The
media event I chose to explore is the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle which took place in May
2018. Since Meghan Markle is a bi-racial
American citizen, there were many discussions on race and culture leading up to the event. Her
marrying into the monarchy marked a new, modern era for the conservative royal
family. Therefore, the selected memes connect to the idea of race and gender, while also injecting humor into the event.
1) When the Waiter Delivers Your Food
This
meme was created from a clip of Prince Harry saying "You look
amazing" and "I'm so lucky" to Meghan Markle after she walked
down the aisle at the royal wedding. The internet instantly caught this endearing moment and
created various memes of it, including the above iteration. In this meme, Prince
Harry’s gaze is compared to how you look at a waiter when they deliver your
food.
This meme represents the humorous trait of playfulness because the caption in this meme allows for "a multilayered perception of social situations" as Shifman (2014) describes in Chapter 6 (p. 79). The way this meme takes such a serious moment and pairs it with a lighthearted message like getting your food at a restaurant shapes it into a relatable joke. People can easily relate this clip to another situation of happiness to continue creating these memes.
I think this meme also touches on the idea of gender because Prince Harry is saying this to a woman, however it is being compared to a humorous situation like getting food at a restaurant. It is seen as a sweet moment because Prince Harry was being emotional and sharing his feelings. If it was Meghan saying this to Harry, I don't think it would have been as widely shared as she isn't royalty and it is expected that women regularly express their feelings.
I think this meme also touches on the idea of gender because Prince Harry is saying this to a woman, however it is being compared to a humorous situation like getting food at a restaurant. It is seen as a sweet moment because Prince Harry was being emotional and sharing his feelings. If it was Meghan saying this to Harry, I don't think it would have been as widely shared as she isn't royalty and it is expected that women regularly express their feelings.
2) Meghan's Look
This meme is an image of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle leaving their wedding ceremony. This is a candid moment, yet Meghan appears very poised. This meme is used to convey humor regarding Meghan breaking many traditions of typical royal weddings.
The humor trait present in this meme is superiority. As Shifman (2014) explains, this trait is one where a user "interprets laughter as an expression of the pleasant experience of oneupmanship" (p. 81). Although displaying superiority is not Meghan's intention in this image, users have interpreted her facial expression as triumphant which shapes the message of this meme. Because their ceremony included many non-traditional elements of a royal wedding, such as a gospel choir, this meme has been associated with Meghan's cultural impact on the monarchy. This image could be used in various other ways that express similar feelings of superiority and success, especially in relation to breaking down cultural and racial barriers.
I believe this meme includes elements of race. It explicitly highlights the cultural differences between the races of the bride and groom. If the wedding had been similar to Prince William and Kate Middleton's, both citizens of the UK, this meme would either not exist or be very different.
The humor trait present in this meme is superiority. As Shifman (2014) explains, this trait is one where a user "interprets laughter as an expression of the pleasant experience of oneupmanship" (p. 81). Although displaying superiority is not Meghan's intention in this image, users have interpreted her facial expression as triumphant which shapes the message of this meme. Because their ceremony included many non-traditional elements of a royal wedding, such as a gospel choir, this meme has been associated with Meghan's cultural impact on the monarchy. This image could be used in various other ways that express similar feelings of superiority and success, especially in relation to breaking down cultural and racial barriers.
I believe this meme includes elements of race. It explicitly highlights the cultural differences between the races of the bride and groom. If the wedding had been similar to Prince William and Kate Middleton's, both citizens of the UK, this meme would either not exist or be very different.
3) Tangled Headphones
Meghan Markle wore a very long, monarch length veil at her wedding. It was carried throughout the ceremony by two page boys. The veil and its length were highlighted many times in fashion recaps of the royal wedding. The image is of the page boys attempting to untangle her veil after getting out of the car. In this meme, the image is being compared to headphone cables which are often tangled and take time to straighten out.
This meme contains the humor trait of incongruity. Although headphones and a wedding veil do not have anything in common, Shifman (2014) explains that often an "unexpected cognitive encounter" creates something humorous (p. 79). The connection made between the two items, especially one that is as commonly used as headphones, shapes the humorous message of this meme. However, the meme does not possess any audio or visual effects as Shifman describes as a characteristic of this trait. Therefore, I would also categorize this meme as having the humor trait of playfulness because people can compare the tangled dress moment to many other situations and create their own memes.
This meme also contains the idea of gender. It focuses on Meghan's outfit at the wedding, which typically happens to women when they attend a major event like an awards show. There were many memes creating humor out of Meghan's long veil, however there were no memes regarding Prince Harry's outfit. This reinforces the fact that society still perceives women's outfits as being a large part of an event, ignoring more important aspects of the woman.
This meme contains the humor trait of incongruity. Although headphones and a wedding veil do not have anything in common, Shifman (2014) explains that often an "unexpected cognitive encounter" creates something humorous (p. 79). The connection made between the two items, especially one that is as commonly used as headphones, shapes the humorous message of this meme. However, the meme does not possess any audio or visual effects as Shifman describes as a characteristic of this trait. Therefore, I would also categorize this meme as having the humor trait of playfulness because people can compare the tangled dress moment to many other situations and create their own memes.
This meme also contains the idea of gender. It focuses on Meghan's outfit at the wedding, which typically happens to women when they attend a major event like an awards show. There were many memes creating humor out of Meghan's long veil, however there were no memes regarding Prince Harry's outfit. This reinforces the fact that society still perceives women's outfits as being a large part of an event, ignoring more important aspects of the woman.
Interesting example of gender construction through memes. Linking to a news story that helps define your topic would also be useful to build the case for your reflection.
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