Meme Rhetorical Analysis

Hard to swallow pills: Wanting to help prevent climate change means making actual changes in your own life.

           I found this meme on an Instagram account I follow called @thepurpleturtleco. The comments on this post are almost all positive and agree with the message the post is conveying. A few even linked their profiles which were also contributing to helping climate change and encouraged viewers to look at their page. Some comments however addressed the view that climate change can't be "prevented" as it is already happening.
           The multimodal elements used in this display are text, pictures, and various forms of color. These elements are in my opinion considerably effective in relaying the author's message. By linking the concept of climate change and it being a "hard to swallow pill" with the image of an actual bottle of hard to swallow pills, it gives the viewer a visual connection between the two. The contrast between the light, pastel background tones with the brutal and frank information written on top of it makes room for actual introspection by the viewer. Had the background been an image of turtles strangled by plastic and birds stomachs filled with micro fragments of plastic waste, the effect wouldn't be the same. It would be powerful no doubt, but the pastel ease into a clear statement makes room for the viewer to feel welcome to change their mind and think about the information. They aren't immediately guilted for any previous personal harm done against the prevention of climate change.
               This meme fits into today's social topic of climate change through its relevancy right now in politics, as well as in social media trends/businesses to be more eco friendly. There has also been a growing trend of "no nuance November" which I think has carried on into the months after. This trend is essentially to say or posts things for what the are, no matter the feedback you might get.
                   The main message this post is sending is, as hard as it may be to accept and "swallow", preventing the furthering of climate change starts with ourselves. Whether or not this message is problematic lies in its inherent controversial state. Some may find such a view problematic as others may not, it depends on there view towards climate change.
                            Memes are currently a very relevant and common way of presenting information to an audience. They are relatable, as they are commonly a similar element that has different variations with different words, colors, etc. which millennials identify with. For example, some memes are made from characters from a show or public figure making a funny face. The ability to use an element that allows for many variations is powerful and is what makes memes so trendy and useful.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKO_Ns9FdDU/?igshid=1azcuflurnvyg

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