Gifs explaining immigration law
March 19, 2015 9:51 AM Subscribe
For real. House Judiciary Committee press release in gif form.
So, um, the Republicans are trying to appear hip and cool to the youngsters again, I take it?
I think there may be some sort of rule that Republican gifs can only feature white people.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 9:54 AM on March 19, 2015 [11 favorites]
I think there may be some sort of rule that Republican gifs can only feature white people.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 9:54 AM on March 19, 2015 [11 favorites]
whole lotta white people in them gifs
posted by boo_radley at 9:55 AM on March 19, 2015 [46 favorites]
posted by boo_radley at 9:55 AM on March 19, 2015 [46 favorites]
This just makes sense.
This is what people say when they don't have a real argument. Keep reading...yup, here we go!
That way, we preserve the rule of law and protect the integrity of our generous immigration system no matter who is in the White House.
Oh yeah okay "generous", thanks guys! Jesus Christ. It's like they've never seen those flowcharts of how unbelievably hard it is to get American citizenship legally.
Also, I am personally outraged by this. There are gifs from like Community and stuff on there! How DARE you use Community for evil? And The Little Mermaid? For shame! She is like the ultimate immigrant -- she immigrated FROM THE SEA! Is this some wet foot/dry foot crap? If it were up to the people writing this, they'd throw Ariel back and let Ursula have her.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 9:57 AM on March 19, 2015 [48 favorites]
This is what people say when they don't have a real argument. Keep reading...yup, here we go!
That way, we preserve the rule of law and protect the integrity of our generous immigration system no matter who is in the White House.
Oh yeah okay "generous", thanks guys! Jesus Christ. It's like they've never seen those flowcharts of how unbelievably hard it is to get American citizenship legally.
Also, I am personally outraged by this. There are gifs from like Community and stuff on there! How DARE you use Community for evil? And The Little Mermaid? For shame! She is like the ultimate immigrant -- she immigrated FROM THE SEA! Is this some wet foot/dry foot crap? If it were up to the people writing this, they'd throw Ariel back and let Ursula have her.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 9:57 AM on March 19, 2015 [48 favorites]
Now watch as they get swamped with takedown notices and false endorsement lawsuits.
posted by Sys Rq at 9:57 AM on March 19, 2015 [7 favorites]
posted by Sys Rq at 9:57 AM on March 19, 2015 [7 favorites]
Well this isn't an embarrassment of any kind.
posted by tittergrrl at 9:58 AM on March 19, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by tittergrrl at 9:58 AM on March 19, 2015 [5 favorites]
The subtle "not understanding how response gifs work" thing is ...hard to parse but definitely puts this in the uncanny valley.
It's like an f-stop away from "Hey kids you know who the real gif is? Jesus."
posted by The Whelk at 10:03 AM on March 19, 2015 [55 favorites]
It's like an f-stop away from "Hey kids you know who the real gif is? Jesus."
posted by The Whelk at 10:03 AM on March 19, 2015 [55 favorites]
Dude, Idiocracy was supposed to be set 500 years in the future, not 10.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 10:05 AM on March 19, 2015 [6 favorites]
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 10:05 AM on March 19, 2015 [6 favorites]
The Whelk: "It's like an f-stop away from "Hey kids you know who the real gif is? Jesus.""
Margie's daughter smoked a gif and now she's hookin' in the Twin Cities. Yeah. I know! At truck stops. OKbye, loulou. You too.
posted by boo_radley at 10:06 AM on March 19, 2015 [7 favorites]
Margie's daughter smoked a gif and now she's hookin' in the Twin Cities. Yeah. I know! At truck stops. OKbye, loulou. You too.
posted by boo_radley at 10:06 AM on March 19, 2015 [7 favorites]
Among other things, this also reads to me as rather sexist.
posted by likeatoaster at 10:06 AM on March 19, 2015 [18 favorites]
posted by likeatoaster at 10:06 AM on March 19, 2015 [18 favorites]
WE are the MANUFACTURERS of BRAWNDO™ THE THIRST MUTILIATOR™ and we APPROVE of THIS MESSAGE.
