Silly citizenship

Abstract

This paper traces historical changes in the concept of citizenship, in order to show how it has shifted from a state enterprise to a form of self-organising, user-created, ludic association, modelled by online social networks in which children – formally non-citizens but crucial to the continuing and changing discursive practices of citizenship-formation – are active agents. The implications of ‘silly’ citizenship for communication scholarship are considered.

Keywords:

• citizenship
• new media
• play
• satire
• discourse

Notes

This paper is a revised and extended version of: John Hartley (2010), Evolving citizenship: ‘The right to protest and the right to dance’. In Stuart Allen (Ed.), Rethinking Communication: Keywords in Communication Research. Cresskill NJ: Hampton Press/International Communication Association.

See Wikipedia on Children's Internet Protection Act and Child Online Protection Act; and see http://google-au.blogspot.com/2009/12/our-views-on-mandatory-isp-filtering.html, for Australian developments.

The Wikipedia entry on ‘micronations’ makes it clear that the internet, social networks and citizenship are inextricably interlinked: ‘The advent of the Internet provided the means for the creation of many new micronations, whose members are scattered all over the world and interact mostly by electronic means. The difference between such Internet micronations, other kinds of social networking groups, and role playing games is often hard to define’ (wikipedia.org/wiki/Micronation).

See creativecommons.org/about/history/; and www.creativecommons.org.au/

See story by Ruth Maddow on MSNBC, 11 July: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhuPw5WCO0A (since deleted).

See www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-july-22-2009/the-born-identity

See www.theweek.com/article/index/98892/Jon_Stewart_vs_Lou_Dobbs_and_birthers

See www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptccZze7VxQ

See About.com's 25 Funniest Viral Videos of Election 2008: politicalhumor.about.com/od/electionvideos/tp/top-election-web-videos.htm

See www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_CSo1gOd48

See www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdapdkvs0FY

See www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvJuo2C7eS4

See www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzyT9-9lUyE

Most watched YouTube videos in Australia, Thursday, 17 December 2009 (http://google-au.blogspot.com/2009/12/australias-most-watched-youtube-videos.html), including:

• Most watched YouTube videos globally

• Susan Boyle – Britain's Got Talent (120+ million views)

• David After Dentist (36+ million views)

• JK Wedding Entrance Dance (33+ million views)

• New Moon Movie Trailer (30+ million views)

• Evian Roller Babies (27+ million views)

• Top five most watched YouTube videos overall

• Susan Boyle – Singer – Britain's Got Talent 2009 (With Lyrics)

• I'm On A Boat (ft. T-Pain) – Album Version

• Miley Cyrus – The Climb – Official Music Video (HQ)

• Miley Cyrus – Party In The U.S.A. – Official Music Video (HD)

• Black Eyed Peas – ‘Boom Boom Pow’

• Instant celebrities thanks to YouTube

• Susan Boyle – Singer – Britain's Got Talent 2009 (With Lyrics)

• JK Wedding Entrance Dance

• David After Dentist

• Greatest freak out ever (Original Video)

• Inspired Bicycles – Danny MacAskill April 2009

• Top five most watched Australian user-generated content

• My Crazy Sister – mychonny

• Asian and White Parents – mychonny

• Sorry it's been a while – communitychannel

• My Victorian Bushfire Campaign – juanmann

• Uncomfortable Love Scene – communitychannel

See: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbr2ao86ww0; when accessed in January 2010 it had 4.7 million views and over 7000 comments. It was made by a professional video production company (Indigo Productions, New York): see www.indigoprod.com. Here it is worth noting another strong characteristic of ‘silly citizenship’: among the very first of the ‘early adopters’ of user-generated content are professionals, especially comics and entertainers, who pick up very quickly on youthful self-representation and turn it into instant genre.

See: youtube.wikia.com/wiki/Mychonny

Today Tonight, 17 December 2009: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MXO1Uaentw

Figures from www.youtube.com/user/mychonny (January 2010); on the same day he had over 30,000 fans on Facebook. On the day it broadcast Mychonny, 17 December 2009, Today Tonight topped the Australian ratings with 2,778,000 viewers (www.tvtonight.com.au/2009/12/week-51-3.html); the content of that show was of course a further ‘rating’ for Mychonny.

See www.jkweddingdance.com/; see also: http://wellstone.org/blog/28-million-views-900-donors-23000-and-one-fantastic-couple; and: www.thedailytell.com/2009/08/jk-wedding-dance-internet-sensation-directs-buzz-toward-charity/.