PB1B

As the name so generously implies, an online “genre generator” gives rise, at random, to a set of reproducible conventions that pertain to a specific genre; in this case, the chosen genres are computer science research papers, comic strips, and memes.

These computer science research papers (although I make no claim that I understand what they are discussing whatsoever) all appear to follow very precise patterns, from the way the subject matter is presented to the formulaic graphs and flowcharts found in their bodies. Each research paper begins in the exact same way: a dark, bold title followed by the author’s name and a brief abstract, which allows the reader some insight into what the paper’s objective(s) is/are. These papers are littered with specific jargon that an audience with no background in computer science has no hope of understanding (I am a real-life model of this statement). For instance, “Cyberinformaticians have complete control over the server daemon, which of course is necessary so that Boolean logic can be made pseudorandom, certifiable, and amphibious,” means next to nothing to me. However, because a computer science research paper is geared toward a very specific audience, a person with no knowledge in the matter can make no statements to disclaim its legitimacy. The phrasing of the sentences throughout the paper tend to be very short and concise, perhaps so as to increase the clarity for the readers. If we take a step back and analyze the paper from a broader perspective, we find that each portion of the paper begins with a bold heading (i.e. Table of Contents, Introduction, Related Works, etc.), contains multiple non-textual figures, such as graphs and flowcharts, that are labeled and briefly described, and lastly, have a list of references at the very end.

              On a completely different spectrum of genres, comic strips, and more specifically, the comic strips found on pandyland.net, have an entirely unique set of conventions. The dialogue and interactions that take place between Finlay and Simon tend to be very crude and vulgar, such as, “I’ve got a really horrible rash on my winky,” partnered with the image of Simon with his hands down his pants; needless to say, I do admit to laughing once or twice. These comic strips were very simple in nature, from the personalities of the characters to the color scheme and details within the images. They are intended for and appeal to an audience that is likely very different from the previous genre, one that does not necessarily have a specific educational, political, or religious background; that said, however, the intended audience is certainly not people from a conservative or traditional culture. The presentation of the comic strip in itself is specific to the genre in that each strip is displayed in a series of three side-by-side boxes, each containing an image of only two characters. A convention, perhaps unique to a sub-genre of comic strips, is the random fashion in which the interactions between the two characters are displayed; there is no storyline or specific subject matter, but instead, an illogical sequence of events or (often one-sided) conversations that occurs.

              Quite similarly to the conventions of a comic strip, memes are often crude and vulgar in their humor. Their goal is usually to make fun of or speak down upon another person in an amusing, unconventional manner. Memes each consist of an animated or photographed face, bordered on top and bottom by bold, white letters, all within a small square. The words and phrases made up by these letters contain high levels of sarcasm and are usually lacking in the areas of spelling and grammar; two popular memes begin with, “Y U NO…” and “not sure if…,” both of which fail to use correct grammar and are not fully-formulated thoughts. Memes are meant to be comical and therefore, are geared toward a general audience that is likely intent on finding humor within them; however, meme audiences are usually looking specifically for memes or come across them on a social networking site. That said, the intended audience is likely to be a younger, internet-savvy generation.

              Given the websites used above (pdos.csail.mit.edu, pandyland.net, and memegenerator.net) and their creations, a better understanding of genre can be achieved by analyzing each unique set of conventions and patterns. As people learn these patterns, they are able to apply their knowledge while analyzing a certain text, movie, song, etc. and develop a tighter grasp on what it is that embodies a genre.