DAMN YOU, RobotVoodooPower - NOW we're GOING to have to OWE YOU a FREE BRAWNDO™.
posted by Smart Dalek at 10:07 AM on March 19, 2015 [4 favorites]
DAMN YOU, RobotVoodooPower - NOW we're GOING to have to OWE YOU a FREE BRAWNDO™.
posted by Smart Dalek at 10:07 AM on March 19, 2015 [4 favorites]
I'm pretty sure this is everythingist, somehow.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 10:08 AM on March 19, 2015 [11 favorites]
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 10:08 AM on March 19, 2015 [11 favorites]
Actually The Little Mermaid is perfect for this, although it proves the opposite point! She dreams, desperately, of being Part of [Our] World, and undergoes great hardship and sacrifice to make this happen, paying a very high price and putting herself at risk. She shows up with no friends and no connections and an inability to communicate. She has a short amount of time to try to gain a permanent status and no one is able to help her with this even though the government (Prince Eric) could grant it easily (I admit this falls down a bit with the whole "kiss of true love" thing, but let's make that a metaphor for acceptance) and she could stay forever with full and appropriate status if the government in her new home really wanted her to be there. Instead, a powerful force from her home country interferes with Prince Eric and takes the attention away from Ariel and her plight. Ursula uses an asset taken from Ariel to fool the Prince and influence him. She succeeds and Ariel loses everything she's gained and has to go back to the sea where she will be punished for ever trying to leave.
The rest is an awesome fantasy where the American government sees the powerful and dangerous force for what it really is, realizes it cares deeply for Ariel, and rescues her from the powerful and evil cabal, then the legitimate government (King Triton) gives her the resources she needs to support herself in her own choices and create her new life. I think Sebastian is maybe the clergy in some countries? He supports Ariel but cares more about not angering Triton or Ursula than about helping her; being the darling of the government is more important to him than helping its citizens. Also he's a tattletale. Unfortunately, this section of the movie does not play out in actual immigration policy, it's just a manual for an improvement of the current system.
Ariel's story is that of many immigrants. She wants to learn and travel and experience a new culture, one that respects her wishes, and she is manipulated and used and put into peril when she attempts to live out her dream. She wants to be somewhere where she will be "understood" and not "reprimanded". Instead she becomes the plaything of powerful forces and is sent back where she came from.
And they're using this starry-eyed immigrant with a dream to illustrate "As we move forward to make our immigration system work better, we need innovative solutions that guarantee our immigration laws will be enforced in the future"? Oh no. Fuck that. No way.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 10:10 AM on March 19, 2015 [72 favorites]
The rest is an awesome fantasy where the American government sees the powerful and dangerous force for what it really is, realizes it cares deeply for Ariel, and rescues her from the powerful and evil cabal, then the legitimate government (King Triton) gives her the resources she needs to support herself in her own choices and create her new life. I think Sebastian is maybe the clergy in some countries? He supports Ariel but cares more about not angering Triton or Ursula than about helping her; being the darling of the government is more important to him than helping its citizens. Also he's a tattletale. Unfortunately, this section of the movie does not play out in actual immigration policy, it's just a manual for an improvement of the current system.
Ariel's story is that of many immigrants. She wants to learn and travel and experience a new culture, one that respects her wishes, and she is manipulated and used and put into peril when she attempts to live out her dream. She wants to be somewhere where she will be "understood" and not "reprimanded". Instead she becomes the plaything of powerful forces and is sent back where she came from.
And they're using this starry-eyed immigrant with a dream to illustrate "As we move forward to make our immigration system work better, we need innovative solutions that guarantee our immigration laws will be enforced in the future"? Oh no. Fuck that. No way.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 10:10 AM on March 19, 2015 [72 favorites]
This is even dumber than it sounded like when I had it described to me earlier. This is bad and they should feel bad.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 10:10 AM on March 19, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 10:10 AM on March 19, 2015 [4 favorites]
Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish: "I'm pretty sure this is everythingist, somehow."
