worstbloginamerica

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  • WOR$T BLOG IN AMERICA

    Hey guys, WOR$T BLOG IN AMERICA is back!! Following last posts update about discourse community and the focus on Stan Twitter, today we are facing the underlying problem that this community faces. It’s no secret that one of Stan Twitter’s main goal is to defend and prove that one’s favorite artist is the greatest of all time, but when does this goal become toxic? Stan Twitter faces many parasocial issues that potentially lead to toxicity and inappropriate fan behavior.

    Yes, I know–I have spent two weeks talking about how funny and amazing this discourse community is, but there is a line that society shouldn’t cross, and there is a dark side of this platform that occasionally passes that threshold.

    We all have favorite celebrities and all want to share our opinions on them, which is what Stan Twitter is all about, but there have been endless occasions on which users have taken their ability to pledge loyalty as an excuse to bully or harass others for having differing opinions from themselves. Business Insider for Style Magazine summarizes one person’s experience with bullying on the app, “He [Anonymous] received emails and direct messages containing homophobic language, memes edited to show the artist holding a gun, and comments telling him to keep his mouth shut,” (Insider). This reflect the hate that some users have on this platform. Ethan received these messages because he wrote an article on someone’s favorite artists, implying that the artist should take a year off of making music, and this is the response he received due to it. Many on Stan twitter have some type of parasocial relationship with these artists, believing that they are entitled to bully others in order to defend them, even though who they are really defending is actually a complete stranger. They usually believe they are justified in their actions because they are defending their favorites, even though most artists and celebrities speak out against this type of behavior.

    Fifth Harmony singer, Lauren Jauregui, also experienced the toxicity of Stan Twitter. In an article for Nylon, she reflects on her experience of being radicalized by society on the app. Memes were made about her, she was slut-shamed, and constantly hated on her. While Stan Twitter has funny moments, publicly scrutinizing these people for simply living life is not acceptable. It not only affects people using the app, but also the celebrities who can see these posts.

    While no one can control what people say either online or in-person, people should be mindful to the effects that some things that are said can be extremely hurtful. The feeling most haters have while defending their artists, mostly are manifested out of delusion. But again, Stan twitter is not all negativity, it is a really awesome community when surrounded by positive users, so that is why I value it so much. But anyway, this also goes out to everyone online and in-person, be mindful of your actions and the consequences!

  • WOR$T BLOG IN AMERICA

    Hello, everyone! Welcome back to WOR$T BLOG IN AMERICA. How y’all feeling because I am exhausted. Life got me walking around all over San Diego, going from school to work everyday like let me nap and listen to Ethel Cain in peace. Anyway, last week we briefly went over the topic of discourse communities and I wanted to expand on that a little following the discourse community that is Stan Twitter.

    Last week I stated Stan Twitter is an online social gathering for people to try and prove that their favorite music artist is the best in the industry–but this was slightly misleading. Stan Twitter is for EVERYONE who has a favorite of something. It has a main focus on music artists, but it also consists of people pledging their loyalty to actors, actresses, films, games, influencers, or basically any type of celebrity that has someone appreciating their work. The main goal is to support their favorite and people do this by creating posts, which is also how the community communicates with each other, filling their posts with jokes coded with niche slang and terms that some may not know–which we will get into soon.

    This platform has less document-based writing, and since it is a social media platform, it is more focused on posts. These posts focusing on opinions and jokes become a way of communication allowing others to reply and share their thoughts, as well. But it isn’t just some, “oh she did so good,” type of post. People find creative ways to praise celebrities like one user, @venussjmi, reacting to Zara Larsson and TYLA’s collaboration on a song saying, “They went to the bakery of hits and ordered a baguette…But the owner recognized their tiny waists & face cards and gave them the entire gagtory instead…” meaning that their song together was extremely impressive. This post sparked other members to comment and interact with others to share their opinions. People also create “threads” to share their thoughts about a certain individuals accomplishments, lyrics, films, etc. This can serve as either opinion or can give evidence to whether or not their favorite really is the greatest of all time.

