Meme Post - Teana Maitland

 

    Being that republicans were mostly for the deportation of immigrants this one is really interesting. This meme just goes to show how much immigrants in America play a huge role in its development. Most immigrants do most of the hard work in America for example, working on farms, construction, cleaning most of the jobs that Americans don't want to do. It's funny to see how they are in full support of deportation but won't do these jobs even for themselves. Based off the looks of it looks like some business owners are going to be understaffed. 

    This meme was created by me! 

Project 2025 was a political initiative that was created to help reshape the U.S Government. The project had a list of rules and laws that would be changed. When project 2025 first started to buzz on social media everyone was scared as some of the laws being changed was pretty controversial. Before the election everyone was discussing how trump would put into play the regulations on project 2025. Trump denied any knowledge of project 2025 and actually promised the opposite of must regulations that was in project 2025. After the election it came as a shock to some Americans (not me) that he was literally checking everything off that list. Since trump has been in office he's been putting into action most of the laws which is pretty interesting since he said he knew nothing about project 2025.

    Ai can be useful for a wide variety of things. Although Ai can be beneficial it can also be concerning to workers. AI and technology can be taking over and doing the jobs of us humans which can be worrying because this can lead to many people losing their jobs. 

The Art of Activism : Chapter 1 

    Quote:"We dump overwhelming amounts of often depressing information about the world on people, and then expect them to be energized and excited about joining us."

    Reaction: This quote stood out to me because I do agree as someone who has received a pamphlet full of information that is not quite effective in drawing in peoples attention. Most times when I get a pamphlet I either take it because I feel bad because everyone is walking past the people giving them out or I'm genuinely interested but then when I see that the pamphlet is so small and has over 30,000 words on it I immediately am not interested anymore. I feel as though using a different method to approach others would be crucial in drawing attention to serious issues. 

    Quote:"Art is highly effective at translating events, facts, and ideologies into stories, images, and performances, making objective things into subjective forms we can experience, feel, and importantly, remember."

    Reaction: I agree with this quote wholeheartedly! I do believe that art can make you feel more than what words can especially as someone who likes to see things visually. Sometimes words can get misconstrued or taken out of context but art really does portray everything to you visually. I also believe art can show you more than what words can and can capture peoples attention more quickly than with text. 

    Patriarchy Definition: Patriarchy is a system that is upheld by men which gives them control and power especially over women. Its designed to make women feel weak and less in control. In the text it also describes how women have to act a certain way or be deemed as weak while males are considered to be the stronger more authoritative kind.  

    Activism Definition: Activism is the act of of taking action to cause change in society, this can include protesting, boycotting, rallying and etc. 

 

 

 

 

Introduction

Hey, My name is George Ghattas, this is my first Art Class you can say, I chose this class because I wanted to try something new and learn more about the Artist Community. My major is Criminal Justice in NJCU, I been a student in NJCU for 4 years now. One thing that I am interseted in doing in this class would probably be the memes that I have seen in the sylabus, I think that this class is going to teach me things I did not know myself and I will learn a lot in this class.

Quotes:

Chapter 2 Understanding Patriarchy:

“There is the perspective that men oppress women. And there is the perspective that people are people, and we are all hurt by rigid sex roles.”

1. This quotation emphasizes two important viewpoints on patriarchy, one that emphasizes the disparity in power between men and women, and another that emphasizes how inflexible gender norms hurt people of all genders. It questions the notion that patriarchy just impacts women, arguing that by limiting men and women to predetermined roles, these social norms can limit and harm both sexes, resulting in inequality and mental distress for all parties. It serves as a reminder of the multifaceted and intricate repercussions of patriarchy.

“Patriarchal rules still govern most of the world’s religious, school systems, and family systems.”

1. This claim highlights the pervasiveness of patriarchal systems in society, which have an impact on institutions such as education and religion in addition to the home. It illustrates how these structures are frequently based on hierarchical gender norms, in which women are either confined or subservient to men in positions of power. Because these systems form the cornerstone of many society structures and reinforce patriarchy in many facets of life, it also emphasizes how difficult it is to challenge or alter them.