The honorable messrs were, sadly, one reaction gif exclaiming "PAPISTS" from this goal.
posted by boo_radley at 10:11 AM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
The honorable messrs were, sadly, one reaction gif exclaiming "PAPISTS" from this goal.
posted by boo_radley at 10:11 AM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'm just looking forward to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs's series of Rage Comics about the US's inaction against ISIS.
posted by tittergrrl at 10:13 AM on March 19, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by tittergrrl at 10:13 AM on March 19, 2015 [4 favorites]
Almost all women. 12 women and 2 men. What's up with that?
posted by nequalsone at 10:13 AM on March 19, 2015
posted by nequalsone at 10:13 AM on March 19, 2015
How do you do, fellow kids?
posted by borkencode at 10:13 AM on March 19, 2015 [33 favorites]
posted by borkencode at 10:13 AM on March 19, 2015 [33 favorites]
Almost all women. 12 women and 2 men. What's up with that?
Kind of like that thing where they hire sexy women to sell cars, or many other things.
posted by Melismata at 10:15 AM on March 19, 2015 [6 favorites]
Kind of like that thing where they hire sexy women to sell cars, or many other things.
posted by Melismata at 10:15 AM on March 19, 2015 [6 favorites]
Huh, so the House Judiciary Committee has outsourced its communications strategy to the Starbucks marketing team?
It's about the same level of clueless, although I'll give Starbucks some credit for not outright lying.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 10:16 AM on March 19, 2015
It's about the same level of clueless, although I'll give Starbucks some credit for not outright lying.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 10:16 AM on March 19, 2015
I hope this becomes the de facto standard for press releases across all fields and industries.
posted by vogon_poet at 10:18 AM on March 19, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by vogon_poet at 10:18 AM on March 19, 2015 [3 favorites]
Great, now I'm desperately trying to reword Poor Unfortunate Souls to be about immigration ( It won't cost much, just your rights!)
posted by The Whelk at 10:19 AM on March 19, 2015 [8 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 10:19 AM on March 19, 2015 [8 favorites]
That makes my head hurt.
posted by harrietthespy at 10:26 AM on March 19, 2015
posted by harrietthespy at 10:26 AM on March 19, 2015
I hope this becomes the de facto standard for press releases across all fields and industries.
Nightmare fuel.
posted by zarq at 10:30 AM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
Nightmare fuel.
posted by zarq at 10:30 AM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
I guess it makes sense, seeing as the people they desperately want to throw out are children.
posted by fungible at 10:30 AM on March 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by fungible at 10:30 AM on March 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
I thought I was on Tumblr for a minute.
Then I remembered that the animated .gif sets I've seen on Tumblr were a great deal more thoughtful and well-thought out than this trainwreck.
posted by PearlRose at 10:34 AM on March 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
Then I remembered that the animated .gif sets I've seen on Tumblr were a great deal more thoughtful and well-thought out than this trainwreck.
posted by PearlRose at 10:34 AM on March 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
I think now I understand how my 17-year-old daughter feels when I reference some internet meme in front of her friends.
posted by chaoticgood at 10:35 AM on March 19, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by chaoticgood at 10:35 AM on March 19, 2015 [5 favorites]
Is the House Judiciary Committee allowed to lawfully rip-off the intellectual property of rights holders?
The Speaker has been doing this for months now.
posted by mattbcoset at 10:36 AM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
The Speaker has been doing this for months now.
posted by mattbcoset at 10:36 AM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
The Speaker has been doing this for months now.
Yeah, that was offensive to me as an American and a Taylor Swift fan.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 10:37 AM on March 19, 2015 [3 favorites]
Yeah, that was offensive to me as an American and a Taylor Swift fan.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 10:37 AM on March 19, 2015 [3 favorites]
Did they explain how they pronounce 'gif'?
posted by stevis23 at 10:38 AM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by stevis23 at 10:38 AM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
Yup, the GOP has jumped all over the GIF party as of late, like your mother wearing a baseball cap backwards to be cool. Previously on Speaker.Gov: 12 Taylor Swift GIFs for you, Taylor Swift reaction GIFs for Boehner's response to Obama's "free college" idea, and 8 Shark GIFs That Perfectly Explain Why Senate Dems Can’t Ignore House Republicans’ Jobs Bills.
