Category: Artist Statements

Transit is the beta version of my remix hack game called Fuck The Meritocracy, which aims to make players consider all types of different privileges they have in life. There are a wide variety of privileges covered, from the college you attend to race to gender and sexuality. However, there is only one card that mentions transportation: “You do not have access to transportation to get things you want or need easily. Spin and move backward.” When trying to decide which hack to improve, I got stuck on the fact that such a major life hurdle only got one card, while things like housing insecurity or sexuality discrimination, for example, got 3 to 4 cards each. I realized that’s because I tended to highlight things that I’ve personally faced while giving other issues fewer cards. I’ve also always had transportation by car, and I think I assumed it was rare to not have a car. I shouldn’t have assumed that, given that many people on campus do not have cars. Given that fact, I decided shifting the context to transportation made perfect sense. Especially outside of colleges, where not having a reliable way to get around is one of the biggest roadblocks to survival. You couldn’t get to a doctor easily, or a food bank. Getting to work every day is a challenge in itself. 

I decided that the beta hack would focus on Charlotte. While the general nature of Fuck the Meritocracy was useful, there is a lesson to learn by focusing on an area near us. I chose to focus on the underdeveloped train system because when I think of public transportation, that’s what I think of: the subway, the tube, etc. I visited New York and was shocked at how many stops the subway has, allowing you to arrive at your actual destination within less than 10-15 minutes of walking. Of course, Charlotte has a robust bus system but there are too many routes to display in a board game with a 96-box grid system. That sounds like a lot, but to cover all the bus stops the boxes would need to be a lot smaller and the game would take forever. Additionally, the vastness of Charlotte does not always allow you to get off the bus and take a short walk to your final destination.

This version of my hack subverts Chutes and Ladders, the game I originally remixed. The board game is a map of Charlotte with each ladder roughly laid to mimic where the real train route goes. You will notice that a large part of the map has no train routes at all, and those areas correspond to either very poor or very rich areas of Charlotte. While the trains serve as ladders, they rarely provide an advantage. There are no chutes for that reason. Additionally, instead of using a spinner players move around based on what token they are: a car or a train. The cars signify that you have a car to get around in, while the train means you can only use public transportation and then walk the rest of the way. Subsequently, the drivers get to roll two dice to make their movement easier, and the train riders only get to roll one die. If one of the train riders makes it near their destination but not exactly to it, they have to “walk” the rest of the way by rolling their die however many times it takes to get to the area. This is meant to frustrate the player who doesn’t have a car, and their frustration is amplified when they see the other players breezing by them. 

My original remix was theoretically bolstered by Carl DiSalvo’s theory of agonism, but I didn’t detail how related it was because it almost made so much sense to me that I didn’t give it much description. However, the beta release is more concretely related to a case study he focuses on in “Design and Agonism” in Adversarial Design: Million Dollar Blocks. The project demonstrates how the bulk of prisoners come from specific areas in several cities across the country including New York, Phoenix, Wichita, and New Orleans. The data shows that prisoners come disproportionately from several of the same communities. This means that millions of dollars are being spent imprisoning people from those areas at higher rates than everywhere else in the city. 

Additionally, those people are reincarcerated after three years of being released back home, on average. DiSalvo says Million Dollar Blocks is an example of agonistic design because it meets these conditions: “The foundation of agonism is a commitment to contestation and dissensus as integral, productive, and meaningful aspects of democratic society.” Million Dollar Blocks highlights the issues within urban planning since a high percentage of prisoners come from specific areas. Similarly, my project also highlights issues where urban planning and transportation planning intersect. Charlotte has trains through the busier, desirable parts of town like Uptown with all its stadiums and venues or Noda and Plaza Midwood with their curated, young “vibes.” The city does not have the same types of trains throughout the lower-income, less-white areas. Instead, those areas only have bus systems. While I am sure that system is useful, it’s worth asking why the investment in Lynx trains hasn’t been made in those areas. They would certainly benefit from being connected to other areas of the city. My project advocates for building more public transportation to make access to it equitable for everyone in Charlotte.

Design Documents

I had a lot of trouble figuring out what size the grid should be for the game. I was using Canva, and the only good option for customizable square sizes was the table option. The tables were not convenient to use, and I couldn’t figure out how to make a table with more than four squares, so the grid is a 1×4 copied and pasted over and over again. You also can’t group tables, so I had to select them all each time I moved them. It wasn’t until the end that I realized when you select all of them you can change the size of the entire table instead of one box at a time. In the end, I realized it was smarter to take the map I wanted to use, insert it, and then overlay the grid.

My initial concept was drastically different from the final product. I was going to make the board look like a road, with recognizable colors like black and yellow. The grid was also going to be a curved path instead of squares. But I learned very quickly I could not draw symmetrical curves, and I couldn’t figure out how to make the game mean something. Each square was going to be numbered like the original Chutes and Ladders with a foot to represent those with no cars. That is when I decided to make it more specific. I figured a real map could provide structure.

The black lines made the words difficult to see, so I created a rectangular shape and edited the transparency and then placed it behind the grid. Still, the grid shape looked really awkward on the map:

I decided to make the map much bigger to reduce the whitespace on the sides, which naturally led to the grid getting wider and longer. Thankfully this is when I discovered you can change the width of all the tables when they are all selected.

The cars were not always on the side of the map, though. They came to me (with the token idea) when I was deciding what pictures to put on the cards. Players find out which token they are by drawing from a pile of four cards with pictures of the cars or train. I figured that each car could have different objectives to make the game interesting. Instead of everyone trying to reach the finish line like in the original Chutes and Ladders, they have different winning points. The game is never really won, I guess, unless someone completes all six of their cards. The person using public transportation wins if they can complete three of their many cards, since their task is far more difficult. The starting point is the same for everyone, but players could edit that starting point to make the game more challenging. For example, what if I was in University City and I needed to get to Noda?

