This blog will be about the chapter Reappraising the Residual in the book Spreadable Media by Henry Jenkins. The chapter starts out by talking about how YouTube is an item that has a hand in grassroots but otherwise no longer commands the attention of commercial interests. Chicken McNuggets are then brought into the picture. This was content that was generated and spread through the digital gift economy and eventually used directly by a company as promotional material.  A user generated a rapping video about the mean. The original clip was posted to YouTube and then McDonald’s became known of it. They used the original clip but added some title cards and added a tag line at the end.  This is a perfect example of how spreadable media can travel through both market and social exchanges and in both directions.

   

            The chapter then bring up the interesting point of if we could decided that some things bear a market value and others did not, there would be less tension over the worth of something. Services and goods do not necessarily possess market or nonmarket characteristics. The value and conditions are assigned to goods and services, which is in the context of the exchange. A bottle of wine, for example, is brought to a dinner party of the hostess as a thank you. The value of the wine is communicated in the price. It is a big no-no if the price tag is left on the bottle and the person receiving the gift sees it. When I worked at Bath and Body Works, I always tried to remove every price tag when I wrapped gifts. It’s a politeness that is understood. Some people would request I removed the tag and others simply did not seem to care. Either way I always felt as if it was a must.

 The price one does spend on a gift matters as well. People, whether they admit it or not, take notice in the investment made. You never want to give a gift and come across as looking cheap. Spending a certain amount on someone communicates your feelings. If you are not close to someone and you're invited to a baby shower, you may just put some money in a card. If your best friend is getting married then you will spend more money on an extravagant gift. When going to a birthday party, you want your gift to look well balanced and as if time and effort went into it. You do not want to look bad in front of other guests and the celebrated individual.  When I give a present, I try and make it look well balanced and as if it I put a lot of thought into it. I never want a gift to look skimpy. It is simply a Southern thing.

The topic of eBay and Antiques Roadshow are discussed. eBay allows buyers and sellers  to directly negotiate prices. Antiques Roadshow relies on experts who estimate market value. My opinion is that eBay is more practical and relatable. The public is actually naming prices and bidding. When it comes to the Antiques Roadshow, they are having an expert throw
 out numbers when in reality will 
anyone honestly pay that much?

      YouTube is reappraised daily. People go through content and decided which is worthy enough to share and which is not. Other social medias can be reappraised as well, such as: Facebook. Every picture and post is an option to repost or to disregard. The book mentions that some videos on YouTube may stay in a certain confined niche and some others like the Susan Boyle movie can circulate across the world.  The term “fast culture” really hit home with me. Today’s culture is clearly the word "fast". We are always going and staying one step ahead. With the social media, Twitter, a rumor can spread like wildfire. Pictures and videos are like lightning in today's world. One may post something and one hour later it can have 1,000,00 hits.