Memes As Resistance_Sydney Gomez

Part 1: How can memes act as a form of resistance and advocacy? Post the 1 meme YOU MADE with a short description of your meme and 1-2 paragraphs explaining how memes can function as part of protest and resistance. You can use your quotes and responses to the articles in your answer. 

Answer: In the article, Memes Are Our Generation's Protest Art by Sage Lazzaro, the author states, “Most people interact with these images in fleeting ways as they scroll through their feeds, but creating or consuming political memes that align with one’s point of view can be therapeutic.” The way that our society receives news and information, which is mainly through smartphones, has shortened our attention spans. It is solely because of this that memes can be utilized as a form of resistance and advocacy. They can be used not just to inform but also to entertain and because of the way our society operates in a digital world, we process and internalize information differently based on our unique views and how we initially receive them. Memes can spread like wildfire. Depending on how popular the topic is, they can be discussed for days or even weeks, or they can fade and be forgotten over time. The general public often gets news on topics that they would otherwise not be interested about whenever a meme shows up. And as a society, seeing something that others know, which we don’t, motivates us to also look up what everyone else is talking about so that we may actively be a part of the discussion.

A reaction to someone who claims to not be interested
in politics but is actively complaining about it.

Part 2: What is patriarchy? Below your meme post a definition of patriarchy and a definition of activism. Explain how systems of power act on our lives and rights. 

Answer: Patriarchy is defined as a system of society or government in which men hold the power and women are largely excluded from it. Activism is defined as a policy or action using vigorous campaigning to bring about political or social change. Because patriarchy is so dominant in the U.S, living as a woman has proven to be challenging when the very system that you're born and live in mainly supports men. While women have more rights and freedom than we previously did in the past, there is still some prejudice simply because of the way gender roles are perceived. Men hold all the power but they're not meant to be emotional, while women are meant to be soft and gentle but are seen as week and docile. 

Part 3: Select 2 quotes from Chapter 1 of The Art of Activism: Your All-Purpose Guide to Making the Impossible Possible by Steve Duncombe and Steve Lambert, and add a short response. 

"Facts are important, and truth should be the foundation of our analysis, out actions, and the worlds we create. But facts and truth don't speak for themselves. They need to be made into symbols and incorporated into stories that people can make sense of and care about." 

Response: While facts and information is important, the validity of it can always be called into question, especially when personal stories can be involved since everyone is biased and has their own point of view. 

"To detail all the intricacies of exactly how art works would take hundreds of pages, and even then we couldn't ever offer a complete explanation."

Response: Art cannot be explained but it is our way of bringing our visions and sharing it with the world. I often think of surrealism and how it's usually bizarre, unreal, and almost dreamlike.