I used the same card template I used for the alpha release, but I changed them to reflect the focus of the beta game: transportation.

Sources:

Carl DiSalvo, “Design and Agonism” from Adversarial Design (2012), 12.

“Million Dollar Blocks | Center for Spatial Research.” n.d. Accessed April 29, 2025. https://c4sr.columbia.edu/projects/million-dollar-blocks.

For my beta release, I picked Hack #2: Critical Play and decided to reimagine my game “Put the Bullet Through the CEO”. This time I pulled ideas from Hack #4 and decided to touch on some of the up-and-coming conspiracy theories people are having regarding AI image generation and how that will potentially affect the legal system. As of December 3, 2024, the FBI has recognized this as an ongoing problem in certain sectors and issued a PSA (FBI) informing the public of ways criminals are using AI to deceive people. My game imagines a not-so-distant future where AI is used not only to deceive the public, but to accuse people of crimes. 

My game “Spot the Artifact” aims to evoke a similar feeling to “Spot the Difference” – a children’s game where the goal is to find the differences between two similar images – but instead of differences, your goal is to spot artifacts the AI left behind when generating the image. The player is presented with two images, one real and one AI-generated, and instructed to pick the image showing the “real” suspect. This task is surprisingly difficult, considering real CCTV footage is oftentimes low quality and confusing, making it shockingly similar to the AI-generated images. I wanted to put the player in the shoes of an imagined future detective or lawyer who would need to be able to distinguish between what evidence is real and fake. The mistakes made by the player are meant to incite distrust in their own sense of judgment and make them explore the potential future where false convictions could be made off of fabricated evidence generated by AI. AI has been rapidly improving over the past few years, so as time goes on it will become increasingly difficult to determine which images and videos are real. 

While my alpha version of Hack #2 focuses on the public’s reaction to some criminals and how that is potentially harmful, my beta version takes a more conspiratorial angle and explores a future where false accusations become more believable and commonplace. The overarching theme of crime and how it’s treated is the strongest tie between the two versions, though I think they also have a similar feel. In both projects I aimed to unsettle the player and make their actions in the game the main point of evoking critical thinking. Similar to the alpha version, “Spot the Artifact” is also a reskin of a nostalgic children’s game. I also tried to use some elements of wicked play in how the game is designed. There are no points or real consequences to getting anything wrong, the only feedback the player gets is the screen changing color, and there is no reliable solution on how to tell the images apart. I think detecting AI-generated images is a wicked problem in itself, as there are very few reliable ways to identify them, and the landscape is changing so quickly that these solutions often lag behind the most modern generators. 

Overall, I think my reimagining is fairly removed from the alpha version, though they are in the same conversation. Bringing it back to my alpha version, I would like you to consider a world where the assassination of Brian Thompson happened a few years in the future. Luigi Mangione was caught simply because a McDonald’s employee recognized him from the CCTV images that investigators had released. What happens when AI image generation becomes so advanced that all it takes is one bad actor fabricating data to falsely accuse someone of murder?

Sources Cited

FBI, “Criminals Use Generative Artificial Intelligence to Facilitate Financial Fraud” (2024)

Miguel Sicart, “The Design of Ethical Gameplay” from Beyond Choices (2013)

Media Sources

AI image generator: https://deepai.org/machine-learning-model/text2img 

Real CCTV images (in no particular order): 

• https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-63135677
• https://weartv.com/news/local/ecso-home-invasion-suspects-caught-on-camera 
• https://news4sanantonio.com/news/local/suspect-wanted-captured-on-cctv-shooting-victim-multiple-times
• https://ktxs.com/news/texas/suspect-caught-on-camera-taking-tobacco-products-from-walmart?photo=2
• https://wjla.com/news/local/armed-robbery-multiple-suspects-mpd-southeast-dc-gun-violence-crime
• https://wach.com/news/local/caught-on-camera-suspects-sought-in-string-of-burglaries-at-sporting-goods-store-shoes-sneakers-nike-richland-county-champs-town-center-place-crimestoppers
• https://observer.ug/news/nagirinya-murder-police-releases-cctv-footage-of-suspects/ 
• https://www.gmp.police.uk/news/greater-manchester/news/news/2024/april/detectives-are-appealing-for-witnesses-and-victims-following-investigation-into-theft-of-mobile-phones/
• https://www.scotland.police.uk/what-s-happening/news/2024/july/cctv-images-released-following-assault-in-glassford-street-glasgow/ 
• https://spdblotter.seattle.gov/2024/10/11/police-arrest-four-teen-suspects-connected-to-nearly-80-violent-crimes/
• https://bellevuebeatblog.com/2024/01/26/officers-investigating-overnight-car-prowls/
• https://www.staffordshire.police.uk/news/staffordshire/news/2024/february/cctv-issued-after-man-steals-money-from-shop/ 
• https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/news-appeals/cctv-appeal-robbery-leeds-city-centre 
• https://walthamforestecho.co.uk/2024/06/20/cctv-image-released-of-east-london-sex-assault-suspect/ 
• https://www.doncaster.gov.uk/services/environmental/caught-on-camera?fbclid=IwAR11XUheu5ppGYiAW1bsno5FCacb7156VDzQJrrIMaCYAiEVghNvok40pwM 
• https://cbs4local.com/news/local/two-men-seen-in-surveillance-video-burglarizing-housing-authority-of-el-paso-office-maratin-luther-king-butternut-street-crime-stoppers?src=link 
• https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/st-paul-pd-releases-bodycam-footage-showing-officers-shoot-homicide-suspect 
• https://hutchpost.com/posts/8b43111a-bf71-4a6f-8264-4c50bf4d757a
• https://www2.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgportalapps/Press_Detail.aspx?Item_ID=46455
• https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2023/11/20/cctv-of-bike-and-scooter-theft-suspects-released/ 
• https://www.westsiderag.com/2015/12/12/video-shows-suspects-in-central-park-robberies-police 
• https://dpdbeat.com/2017/12/06/safe-burglars-caught-on-camera-2/ 
• https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/local-news/police-release-cctv-image-after-8867576 
• https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-60395082 
• https://turnto10.com/news/local/barrington-police-warn-residents-of-vehicle-break-in-suspect-and-ask-for-video-footage-april-16-2025

