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Paula Deen Riding Things

Posted by Michaela James

Paula Deen riding things started after a Whole Foods MarketGrand Tasting Event during the South Beach Wine and Food Festival on Feb. 26, 2011 where Paula was shown sitting on top of Robert Irvine, a host on Food Network, with a glass of wine in her hand.

The meme became popular overnight with photos flooding the internet overnight. Two days after, photos invaded the internet on Feb. 28^th and several blogs including the website pauladeenridingthings.com was created by several friends Nick and Robbie that took an interest in the shocking event. This website uses templates of Paula Deen in different positions so that people can cut and paste her to anything they would like her to “ride.” An example of one of the three templates available on pauladeenridingthings.com that encourages followers to create their own and submit in order to be featured on the website.

Some early images include a tyrannosaurus rex, the loc nest monster and of course the cooking stars favorite ingredient: butter. Paula Deens obsession with fried foods and butter sparked the original image as well as her actions at the event, which created a “shock-value” that fueled blogs as well as a website as a sort of satire toward her outlandish cooking style and behavior. Meme's are a way of understanding our culture and our surroundings as well as for obvious entertainment purposes. I found an interesting blog that emerged from this meme. It delves into its cultural value and gives a better understanding on how these images become popular within our culture. The blog explains that these acts of "spreadability" are not only entertaining but serve the purpose of exchanging ideas and social networking. Check it out at: http://judgmentalobserver.wordpress.com/tag/paula-deen-riding-things/

Video mash-ups surfaced showing Paula Deen cooking shows, while incorporating the Paula riding things meme:

When I'm Butter Paula Deen Riding Things Uploaded by gold sting

The meme was inspired by the Hugh Jackman meme only a few months before. In Dec. 2010, the Hugh Jackman can ride everything meme flooded the internet after Hugh Jackman suffered a black eye after an equipment malfunction on the Oprah Winfrey Show. He was then featured on blogs and news articles where you could “cut and paste” you own picture of Hugh Jackman on to any image.

The popularity of the Paula Deen riding things meme reached its peak in popularity shortly after the event in late February/early March and remained relatively popular until April 2011 (see Google graph below). Rolling Stone magazine even created an alternate cover for its March 2011 issue, which featured Paula Deen riding a rocket. The meme was also mentioned on CBS, New York Post and Buzz Feed and was considered number 8 greatest memes of 2011 according to Time magazine.

Cinnamon Challenge (Saba Anees)

• When did this begin to become popular/famous on the Internet and why? Provide a context and offer an analysis of why you think this became so popular (if no obvious reason presents itself).


The cinnamon challenge viral video set became popular in 2011 when a YouTube user uploaded a video of herself taking on the challenge. That video gained 3.9 million views in its first few weeks and was imitated by a broad range of YouTube users in the next few months. 


• The details/description of the "meme," person, event, etc.
The challenge involves a person swallowing a tablespoon full of cinnamon powder or keeping it in their mouth for a certain amount of time. Usually, the cinnamon is overwhelming to keep for even a few seconds and hilarity ensues. 
• How popular did it become and over what time span? (include "Google Insights" interest). 
Google Insights link:  http://www.google.com/insights/search/#q=cinnamon%20challenge&cmpt=q
According to Insights, the viral video spiked in popularity in January 2012 when it was introduced on a radio show. 
• Include other memes that may have emerged from this or have been influenced by this. 
From YouTube/Google searches, I have found that spin-offs such as Chili Powder Challenge. Smart. 
• Include videos or images when relevant to illustrate your description - please try to avoid posting images or video that may be offensive. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mNQEcTGkAgM 

PLANKING! - Haleh Nourani

• There is debate as to who actually invented the activity and when, speculation dating back to 1994. It is obvious, however, when it became an Internet phenomenon. It grew quickest as “planking” in Australia and New Zealand through David Williams and Paul Carran- and then worldwide. The very similar “Lying Down Game” also became popular throughout the United Kingdom.
• To plank is to lay face down on any surface, keeping your body completely flat and arms by your side. The more random the location of the plank, the more entertaining it serves to be.  
• Although planking began getting attention in 2010, it became most popular worldwide throughout 2011. 
• Other memes that have emerged from planking include playing dead, owling, teapotting, horsemanning, batmaning, tebowing, gronking, and plumbking. They don't all look similar to planking, but they involve people getting in weird poses in random locations. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

"Casually Pepper Spray Everything Cop" by Laljeet Mann

1.) When did this begin to become popular/famous on the Internet and why? Provide a context and offer an analysis of why you think this became so popular (if no obvious reason presents itself). 

The Casually Pepper Spray Everything Cop, meme came about after a University police officer pepper sprayed a group of peaceful students, apart of the Occupy Davis movement. A video of the incident was uploaded to YouTube on November 18, 2011 and went viral.

The video has been shared via Facebook, Twitter, Tumbler, email and has received international attention.

The reason this video become popular is largely due to the interesting political timing of the incident. The incident occurred shortly after a video was posted of students at UC Berkeley being struck by police batons. All of this was happening right as the Occupy movement was really heating up. Mass media channels were spending a lot of time depicting the ambiguities of the Occupy movement leaving the general public feeling ambivalent. However, when this video was posted people where out raged that a police officer would harm peaceful protesters (students). Thus, the video of a police officer casually pepper-spraying students became popular and countless memes have been made about it.

2.) The details/description of the "meme," person, event, etc. 

The meme features a plump police officer wearing riot gear. In the original meme the officer is holding a red can of pepper spray in his right hand and is looking at the target (students) he is spraying. The original features a group of students sitting on the ground, arms linked, heads down, getting pepper sprayed. In other memes various things replace the students.

3.) How popular did it become and over what time span? (include "Google Insights" interest). 

The meme was very popular during the months of November and December, 2011. Since then, memes are still being created and shared but are less popular. On the Occupy Davis Facebook page the meme has 58 ‘Likes’ and 43 ‘Shares’. The YouTube video, which started the meme has close to 2.5 million views. According to Google Insight, everything related to Casually Pepper Spray Everything Cop was most popular from November 20 through the 26^th.

4) Include other memes that may have emerged from this or have been influenced by this. 
Include videos or images when relevant to illustrate your description - please try to avoid posting images or video that may be offensive. 

Google Image Search turned out 19 pages of memes that where influenced by the original. 

Here are a few of the more popular ones.