizing with people like me who are not sports fans. I am not ashamed to say that I gather a lot of info on pop culture events through Facebook memes, and this supreme sport event is no exception.  

Probably the biggest hot topic of the Super Bowl was the half time show featuring Maroon 5. I found this particular meme very funny. 

This meme to me was hilarious because it was somewhat of numerical pun on the band’s name Maroon 5. I found this on Facebook and it originated from a Facebook page entitled “NFL Memes.” The friend who originally shared it was my friend Eden Manning. Of course, I behaved in the typical fashion of Facebook courtesy, meaning I liked her post and then shared it to my own page.

I believe the purpose of this media content was to poke fun at the o=goings on of the Super Bowl and to entertain the Facebook users that follow NFL memes.

If you know me you know I love early 2000s alternative rock. The genre of music I am talking about includes bands such as Paramore, Panic! at the Disco, Fall Out Boy, and others. This information is relevant because this next Super Bowl meme had me laughing out loud.

This meme was also discovered though Facebook. The original post was a Tweet from an organization called “Rock Sound” but I found it though a page I follow entitled “Panic! at the Disco=Perfect.” When I first saw this meme, I immediately shared it and was filled with the notion of relation. I thought to myself, “If I was in charge of the music at the Super Bowl, I would do the same thing!”

In all honesty, I believe the purpose of this particular piece of media was to create humorous content as well as inspire feelings of relation and nostalgia to former fans of alternative music, or “emo kids” like me.

On a more political, but still fun notion, this particular meme both made fun of the current sociopolitical climate of America as well as the stagnant activity of the Super Bowl game.

This original image was posted on Twitter by Jess Dweck. I do not know Jess Dwick, but this tweet was screenshot and posted on my social media by a friend of mine in Virginia, Jamie Gray. This piece of media made me laugh and also illustrates how both teams were playing with equally matched vigor. Both teams seemed to desperately want the title, and it was almost if the victory would equal political power.

This media caught my attention because it both makes fun of the game, and the chaotic political climate in America. I anticipate as America gets closer to the 2020 presidential election, more media like this will be common.

Additionally, I did not even watch the game and I can tell from this Tweet the state the game was in. I believe that media is very powerful, yet destructive in that manner. You don’t even have to observe the event yourself, to read “coverage” on it one form or another via a media post. While this is convenient, it also allows for misinformation to spread. Although, the information of a Super Bowl is not very important to many people, the principle that misinformation can still spread over more major events is still present.

Lastly, this piece of media spoke to my soul! While I didn’t watch the Super Bowl (or was forced to watch it) myself, if I had been this would have been my action plan. The original post came from a page I follow on Facebook called “Somewhere over the Rainbow” that posts similar quotes. These quotes are sometimes humorous and sometimes heartfelt. My reaction was to share this,, and I believe many friends of mine shared this as well.

Well Cyberpandas, that concludes the first post of many regarding reactions and responses of social media. This installment is only the beginning. Sometimes the content will be humorous and sometimes it will be serious. Regardless, I hope each of you continue to enjoy my rantings and opinions on various media and will begin to evaluate your own media consumption.

What does it mean to consume digital media? If you are one of the few people who doesn’t have social media you are in the minority. Many people are on social media everyday on one platform or another. What sets us apart is who is an ACTIVE media consumer and who is not.

Do you find yourself mindlessly scrolling through the pits of Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter? Do your friends say you are social media addict? Admittedly, I can confess all of these things. While I absolutely try to “post with intention” I do sometimes find myself scrolling for scrolling sake. These habits beg the question, “How can I make the most out of my social media experiences?” Well lucky for you, I am here to help answer that question for you, while also learning the answer for myself along the way. 

I will be consistently updating this blog with various pieces of media and giving my academic (yet, still sometimes sassy!) feedback. This blog will be a paradise of random memes, make up tutorials, music videos, posts from friends, political tweets, Instagram selfies, and everything in between. From these bits of modern messages, we will learn about active media consumption and have some good times along the way. 

P.S If you are wondering “Why Panda in Cyberland?” the answer is I like pandas and that’s all there is to it.