For my hack, I created a remix video to explore the traumas of childhood fame through the lives of Amanda Bynes, Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, and Paris Hilton. I largely focused on Virginia Kuhn’s questions about how remix can function as discourse, “What does it mean to read video remix as a speech act, and how does this view provide a more nuanced account of digital artifacts of all stripes while still respecting the discrete communities from which these texts arise? What is to be gained by viewing remix as discursive, as an argument that is assembled by units of meaning that, when stitched together, become a larger statement? Moreover, whose interests might be served by this endeavor? At a basic level, viewing remix as a digital speech act would rid us of terms like appropriation and recycling, which suggest the primacy of an original author or text.” My project engages with this framing on multiple levels. In the most obvious sense, I took a range of media from across the internet, primarily from TikTok, and compiled it in a way that spoke a new meaning—one removed and detached from its originators, reframed within a different context. In a less obvious sense, these sources themselves, are already remixed and reframed, most often to flatter their subjects without accounting for their deeper traumas.

My remix relied heavily on specific audio and visual design choices to build its larger argument. In terms of music, I chose “Girls on Film” by Duran Duran and a humming version of “City of Stars (Humming)” by Justin Hurwitz and Emma Stone from La La Land. “Girls on Film” was originally a commentary on the modeling industry, but I wanted to extend its meaning to celebrity culture in the early 2000s, particularly how society failed so many vulnerable young women in the limelight. For the ending audio, I selected the “City of Stars” because it transitions the mood from fast-paced and visually aggressive to something softer and more endearing. This mirrors the emotional trajectory of the visuals. The film La La Land itself speaks to the highs and lows of Hollywood and the personal sacrifices made for professional success, and like “Girls on Film,” I wanted to extend this message to Y2K child stars, pointing to the emotional and psychological toll Hollywood has taken on them.

For visuals, I sourced all my clips from TikTok, both for practical reasons and because TikTok itself is rooted in remix and repurposing. The platform invites creators to not only push original endeavors but also encourages users to share, remix, and add to others’ work. This fit naturally with the message of my project. The introduction clip is designed to situate the audience in “my” shoes—a young woman dealing with adult responsibilities who finds occasional escapism through her social feeds. Personally, I am a huge fan of these “Y2K Divas” and enjoy many of these clips, even being able to quote some of these infamous lines. While I do not actually want to be like Paris Hilton in the introduction clip, I wanted to express the sense of escapism social media often provides—the confrontation with alternate versions of our lives and identities. The abrupt static cut after the introduction is meant to pull the audience deeper into the story.

In the process of collecting these clips, I began to reflect on how unsettling it was that such videos exist in the first place. It broke my heart to revisit how these women’s lives unfolded, especially when viewing moments like Britney Spears’ breakdown through the exploitative lens of the paparazzi. As we discussed in class, I felt a growing discomfort with my own viewing experience in this creative process. Many creators today push this kind of media out as flattery or nostalgia for the celebrities, often without deeper thought into the implications of resharing certain clips—or even how these clips were originally captured.

To marry the visuals with the music, I built up imagery of these women thriving during the verses of “Girls on Film,” only to sharply cut to images of their downfalls—often their mugshots—during the hard-hitting choruses. This fast switch between glamour and collapse created a natural parallel with how society reduces many of these women to simple tabloid narratives, forgetting the systemic factors behind their struggles. For example, Amanda Bynes is often remembered solely for her fall from fame or her addiction issues, rather than the toxic environments she faced under figures like Dan Schneider.

I aimed for this portion of the video to feel like a TikTok edit itself, replicating many of the editing styles I found while researching. To mirror how surface-level many of these edits often are—overlooking the deeper traumas behind the celebrities’ public images—I intentionally pushed a “lighter” mood, including some of my favorite audio clips. I also selected notable quotes that hinted at the internal struggles beneath the surface. For instance, clips of Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan speaking negatively about each other showed the real hostility and pressures that characterized their lives in Hollywood.

The last few clips are meant to return the audience to better times in these women’s lives. I ended the main video reel with a clip of a young Lindsay Lohan describing herself as just a “normal kid,” a moment that struck me especially hard after reflecting on her later traumas. Before the credits, I included a famous quote attributed to Marilyn Monroe: “Hollywood’s a place where they’ll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for your soul.” Although I could not fully verify the accuracy of this quote, I added a subtle “(allegedly)” for caution. Regardless, the quote captured the experience of the women I portrayed fittingly, and its attribution to Monroe—who herself faced deep exploitation in an earlier era—emphasized how little has changed over time. I wanted this moment to act as a kind of call to action, a reminder of the urgent need for change in the rights and politics of the film industry.

Finally, as the mood darkens with the credits, I included one final clip after the credits: Paris Hilton speaking to an audience and reminding them that they are all loved. I felt this was a lighthearted way to imply hope—that some, like Paris Hilton, are able to rise above their hardships and even work to expose the mistreatment they faced. While this may seem “cheeky,” I thought it was an important emotional reminder that resilience, healing, and productivity can come from suffering.

I hope my remix shows the juxtaposition between the highs and lows of child stardom, forcing us to reflect on “what we see” versus “what actually is.” Furthermore, I hoped to push viewers to consider their own complicity in the ongoing exploitation of celebrities, both in obvious and in everyday, minute ways. Through this remix, I aim to provoke deeper critical reflection on the costs of fame, the ethics of media consumption, and the urgent need for change within celebrity culture.