What Memes Owe to Art History:

“Memes are essentially 100 years of text art boiled down into your feed”

1. In this quote, the lengthy history of text-based art is linked to memes, implying that memes are a contemporary development of easily assimilated and accessible creative expression. Similar to how text art did in its day, memes, in a sense, condense comedy and intricate cultural allusions into easily shared material. Consider memes as a part of a larger artistic tradition that extends over a century, rather than merely as sporadic internet jokes.

“Like modern art… our internet age moves fast, BT infinity fast, and people are always looking for the next big thing and the next laugh”

1. People are always chasing the next trend or viral moment, which is how memes and modern art are similar in their feeling of freshness and urgency. The changing movements and styles of modern art, where creativity and the need for something new were crucial, are reflected in the internet's rapid pace, particularly with memes. It serves as a reminder of the pressure to create and consume information at an ever-increasing rate in order to stay ahead of the curve in both art and digital culture.

Memes Are Our Generation’s Protest:

“You can express yourself with one picture of a meme better than a whole page of text”

1. This quote emphasizes how effective pictures are in contemporary communication. Memes are more effective in drawing attention and getting a point across than lengthy prose because they distill complicated concepts, feelings, or cultural criticisms into a single, instantly identifiable image or structure. It is evidence of how, in the digital age, visual media has developed into a highly effective means of expressing ideas, annoyances, and identities.

“They can say it easier, faster, and more to the point than they can with almost any other way”

1. The quote emphasizes memes as a means of rapid, unambiguous communication. Memes break through the clutter in a world when people have short attention spans and are constantly exposed to digital noise by providing incisive criticism or humor that is clear and concise. Memes serve as a sort of digital shorthand for complicated concepts or social protest, reflecting our generation's appreciation of efficiency and immediacy in communication.

Self Introduction ::// Alvaro

 

Hi. I'm AL. No, I'm not an activist. I like art. I'm bald. And I love skittles.
I like challenging people and I think the best way to do so, at least for me, is through a game

 Jaden Hogan                    Here are two quotes from each reading, along with a short reaction to each:

1. “Understanding Patriarchy” bell hooks

Quote 1:

“Patriarchy has no gender.”

Thoughts:

This statement challenges the common misconception that only men uphold patriarchy. It highlights that both men and women can perpetuate patriarchal norms through cultural conditioning. Recognizing this helps shift the focus from blaming individuals to understanding systemic oppression and how it operates across all genders.

Quote 2:

“Patriarchy promotes insanity. It is at the root of the psychological ills troubling men in our nation.”

Thoughts :

Hooks argues that patriarchy is damaging not just to women but also to men, causing emotional repression and toxic masculinity. This resonates with modern discussions on mental health, where rigid gender expectations prevent men from expressing vulnerability, leading to emotional struggles and unhealthy coping mechanisms.

2. “What Memes Owe to Art History” Artsy

Quote 3:

“Artists have been remixing, repurposing, and riffing on each other’s work for centuries, much like meme creators do today.”

Thoughts :

This draws an interesting parallel between classical art and modern meme culture. While memes may seem trivial at first glance, they continue the long tradition of artists borrowing and adapting ideas, proving that digital humor can be a legitimate form of artistic expression.

Quote 4:

“The format of a meme simple, accessible, and instantly understandable mirrors the role of traditional iconography.”

Thoughts:

Memes, like religious or political iconography in history, convey complex ideas quickly and effectively. This suggests that memes are more than just entertainment; they serve as a cultural shorthand for shared beliefs, much like paintings and sculptures did in the past.

3. “Memes Are Our Generation’s Protest Art”  Vice

Quote 5:

“Memes are a way to visually distill complex ideas and feelings into something immediate and shareable.”

Thoughts:

This highlights the power of memes as a form of communication, especially in activism. Unlike traditional protest art, which requires galleries or physical space, memes spread rapidly through social media, making political commentary accessible to a wider audience.

Quote 6:

“A meme might not change the world, but it might change someone’s perspective.”

Thoughts:

This underscores the subtle but significant impact memes can have. While a single meme may not cause large-scale societal change, it can plant a seed of thoughts, challenge assumptions, and contribute to broader cultural shifts over time.

Who am I?