    Zara Larsson and TYLA via Youtube/Epic
    @bhumika_1905 on Taylor Swift via X

    As seen above in one of the examples I have provided, you may be able to tell that Stan Twitter has an interesting way of praising people. They have popularized certain terms and even made up words to joke about how their favorite is the best. Opening Twitter and seeing everyone using words like “mother,” or “gag” may be confusing to people who aren’t aware of their meaning, but these terms carry weight with the social media platform’s users. Terms like these are an amazing compliment, meaning that whatever they are reacting to are extremely iconic and deserves the nothing but respect. That’s why I describe people like Ethel cain, Taylor Swift, or Wanda Maximoff–AKA the Scarlet Witch–as mother, because that’s mama for real. This side of the internet has popularized itself in so many ways, it grows past the simple “stan” accounts and have created an entire discourse community with it’s own form of communication and language with certain expectations. But also, be warned, because if whoever you’re stanning on Twitter is unpopular, people will also make jokes about your favorite, just to uplift theirs, but there will always be a place of belonging with others that Stan your favorite, as well.

    PS. Stan Addison Rae, she is also mother.

  • WOR$T BLOG IN AMERICA

    Welcome back to WOR$T BLOG IN AMERICA, daughters. WOOOOO. I was gone for a second, I know y’all missed my blogs. It’s okay, I’m back. I recently learned the term, ‘Discourse Community,’ and thought I’d share my two cents about it. If y’all don’t know, discourse communities are groups of people that all share common goals, using specific language and mechanisms to communicate and achieve some type of goal. These communities can be found ANYWHERE, and these goals don’t have to be serious matters. I know I follow in some of these communities that are so irrelevant to actually succeeding in life, but I am passionate about them so I don’t care !

    Logo Courtesy to Starbucks Corporation

    Before I get into the more unserious discourse communities, let me introduce an example of a more professional discourse community. I work at a Starbucks and this company has managed to create a world-wide discourse community, involving both partners and customers. These stores fill with so many people, ranging from millennials to young adults, or coffee lovers to people that are simply looking for a place to study. So many faces come in, using common terms like the drink sizes–tall, grande, venti, trenta–creating countless customizations to their beverages. People participate in this to follow the same goal as that Starbucks company, to create a meaningful experience that keeps you coming back for more. Educating yourself on Starbucks drinks can originate from so many places , too. The company releases so many different variations of drinks and social media influences so many to try new combinations. The community surrounding Starbucks is endless and both the company and customers crave more.

    Anyway, onto the discourse communities I am passionate about that I am involved in. This community is more of a sub-community living under a huge community. It focuses on my good sister, Wanda Maximoff--AKA the Scarlet Witch. If you don’t know, Wanda Maximoff is from the Marvel Universe, who has become one of the most popular individuals in fictional characters in the recent years. Wanda has become an iconic symbol for Marvel, becoming so popular people joined the fandom just to follow this character. Marvel fans, non-marvel fans, and Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fans all participate in a fandom based off this one character because she is so iconic. So many individuals communicate through jokes and niche references in so many ways. Comic-Con is a popular gathering where many will dress as the Scarlet Witch and social media platforms are another place of gathering that people participate in to spread their knowledge and love for this character. I remember 2021 when peak marvel fans argued relentlessly trying to prove whether or not Wanda or Thor would win in a fight. (Marvel ended up releasing a show called Marvel Zombies, and Wanda absolutely cleared Thor, so eat that, Thor fans). People share so many goals to prove whether or not Wanda is the most powerful in the MCU and share the common values of character development and emotional storytelling because of Wanda’s complex and depressing storyline. They mention how Wanda is classified as a witch, a variant, or nexus being, all following a language code that applies to marvel characters. All these phrases may be confusing, but watching the MCU films can easily teach you how to understand what they mean. I encourage everyone, if they are open to it, to give up some time and watch the MCU films because the Marvel community is amazing!

    Taylor Swift for TTPD via Beth Garrabrant
    Wandavison via Marvel Studios

    One of my favorite terms to describe Wanda Maximoff, is mother. Popularly used in another one of my favorite discourse communities–stan twitter. I love Stan twitter so much. When I tell you, Stan twitter is the funniest community, I mean it. People all around the world participate in Stan twitter, but is commonly used by the LGBTQ+ community. This community has so many different aspects to it, valuing loyalty to their favorite characters or music artists, staying updated on them, or even just humor. Some jokingly bash on other artists to prove that their favorite artist is superior. (TTPD blocked billie). Sorry, that’s one of the most known jokes on Stan twitter. People will defend their favorites, no matter what and it can become so ridiculous that it is hilarious. They constantly use different terms to communicate like “mother,” “OOMF,” “tl,” or even just use stupid reaction videos to get their point across. Learning all these terms can be difficult but simply observing how to use these terms educates people on the etiquette taking place on the app.