Works Cited

Daros, Otávio. “Deconstructing Britney Spears: Stardom, meltdown and conservatorship.” Journal for Cultural Research, vol. 25, no. 4, 2 Oct. 2021, pp. 377–392, https://doi.org/10.1080/14797585.2021.2018663. 

“Duran Duran – Girls On Film (Official Music Video).” Youtube, uploaded by Duran Duran, 16 Nov. 2010, youtu.be/KCjMZMxNr-0?si=XHNkaRMHRdTMcunm.

“‘Hollywood Is a Place Where They’ll Pay You a Thousand Dollars for A…’” AM, www.amdigital.co.uk/insights/blog/hollywood-is-a-place-where-they-ll-pay-you-a-thousand-dollars-for-a-kiss-and-fifty-cents-for-your-soul-marilyn-monroe. Accessed 10 Apr. 2025. 

Hurwitz, Justin, and Emma Stone. “City of Stars (Humming).” La La Land: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, Interscope Records, 2016, Spotify.

Kuhn, Virginia. “The Rhetoric of Remix.” Transformative Works and Cultures, doi.org/10.3983/twc.2012.0358. Accessed 10 Apr. 2025. 

O’Shea, Lizzie. Future Histories: What Ada Lovelace, Tom Paine, and the Paris Commune Can Teach Us About Digital Technology. Verso, 2019.

[@2000lindsay]. “i dont like this but i think it looks cool with this song.” TikTok, 21 June 2022, https://www.tiktok.com/@2000lindsay/video/7111739234901429509.

[@calabasaswings]. “There will no other Britney.” TikTok, 11 Nov. 2024, https://www.tiktok.com/@calabasaswings/video/7436177889487244576.

[@calabasaswings]. “[No title]” TikTok, 6 Sept. 2023, https://www.tiktok.com/@calabasaswings/video/7275807970322173217.

[@cherryforeveromg]. “[No title]” TikTok, 23 Mar. 2024, https://www.tiktok.com/@cherryforeveromg/video/7349653482770648352.

[@chromehearts.com]. “prime.” TikTok, 21 Mar. 2025, https://www.tiktok.com/@chromehearts.com/video/7484363465532935426.

[@editsyoulovetosee]. “amanda bynes dressed as cher on the show ‘what i like about you’.” TikTok, 31 Oct. 2024, https://www.tiktok.com/@editsyoulovetosee/video/7431838412426038571.

[@justedits321]. “Paris and Nicole in a club early 2000,s.” TikTok, 28 Feb. 2023, https://www.tiktok.com/@justedits321/video/7205408658115628293.

[@keshavids]. “Paparazzi time .” TikTok, 16 Nov. 2020, https://www.tiktok.com/@keshavids/video/6895679881347091713.

[@lindsayicon]. “Before we ruined her.” TikTok, 4 Jan. 2025, https://www.tiktok.com/@lindsayicon/video/7456072562515266858.

[@lovebrit_spears]. “Young Britney :).” TikTok, 7 Sept. 2024, https://www.tiktok.com/@lovebrit_spears/video/7411963519694064942.

[@misshiltons]. “iconic.” TikTok, 26 Nov. 2022, https://www.tiktok.com/@misshiltons/video/7170510354550738219.

[@modeling.vibe]. “these figthing paparazzi.” TikTok, 24 June 2024, https://www.tiktok.com/@modeling.vibe/video/7384204981798276384.

[@narrativesaint]. “The Dark Side of Nickelodeon: Surviving Dan Schneider.” TikTok, 4 May 2023, https://www.tiktok.com/@narrativesaint/video/7229467204008512814.

[@ogspaceheygirls]. “Britney Stealing In Front Of Paparazzi.” TikTok, 2 Nov. 2022, https://www.tiktok.com/@ogspaceheygirls/video/7161264632760454446.

[@popculturey2k]. “her hair looks so good in this interview.” TikTok, 17 Mar. 2025, https://www.tiktok.com/@popculturey2k/video/7482924414070230302.

[@popflopculture]. “blonde baddie | follow for all things pop culture!” TikTok, 21 Oct. 2023, https://www.tiktok.com/@popflopculture/video/7292262036174769454.

[@primevideouk]. “Got this 2000s throwback on repeat .” TikTok, 27 Dec. 2023, https://www.tiktok.com/@primevideouk/video/7317227932152270112.

[@redditbelieveitornot]. “To the comments!” TikTok, 18 Aug. 2023, https://www.tiktok.com/@redditbelieveitornot/video/7268860088151035179.

[@screenshothq]. “@ParisHilton delighted her fans by carrying on her and @Nicole Richie musical tradition from The Simple Life .” TikTok, 16 Apr. 2024, https://www.tiktok.com/@screenshothq/video/7449019790557023521.

[@tanaslaughter]. “Celebrities Mugshots.” TikTok, 12 June 2022, https://www.tiktok.com/@tanaslaughter/video/7108443385480137989.

[@tanaslaughter]. “Lindsay Lohan calls Paris Hilton a c*nt, November 2006.” TikTok, 2 July 2023, https://www.tiktok.com/@tanaslaughter/video/7251317063254363418.

[@thatbritneypage]. “A 19 year old Britney Spears being by the paparazzi at the beach, 2001 .” TikTok, 16 June 2024, https://www.tiktok.com/@thatbritneypage/video/7381178722730151173.

[@the90sguyzz]. “She was so freaking talented.” TikTok, 20 Oct. 2024, https://www.tiktok.com/@the90sguyzz/video/7427730819743010078.

[@thejessicafoxx]. “Paparazzi moments from the 2000s.” TikTok, 17 Apr. 2021, https://www.tiktok.com/@thejessicafoxx/video/6952311949212339461.

[@themissiconik]. “Aww a young Lindsay Lohan .” TikTok, 2 Nov. 2022, https://www.tiktok.com/@themissiconik/video/7448018561290816773.

