Pokémon Go became one of the most popular games in the world right after its release in 2016. For a short time, the game became part of pop culture, which influenced various areas of trade, production, and even the restaurant business. However, today Pokémon Go is no longer so popular, although thousands of players worldwide still collect Pokémon on the streets of their cities. This paper will analyze the characteristics of Pokémon Go’s pop culture that contributed to its success and the current place of the game.
Narrative Analysis
In 2016, Pokémon Go became a unique game due to its atypical features that helped bring an online play to the offline world. Nintendo has combined the typical online gaming story of finding things, or in this case, Pokémon, with augmented reality features. Thus, players could see game characters on their phone screens that come to life in the middle of a street or a shopping center. This feature has been key to the popularity of Pokémon Go.
Another feature of the game was virtually no created narrative. The game was based on the popular cartoon series Pokémon, but this story was not engaged in developing the plot. In other words, the players themselves created the narrative by looking for Pokémon, fighting other players or common enemies (Broom et al., 2019). This feature was both positive and negative for the success of the game. Immersive narratives of Pokémon Go allow players to get involved in the story and actively participate in it, instead of passively observing and completing orders, which motivates play and generates interest (Tang, 2017 ). In other words, this feature gives freedom of action and imagination. However, the lack of a coherent story takes away the game’s ultimate goal; therefore, over time, the player loses interest in new achievements, which is what happened with Pokémon Go. Thus, the absents of a pre-created narrative in the game was key to the initial success of Pokémon Go but also led to a rapid decline in popularity after the first wave of general infatuation.
Semiotic Analysis
The marketing strategy of games differs significantly from advertising goods, since, most often, users are its main distributor. This approach was also key for Pokémon Go as players spread information online by sharing achievements, tips, and pieces of advice for the game. However, the pre-launch Pokémon Go trailer shows several important semiotic elements that have influenced the game’s popularity. In the first seconds of the official promo video, viewers see an image of the Earth, which speaks of the global nature of the game (The Official Pokémon YouTube channel, 2015). For a second, a red cap, a dark T-shirt, and a hairstyle like the main character of the animated series Pokémon also appear in the frame, which demonstrates the connection between the game and the original TV series.
Psychoanalysis And Social Norms
Analysis of the videos also demonstrates that this game is intended for a broad audience and does not reinforce or inhibit specific social roles. For example, while young people play a central role in the video, the last scene demonstrates people of different races, gender, age, and appearance, who are united by love to the game. For this reason, Pokémon Go actually resists the stereotypes that games are for kids and teens, and games that include fighting are aimed at a male target audience. Moreover, practical research confirms this tendency, since although there are still differences between perceptions of players of different ages and genders, it is not such significant (Potts & Yee, 2019). In addition, the developers attracted an audience over 25 years old by using nostalgia for the TV show that was most popular in the late 90s and nostalgia for outdoor games and insect catching for older audiences (Broom et al., 2019; Keogh, 2017). Simultaneously, the game’s interactivity and characters made the game appealing to children who are not familiar with the culture of the original Pokémon.
Social Roles
Moreover, while Pokémon Go does not reinforce typical social roles, the game uses a hero and adventurer image to attract players. Most people are interested in discoveries, riddles, and adventures that are almost inaccessible in modern day-to-day life. According to Laato and Rauti (2021), a significant part of Pokémon Go players are interested specifically by exploration aspect. Pokémon Go allows players to feel like the hero of a quest simply and safely and experience a sense of their power. In addition, as Davies (2020) notes, the love of collecting is driven by the Japanese historical tradition that formed the basis of the game. In this way, the reference to the bold and heroic characters of the adventure has allowed Pokémon Go to inspire an audience that wants to break out of everyday life and experience adventure.
Fan Community Analysis
A search on the Internet does not show many results for Pokémon Go fan clubs. The largest Pokémon Go community is the Pokémon Go Worldwide (Official) Facebook group created in 2016 with 199 thousand members (Pokémon Go Worldwide (Official), n.d.). The main content of the page is the latest news about game updates, questions about finding Pokémon and achievements, and memes on the topic. Another large fan community is GoHub, which has a website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter with the largest number of members (260 thousand). The content of this community is similar to Pokémon Go Worldwide, but its advantage is long-read articles, a schedule of events, and raids for members (GoHub, n.d.). Both of these communities are robust because they allow members to exchange information, since Pokémon Go does not have clear rules and scenarios, which forces players to search for new approaches to development. In addition, the raid format, which requires many players to participate simultaneously, also forces them to seek support from the community. However, a specific feature of these communities is engaging content and humor, since they help players progress and keep them entertained.