    Of course, discourse communities aren’t always just fun and games, it can also surround work, school, and family, but learning from multiple communities gives excellent experience in ways to communicate with others. This can evolve how you talk to one person then talk to another, it all depends on time and place. These communities can create lasting connections and experiences, but always be mindful about which community you are surrounded by, because one communities vocabulary can differ from another.

  • WOR$T BLOG IN AMERICA

    WOOOO!!! Welcome back to WOR$T BLOG IN AMERICA! CRANK IT! Last week we explored the topic of film, navigating through its importance and communities created because of film. This week, we are expanding on that topic but specifically focusing on, who I believe is the best director from the modern century–David Lynch. He was mentioned last week but this blog is solely dedicated to him. RIP David. Unlike most movies and filmmakers, David Lynch affected his audience through symbolism, surrealism, and psychological themes, rather than a linear and direct plot.

    Sheryl Lee for Twin Peaks via Getty Images

    Surrealism is one of the most prominent examples of symbolism in a Lynch movie, used as a mirror to reflect the darkness that reality faces. David Lynch’s Twin peaks: Fire Walk With Me–AKA the best and most depressing film ever created–portrays a perfect example of this. The film follows the character, Laura Palmer, and her last days on Earth. Throughout the film, there are supernatural entities surrounding every moment of Laura’s life, with one ultimately being the cause of her death. The evil entity that kills Laura, known as BOB, symbolizes the evil doings of men, exhibited through the acts of sexual assault and drug use forced into Laura’s life. Another one of his films also portrays the dark side of America, Eraserhead. This film may be seen as difficult to follow, because the entire movie is an allegory. It represents the consequences of unplanned fatherhood, depression, and the negative effects of industrial factories. Eraserhead follows a man who lives in a time where industrial factories have overrun the world, leaving it hopeless, filthy, and overcome with violence. The character recently met a girl and had a mutated child with her, entrapping him in a relationship with the woman, while dealing with the overwhelming thought to end his own life. Lynch created these films packed with such dark themes because he didn’t want his films to be straightforward and simply understood. He wanted the audience to feel the emotions: the fear, the anxiety, the sadness. The emotions that people feel because of his art is a major reason to why so many love the films he creates.

    Eraserhead dir. David Lynch. (1977) Libra films International

    While his films may be seen as confusing, there is a beauty behind the confusion that encapsulates the audience. Lynch never explains the real meanings behind his movies and if you have seen one, you know that they can be EXTREMELY confusing at times. But that confusion also allows for revisiting. Many will watch his films countless times to find new meanings and interpretations of what it is being conveyed. Some may even describe his films as dreams turned into films, because of the complicated symbolism and non-linear plots. But these dream-like scenes serve as an escape from reality, making it another reason to why audiences are so invested in Lynch’s movies. It also sets Lynch on a different bar compared to other directors, because symbolism has been used in film for ages, but Lynch has turned symbolism in film into so much more than that.

    David Lynch via William Karel

    In recent years, following David Lynch’s unfortunate passing, his legacy lives on as people on social media apps have popularized his films. People have made countless edits of his films and characters on TikTok and Instagram, and I constantly see tweets about Laura Palmer on my timeline saying how Laura Palmer’s story and death feel like losing a loved one. (I miss you, Laura Palmer.) It is all very parasocial but it stands out to me because it really shows how much David Lynch’s art has had an impact on so many people.

  • WOR$T BLOG IN AMERICA

    Welcome back to WOR$T BLOG IN AMERICA! It’s a party, it’s a party, ayyyyyyy! This week we are exploring film–a deep passion of mine–and its impact film has on the individuals who delve into watching film, whether they are casual watchers or devoted cinephiles.

    Across multiple platforms of social media, I have observed–and participated in–multiple communities and fandoms dedicated to particular movies, shows, even plays. Personally, I began joining film communities at a younger age due to exposure of social media apps. I saw the emotions that film brought out in people that may be difficult to express. One of the most meaningful examples of this that comes to mind was when the film I Saw the TV Glow, dir. Jane Schoenbrun, was released, and the plethora of posts made by real people speaking about how this film contributed to their journey of self-acceptance being apart of the transgender and queer community. One person writes:

    I Saw the TV Glow via A24

    “my name is julie. i am a trans woman…tonight is the first time i’ve said those words to anyone …watching I Saw the TV Glow tonight, i saw myself up there on the screen in a way I never thought i’d see in a film” @mesh509 on I Saw the TV Glow (2024) via Letterboxd.