[@y2ktokk]. “her show would’ve been so entertaining especially during this era.” TikTok, 23 Nov. 2024, https://www.tiktok.com/@y2ktokk/video/7440337347658681646.

LF

Curious Chipmunk’s “Evolution of Technology” (my 4th Hack) is a critique and ironic piece that evaluates the evolution of technology and its impact on society. I produced a video on TikTok inspired by some videos I have seen on the platform. Recently, my FYP has had numerous videos calling for better data security methods and less access to data by platforms, especially after the TikTok ban, when individuals found out about how much risk we agree to when joining these apps. I find it very ironic that people are sharing their concerns about data commodification on a platform known for collecting immense amounts of personal data and has gotten in trouble before for leaking individual information.   

As for the rules of the project, we were instructed to include three distinct time periods, four sources, and three types of media, critique a cultural concern, and break one of the rules. My intent was initially to break the three types of media; I was just going to use video and sound. However, after watching my Hack with just these two elements, I realized my critique was not quite strong enough because the irony did not come across in the manner that I wanted. So, I decided that adding text–the thought bubbles and the gifs–would provide the necessary amount of contrast to produce an ironic piece. Ultimately, I broke the rule of breaking a rule, ironic in and of itself. 

My process started with me thinking of a topic of interest, which, of course, ended up being a critique and exploration of the technological world. This is something that continues to be of interest to me through this class, as well as my other classes, where I am learning about surveillance culture and artificial intelligence. I continue to stumble upon fear of the future and what it holds in the technological world. Technology is not always seen as a positive now. Even a couple of years ago, it would have never been a question of whether technology was helping or hurting the field of academics and student performance. However, now, this is a real debate that has occurred in my studies. This was when I decided to do the voiceover to foreshadow the shift in perception of technology as the video progressed. Rather than keeping the sound from the clips, this added another element of irony because of the chipmunk effect that I decided to use. 

Another important part of my critique was to show how technology has changed our perception of its role in our lives. In the late 20th century and early 21st century, it was seen as a tool to help us complete tasks and speed up various processes. However, with the invention of social media and platforms like TikTok, that role has shifted. It is not just a helper now; it is an entertainer and predictor. Algorithms have the ability to know us better than our own family and friends. These types of technology seek to understand and control our behaviors, not just help us perform tasks more diligently. Additionally, in order to nail down the point of the new risks of technology, I needed to add a clip that demonstrated its downfalls. I decided to include something that most people would care about: their social security number. I personally know how damaging it is to have your SSN stolen, and it shows people how much of your identity is available to be breached or leaked just by having an online presence.  

I originally started creating my video on Adobe Premiere Pro, but I realized it would add more depth and commentary if I were able to actually generate the video using TikTok features. Shockingly, it ended up being a much more simple and streamlined way. Adobe Premiere and other high-tech, expensive platforms used to be the only place for people to edit and mash-up videos to a great extent. Now, I can create a video made up of many clips, with sound, voiceover, and text in a free app on a phone. Creativity is becoming easier to accomplish and access with new technology. I had never made a video on TikTok before, but I mashed everything together and added all of the “extras” in probably two hours from start to finish. When I began this process on Adobe, I had already spent nearly 2 hours converting files, lining things up, and refreshing myself on the complicated interface. I believe this reflects a much lower need for skill in order to be creative in the digital art world. 

These advancements in technology are what people dreamed of 100 years ago, but at what point do they become a burden? I had a lot of objectives and goals for this Hack. First, I wanted to explore the change in emotions related to emerging technologies: it used to be so exciting, and now it’s almost dreadful when a new computer gets released. Second, I wanted to challenge the TikTok call-for-help videos I have been seeing on my FYP. There is a culture right now of posting to raise awareness for things that would be better suited to be dealt with by real actions or in other ways. People on TikTok calling for greater regulations on data privacy are being completely counterintuitive. Third, I wanted to explore how technology has made creativity and originality more accessible and, therefore, easier to achieve and less special: anyone can produce a video on TikTok, and the probability other creators copy that idea until one of them happens to become viral and famous is extremely high in this cultural climate. Lastly, I wanted to create an overall ironic piece that deals with a highly important topic through the use of sarcasm and non-professional strategies.  

The source material in my remix video titled “Justice for all?” is clips from news broadcasts where the news anchor explicitly states a criminal’s sentence. Since the crimes I chose were recent (past ten years) I broke the rule of including source material from three different time periods. My critique is based on current events such as the CEO assassination, so it was unnecessary to include footage from other periods. While I was certainly not the first person to realize the clear double standard here, my remix is original and creative because it is one of the first video form critiques on the matter. My main method is juxtaposition, so I started with a news segment that covers the news of United States Attorney General Pam Bondi recommending that Luigi Mangione get the death penalty. I then chose to keep a clip from that same newscast where a lawyer describes when the death penalty is an option in certain crimes. I chose to cut where she said “and when the crime is especially heinous” and add a record-scratching sound effect. The clips that follow afterward are newscasters describing crimes that the average person would generally find heinous: school shootings and police brutality. 

Those criminals, however, did not get the death penalty and in most cases received plea deals to avoid it. I also chose to not add transitions between the clips, because none of the transitions across editing platforms felt appropriate for the subject material. 

The abrupt cuts also serve to put the viewer on edge and force them to recontextualize each different news clip. The juxtaposition of the Luigi Mangione clips with the clips of the school shooters and Breonna Taylor is meant to make the viewer consider why a criminal who has killed far more people than Luigi Mangione isn’t subject to the same punishment. At the beginning of the video, I overlaid the audio of a correspondent saying “He’s facing the death penalty as a possible deterrent to putting other CEOs in danger like this…” onto a photo of the surveillance footage from the assassination. Later on, I overlaid that audio over a clip of newscasters saying the 2019 Walmart mass shooter avoided the death penalty. The clip is intended to make viewers consider that CEO safety is prioritized over the safety of everyday people. Additionally, I use a clip of a newscaster reading the words “as part of President Trump’s ‘Keep America Safe’ initiative” over the news clips of Breonna Taylor. 

