Example: Counter-example: Analysis: Reaction Gif<\/strong><\/p>\n Example: Counter-example: Analysis: Fandom Gif<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Example: Counter-example: Analysis: Posted from My blog<\/a> by Will H.<\/a><\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sports Gif Example: Counter-example: Analysis: The sports gif typically celebrates athletic achievements similar to a highlight reel of one play. The first gif is a classic example of that, a game-winning shot in a basketball game. We see the tension build as the players drive down the court. We’re briefly held in suspense until the … <\/p>\n
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\nThe sports gif typically celebrates athletic achievements similar to a highlight reel of one play. The first gif is a classic example of that, a game-winning shot in a basketball game. We see the tension build as the players drive down the court. We’re briefly held in suspense until the shot swishes in and we see the players celebrate. There’s a whole narrative inside this tiny clip. The counter-example is the utter refutation of these norms. There’s no suspense. The score of this game is 56 – 0. With nothing at stake, this moment feels like a whole lot of nothing. The moment is also less significant because it’s an insignificant kick<\/em>. You could potentially have a meaningless pass or run play that is still really cool. Not the case with a field goal. We don’t even get the satisfaction of seeing whether the kicker made the kick because the clip ends early. This gif ultimately stands totally counter to sports gifs because they are an attempt to immortalize a moment of particular importance or memorability. This counter-gif is immortalizing a moment utterly lacking in significance or importance.<\/p>\n
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\nReaction gifs are almost always meant to be used in conversation as a response, whether this is via social media, text, or another platform. Due to this context, reactions gifs are often brief and consumable without a need for further explanation. The example embodies this as the classic Joey from Friends reaction Gif. It’s meant to convey shock. It’s under half a second and you instantly get what the other person is trying to communicate. The counter-example is nothing like this. First of all, it’s over 12 seconds long and it can be hard to tell at times whether it’s a still image or a gif. Reaction gifs like the Joey gif are also typically very expressive with lots of emotion to get the point across. The counter-example gif is entirely devoid of reaction with just a guy staring. This also makes the message of the gif very hard to comprehend, working against the reaction gif narrative. Is the person sending you this gif expressing that they are judging you? That they are bored? Who’s to say<\/p>\n
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\nFandom gifs are a staple of the internet. Certain series seem to lend themselves to fandom gifs. The Office<\/em> for instance, with its iconic moment and cutaway scenes, is perfectly gif-able. The same can be said for the popular HBO series Silicon Valley<\/em> with its endless list of memorable scenes and running gags. In the example we see a hilarious scene all Silicon Valley fans remember fondly; when Jin-Yang smoked a cigarette inside his VC’s office. This gif is super short and only contains a single line of text, but it’s still very effective at reminding fans of this hilarious scene. It’s almost like this gif is an inside joke between the gif and fans of the show that others wouldn’t be able to comprehend just by looking at the gif. The counter-example is the exact opposite. I don’t think any fan would recognize this shot. It’s from the beginning of season 2 and is totally unremarkable. It’s a shot of Silicon Valley in Bay area California, but there’s nothing about this gif that communicates that. I find the idea of a gif depicting the namesake of a TV show taken from that very TV show that you do not know is actually from that TV show to be a hilarious way of turning fandom gifs on their head.<\/p>\n\n