Nevertheless, communities have almost no special rituals or traditions other than those established by the game rules. For example, every month, there is an online event that allows players to receive special bonuses (Zeroghan, 2021). Raids are also necessary for players to catch new Pokémon and double their points, but, in fact, they are offline meetings that stimulate communication. The only distinguishing feature is memes, which can only be understood by the people involved in the game (Fig. 1), although some of them are understandable to the general audience (Fig. 2). In addition, one can find stories about Pokémon on various fanfiction sites, but they most often refer to cartoon and movie characters but not to the game. Consequently, while the game is still a part of popular culture, the number of its participants has dropped significantly since 2016, which also influenced the community by making it more of a subculture.
References
Broom, D. R., Lee, K. Y., Lam, M., & Flint, S. W. (2019). Go ta catch ’em al or not enough time: Users motivations for playing Pokémon Go™ and non-users’ reasons for not installing. Health psychology research, 7(7714), 1-9. Web.
Davies, H.(2020). Japanese seasonal play a prehistory of Pokémon GO. American Journal of Play, 12(3), 305-337.
GameSpot (2017). Pokémon GO – Legendary trailer [Video]. YouTube. Web.
GoHub. (n.d.). Home. Web.
Keogh, B. (2016). Pokémon Go, the novelty of nostalgia, and the ubiquity of the smartphone. Mobile Media & Communication, 5(1), 38–41. Web.
Laato, S., & Rauti, S. (2021). Central Themes of the Pokémon franchise and why they appeal to humans. Proceedings of the 54th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. Web.
Pokémon Go Worldwide (Official). (n.d.). About [Facebook page]. Facebook. Web.
Potts, R., & Yee, L. (2019). Pokémon Go-ing or staying: Exploring the effect of age and gender on augmented reality game player experiences in public spaces. Journal of Urban Design, 24(6), 878–895. Web.
Tang, A. K. Y. (2017). Key factors in the triumph of Pokémon GO. Business Horizons, 60(5), 725–728. Web.
The Official Pokémon YouTube channel. (2015). Discover Pokémon in the real world with Pokémon GO! [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Zeroghan (2021). Pokémon GO new Pokémon snap celebration event. GoHub. Web.
Lady Gaga’s “Women In Hollywood” Acceptance Speech
After her debut as a leading role actress in Ryan Murphy’s A Star Is Born, Lady Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, won the “Woman in Hollywood” reward presented by Elle magazine. On occasion, Lady Gaga gave a deeply emotional acceptance speech, during which she admitted having been sexually assaulted at the age of nineteen (Lady Gaga Opens Up about Sexual Assault and Mental Health”). Lady Gaga’s “Women in Hollywood Acceptance Speech” is an example of powerful and highly successful rhetoric based mostly on emotions and not on facts and references.
Lady Gaga begins her speech by thanking the previous speakers. Later, the singer addresses her best friend in the audience and tells a story about their childhood. When Lady Gaga recalls her memories related to Jennifer Lopez, she communicates directly with her, as the celebrity sits in the audience. A major part of the speech is dedicated to Lady Gaga’s confession about being a victim of sexual assault at the age of 19 and her feelings about that. With this example, Lady Gaga transitions her speech to its topic: mental health. Essentially, she urges people in the audience to make the world a better place by promoting mental health care and support for people all over the world. She finishes the speech by thanking her loved ones, her colleagues, and the words: “Breed compassion. Amen fashion,” which is an allusion to the title of one of her songs.
The first criterion in the context of a rhetorical analysis of a speech is logos, which stands for logic and reason in speech. To begin with, it is necessary to analyze the structure of the speech. The speech opens with thanks and a personal story in order to appeal to the audience. After this, Lady Gaga tells another story of choosing the dress for the event that leads to the topic of the speech: “What does it mean to be a woman in Hollywood?” She proceeds with recalling her experience of sexual assault and leads to the matter of mental disorders. To make sure that her concerns are credible, Lady Gaga reveals official statistics on mental disorders, but she does not mention the source.
To mark the climax of the speech, Lady Gaga answers the rhetorical question about being a woman in Hollywood. At the end of the speech, the intensity subsides. The singer uses many metaphors and analogies to keep the audience interested. For example, her quote “today I wear the pants” is a metaphor because she wears a men’s oversized suit and talks about how women should take their power back.
