NOTES: Origins and Context | See Also
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Origins of this content
This texteo sits on the Fred Fan Rant hidden YouTour so as to be simultaneously "published" in a special issue on fan/remix video at Transformative Works and Culture. It is extracted and refined from a talk presented at the UCSD symposium, Youth Media, Sensory Ability and Visual Culture, 2010.
Contextualization
"The desire to fit in can be overwhelming for children. Our children look to model the examples of popularity they see on television and in magazines. They equate being part of a specific group with social status, personal accomplishments and good fortune. Fitting in—or feeling like you don't fit in—can affect a child's self-esteem, grades and communication and leadership skills."[cit]

According to Jutta Trviranus: "Theoretical proofs and empirical evidence show that diverse perspectives benefit groups, society and individuals. Current Web applications, by artificially emphasizing popularity, discourage this diversity."[cit]
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More videos related to the content of this page
Fred is Dead

An ironic violence generated by jealousy rooted in an illogical miasma of caring and not caring, failure and success, subscribing and unsubscribing leads to this highly viewed parody FRED IS DEAD! (18 million views) and ultimately, given this body of work's juvenile hard-wiring, to Fred is Gay (1.4 million views).

Fred leads to Fred pretenders, as well as Fred homophobic haters (or maybe homo-homagers), all enough like (faggy) Fred to be seeking some of his popularity. Here, fake innocence which imitates ignorance and which just might unleash violence is key. "The only way to top him is to get rid of him."