My remix is a cultural commentary on who gets justice in our country. It is also a commentary on Donald Trump’s facade of keeping America safe. During the Walmart, UNCC, and Parkland mass shootings, Donald Trump was the president. That means he appointed the Attorney General, who could have recommended those punishments since those crimes are felonies. However, that never happened. None of the states where those shootings occurred, Texas, North Carolina, or Florida, have abolished the death penalty. Breonna Taylor was also murdered during the first Trump administration, when lockdown started on March 13th, 2020. Initially, Trump offered his condolences to Taylor’s family, before later praising the Kentucky Attorney General for “doing a terrific job” after the charges were dropped. A second officer did get charges for firing a stray shot into the next-door apartment, though. Derek Chauvin is the only police officer in my memory who received any charges, and Trump weighed in on the civil unrest by tweeting “When the looting starts, the shooting starts” encouraging more violence. Make no mistake, the Trump administration didn’t recommend the death penalty for Luigi Mangione out of empathy for Brian Thompson or his family, but because the crime threatened the social order in the United States. Namely, the wealthy social order many politicians find themselves part of. 

While I am not a proponent of the death penalty, many victims of mass crimes like shootings define justice as the shooter receiving the death penalty for the deaths they caused. I’d also venture to say that most Americans do not think the death penalty is an unreasonable punishment for school shooters, and some people may agree that it is appropriate for police officers who kill innocent people. My critique is that a victim of a crime must be a wealthy man in power to receive swift justice. Children who are murdered in school and black men and women killed by police officers do not get the same type of justice. When police officers stand trial for police brutality, the death penalty is rarely ever mentioned. No police officer has ever received capital punishment for murdering an innocent person. In fact, most police officers in those types of cases never get charged, as is the case with Breonna Taylor and Michael Brown’s killers, for example. The remix features a video where the officers involved in Breonna Taylor’s murder get all charges dropped, even though they murdered someone and falsified a warrant to come to her house. Not only is this country making a statement about who deserves justice, but they are also making an implicit statement about whose life has inherent value, and who the state views as expendable in the process of upholding the social order. To keep things “the way they’ve always been” where those in power are comfortable and don’t fear an uprising, unfavorable groups are subjugated in the process. For example, useful gun control is in the people’s best interest, but not in the politician’s best interest. Where else would they get millions of dollars if not for the gun lobby?

Sources:

ABC News, dir. 2023. School Shooter Ethan Crumbley Is Sentenced to Life without Parole. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2bBOLeX2TY.

CBS Mornings, dir. 2025. AG Bondi Calls for Death Penalty for Luigi Mangione, Accused of UnitedHealthcare CEO Murder. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_-fAw544k8.

CBS News, dir. 2025. DOJ Seeking Death Penalty in Luigi Mangione Case, Bondi Says. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW4SYECj0hc.

“Everytown Research – EveryStat.” n.d. EveryStat.Org. Accessed April 8, 2025. https://everystat.org.

“Federal Judge Dismisses Felony Charges against Two Officers in Breonna Taylor Case – YouTube.” n.d. Accessed April 8, 2025. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQuOX47efPI.

Inside Edition, dir. 2022. Parkland School Shooter Nikolas Cruz Gets Life Sentence. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlbkIGxK_h8.

KTSM 9 NEWS, dir. 2025. Victims’ Family Reacts to Walmart Gunman Not Facing Death Penalty. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=je0D5vaRp04.

“Luigi Mangione’s Hard Turn into a CEO Murder Suspect | AP News.” n.d. Accessed April 8, 2025. https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-ceo-brian-thompson-shooting-luigi-mangione-10ee2f70cd843a27940a9cf1a06edf55.

Song: 

Capcut song titled “News/Report/Serious 55(1531537)” by user Takashi 02:27

Remix link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05-PyL4zfXc&t=41s&ab_channel=LillianMilano

Conspiracy theories have captured the minds of many across human history. Only recently have we begun to study this social phenomenon and assess the potential harms. On the surface there are ties with prejudice, witch hunts, revolutions, and genocides (Douglas), though I have found that they can also help keep discussion alive surrounding more isolated cases. Douglas defines a conspiracy theory as “attempts to explain the ultimate causes of significant social and political events and circumstances with claims of secret plots by two or more powerful actors”. I used this definition to identify conspiracy theories for my remix, and my remix primarily spans across the Bill Clinton, Lyndon B. Johnson, and George W. Bush eras. 

When I first started gathering materials for my remix, I listed as many US-based conspiracy theories I could think of, and noticed that the majority of them tied in with different presidential administrations. In the spirit of remix I picked the song “Everybody Likes You” by Lemon Demon since this song heavily samples a clip from one of the Care Bears movies, and also because I thought it could be heard both as “everybody likes you” and “everybody lied to you”. To make sure I covered three distinct time periods I ended up focusing on conspiracies surrounding the probable homicide of Kevin Ives and Don Henry (80’s), the assassination of JFK and LBJ’s presidency (60’s), and Abu Ghraib and 9/11 (00’s). There are a few other scandals and conspiracy theories that are included in the remix, like MKUltra and Clinton’s connection to Jeffery Epstein. However, it was difficult to find good imagery for some of the less documented conspiracies. I wanted to focus on both familiar and unfamiliar cases, as one goal of my remix was to expose people to conspiracies they may have never heard of. 

The majority of the literature you see surrounding conspiracy theories discuss their potential harm, and while I don’t deny that this is something that happens, I would also like to argue that there can be good that comes out of keeping a conspiracy theory alive. A 2012 paper by Charles Pidgen argues that we should leave the possibility of investigating conspiracy theories open, and that while conspiracy theories are largely false, it is also true that “when they are sufficiently well-confirmed, they can rise to the dignity of knowledge” (Pigden, 222). I agree that it is unfair to write off a theory simply because it is a “conspiracy theory”, as the investigation of some theories can lead to shocking discoveries. 

