SYMBOLS OF CHANGE: POLITICAL MEMES AND VIRAL CONTENT
THE MOVEMENT: MEMES
This final meme, which shows three dirty white children frowning at the camera in front of the words "White Privilege is a myth perpetuated by those who hate white people," is one that directly contrasts the memes in support of #blacklivesmatter. What this final meme suggests is that reverse racism exists, that white people are oppressed just as much as black people are, and that white people are not actually privileged at all. I don't agree with this at all, but I know people who think this way, and I think it's important to acknowledge that people think differently. I know people who believe that reverse racism (which is what this meme suggests) is a thing, although I firmly believe that it isn't because racism itself hinders on oppression -- and white people are not oppressed by black people, nor have they been in the past.
This is a photo of Eric Garner being assaulted by police on the streets despite not having a weapon and yelling, "I can't breathe," which activists and supporters of the movement shout at protests, write on signs that they carry, and post online to express solidarity and enforce their position. This meme expresses its support for the #blacklivesmatter movement visually and verbally in what it says: "He is not resisting arrest -- He's being choked to death." This meme is not only a reflection of why people are outraged by what happened to Eric Garner, but also a piece of visual evidence that uses clear language to prove that what happened to Garner was wrong.
The photograph in this meme is duplicated, so it appears twice. On one side of the meme is a black and white photo of two men: one black, one white, each carrying a sign in their hands. The black man's sign says, "Give us American rights," whereas the white man's sign says, "Go home, Negro." This image is noted as being from 1965. The second image on the left is the same, except the black man's sign reads, "Black lives matter" and the white man's sign reads, "All lives matter." This image is noted to reflect 2015. At the bottom of the meme is the statement, "Different words. Same meaning." This meme is effective in making a statement in support of the #blacklivesmatter movement. The repetition of the image in the photo is powerful because it shows that although we like to think that things have changed for the better, there is growing
This second meme includes references to pop culture, which makes it relevant and recognizable. It also allows audiences to think about the language written in the meme in a different context because of the visual content that goes along with it. The image in the meme is a shot from the film Captain Phillips, in which a group of young black men take control of a ship and hold the crew hostage. In the photo, we see one of the black men confronting the ship's captain and exerting dominance. In the film, he says, "Look at me. I am the captain now," but that language is changed in the meme, which says, "Look at me... Look at me. Black lives matter." According to Shifman, "As pop culture is part of people's everyday lives and cultural identities, using it to talk about politics makes the latter more approachable." This meme is effective in its support for the #blacklivesmatter movement because it reframes the verbal exchange and places the rhetoric itself in a situation that people are familiar with because of its place in pop culture. The meme is ambiguous, however, and could also be interpreted negatively because the black men in the film who take over the ship are dangerous and threatening.
This meme is a criticism of the #blacklivesmatter movement and poses a question that many Americans skeptical of the movement's message ask on a regular basis. The pop culture image of a character from a TV series is one that is popular in meme culture. The character is seen squinting his eyes to express the fact that he is silently judging someone or something else. This image coincides with the language included in the meme, which is repeated in arguments and debates in forums online and off. Whereas it may be true that violence by black people against black people is an issue, that has nothing to do with #blacklivesmatter. The point of #blacklivesmatter is to point out and take action against violence and unjust treatment of black people by white people, which is an issue of racism with a long history.
This meme also criticizes the movement and uses pop culture icons to make its point. Here, we see a picture from an old Batman comic in which Batman is slapping Robin in the face. The langage is featured in dialogue bubbles with Robin saying, "Black lives mat...," being cut off by a slap to the face by Batman, whose dialogue bubble says, "All lives matter!" The image is a representation of using violence to silence someone and prevent them from expressing their opinion or support for something the other doesn't agree with. Sadly, not only does this meme mock the violence being protested in the first place, it also uses humor to make it seem acceptable. The language here is something deplorable, as well, even though it repeats the sentiment expressed in opposition of the movement everyday by people who either don't understand or don't want to. Although it is true that all lives matter, the point of the #blacklivesmatter movement is to acknowledge black people specifically and to demand recognition and respect that comes with being part of the conversation itself.
The memes above reflect a strong support for #blacklivesmatter, as well as heavy opposition of both racism and police brutality. I fully agree with the points that these memes make. I selected these memes because they are so direct in making their statements. There is little room for misinterpretation here, but a lot of room for opposition, as is what we see below.
evidence to support the fact that this is not the case. The different language written on the two men's signs, from 1965 to 2015, is clear and easily recognizable: the phrases that were part of the protest rhetoric in 1965 are something that we, as Americans, have seen and heard in reading textbooks, watching movies, and browsing content online. The same is true of the phrases present in the protest rhetoric of today. These phrases are everywhere online, in interviews, and in conversations. Pinning the two images against one another here allows the message to have a greater impact on its audience.