Journal 3 - Van Williamson

I think writing and technology do a lot to show us just how ineffective we are at communicating our ideas to one another and how easily we can be divided. The media’s ability to circulate information allows them to have a say in the way we perceive reality, which can either bring us closer together or drive us apart from one another. A good example of this is at the end of the Jolly reading, when the author talks about Lynne Jones and her open letter to the mother she met at a parade/protest. It is a little heartbreaking that these two women were having a conversation where they were in a strong level of agreement, but once Jones and the rest of the protestors shed their disguises the mother turned on them. I think it’s possible she had been herded into her own sort of “virtual community” by way of the media and social conventions, where the label of “feminist” is conflated with a person who is overzealous and entitled. Both feminists and traditionalists try to circulate their own message: one that agitates the majority for a greater cause, and one that looks to demonize those who would try and change the world we live in.

The chain letter campaigns in the Jolly text are definitely a precursor to Twitter, which thus far seems to be the most effective way for people to construct identities and communities. The #hashtag system is really in the hands of the community, making it not as easy to manipulate. I think my favorite part about Twitter is that hashtags can be hijacked and separated from their original meaning, if there’s enough interest vested in pushing against it. I remember after the 2014 Isla Vista killings done by Elliot Rodger, when it was revealed that the murderer was trying to bring “retribution” to women because of his inability to find a girlfriend. Some men tried to disassociate themselves from their societal guilt with #NotAllMen, but this was quickly satirized by those who had a much stronger argument with #YesAllWomen. The original argument, that not all men are dangerous and it’s wrong to make someone feel bad about being a male, was quickly trounced by a counterargument contained within a single hashtag. Not all men are rapists, but yes all women have to deal with the constant threat of abuse and it’s foolish to remain voluntarily ignorant of that struggle.