The second criterion of the rhetorical analysis, known as pathos, is a key element of Lady Gaga’s speech. The very speech opens with her crying over the previous speech, so the speaker is noticeably emotional. Lady Gaga’s whole speech is based on her personal experiences and feelings, and such an appeal is significantly popular with the audience, as they respond with applause and laughter. A few times during the speech, Fady Gaga uses explicit words to intensify the emotion she addresses, and the usage of such words seems appropriate in the context. She also uses various nonverbal language cues, such as hand gestures. She frequently points her finger when trying to justify her point of view, and such a technique significantly increases the emotionality of the message.
It is also necessary to mention that during the speech, Lady Gaga starts to cry several times, and the audience supports her. Thus, her emotional attachment to the story outweighs the need for proof and credible statistics. Finally, it is remarkable that while it is very popular to end the speech with an inspirational quote, Lady Gaga chooses to quote herself in order to lighten the mood in the audience.
The last criterion of analysis is known as ethos, and it is related to the credibility of the speaker. The image of Lady Gaga is somehow controversial, as the singer is known for extravagant appearances and bold statements. However, while many people feel strange about her clothing, she does not have a bad reputation as a person. For this reason, the audience believes her and perceives her speech positively. Lady Gaga also presents facts and statistics about mental health disorders, but she does not cite them. Hence, it is unclear whether they are up-to-date and credible. When delivering the speech, she sounds vulnerable and emotional but very confident. The confidence comes from the moderate pace of her speech and right stress in the sentences, as she accentuates emotional words and facts in order to keep the listeners’ attention. In conclusion, it may be noted that the personal branding of the speaker, in this case, plays a more important role than the speech itself.
Considering the analysis of ethos, pathos, and logos as primary parts of rhetoric, it may be concluded that Lady Gaga’s “Woman in Hollywood Acceptance Speech” for Elle magazine is so emotionally powerful that there is no need for facts and references to present the message. The sincerity played a major role in the success of this speech, as listeners, especially women, feel the emotional attachment to the speaker and her story. Moreover, the status of the speaker is a significant factor in the context of speech’s success.
Work Cited
Panic Disorder: Causes, Signs, Symptoms, And Treatments
Panic disorder is a condition where one experiences repeated unanticipated panic attacks. People who have the disorder stay in fear of experiencing panic attacks. One may have a panic attack when they experience sudden, overwhelming fright with no definite cause. A panic attack’s physical symptoms include sweating, having difficulty in breathing, and a racing heartbeat. According to the American Psychological Association, many people undergo a panic attack once or twice in their lives, and mostly one out of seventy-five people experiences panic disorder. The paper will discuss the causes of panic disorders, signs and symptoms of panic disorder, the diagnosis of panic disorder, and the treatments required for panic disorders.
Even though the symptoms of panic disorder are pretty frightening and overwhelming, the condition can be improved with treatment. Symptoms of the disorder often start to appear in youths under the age of twenty-five years. If one experiences a panic attack or even live-in fear of experiencing another panic disorder, they might have panic disorder. The attacks produce enormous fear that begins abruptly (Miralles, 2020). The attack experiences and symptoms vary from one person to another. Common symptoms experiences include a racing heartbeat, difficulty in breathing, nausea, choking, sweating, trembling, reform of mental state where there is a feeling of unreality, numbness, chest pains, and the feeling of one might die. These panic attack symptoms often happen for no reason. The symptoms are not compatible with the amount of danger that exists in that environment at that moment.
The cause of panic attacks has not been recognized. Research shows that panic disorders may be genetically connected. However, panic disorder may also be connected with a remarkable transformation in a person’s life (Quagliato & Nardi, 2018). For example, graduating from college, getting a spouse, or even having a first-born kid are all major transformations that may develop stress and lead to the development of panic disorder.
According to the national institute of health, information about the disorder does not clearly show which group is at risk of developing the disorder. However, most women are twice as likely as males to develop panic attack conditions (Yonkers et al., 2017). Anxiety affects females more than males. Females have metacognitive beliefs about the uncontrollability of anxiety. The female gender tends to worry too much about something than males.
