McGann1

MeaghanMcGann
Dr.Hill
COMM312
18Nov.2015
AbstractandOutline

Abstract:Instagramfunctionsasasocialmediaoutletinwhichuserscreateanddisplayimages
andvideoswithaccompanyingtextasaselfnarrationoftheirdaytodayactivities.Inthisessay
IarguethattheconsistentthemespresentinthemajorityofInstagramaccountssuggestan
underlyingculturalfantasytheme:thedesiretoprojectoneselfaslivingaperpetually
pictureperfectlife.DeployingfantasythemecriticismandcrosstextualanalysisIwillanalyze
howthesatiricalInstagramaccount@socalitybarbiecriquestheinauthenticityofthiscultural
trend,#socalityasoneofthemainobjectsofthisaccountscritique,andtwoWiredarticles
commentingonhowthe@socalitybarbieaccountimpactsInstagramculture.Thisessayhas
implicationsforthestudyofhowtextandimagecomposetherhetoricofInstagram,theuseof
Instagramasaforumforthepermeationofculturaltrends,andthesocietalfantasythemeof
livingpictureperfectlives.

Thesis:The@socalitybarbieInstagramaccountservesasasatiretocritiquetheinauthenticity
permeatingInstagramcultureandaidsintherevelationoftheculturalfantasythemeoflivinga
perpetuallypictureperfectlife.

I.
Introduction
A. SocialmediaasadominantforceinAmericanrhetoric
1. BriefhistoryofInstagram
a) Textandimagesasasocialmediasharingforum
b) TheInstagramdemographic
c) ThepopularityandusageofInstagram(Geoff,2014)
(1) 150millionmonthlyactiveusers
(2) 1.2billionlikeseveryday
(3) 16billionphotosshared
(4) 55millionphotosperday
2. Fantasythemeasculturalvoice
a) Howfantasythemefunctionsinsociety
b) TheroleanddominanceoffantasythemesonInstagram
(1) Recurrenthashtagsasthemes
(2) Pictureeditingasasymptomoffantasytheme
3. @socalitybarbieInstagramaccountascritiqueofpreexistingfantasy
themes

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II.

a) UseofBarbieinimages
b) Useofsarcasmintext
c) Excessiveuseofhashtags
B. Myrationaleandcontributiontothestudyofrhetoricasitrelatestosocialmedia,
specificallyInstagram
1. VerylittletonoresearchperformedontherhetoricofInstagram
2. Instagramsbroadusagesuggestsitspervasiveculturalinfluenceand
value
C. Areviewoftheliteratureutilizedinthiscrosstextual,fantasythemeanalysis
1. Preexistingresearchonsimilartopics
a) Purposeandfunctionoffantasythemeanalysis(Bornman,1972)
b) Rhetoricanduseoffantasythemesontelevision(Bishop,2003)
c) Creationoffantasythemesthroughinternetconversationoutlets
(Duffy,2003)(Greer,2008)
2. Thetextsofmyanalysis
a) The@socalitybarbieaccountpageAccountpage(Socality
Barbie,2015)
b) Thefirst@socalitybarbiepostonInstagram
c) Thelast@socalitybarbiepostonInstagram
d) AninterviewwithWiredas@socalitybarbiewasgaining
popularity(Glascock,2015)
e) AWiredarticlewhen@socalitybarbieannouncedtheendofher
account(Garrett,2015)
f) TheSocalityWhoWeArepage(Socality,2014)
D. Introductionofmainargumentsandthesis
1. ContributionofbothtextandimagesasuniquerhetoricofInstagram
2. CulturaltrendsonInstagram
3. Fantasythemeoflivingperpetuallypictureperfectlives
4. Relatemainargumentstooverallthesis
TextandimagemakeupthecompositionofInstagramsrhetoric
A. Historyoftextandimageinmediaoutlets
B. TextandimageastheycontributetoInstagram
1. Thetextofphotocaptions
2. Theidealizedimage
C. InclusionofcrosstextualanalysisthroughtheuseofInstagramhashtagsand
images
1. @socalitybarbiesuseof#liveauthenticvs@socality
2. @socalitybarbieshipsterBarbievs.Instagramaccountsdescribedin
Wired

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III.

IV.

V.

Instagramservesasaforumforculturaltrends
A. The#liveauthenticInstagramtrend
1. Attemptsatoriginalitylooklikeallotherattemptsatoriginality(Oliver,
2015)
2. 6,259,188postsunder#liveauthentic
B. TheSocalitytrend
1. MissionandpurposeofSocality
2. #socalitysusageonInstagram
C. @socalitybarbiessatireofthe#liveauthenticand#socalityInstagramtrends
1. UseofBarbieinimage
2. Sarcasticphotocaptions
3. Excessiveuseofhashtags
Instagramperpetuatesthefantasythemeoflivingperpetuallypictureperfectlives
A. Instagramsusagereflectsthevoiceofcertainculturaldemographics
1. iPhoneusers
2. Youngerpopulation
B. Perpetuallypictureperfectlives
1. Theidealizedimagewithperfectlywittyandapthashtag
2. HowthisrelatestoAmericanDreamculture/generation
3. Impactofsocialmediaonhowweseeourlivesandthelivesofothers
Conclusion
A. Restatemainargumentsandthesis
B. Offerpossiblecounterexamplesandcritiquesofmyargument
C. Proposefurtherimplications
D. Highlightoptionsforfurtherresearchoracontinuingbodyofstudy

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WorksCited

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newsmediacoverageofFredRogers.
JournalofCommunication,53(
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Bormann,E.G.(1972,December1).Fantasyandrhetoricalvision:Therhetoricalcriticismof
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QuarterlyJournalofSpeech,58
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Duffy,M.E.(2003,July1).Webofhate:Afantasythemeanalysisoftherhetoricalvision
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JournalofCommunicationInquiry,27
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Garrett,Jenna.(2015,November4).
SocalityBarbiequits
.Retrievedfrom
http://www.wired.com/2015/11/socalitybarbiequits/

Geoff.(2014,January3).
ThecompletehistoryofInstagram.
Retrievedfrom
http://wersm.com/thecompletehistoryofinstagram/

Glascock,Taylor.(2015,September3).
HipsterBarbieissomuchbetteratInstagramthanyou.
Retrievedfrom
http://www.wired.com/2015/09/hipsterbarbiemuchbetterinstagram/

Greer,C.(2008,May1).Medialiteracyandinternetdiscussionlists:Afantasytheme
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Simile:Studiesin
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(2),111.

Oliver,Hillary.(2015,September21).
Theproblemwith#liveauthentic
.Retrievedfrom
http://adventurejournal.com/2015/09/theproblemwithliveauthentic/

SocalityBarbie.(2015,June2).Retreivedfrom
https://www.instagram.com/socalitybarbie/

Socality.(20142015).Retrievedfromhttp://www.socality.org/about/