 I’m no activist, I normally just keep all my opinions about stuff of that manor to myself, I’m 1 of 3 children on my mothers side and one of five being the youngest on my fathers side. I enjoy playing volleyball and staying active. Apart from staying active I’m also heavily invested in the men of color initiative here at NJCU as one of six first founding members. I’ve never really been into art much until I got to college and fell in love with it, the story behind the art, the meaning and all stuff of the sorts. I don’t really have any art that I specifically made myself about social justice but I do have a specific piece  that grasped my attention.

Would you like me to refine or expand on any of these reactions

Self Introduction Post- Christopher Cruz

     Hello, everyone. I'm Christopher Cruz. I love anime and manga, and I draw pixel art. My ambition for this class is to further my understanding of the public space and develop my application of the topics I will learn. Artwork below is a creative project I did regarding women's sexual autonomy. I wanted to reveal to the viewer how powerful women can be in a intimate and vulnerable situation. I wanted to focus on the fact that women have control over the bodies and men have no control over that.

Quotes

"Of these systems the one that we all learn the most about growing up is the system of patriarchy, even if we never know the word, because patriarchy gender roles are assigned to us as children and we are given continual guidance about the ways we can best fulfill these roles." -bell hooks 

To this day patriarchy is still taught, though in the current era, families are beginning to break away from the patriarchal mindset and are accepting more nonbinary roles and restrictions. This challenges the patriarchy dismantles who's in charge,

"Clearly we cannot dismantle a system as long as engage in collective denial about its impact on our lives." - bell hooks

This is so true especially in the current world. We cannot end injustice, racism, poverty, homelessness, and various other issues by collectively denying the consequences of those continuing problems. There needs to be more recognition and action taken than being a bystander to these problems. 

"Through humor, memes incite a collective reaction to everyday life as well as reveling in it, in a format no less playful than it is political, decoding the murky structural screw-ups, paradoxes, and hypocrisies of our current political climate." - Alice Bucknell

Memes can be so interconnected and relatable to anyone who come across it. Memes are like comedians, both critique and criticize the hypocrisies and paradoxes the plague our world. Both bring awareness to underlying problems people either deny or ignorant about. 

"It isn't so much about visuals, but instead digs deep into the cultural architecture of memes and their political power as a networked critical resistance, where their abilities to incite and inspire, to problematize and be problematic in equal turn, offer a mirror image of our volatile present as much as their avant-grade heritage." - Alice Bucknell

I agree with Bucknell that memes can critique and bring awareness to common a problem though at the same time, I argue memes are like a double-edged sword. The problems that may be addressed are diluted to viral jokes and loose some its initial and overall impact.

"The media [of protest art] have changed somewhat, but the purpose are similar: the blaming of villains, the identification of victims, as well as outrage at the villains and compassion for those victims," Jasper told VICE.

I disagree that the purpose is the same. The execution or method of that purpose, I believe, isn't to blame villains, but more akin to calling out a person or group for what it is and wanting accountability, responsibility, and equal treatment to be held.

"Memes can spread far more quickly than the songs or art projects of previous generations, there's such a low barrier to entry that anyone can make them; they can go viral in a matter of minutes." - VICE

I believe that is one meme's strong attributes. The fact that it requires little to no learning curve and accessible to everyone really does highlight how power memes are. 

 

Philip Abeleda Introduction Post

 Self Introduction Post 

     Hello, my name is Philip Abeleda. I am not an activist but I sometimes repost political awareness posts on social media if I have prior knowledge to the subject. I am 21 years old, I wish to have a career in law enforcement and to purchase my own rental property. I can play a guitar, I am a kickboxer at the amateur level, I have been training since 17 and made my debut at 19. I regard myself as a Communist. I am a proponent to an independent Kurdish state and Pan-Asian solidarity. 

Bell hooks Understanding Patriarchy

Page 24

"Because they do not have an experiential reality to challenge false fantasies of gender roles, women in such house-holds are far more likely to idealize the patriarchal male role and patriarchal men than are women who live with patriarchal men every day." 

A case where followers are more passionate than the leaders in a cult. The zenith of power and authority in modern society is always likened to that of a man. "She wears the pants", Butch Lesbians, Strap ons; the only way a woman can gain respect in patriarchal culture is if she emulates aspects of "manhood" because the pure feminine form cannot posit power in this culture.

Page 26

"It stresses polarization between the sexes."