For example, the murder of Kevin Ives and Don Henry is something that has been debated for many years. The initial ruling on the case was that it was an accidental death from a marijuana-induced incapacitation that led to them being hit by a train, though when the bodies were exhumed and reexamined it was found that both teens had much less THC in their systems at their time of death than what was initially determined, and that there was evidence of homicide prior to the incident with the train (Encyclopedia of Arkansas). This further investigation was spurred both by the boys’ parents and by conspiracy theorists that thought these killings had ties with the rumored drug smuggling happening in the area. This incident, and the following disappearances and murders of five of the witnesses on this case, has added evidence to a bigger conspiracy theory surrounding the body count of the Clintons and their involvement with Barry Seal, a now assassinated drug smuggler who operated in Mena, Arkansas. I strongly believe that keeping the conspiracy surrounding their deaths alive was the right thing to do, and that this is a case that should be looked into more thoroughly both for the sake of the victims’ families and to potentially expose government corruption. This is an opinion shared by others, as there have been books and documentaries made about this case, like Boys on the Tracks: Death, Denial, and a Mother’s Crusade to Bring Her Son’s Killers to Justice by Mara Leveritt and The Clinton Chronicles by Patrick Matrisciana. 

My selection of photos, videos, government documents, and articles in my remix also ties into my argument that conspiracy theories can be worth investigating. I wanted to include a blend of infamous and intriguing imagery to both disturb and captivate the viewer. I aimed to overstimulate the viewer with information that devolves into degeneracy before cutting to a contradictory clip of George W. Bush to naturally induce skepticism. A large part of letting yourself believe in a conspiracy theory is finding contradictions between what the actors in power are saying, and the evidence being presented. In the case of Bush and Abu Ghraib, he claims that “the America I know cares about every individual” and that the troops sent to Iraq are “good, honorable citizens”, curating the belief that this is an isolated incident by a few bad actors. Though this is clearly not the case, and was disputed by the Red Cross, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch. Investigative documents show a pattern of abuse in prisons throughout this time period and allege that abuse was part of standard procedure in these facilities (Associated Press, Smeulers). In my remix I aimed to paint Bush as a liar whose primary objective was to control public opinion surrounding the release of information on Abu Ghraib. The only thing I hadn’t considered was the possibility that some of my peers may be unfamiliar with this case. This was a case I had decided on very early on in my remix, as I found it had the most easily recognizable imagery aside from 9/11. I was surprised when some of my classmates seemed unfamiliar with it, but in retrospect it makes a lot of sense since my generation was very young (or possibly not even born) when this information first came out. Regardless, I hope the contradiction presented still sparks curiosity about this case, and possibly even the other incidents alluded to in my remix. This conundrum speaks to the cultural differences between generations, as I am sure that events like 9/11 and the public revelation about what happened in Abu Ghraib is much more important to older generations. 

By the time I had finished my remix I was left with only one rule to break, rule 4: you must break one of the rules. From the beginning I thought it would be ironic to place myself into a hypocritical position by “breaking” this rule, as this rule “break” and the overt manipulation of the viewer’s beliefs puts me in a very similar position that I present the former presidents in. By breaking this rule I am technically in compliance with the ruleset, though it appears to be in bad faith, as I am not actually breaking one of the rules. I think this is in itself a commentary on those in power, as I hold some power over the viewer through my remix, and in this justification I can do what Bush and Clinton have done before me and insist that I am right despite the evidence – my remix – that I am actually in the wrong. 

Sources

Karen M. Douglas, et al., “Understanding Conspiracy Theories” (2019), https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/pops.12568 

Charles Pigden, “Conspiracy Theorues and the Conventional Wisdom” (2012), https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/episteme/article/conspiracy-theories-and-the-conventional-wisdom/F493AE4E5065A43AB0420622A9652CCD 

Encyclopedia of Arkansas, “Kevin Ives and Don Henry (Murder of)”, https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/kevin-ives-and-don-henry-12289/ 

Humans Rights Watch, “The Road to Abu Ghraib” (2004), https://www.hrw.org/report/2004/06/09/road-abu-ghraib

Red Cross and Steven Miles, “Abu Ghraib: its Legacy for Military Medicine” (2004), https://casebook.icrc.org/print/20735 

Amnesty International, “USA: Pattern of brutality and cruelty — war crimes at Abu Ghraib” (2004), https://www.amnesty.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/amr510772004en.pdf 

Association Press, “AP: Intelligence agents encouraged Iraq abuse” (2004), https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna5094207

A.L. Smeulers, “Abu Ghraib and the War against Terror – a case against Donald Rumsfeld” (2009), https://research.vu.nl/ws/files/2403096/215948.pdf 

Media Sources In Order of Appearance 

-Song: Everybody Likes You; Lemon Demon/Neil Cicierega; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xElp-lYnyE&ab_channel=NeilCicieregaMusic 

Section 1: Bill Clinton and the Mena Coverup

-Opening clip and picture of Don Henry and Kevin Ives; KATV;  https://katv.com/community/7-on-your-side/boys-on-the-tracks-revisited 

-Picture of Boonie Bearden, Mike Samples, Keith McKaskle, Keith Coney, Jeff Rhodes, Gregory Collins, and newspaper ad posted by Linda Ives; ID Files; https://idfiles.com/investigations/saline-county-grand-jury/ 

-Picture of Linda Ives and newspaper clipping; Arkansas Democrat;  https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2018/aug/13/judge-dea-satisfy-files-bid/ 

-The Boys on the Tracks cover; CALS; https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/the-boys-on-the-tracks-book-12011/ 

