The Critical Process: Internet Memes
a. Description- This meme was posted onto a website called matacafe on November 4, 2002 by the star wars kid’s peers. This video spread by being put onto other sites for people to watch. This video is said to have been viewed about 1 billion times overall, making it the most watched viral video out there. In the actuall meme itself there is a boy acting as if he were a star wars kid. There is no music in the video but you can hear the kid making noises because he is so into it. This video was never ment to be seen which is ironic because it is now the most seen video out there. The kid eventually sued the boys who put the video on the computer for a quater million dollars.
b. Analysis- This video is unlike many of the videos i have seen before. This is not because it is different in content but because the creater of the video never meant for it to be seen. In other videos such as chocolate rain, laughing baby, and numa numa, the creaters wanted people to see what they have done. The quality of this video is resembled best by chocolate rain. They are both videos that have been self shot by a still camera and are in an environment that isn’t a professional filming studio. Also the kid is never just in one place. He is all over the screen waving his “lightsaber” really getting into it. The video is an example of schadenfreude because we are laughing at this kid who is now in pain because this video has “ruined his life.” This video also has a length that is long enough to be very funny but also short enough that it doesn’t get boring.
c. Interpretation- This video is a great example of how the internet effects our lives so greatly. People of America are so into a star wars kid that they would watch this video over 1 billion timers rather than work on something usefull such as nuclear physics. People are just watching this video because it have been credited as the most viewed viral video. Because this video has recieved such recognition, people feel the need to “jump on the bandwagon” and watch it for themselves. This video, and many more just like it, are taking over the the time in American’s lives that used to be used for socializing, doing work, and just overall being productive. We are becoming too concered with videos of unknown people that we are forgeting about interacting with the people around us. Even by watching these videos in class, we are losing valuable time to get “important work” done. We should be taught to limit the viewing of these videos and become more productive with our spare time.
d. Evaluation – After watching this video I can say that I did not enjoy it. This meme and many like it are not worth watching because they provide no help to us whatsoever. People can try to interpret these memes all they want but I believe there is not deeper meaning and by trying to find one we are just wasting time. We need to stop watching these pointless things and get back to being the hard working America that pushes towards success.