Antagonism between sexes is false consciousness that ignores the economic, political, and ethnic aspect of patriarchy. Patriarchy is like a multi level marketing scam that distributes power and abuse downwards; it includes men, but to say that all men are involved in this scam is a generalization that only created a Gender War, and just like an actual war, the people profiting off of it aren't the ones fighting it. 

What Memes Owe to Art History

"What memes expose today matches the guerilla-style insurrection of their delivery"

Memes do function in the style of a guerrilla action as it's messages are often masked by humor, the same way the actions of a guerrilla are masked by the fact that it's done by a civilian. It would be difficult to criticize or attack a meme with the layers of irony and comedy that protect it.

"Through humor, memes incite a collective reaction to everyday life as well as reveling in it..."

Memes encourage emotion and humor, which can improve morale in a demoralized society.

Memes are our generation's protest art

"They spread so quickly and evolve and transform, and it’s hard to shut them down in the way other forms of communicative protest can be silenced"

The proliferation of a meme once algorithms and trends align make for an unstoppable tool in a movements arsenal.

"Under Donald Trump specifically, Burroughs says, memes have grown in popularity as a way to express political opinions, similar to how George W. Bush’s presidency gave rise to liberal blogs."

Although the President's policies are controversial, his position in power creates fertile ground for rapid cultural and societal change in the midst of said controversy. His presidency to internet and young adult culture and politics is akin to a stone sharpening a sword.

Self introduction post- Luis Martinez (Huicho)

 

                                                                              HUICHO

Hello! Im Luis Martinez prefer to go by the artist name (Huicho). Currently a senior at NJCU majoring in BFA painting and drawing. As for my career im a tattoo artist who’s been in the industry for almost 4 years now! Here are some of my work!

In addition I do love to dive into different art forms and mediums such as sculpting, wood burning, ceramics, fashion design, owning a clothing brand, graffiti, animation, illustrating comics, creating stickers, water color/ gouache, arts and crafts, etc.. not just limiting myself with tattooing. Besides painting and drawing I’m currently getting into a little more digital art media. Such as photography, videography and digital illustrations! I will provide some more work down below.

DIGITAL ILLUSTRATIONS 

                                                                            DRAWINGS

                                                                   WORK PHOTOGRAPHY

I wouldn’t consider myself much of an activist and will admit to being a little ignorant when it comes to politics and some social pressing issues. However I’m definitely excited to learn about other activists in this course and will attempt to start educating myself regarding politics and keeping up with the news around me.

UNDERSTANDING PATRIARCHY by Bell Hooks

QUOTE 1: “Describing the most damaging of these rules, Bradshaw lists "blind obedience--the foundation upon which patriarchy stands; the repression of all emotions except fear; the destruction of individual willpower; and the repression of thinking whenever it departs from the authority figure's way of thinking."

RESPONSE 1: Felt like this quote really captures what Hook was mentioning in the start of this reading. As she gives her personal first experience with patriarchy starting with how her parents try teaching her and her brother different ways of thinking based of gender. The way of thinking that men are “superior” was imbedded at such a young age that when most of the youth grows up it becomes their norm. Not questioning it especially at such a young age following an authority figure like their parents it leaves an endless cycle until someone decides to stop it.

QUOTE 2 : We need to highlight the role women play in perpetuating and sustaining patriarchal culture so that we will recognize patriarchy as a system women and men support equally, even if men receive more rewards from that system. Dismantling and changing patriarchal culture is work that men and women must do together.

RESPONSE 2: I feel like this is a strong statement from Hooks for the simple fact that she acknowledges that women unfortunately do have a small part in keeping the patriarchal ideology a live. Speaking by her own experience of having her mother side with Hooks father after beating her for trying to play with marvels which was considered a “boys” game.

What Memes owe to art history 

QUOTE 1: “In the post-internet world, nothing escapes the meme’s comic gaze, and the form is being recognized as an artistic medium for this interconnected online moment.”

RESPONSE 1: times have change and with the use of internet infecting the youth today, memes have definitely became a great source to grab the people’s attention. As they spend so much time on the internet it would be hard to avoid the memes that are trending.

