We think a definition closes doors, but really, it opens a hundred. The magic of intertextuality lies in the creation of new ideas and in showing relationships between texts. Doug Eyman’s article points out that it’s something we come across on a daily basis. As Sullivan argues, “defining a concept is a limiting activity; trying to establish a common meaning can have the effect.” And honestly? FACTS. Rhetoric is everywhere in human communication, and since we all use it, it deserves a seat at the dinner table. Yet what is rhetoric? A fancy English word created to just say it’s the study and act of persuasion, communication. Which brings us to digital rhetoric.
Digital
CHAT WE ARE COOKED, is intertextuality? A form, yes, from memes, to slogans, to songs, and movies. We reference one another without subconsciously realizing it. It’s what allows us to make media more engaging, by also using pathos, to be persuasive, and to know the audience we are engaging with; it’s human nature! You see, the way we perceive the world is the way we connect and comprehend. A perfect example is in The Simpsons, they reference Picasso by having Homer in the same painting, or the Mona Lisa has been made a parody a lot in context to the real painting.
IT’S GIVING
Evolution? Shakespeare, where you at?
As we continue to evolve, so does our language and our linguistics. Digital intertextuality shows how media have made references and connections to better understand the world. People who aren’t in the media, for example, the Amish community, will have no idea what you are saying. It’s almost like a TikTok discourse, haha. It’s accessible, it’s creative, it’s expression, and that’s kind of what Elyman was saying. No matter your age, no matter where you’re from, you have to adapt to everything that is happening now. If you grew up with textbooks and paper, now it’s online PDFs and Word/Docs. Which changes the way we see and view things. It makes us freer, more fluid less constrained. Imagine if the media were spoken like Shakespeare or debates. How boring would that be! That’s what makes us doomless scroll
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