#the writers think ml is a multimedia platform show

[fandomsilhouette]

Hypermediation in ML Media

Foundation: 

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries are a modernization of Pride and Prejudice as well as the first major use of a multi-media platform for storytelling. The characters had tumblrs and twitters and instagrams on which they interacted with the audience as the characters. 

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries also brought to light and popularized the efficacy of performing meta analysis of the text within the source material itself, especially through the form of hypermediation in which media is linked closely through indirect sources (for example, the way that Lydia's video diaries explain the tension in Jane's instagram posts). 

Performative and metatextual media can function on multiple levels simultaneously, with the storyline casting light on itself and the canon text, but also the metatextual decisions made in the writer's room, or the impact of the media in society at large. 

Miraculous Ladybug has character instagrams, and many of the staff have twitters that they use to publicly discuss the series and its contents and details. Astruc is, himself, a character in the show. 

There has been a movement with the popularization of social media that servers to deteriorate the wall between author and consumer. This has brought back to light the idea of God's Word vs Death of the Author, and has blurred the lines between canon source material and externally derived content that is not valid by the premise of the text itself.

Analysis:

Miraculous Ladybug can no longer be consumed in its entirety simply by watching the traditional source content (i.e. the show). Character development and filler occurs in snapshots across multiple instagram posts and comments. Plot holes and details are explained and expounded on in staff-written twitter threads. Furthermore, other writers and animators are engaging in this very publicly performed tug of war on the character storylines. For example, Chloe's redemption has been publicly fought over. This is all performed for the viewer to see, and it informs their reading of her character, but also the reading of the artists, but they know they're performing it.

Taken in the current atmosphere and revolutionary changes in storytelling, this creates an environment where the readings of the story and the staff are creating metatextual commentary on each other and behaving performatively, which requires audience participation with multiple levels and medias of storytelling whether it was intentional or not.

Conclusion:

Miraculous Ladybug is performance art.

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous ladybug theories #hypermediation in new media #pride and prejudice #lizzie bennet diaries #the writers think ml is a multimedia platform show #but I will refuse to let it be #there is a history of multimedia platform content belonging to and for the fans #it's driven by a need to engage with off-culture rewrites of popular media #in a way that appeals to minorities #many of whom make up fandom culture #there's honestly a lot more to say about this #they really expect you to be present and engaged on twitter and instagram #as well as the specials #but honestly? #that's not fair #because it's not advertised as missing content if you aren't on those sites #and the content is contradictory either way #it's a mess #and I'm upset about it #long post