QUOTE 2 : “Through humor, memes incite a collective reaction to everyday life as well as reveling in it, in a format no less playful than it is political, decoding the murky structural screw-ups, paradoxes, and hypocrisies of our current political climate.”

RESPONSE 2: Adding humor and connections that many can relate to is a great way to get other’s attention to hear you out! Helping spread the news and help educate people on what’s going around them.

Memes are our generation’s protest art

QUOTE 1: “Simple to make and simpler to distribute, they can communicate a stance or message at a glance and express the same feelings experts say are behind conventional protest art.”

RESPONSE 1: with the wide spread of the internet it definitely became easier sharing just a simple photo. Not only that with the advanced technology today having it have become easier to montage and edit a photo with the simple use of our phones. To then upload it on the internet and social media. To then within a few seconds being able to share a meme with several people within just a few seconds have definitely made the spread of the modern day protest art much easier 

QUOTE 2:  “They’re definitely sites of resistance against perceptions of abuse of power. They spread so quickly and evolve and transform, and it’s hard to shut them down in the way other forms of communicative protest can be silenced.”

RESPONSE 2: this is actually a strong point, with how easy it is to spread just a simple photo is overwhelming to think about trying to prevent said photo to be spread any further. With in just one minute of a photo being active it could reach hundred rather then for example and actually protest that could be shut down once law enforcement get involved 

 

Self Introduction Post: Rafael Maglantay

This is me.

Hello, I'm Rafael Maglantay. I'm a freelancer illustrator and a barista. I'm personally very picky with who commissions me, and I try not to take any work that doesn't suit me. Before NJCU, I started my art career in high school by actively painting, learning classical methods and putting up galleries. In my first year for college, I began as a freshman at Pratt Institute, majoring in Drawing. Once I began to get exposed more to digital artwork, I decided to make a switch to BFA Illustration, a field I thought that suited me far more. I transferred to NJCU in my sophomore year after Covid-19 and some financial concerns. As of right now, I'm a BA Graphic Arts senior student, and this is my final semester. I'm pretty happy to be finally on my way out, personally. I never thought of myself much as an activist, but the more I think about my stances in politics, perhaps I'm more of a punk than I thought I was.

My most recent sketch, based off of a frog and a lemur.

Don't be afraid to ask me for my sketchbook. I bring this with me everywhere, from class, to public spaces, to nude model sessions.

I'm a big fan of strong colors. This is a sketch after someone asked me to draw dinosaurs.

Understanding Patriarchy by bell hooks

• "Psychological patriarchy is the dynamic between those qualities deemed 'masculine' and 'feminine' in which half of our human traits are exalted while the other half is devalued... a 'dance of contempt' a perverse form of connection that replaces true intimacy with complex, convert layers of dominance and submission, collusion and manipulation.
• "As long as men are brainwashed to equate violent domination and abuse of women with privilege, they will have no understanding of the damage done to themselves or to others, and no motivation to change."

This book made me realize a lot of my own ignorance about the imbalanced power between a man and a woman. The scaling between a man's position of power versus that of a woman's, the way women are depicted in media recently versus that of history. It led a lot for me to wonder, to understand, to connect to the people I love and know around me, to the figures I've come to idolize in time. The second quote resonated the most, and it begins to put into perspective for me why feminists take such proactive actions as to battle against the patriarchy. To be frank, initially my first exposure to feminism came in the form of a belligerent woman calling all video games a way to exercise the male fantasy. At that time I thought it ridiculous, but now that I'm more learned, I see where she was coming from, even if it was partially wrong to generalize every game under that perspective.

What Memes Owe to Art History | Artsy

• "Wershler argues that memes should be understood as the digital descendants of artists such as Man Ray, Walker Evans, and Andy Warhol—all vanguards whose practices largely concerned informational and social disruptions."
• "It isn’t so much about visuals, but instead digs deep into the cultural architecture of memes and their political power as a networked critical resistance, where their abilities to incite and inspire, to problematize and be problematic in equal turn, offer a mirror image of our volatile present as much as their avant-garde heritage."

Memes are strong, period. That's it. That's the end of my response.