But before all this, way back in 2013, there was The Roller Coaster of Emotions on the Path to Build the Keystone XL Pipeline, a "Buzzfeed-Style GIF List" from the House Energy & Commerce Committee.
posted by filthy light thief at 10:40 AM on March 19, 2015 [4 favorites]
But before all this, way back in 2013, there was The Roller Coaster of Emotions on the Path to Build the Keystone XL Pipeline, a "Buzzfeed-Style GIF List" from the House Energy & Commerce Committee.
posted by filthy light thief at 10:40 AM on March 19, 2015 [4 favorites]
Please, please tell me the HJC's site has been hacked. It's the only possible explanation that makes any sense.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 10:42 AM on March 19, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by ZenMasterThis at 10:42 AM on March 19, 2015 [3 favorites]
Ooooh, so they're trying to be cool like John Bohner. Now I get it.
posted by MsDaniB at 10:42 AM on March 19, 2015
posted by MsDaniB at 10:42 AM on March 19, 2015
Yes let's definitely put immigration enforcement into the hands of the police, because they have nothing else to do already and have a track record of cautious, reasonable response to things.
posted by caution live frogs at 10:42 AM on March 19, 2015 [12 favorites]
posted by caution live frogs at 10:42 AM on March 19, 2015 [12 favorites]
Dude, Idiocracy was supposed to be set 500 years in the future, not 10.
Welcome to HouseJuCo, we love you. Welcome to HouseJuCo, we love you.
posted by a lungful of dragon at 10:43 AM on March 19, 2015 [5 favorites]
Welcome to HouseJuCo, we love you. Welcome to HouseJuCo, we love you.
posted by a lungful of dragon at 10:43 AM on March 19, 2015 [5 favorites]
Facepalm is definitely appropriate, as is this one.
posted by scolbath at 10:44 AM on March 19, 2015 [11 favorites]
posted by scolbath at 10:44 AM on March 19, 2015 [11 favorites]
The Obama administration apparently posted a page with gifs on the White House website urging people to sign up for healthcare under the ACA last year. So there's stupid on both sides.
Still not a friggin' press release.
posted by zarq at 10:48 AM on March 19, 2015 [4 favorites]
Still not a friggin' press release.
posted by zarq at 10:48 AM on March 19, 2015 [4 favorites]
It's nice to see that the Republican House understands Internet communication every bit as well as it understands immigration law.
posted by Faint of Butt at 10:49 AM on March 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Faint of Butt at 10:49 AM on March 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
How is this okay re: those copyright holders?!?! I do not get it at all. I feel like AT LEAST Dan Harmon would be pissed about this.
posted by wyndham at 10:54 AM on March 19, 2015
posted by wyndham at 10:54 AM on March 19, 2015
I'm quite a bit more troubled by the disingenuous rhetoric and the impractical policy between the gifs than the gifs themselves. This press release would be just as dumb without the moving pictures.
posted by Pater Aletheias at 10:57 AM on March 19, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by Pater Aletheias at 10:57 AM on March 19, 2015 [4 favorites]
Please, please tell me the HJC's site has been hacked. It's the only possible explanation that makes any sense.
The PR contacts aren't listed on that press release. They're on all the others.
I wonder if that's a sign someone hasn't lost all their integrity.
posted by zarq at 10:58 AM on March 19, 2015
The PR contacts aren't listed on that press release. They're on all the others.
I wonder if that's a sign someone hasn't lost all their integrity.
posted by zarq at 10:58 AM on March 19, 2015
This is bad and they should feel bad.
Impossible. You need to possess a moral compass to know how far you've strayed from the map.
posted by Atom Eyes at 10:59 AM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
Impossible. You need to possess a moral compass to know how far you've strayed from the map.
posted by Atom Eyes at 10:59 AM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
It's a thread like this that should make us grateful for MeFi's no-embedded-images policy.
posted by The Nutmeg of Consolation at 11:00 AM on March 19, 2015 [9 favorites]
posted by The Nutmeg of Consolation at 11:00 AM on March 19, 2015 [9 favorites]
You know, given that I'm fucking behind on the National Visa Center's processing of our CR-1 right now--again--and it's taken me a goddamn year to slowly, slowly advance my spouse's legal immigration process despite being expensive as shit and also despite this being on what should be the easiest possible mode... well, I have run out of words. (Are Canadians a terrorist threat now or something? Jesus fucking christ.)