    This comment received over 50,000 interactions and has sparked several responses. This is a perfect example to why film is so important to me, and so many others–and why film is important in general. Film brings people together and can create countless fandoms depending on the film and its content.

    Spider-Man: Brand New Day via Sony Pictures

    As shown through that quote, Letterboxd is a huge platform for movie enjoyers to learn, communicate, and share opinions and knowledge about movies, even renowned music artists participate in posting their opinions and reviews on this app, like pop-star Charli XCX with over 1,000 movie reviews. I only have around 300 reviews on mine…kind of shocked at how many movies Charli XCX watches. Ariana Grande also has shown her position in fandoms for the play and now movie,Wicked dir. Don Mantello, expressing her love for the characters Elphaba and Galinda, before starring as Galinda in the film adaptation of the famous Broadway play. These fandoms also gather on other online apps such as Twitter, TikTok, etc. I’m always scrolling through Twitter or TikTok and if someone looks over at my phone, I can guarantee, they will see post on my timeline about a movie or show. My timeline is currently filled with people talking about the new Madoka Magica: Walpurgisnacht Rising movie as the US release date approaches, and for some silly reason, I have been seeing the Madoka Magica Fandom and Marvel fandom interact because they are comparing Tom Holland’s Peter Parker and Zendaya’s MJ to the characters Madoka and Homura…anyway let me stop yapping.

    Greta Gerwig via Jody Rogac

    Film also expands past its watchers. Not only does it affect them, but also the people who participate in creating these forms of art. Actors, actresses, directors, sound directors, and more all come together to create something great and that is meaningful. Creation stems from appreciation, and these people are all core figures in the community of film. My personal favorite directors are David Lynch and Greta Gerwig, so if you haven’t seen anything by them, I would definitely recommend checking them out.

    The importance of film means a great deal to me. The communities surrounding film is a great place to join. I hope to learn more about the different fandoms as I continue to explore different films spanning across multiple genres and have the honor of participating in these associations. Anyway, whoever is reading this…wherever you are…go watch a movie and rate it on Letterboxd.

  • WOR$T BLOG IN AMERICA

    Hello! Welcome to my first blog, I’m Drake! As you may have noticed, the name of my blog is WOR$T BLOG IN AMERICA–I assure you, it is not. If you did not catch the reference–I am referring to the pop artist, Slayyyter. Well, now that you are here, let me introduce myself to you!

    FKA Twigs via Drake Kretsch

    As you can tell from a pop culture reference thrown in your face–I love music. I associate myself in music fandoms ranging from artists like indie rock/folk artist, Ethel Cain, to hyper pop artists such as FKA Twigs. Constantly, I’ll be ranting about artists and attempting to put people on to different music genres most have not heard of. Music has had an immense impact on who I am as a person, surprisingly influencing my motivation and desire to write or create something meaningful. Taylor Swift’s folklore, inspired me greatly with her intricate ability to use poetry in song. Swift’s metaphorical songs like “Mirrorball” created a lasting realization on how writing really is a beautiful form of art. When pouring your entire heart out into writing, it really has an emotional punch to it and I would love to gain such skill.

    Image by Beth Garrabrant

    But music is not my only source of creativity. I also have a passion for reading–although I do experience recurrent reading slumps…anyway! I have a passion for reading, yes, but the second I feel a minuscule sense of boredom, it is so hard for me to focus on reading, or even words. I always need something interesting or strategically written to keep me immersed. My all-time favorite novel is Andre Aciman’s Call Me By Your Name. “We rip out so much of ourselves to be cured of things faster than we should that we go bankrupt by the age of thirty and have less to offer each time we start with someone new,” (Aciman). One of my favorite quotes, both strategically and beautifully written. Quotes like these are what keep me yearning for more, to expand my connection to reading.

    Reading slumps are difficult to push through, but in this course I hope to focus my attention span on my ability to analyze and appreciate the work and thought that goes into any form of written media. I can apply the process of reading like a writer to identify the esoteric structure of writing and wield these strategies, benefiting both the mind and the work.