Week 6

The setting of this online social network takes place on YouTube. YouTube is a video sharing website that allows users to upload, share, view, and comment on videos. Participants consist of unregistered and registered users with only registered users having complete access to the social network’s features. This media analysis will entail examining responses of a group of YouTube participants after viewing a skit of Sarah Palin and Tina Fey on television show Saturday Night Live (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdDqSvJ6aHc). In the skit, Palin and Fey engage in a discussion about sexism which is drenched in comical commentary that contrasts Sarah Palin and Hilary Clinton. There are a total of 4,250 comments listed for this video, and I will focus on the most recent posts within a 24 hour period. The group’s responses are charted in a chart in order to analyze to conversations in response to the video. Many of the responses of the participants deviate from the discussion of sexism to talk about related but unrelated topics.

In the discussion, Timebandit720 and Trepidorz agree that McCain and Palin are not the best choice for president and vice president. Trepidorz states that McCain is more of the same and Trimebandit720 supports Trepidorz by stating that McCain lacks suitability based on his incompetency to select a descent vice president. Onlyoneme72032’s response to the discussion is to vote for McCain and Palin because Obama is clearly affiliated with the wrong people. Parathesia intervenes and reverts the conversation back to the topic of sexism. He also neutralizes the debate between the participants by stating that he is not a supporter of any of candidates for president. The topic of sexism is also discussed by Hellboy1976, DarktoothTM, Rappmastert, and Fatjoshk. They all comment in saying that Tina Fey is hot. It’s difficult to understand if Hellboy1976 is referring to Fey doing a hot job with the skit or Fey as a “hottie”. The participants that post the hot comments only post once, but their playful and sexist comments assist in redirecting the conversation back to sexism.

For many of the participants, the Saturday Night Live clip was not the focus of their discussion. The common ground that was shared by all of the participants is that they used this video as a space for discussion about the presidential elections and social connections. During the discussion, none of the participants changed their perspectives on the candidates or attempted to discuss sexism. Respondents remain loyal to their candidates and previous beliefs before the discussion. In a similar manner, participants much like the presidential candidates are using the discussion platform to bicker rather than talk about the topics.



People 3 hrs ago 4 -5hrs ago 6-9 hrs ago 18-19 hrs ago 20 hrs ago

Onlyoneme72032 Argues that feminists are for pro-abortion and not prochoice Vote for McCain-Palin, Obama’s experience is working for Acorn, took him 20 yrs to spot a racist like Jeremiah Wright

Hellboy1976 Tina fey does a good job , she’s hot and Palin twat

Trepidorz McCain won’t be more of the same, right? Connection between Obama and Ayers (lol he was only 8 yrs old

DarktoothTM
Rappmastert
Fatjoshk Tina Fey is hot indeed, watch my videos, their pretty funny

Parathesia I support neither candidate and I thought we were talking about sexism, palin is not only being criticized b/c she is a woman

Timebandit720 U really got to wonder about the suitability of McCain if he choose someone as dimwitted and inarticulate as Sarah Palin