Seriously, you have no idea how angry I am right now looking at that motherfucking set of condescending, asinine, vaguely sexist gifs. Especially as a young white woman, which I believe may have been their target audience, given the makeup of the gif characters. Hey, hey, maybe--just maybe!--rather than focusing all our involvement on those dirty cheating illegals we could try making immigration a streamlined, effective, not 100% shitty process!
posted by sciatrix at 11:12 AM on March 19, 2015 [17 favorites]
Seriously, you have no idea how angry I am right now looking at that motherfucking set of condescending, asinine, vaguely sexist gifs. Especially as a young white woman, which I believe may have been their target audience, given the makeup of the gif characters. Hey, hey, maybe--just maybe!--rather than focusing all our involvement on those dirty cheating illegals we could try making immigration a streamlined, effective, not 100% shitty process!
posted by sciatrix at 11:12 AM on March 19, 2015 [17 favorites]
Jesus fucking Christ on a motherfucking cheese platter. I hope whoever wrote this rots in hell. Or better yet, gets suspended at NVC for four or five years, as happens to some people. You know, because clearly it's so terrible to try to circumvent our totally fair and transparent legal process, which is so very reasonable in its expectations of potential permanent residents!
posted by sciatrix at 11:14 AM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by sciatrix at 11:14 AM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
W-T-F, whatevs Congress.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 11:18 AM on March 19, 2015
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 11:18 AM on March 19, 2015
Now that I'm past the incoherent rage stage, I would like to add that the thing I resent most about this is the way it uses the gifs. I'm used to gifsets like this being a way to represent the emotions and reaction of the writer--either that, or the writer's response to a quoted piece. Here, the writer is using gifs to represent the reaction they expect the audience to have--meaning they don't even respect the audience enough to allow that they might have reactions which can't be summed up by "slavish agreement." And the fact that almost all of these excitedly nodding gifs are of young white women is doubly insulting, because it says very clearly what the audience they were targeting is.
Chist al-fucking-mighty.
posted by sciatrix at 11:32 AM on March 19, 2015 [47 favorites]
Chist al-fucking-mighty.
posted by sciatrix at 11:32 AM on March 19, 2015 [47 favorites]
the writer is using gifs to represent the reaction they expect the audience to have--meaning they don't even respect the audience enough to allow that they might have reactions which can't be summed up by "slavish agreement."
Nod along, young white women, nod along. Daddy knows best. It makes perfect sense for state and local cops to enforce Federal immigration (only) law.
posted by RedOrGreen at 11:38 AM on March 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
Nod along, young white women, nod along. Daddy knows best. It makes perfect sense for state and local cops to enforce Federal immigration (only) law.
posted by RedOrGreen at 11:38 AM on March 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
I, for one, am convinced.
posted by cacofonie at 11:46 AM on March 19, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by cacofonie at 11:46 AM on March 19, 2015 [3 favorites]
We have generations of people who grew up glued to the TV, hanging on to the edge of their dramas, rooting for their heroes, who won every time, in the end. These people have grown up and become us, gotten power, ended up in charge. Now we want to step into the role of their hero, we want to be the ones can step in and Dr. Housealyze the situation, instantly possessing the right answer. This isn't possible and the world doesn't work like it does in the movies, but that doesn't stop anyone from acting that way.
posted by feloniousmonk at 11:47 AM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by feloniousmonk at 11:47 AM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
Between this and the Starbucks campaign, I am ready to start constructing a ladder to Mars.
Which, though ludicrous, seems to make more sense than both the gif set and "hashtag race together" combined.
posted by sevenofspades at 11:50 AM on March 19, 2015
Which, though ludicrous, seems to make more sense than both the gif set and "hashtag race together" combined.
posted by sevenofspades at 11:50 AM on March 19, 2015
These gifs explain nothing about immigration law. And now I have the Jessie theme song stuck in my head.
posted by swift at 12:05 PM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by swift at 12:05 PM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
Remember, if this offends you it will cost you $2600 and a long application process to renounce your US citizenship.
posted by 1adam12 at 12:21 PM on March 19, 2015
posted by 1adam12 at 12:21 PM on March 19, 2015
sciatrix:"I'm used to gifsets like this being a way to represent the emotions and reaction of the writer--either that, or the writer's response to a quoted piece."
