How easy is it for something to go viral? The laughing woman in a Chewbacca mask.

Studying AQA MEST 3 The Impact of New and Digital Media?  Studying the impact of technology or globalisation for WJEC MS4?  Or OCR Critical Perspectives in Media - Digital Technology?  Then you should be writing about the example!

Convergence; in a time where you can view and access everything on one device, it's a no brainer how easy it is for things to go viral, especially novelty videos.  Synergy; Twitter links to Facebook, which links to Youtube, which can be shared through WhatsApp, which can then be Snapchatted....  with so many different thumbnail icons to click on with ease, again, it really is just the click of a button that can make an image or video spread like wildfire.

Candace Payne; a 37-year old mother from Texas who was overjoyed at buying one of the most novel items from the Star Wise merchandise collection.  You probably didn't even know her name, but simply know her as 'Chewbacca Mask Woman'.  With over 140 million views, (that broke Facebook), being invited on The Late Late Show and star with James Corden and JJ Abrahams in a version of Karaoke Car Pool, and being invited to Facebook HQ to meek the Zuckerman himself, it just goes to show that if you can pull off a stunt like this, planned or not, us mere peasants do have the chance to be famous!

In an age where new and digital media is taking over our lives, with business relying on technology, using iPads in the classroom, or 4 years olds picking up an iPhone and knowing how to unlock it and play a game, it's no surprise that due to our digital literacy, and in Marshall McLuhan's terms, we want to be a part of a 'Global Village' where we can share videos, images, memes... making them go viral.

Lesbian couple to feature in Finding Dory?!

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/may/28/new-finding-dory-trailer-hopes-lesbian-couple-disney-pixar

We all love a Disney film; the originals like Dumbo, the more up to date Pixar films like Toy Story, or just good ol' favourites such as Beauty and the Beast.  Disney have been accused of many things since making these children's favourites; institutional racism, hidden sexual meanings amongst others.  Speculation suggests that the new Finding Dory film features a lesbian couple, which, in wider contextual terms, clearly shows that the institution is responding to cultural and sociological change, especially with the legalisation of gay marriage in many countries.  Is Disney responding to Market Imperialism?  Has the audience made it clear that they want to see fairer representations of what are considered to be niche social groups in the media - is this Disney's response to it?  If this is true, this is certainly an interesting case study to write about!

This could also like in with Orange Is The New Black which has also broken boundaries in terms of a homosexual presence in the media, and more importantly one of which that has been deemed acceptable.  You could also link these examples with Queer theory too.

Chinese 'Whitewash' laundry advert

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-36401366

For those of you studying A Level, this advert, albeit awful, is a great example for you to talk about representation.  Whether you are studying WJEC, MS1 or MS4, or AQA MEST 3 (identities), this advert is a clear example of Cultural Imperialism; this sort of message is obviously acceptable back in China.  As for Western countries where we have had a hegemonic shift in terms of our messages and values that probably aren't so right wing any more (unless of course your name is Trump!), this is unacceptable due to post-colonialsm and because of what we now know as multiculturalism and diversity.
This is a relevant example for you to use to illustrate your knowledge and understanding of issues and debates; you can certainly reference Stuart Hall's and Alvarado's ethnicity models when using this example.