-FBI document release pages 1 and 2; ID Files; https://idfiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/section-2.pdf 

-Picture of Bill Clinton; US Armed Forces; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Clinton 

-Picture of James Steed; ID Files; https://idfiles.com/bad-guys/james-steed/ 

-Picture of Fahmy Malak; ID Files; https://idfiles.com/bad-guys/fahmy-malak/ 

-Picture of Dan Harmon in cuffs; ID Files; https://idfiles.com/bad-guys/dan-harmon/ 

-Picture of Barry Seal; Wikipedia – Unknown author; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Seal 

-Why Is Mena Off Limits? zoom and Bill Clinton walking clip; Patrick Matrisciana; https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0433674/?ref_=mv_close (from documentary)

-Clinton with Epstein 1; Wikipedia – Ralph Alswang, White House photographer; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Clinton#/media/File:Maxwell_Epstein_Clinton_1993_2.jpg

-Clinton with Epstein 2; The Times – The Mega Agency; https://www.thetimes.com/uk/law/article/bill-clintons-friendship-with-jeffrey-epstein-still-casts-a-shadow-553nbwt0w 

-Clinton with Epstein 3; The Times; https://www.thetimes.com/uk/royal-family/article/bill-clinton-jeffrey-epstein-and-ghislaine-maxwell-an-uncomfortable-connection-xsbhcxjkq 

-Clinton with Monica Lewinsky; npr – AP; https://www.npr.org/2016/06/12/481718785/clinton-scandals-a-guide-from-whitewater-to-the-clinton-foundation 

Section 2: MKUltra

-Picture of Paul F. Gaynor; Wikipedia – John Evans; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_F._Gaynor

-Picture of Allen Dulles; Wikipedia – US Government; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_Dulles 

-Picture of Richard Helms; USA Today – ABC; https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2016/08/31/cia-helms-fbi-pentagon-papers/89642908/ 

-Picture of William Colby; Wikipedia – Unknown Whitehouse photographer; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Colby 

-Picture of Harris Isbell; Wikipedia – Unknown author; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harris_Isbell

-Picture of Louis Jolyon West; Wikipedia – Unknown author; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Jolyon_West

-Picture of Donald Ewen Cameron; Wikipedia – PubMed Central; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Ewen_Cameron 

-Picture of Herald Alexander Abramson; Find A Grave – rhale1100; https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/14565614/harold_alexander-abramson 

-Picture of Gerald Ford; Wikipedia – David Hume Kennerly; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Ford 

Section 3: Assassination of John F. Kennedy/Lyndon B. Johnson and the Vietnam War

-Zapruder film of the assassination of John F. Kennedy; Wikipedia – Abraham Zapruder; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zapruder_film 

-Handbill from the day before the assassination accusing JFK of treason, picture of the “umbrella man”, picture of the “Three Tramps” who were suspected to have some involvement in the assassination, Bill and Jean Newman on the ground after allegedly hearing shots from behind them, picture of Lee Harvey Oswald holding a rifle, picture of JFK with Sukarno, picture of secret service agent George Hickey, picture of David Ferrie and Oswald; Wikipedia; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_F._Kennedy_assassination_conspiracy_theories 

-Albert Thomas winking at LBJ shortly after the assassination; National Archives and Records Administration; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AlbertThomasLadyBirdLBJJackieKennedyAirForce1byStoughton.jpg 

-Picture of LBJ being sworn in; Wikipedia; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_F._Kennedy_assassination_conspiracy_theories

-Vietnam War clips; PBS; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j-3Xi5BcKs&ab_channel=PBS 

Section 4: George W. Bush, Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo Bay detention camp, Camp Whitehorse, and 9/11

-The Hooded Man image, and picture of Lynndie England holding leashed man “Gus”; Wikipedia – U.S. Government copyright; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Ghraib_torture_and_prisoner_abuse 

-Lynndie England headshot; US Army; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynndie_England

-Charles Graner punching handcuffed prisoners; Wikipedia – U.S. Government copyright; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Ghraib_torture_and_prisoner_abuse 

-Charles Graner headshot; Wikipedia – U.S. Government copyright; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Graner 

-Ivan Frederick sitting on detainee; Wikipedia – U.S. Government copyright; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Ghraib_torture_and_prisoner_abuse

-Ivan Frederick picture; NBC – David J. Phillip / AP; https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna21090172 

-Charles Graner and Sabrina Harman behind human pyramid of prisoners; Wikipedia – U.S. Government copyright; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Ghraib_torture_and_prisoner_abuse

-Sabrina Harman headshot; Wikipedia – U.S. Government copyright; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabrina_Harman 

-Sgt. Michael J. Smith and dog barking at prisoner; Wikipedia – U.S. Government copyright; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Ghraib_torture_and_prisoner_abuse

-Sgt. Michael J. Smith headshot; NBC – Matthew S. Gunby / AP; https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna11943182 

-Force feeding restraint chair in Guantanamo, picture of detainees 1; Wikipedia – Shane T. McCoy, Brian Godette; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guantanamo_Bay_detention_camp

-Picture of detainees 2; Amnesty International – US DoD; https://www.amnesty.org.uk/guantanamo-bay-human-rights 

-Rasul v. Bush case page 1; https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/ll/usrep/usrep542/usrep542466/usrep542466.pdf

-Clip of Bush walking and all 9/11 clips; EM Productions; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwRch0-bk5A&ab_channel=EMProductions 

-Interview with George W. Bush about the treatment of Iraqi prisoners; c-span; https://www.c-span.org/program/white-house-event/presidential-interview/128007 

-Article about Clarke Paulus (Marine briefly in charge of Camp Whitehorse) being acquitted after death of prisoner; Associated Press; https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/marine-acquitted-of-major-abuse-charge-in-iraqi-death/ 

-Article about Lynndie England’s 3 year sentence; The Guardian; https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/sep/28/iraq.usa