Occupeep and MemePeep

Admittedly it's a little after Easter for this post, but I thought I would draw upon something quite appropriate to this class: the Washington Post's annual Peep diorama contest.

This contest combines the physical with the virtual. Take something like Peeps: apply the principles of convergence culture (remix big media: Peeps, Media, with creativity) and then make it shareable -- all via the Post Web site.

Now, of course, the Post gets to decide which of the THOUSANDS of Peep dioramas it will select for final peep viewing, but consider this: the user is invited to be part of the process. Big media is opening the gates to user production. It's silly but it's a great example of ordinary people getting involved in something that we might be able to consider civic participation. The Post gets to continue to be authoritative, even if it's just putting forward a Peep contest, and we might see the act of making a Peep diorama as an act of citizenship.

What I really loved, though, were the social media inspired Peep dioramas. Of course, we can all have our own thoughts about Occupy Wall Street, but to some degree, it was facilitated through social media.

So here's the winner:




I also love Meme Peep, inspired by the meme. My sense was that the Post could not pick this as a winner because not everyone was a meme follower on Facebook.



Yes!