But if they wrote it like that, it would just be .gifs of Jeremy Clarkson's smug face.
posted by onehalfjunco at 12:42 PM on March 19, 2015 [6 favorites]
But if they wrote it like that, it would just be .gifs of Jeremy Clarkson's smug face.
posted by onehalfjunco at 12:42 PM on March 19, 2015 [6 favorites]
I just learned that Iggy Azalea is an illegal immigrant. Well, she has a visa now thanks to pop stardom (special visa for performing artists), but she got quite far while working illegally. I wonder if publicizing that would change some minds.
posted by miyabo at 1:06 PM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by miyabo at 1:06 PM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
I just learned that Iggy Azalea is an illegal immigrant... I wonder if publicizing that would change some minds.
Do we have to be consistent in our methodology? Porous immigration policy helps this country in innumerable ways except this one.
posted by Ogre Lawless at 1:43 PM on March 19, 2015
Do we have to be consistent in our methodology? Porous immigration policy helps this country in innumerable ways except this one.
posted by Ogre Lawless at 1:43 PM on March 19, 2015
So wait they want to turn the police into actual 'Race Police'...? Fucking yikes that's ominous.
posted by sexyrobot at 1:49 PM on March 19, 2015
posted by sexyrobot at 1:49 PM on March 19, 2015
Are they doing this to drum up support for another government shutdown?
posted by TedW at 2:32 PM on March 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by TedW at 2:32 PM on March 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
They've badly misread gif #5 (Steve Carrell), haven't they?
posted by Clandestine Outlawry at 2:42 PM on March 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Clandestine Outlawry at 2:42 PM on March 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
whole lot of people in this thread saying "Look how dumb the republicans are. they must be old and out of touch to think kids will be tricked by this."
but in reality, I'm sure their audience is a republican base that already agrees with what is said here and will eat it up, reblog/repost it, and laugh at it as much as we laugh at the daily show or any other liberal comedy source.
I guess what I'm saying is - we're laughing at who they are instead of what they're talking about. But that's because they aren't actually talking at all - they're just spouting party lines. Whole lot of non-communication going on here, on both sides.
posted by rebent at 3:25 PM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
but in reality, I'm sure their audience is a republican base that already agrees with what is said here and will eat it up, reblog/repost it, and laugh at it as much as we laugh at the daily show or any other liberal comedy source.
I guess what I'm saying is - we're laughing at who they are instead of what they're talking about. But that's because they aren't actually talking at all - they're just spouting party lines. Whole lot of non-communication going on here, on both sides.
posted by rebent at 3:25 PM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
stevis23: "Did they explain how they pronounce 'gif'"
No, but I'm going to amuse myself by imagining the same type of debate over the "G" in "GOP".
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 4:15 PM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
No, but I'm going to amuse myself by imagining the same type of debate over the "G" in "GOP".
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 4:15 PM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
Ironically, it's clear that this release was written by a non-native speaker of gifpost.
posted by persona at 4:55 PM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by persona at 4:55 PM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
Shocking. Disturbing. Patronizing.
Many years ago I was working on a project in Latin America with a local government entity. I was shown some communications about the new program, which used a wordless comic-book form to communicate the main features of the initiative. The government rep explained that literacy was very low in that part of the country, and also many people only spoke their Native language(s) and not Spanish. So the comic book form was the best way to illustrate the program and ensure that affected constituents would learn about it.
The GIFS reminded me of this moment in my past travels. These GIF pages point to an assumption that readers can't read, but each GIF also tells the reader - how - they should feel about each statement.