In all seriousness, the speed at which news and information spread is like wildfire. The ease of creating a meme can be done through a website, or at your own whim via your phone, anywhere as long as you've got charge and signal. I've been told that Generation Z is called the Artist generation, and I can see it in the form of how much content is created in our little world. Art doesn't have to be anything complicated, it doesn't have to be drawn images, we've established that much. When people make memes, enforcing a message, relaying a joke, or coming up with some godforsaken line that would threaten the sanity of your average medieval peasant,

that's art.

Memes Are Our Generation's Protest Art | VICE

• "Memes can spread far more quickly than the songs or art projects of previous generations, and there’s such a low barrier to entry that anyone can make them; they can go viral in a matter of minutes."
• "Every time I see a new iteration of the lawn-mowing boy meme pop up on my feed with thousands of retweets, it’s a refreshing reminder that others agree with me that Trump is absurd. The pure-hearted 11-year-old who Trump appears to be yelling at stands in for everyone who is living through his lies and verbal attacks. Explaining that in words took a long time, but one glance at this meme and you get it.

Honestly, and call me weird for it, my main source of news is no longer the TV channel, or breaking news off of Youtube. A lot of how I learn about current events is from my circles of friends, communities I'm a part of, and the memes they produce and share. With it's own fair share of humor and playfulness, the people around me have kept me from being able to live under a rock by constantly shoving this content in my face, building upon my impression of the world around me. And honestly, it does put a biased lens on first glance, but it makes me curious. It becomes the topic of conversation, and it leads me to do my research. It becomes a pipeline where, recent news affect my peers, leading to it being in my vicinity, and as a result I become more aware of what's happening.

Self Introduction Post: Teana Maitland

  

  Hello, my name is Teana but I do prefer being called Tae! I am currently a sophomore here at New Jersey City University. I am originally from Brooklyn. I love to put fly outfits together and buy a lot of cool pieces for my wardrobe. I wouldn't say I am an activist but I do believe I stay up to date with the current events especially heavily within politics. I don't necessarily consider myself an artist but I would consider myself a creative, I create fashion content on my social media platforms, I've been noticed by major brands such as Skims, Ecco, Helmut Lang. I'm excited to learn more about activism and how I can potentially become one myself!

Understanding Patriarchy by Bell Hooks 

Quote:"It was clear to us that our behavior had to follow predetermined gender script."

Reaction: This quote made me a little bit emotional because you can tell that they were both young and innocent so to be forced to follow the views of their parents may have been really hard for the both of them especially the girl. I know that their was certain things that she probably wanted to do but couldn't because of the simple fact that they had to follow that patriarchy lifestyle.

Quote:"To indoctrinate boys into the rules of patriarchy, we force them to feel pain and to deny their feelings."

Reaction: I feel like this is something I have seen within society. I noticed that in society when it comes to men showing and expressing their feelings it is frowned upon or looked at as weak, so I feel as though a lot of times some men try to suppress their emotions or try to deny how they feel, so i think this quote ties into that common issue with our society today.  

Memes are under our generations protest art 

Qoute: "Under Donald trump specifically, burroughs says "memes have grown in popularity as a way to express political opinions, similar to how George W. Bush's presidency gave rise to liberal blogs."

Reaction: This quote was relatable. I do feel like meme's has made a shift towards the political side especially during the election, but I do feel as though meme's definitely has got the attention of he younger audience/gen z so meme's did play a big role when it comes to politics. 

Quote:“You can express yourself with one picture of a meme better than a whole page of text,” Alan Schaaf, the CEO of image-hosting site Imgur, told VICE."

Reaction: This quote is interesting because I do believe that sometimes people enjoy seeing images more then text, it gravitates more to the eye. I personally like seeing pictures with words then a whole text because I'll just disconnect after a while from reading.  

What Meme's owe to art history

Quote:"Easy to make, easy to share; instantly recognizable and a little nonsensical; a hilarious and at times sickly-sweet jab at the world’s blunders, scandals, protests, and hypocrisies."

Reaction: This quote highlights how although meme's may be easy to make and funny to laugh at some of them can talk about real life instances and current events. Meme's also being most common on social media can attract alot of views which means that it can reach multiple people and audiences. 

Qoute:“Memes are essentially 100 years of text art boiled down into your feed,”

Reaction: This was shocker to me because I never really considered memes to play into art, I more just viewed it as a social media thing but after seeing this I was surprised to learn that meme's have been long going throughout history.