Diagnosis of panic attacks can be made through seeking medical care. Often many people that experience a panic attack for the first time tend to think that they are experiencing a heart attack. In emergency care, several tests are done to examine if the symptoms are causing a heart attack to diagnose panic disorder. They run different blood tests to rule out other conditions that can cause similar symptoms (Wichmann et al., 2017). If there is no emergency basis in the symptoms, one will be referred back to the doctor where mental health examination is done, and the doctor asks one on one questions concerning the symptoms. Before diagnosing the panic disorder, the doctor will have to rule out other medical disorders from the test results and a mental examination.
Treatment of panic disorder primarily major on decreasing or eliminating the symptoms of the health issue. Treatment is done through therapy with a qualified professional and, in other instances, prescription of medication. The therapy mainly involves cognitive behavioral therapy that teaches the patient ways of changing their actions and thoughts, understanding risks, and managing fear. The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are the best treatment for panic attacks. They include fluoxetine, sertraline which is an antidepressant prescribed for panic disorder, and paroxetine (Perna & Caldirola, 2017). In addition, there are several steps one takes from home to decrease the symptoms. The steps include keeping up with a consistent schedule, consistent exercising, having enough sleep, and avoiding stimulants such as caffeine.
The long-term prospect of this disorder is that the disease is long-term that can be hard to treat because most people with the disorder do not respond positively to the treatment. Some people may sometimes show no symptoms, while other times, they portray quite severe symptoms (Van Dis et al., 2020). Nevertheless, many people with panic disorder will show some symptom relaxation through the treatment.
Panic disorder is associated with agoraphobia, where agoraphobia is the fear of involving oneself with public places and open places. In addition, it is believed that agoraphobia develops as an issue of panic attacks and panic disorder (Hofmeijer-Sevink, 2017). Agoraphobia appears in the first recurrent of attacks. If one is agoraphobic, they are afraid of experiencing a panic attack in a place where escape would be hard or embarrassing or can’t access help. Because of such fears, one starts avoiding public places or going anywhere without somebody who makes them feel safe.
Panic disorder may not be likely prevented; however, one can reduce the symptoms by avoiding stimulants such as caffeine and illegal drugs. One should also note helpful actions whenever they experience distressing symptoms that may follow a distressing life episode (Livermore et al., 2019). If one is stressed, they should seek help from a doctor before the condition can worsen, which affects them health wise.
To sum up, seeing someone suffering a panic attack can be terrifying, whereby they may show severe symptoms of a panic attack or maybe think it’s a heart attack. Regardless of how unreasonable one may their panicked response to the condition, it is significant to know that the danger seems very real to the person. Simply asking them to calm down or decline their fear won’t help, but helping them can help them feel less fear full or Rideout a panic attack in the future.
References
Hofmeijer-Sevink, M. K., Duits, P., Rijkeboer, M. M., Hoogendoorn, A. W., Van Megen, H. J., Vulink, N. C.,… & Cath, D. C. (2017). No effects of D-cycloserine enhancement in exposure with response prevention therapy in panic disorder with agoraphobia: a double-blind, randomized controlled trial. Journal of clinical psychopharmacology, 37(5), 531-539.
Livermore, N., Sharpe, L., & McKenzie, D. (2010). Prevention of panic attacks and panic disorder in COPD. European Respiratory Journal, 35(3), 557-563.
Miralles, I., Granell, C., García-Palacios, A., Castilla, D., González-Pérez, A., Casteleyn, S., & Bretón-López, J. (2020). Enhancing in vivo exposure in the treatment of panic disorder and agoraphobia using location-based technologies: A case study. Clinical Case Studies, 19(2), 145-159.
Perna, G., & Caldirola, D. (2017). Management of treatment-resistant panic disorder. Current treatment options in psychiatry, 4(4), 371-386.
Quagliato, L. A., & Nardi, A. E. (2018). Cytokine alterations in panic disorder: A systematic review. Journal of affective disorders, 228, 91-96
Van Dis, E. A., Van Veen, S. C., Hagenaars, M. A., Batelaan, N. M., Bockting, C. L., Van Den Heuvel, R. M.,… & Engelhard, I. M. (2020). Long-term outcomes of cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety-related disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Psychiatry, 77(3), 265-273.
Wichmann, S., Kirschbaum, C., Böhme, C., & Petrowski, K. (2017). Cortisol stress response in post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, and major depressive disorder patients. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 83, 135-141.
Yonkers, K. A., Gilstad-Hayden, K., Forray, A., & Lipkind, H. S. (2017). Association of panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and benzodiazepine treatment during pregnancy with the risk of adverse birth outcomes. JAMA Psychiatry, 74(11), 1145-1152