Whereas the comic book conveyed the required information with care and respect for the constituents' lack of literacy using the best medium available, these U.S. Gov sites' GIFS are disrespectful, tacky and are directed to the lowest common denominator. The playful irony usually contained in these GIFS now becomes a mocking fuckyou to the audiences that they target.
posted by seawallrunner at 1:12 AM on March 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
Many years ago I was working on a project in Latin America with a local government entity. I was shown some communications about the new program, which used a wordless comic-book form to communicate the main features of the initiative. The government rep explained that literacy was very low in that part of the country, and also many people only spoke their Native language(s) and not Spanish. So the comic book form was the best way to illustrate the program and ensure that affected constituents would learn about it.
The GIFS reminded me of this moment in my past travels. These GIF pages point to an assumption that readers can't read, but each GIF also tells the reader - how - they should feel about each statement.
Whereas the comic book conveyed the required information with care and respect for the constituents' lack of literacy using the best medium available, these U.S. Gov sites' GIFS are disrespectful, tacky and are directed to the lowest common denominator. The playful irony usually contained in these GIFS now becomes a mocking fuckyou to the audiences that they target.
posted by seawallrunner at 1:12 AM on March 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
All this time you people have been saying "gee-oh-pee". Well I know the creator and it's pronounced "JAWP".
True story.
posted by freecellwizard at 6:16 AM on March 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
True story.
posted by freecellwizard at 6:16 AM on March 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
Ah Joakim beat me to it
posted by freecellwizard at 7:02 AM on March 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by freecellwizard at 7:02 AM on March 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
zarq: The Obama administration apparently posted a page with gifs on the White House website urging people to sign up for healthcare under the ACA last year.
A couple points on that page:
A couple points on that page:
- it's actually an attempt for people to (awkwardly) interact and spread the news about ACA, so there's some small bit of creativity beyond making another listicle;
- the winning reason/image is AWESOME on so many levels, and it's better in long form with audio;
- That's actually the second GIF featuring Michelle Obama, the second one being from her bit with Jimmy Fallon on the evolution of Mom Dancing;
- Most of the other GIFs seem less like they're trying to be so cool, unlike the GOP GIFs, which come across as something put together by a spoiled rich kid who doesn't quite understand what they're doing, but still they come across as condescending in their awkward efforts;
- Except for "You Only YOLO Once," which I must point out makes no sense at all. You Only "You Only Live Once" Once? Or are they saying you should only say "YOLO" once in your life, then never say it again? And the wiggling text feels like it belongs on GeoCities or MySpace, except YOLO post-dates both of those services (by and large). I'm never voting for Obama based on this one offense.
#1. Until today I was blissfully unaware that this trend existed for political 'splaining.
#2. Now that I am aware I want to move to Mars or Andorra, whichever is closer.
#3. Today, I realized that, not even being cool, I am 3 million times cooler than House Republicans.
#4. I feel like running around like Kevin McCarthy in The Invasion of the Body Snatchers yelling, They're here...you're next...you're next!
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 1:06 PM on March 20, 2015
#2. Now that I am aware I want to move to Mars or Andorra, whichever is closer.
#3. Today, I realized that, not even being cool, I am 3 million times cooler than House Republicans.
#4. I feel like running around like Kevin McCarthy in The Invasion of the Body Snatchers yelling, They're here...you're next...you're next!
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 1:06 PM on March 20, 2015
My first thoughts were...
"Don't these people know *ANYTHING* about copyright law?!"
posted by markkraft at 10:22 PM on March 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
"Don't these people know *ANYTHING* about copyright law?!"
"Disney takes the enforcement of these rights very seriously. We protect these rights so that we can continue to provide quality entertainment that measures up to the standards that our audience has come to love and expect. We welcome reports of suspected infringement of any of these rights. Please direct reports to us via one of the following methods:
Email: tips@disneyantipiracy.composted by markkraft at 10:22 PM on March 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
This feels like it falls under fair use, no?
posted by zarq at 7:05 AM on March 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by zarq at 7:05 AM on March 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
yeah, I'm surprised someone on metafilter would try to fight against the fair use doctrine...
posted by rebent at 8:00 AM on March 23, 2015
posted by rebent at 8:00 AM on March 23, 2015
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posted by Sys Rq at 9:54 AM on March 19, 2015 [37 favorites]