NBA Memes- The Role of Fan Image Macros within the Online NBA Fan Community Michael Lee (N8429634) Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy PhD Thesis Principal Supervisor: Dr. Stephen Harrington Associate Supervisor: Associate Professor. Jean Burgess Faculty of Creative Industries Queensland University of Technology 2017 Keywords Keywords Memes, Internet Memes, Image Macros, Basketball, NBA, Race, Masculinity, Popular Culture, Sports, Social Media, Brain Scalabrine, Jeremy Lin, Donald Sterling, Michael Jordan, Asian, African-American, Digital Communication. i Abstract Abstract This project explores internet memes, pinpointing the utilisation of images macros by online-based basketball fans, as a cultural tool for communication, conversation, critique and debate. More specifically, this study will focus on how basketball fans through image macros, are engaging with different facets of culture, not limited to sport. What makes basketball memes stand out in comparison to memes of other professional sports pertains to the generativity of the image macros. The term ‗generativity‘ refers to how a text through extensive remix, imitation and circulation through online social networks, can potentially invoke indifferent responses from participants who are exposed to the meme. In terms of basketball memes, the images of basketball stars at times become generative in their own right, as a result of the utilisation of them by fans through memes, binding them to a host of different cultural viewpoints, some of which contradict their professionally-crafted star images and the corporate visions of their endorsements, teams and leagues. This fan generativity is influenced by several intervening factors, from the history of the world‘s most famous basketball competition, the NBA, to how the league is marketed, to other cultural influences related to social identities concerning masculinity, politics, religion, sexuality and in particular, race. ii Abstract Looking at race was not the original objective of this research; however, during the analytical phases of this project, it became apparent that social distinctions concerning race was often used as an entry point for discussion about basketball and other aspects of culture within fan-created basketball memes. The use of memes in this capacity also implies a cultural struggle to understand and respond to the various racial representations that exists within society. Despite the NBA‘s progressive efforts to narrow the racial divide with community initiatives both in the U.S and globally, the existence and circulation of fan-created image macros draw on traditional social identity distinctions concerning different races demonstrates that race is re-emerging as an issue within online basketball communities. It is contended in this research that the idiosyncratic nature of basketball memes are motivated by non-serious sports-related banter, and yet they can potentially offer legitimate insight by often drawing on popular cultural myths and trends. This is comprised in the way users are able to create and share texts that express the tone of their feelings, or how audiences can read or interpret a text, and replicate it so that it makes sense to them. iii Table of Contents Contents Keywords ....................................................................................................................... i Abstract ......................................................................................................................... ii Contents ........................................................................................................................ 4 Statement of Original Authorship .............................................................................. 7 Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................ 8 Cultural prominence of sports memes: Crying Jordan ............................................ 9 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 12 Changing nature of professional sport ............................................................. 15 Digitalised sport media ...................................................................................... 16 Memes in popular culture ................................................................................. 19 Cultural circumstances of NBA Fandom ......................................................... 21 Memes in the NBA ............................................................................................. 22 Thesis Outline ..................................................................................................... 26 Chapter 1– Transmedia sports in Contemporary Culture ..................................... 31 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 31 Brief History of Commercialised Professional Sport ..................................... 32 The Transition of Broadcast Sport into the Digital Era ................................. 35 Ebbsfleet United ................................................................................................. 37 Social Media ....................................................................................................... 40 Influences of digital fan culture ........................................................................ 45 Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 54 Chapter 2- Literature Review: Memes .................................................................... 58 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 58 Memes in Internet Culture ................................................................................ 58 You Can Play This Game Too .......................................................................... 63 Trolling and the mainstreaming of Memes ...................................................... 68 More recent study of internet memes ............................................................... 71 Critiques of „Meme‟ concept ............................................................................. 75 Popular Knowledge on Memes ......................................................................... 77 Image Macros ..................................................................................................... 79 Image Macros: Lolcats ...................................................................................... 82 Image Macros: Brace Yourselves ...................................................................... 84 Research Gaps .................................................................................................... 87 Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 90 Chapter 3- NBA Fandom: A Short History ............................................................. 93 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 93 4 Table of Contents 70s – 80s: Too “Black” for a predominately White audience. ....................... 94 The NBA as a global spectacle. ....................................................................... 100 Magic and Bird ................................................................................................. 104 Dream Team I, 1992 Olympics ....................................................................... 107 The “Flying Man” Michael Jordan ................................................................ 112 Globalisation of the NBA................................................................................. 118 Digitally bringing the NBA to the world ........................................................ 123 Race ................................................................................................................... 132 Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 137 Chapter 4- Methodology.......................................................................................... 140 Content Analysis .............................................................................................. 143 Intercoder Reliability Test .............................................................................. 147 Textual Analysis ............................................................................................... 156 Interviews.......................................................................................................... 162 Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 167 Chapter 5- Memes in the NBA ................................................................................ 170 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 170 Are basketball memes really more popular?................................................. 172 Basketball memes as a cultural tool ............................................................... 191 Basketball image macros and popular cultural texts ................................... 196 Vernacular Creativity in