All posts by Emma Hardman

Online Sentiment for Grammys 2012

Posted by on February 14, 2012

[Images via Getty Images]

Ah, The Grammys. That annual chance for us to wonder aloud about who half the nominees are and whether that is their real name. Of course, there is a bit more to watch for, especially for those of you that are up on pop-culture: the performances! The presenters! The insane outfits! There is always lots to discuss the next day and Sunday’s ceremony delivered on that -but what specifically got people talking?

Because The Grammys is often a passionate event- people freely emote about them, everyone LOVES or HATES the performances/artists/acceptance speeches- I thought it would be interesting to look at them through the lens of sentiment. Instead of just seeing how much the people of the internet had to say, let’s also take a look at how positively or negatively they viewed the notable things that occurred.

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Puppy Bowl VIII vs. Super Bowl XLVI

Posted by on February 10, 2012

While much of the country enjoyed (the ads of?) the Super Bowl on Sunday, many of the nation’s viewers chose a different spectacle to eat chili and drink beer to.

These are the people that want to participate in the heraldry and grandeur of the super bowl…but would prefer to watch adorable puppies instead of burly guys. These are the viewers of the Puppy Bowl, an event which annually sets a bunch of puppies loose in a room vaguely resembling a football stadium and lets them have at plush footballs. The show imitates the real thing, complete with player stats, a referee, pig cheerleaders (replacing last year’s spirited chickens) and even a half time show (this year it was “Kitty Half Time”).

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2012 Prediction: Not Done Talking About the Mayan Apocalypse Prophecy

Posted by on January 30, 2012

Ok, we have all heard it (you’ve heard it, right?). According to an ancient Mayan prophecy, the world will come to an end this year. Specifically, December 21, 2012- the winter solstice. In fact, although many of us in the northern hemisphere may hold the beginning of winter akin to the end of the world, the basis of the prophecy is shaky. The rumor, which has in equal parts delighted and terrified many as the year approached, is based on a partially damaged piece of rock that was most likely badly translated. In addition to this, December 21 is simply the last day in the Mayan long-count calendar. Just because the calendar ends is no reason to believe the world does, as we realize every January 1 when we blearily awake and realize we forgot to pick up a new calendar. Mayan scholars, scientists of all kinds- even NASA has pointed out flaws in the so-called prophecy (if you want an impressively in depth FAQ, check this out). But we at Visible® are not here to say who is in the right- we are here to crowdsource what everyone is saying!

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The Internet Reacts to The Death of Joe Paterno

Posted by on January 24, 2012

While we in Seattle were still recovering from our so-called “ice crisis”, the country was reeling from the latest in the Penn State drama. On Sunday, Joe Paterno, the winningest major-college football coach and face of Pennsylvania State University football, passed away from lung cancer. This, after the sudden and very public child sexual abuse scandal that rocked the nation in late 2011, was only the latest time Paterno was the center of national conversation. Using Visible’s®  social media monitoring platform Visible Intelligence®  to look at a sample of those discussing Paterno online, I was able to visualize the scale of this conversation.

As you can see in the chart below, talk about Paterno rose Saturday when Penn State student website Onward State falsely reported his death-a story quickly picked up by many national media organizations. Conversation again spiked on Sunday as reports of Paterno’s actual death came in.

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The Rise and Fall of Tim Tebow, Internet Meme Darling

Posted by on January 23, 2012

I have never followed football. It is one of those pastimes that I am willing to indulge in for underdog local teams (Seahawks!) or rite-of-passage school games (go Cal!) but no matter how many games I attend, the finer points of the sport still elude me. Why are they all lined up there? What’s with those little flag-rope things? Why is a touchdown 6 points? Mysteries, all.

But, with the Super Bowl just around the corner and me spending some time on the internet, even a football-oblivious person like me cannot avoid mention of Tim Tebow. For the two of you out there who somehow wonder, “who is Tim Tebow?”: he is the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos and, depending on with whom you are speaking, falls somewhere between god’s instrument on the football field and an average player. He has been credited with some exciting (some might say…miraculous!) last minute plays but is not great at throwing. Because Tebow has captured the imagination of football fans across the US, and because many of these fans have some free time on their hands and internet access, this devotion has been expressed in meme form.

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What’s Your Resolution?

Posted by on January 10, 2012

It is now 2012 (in case you missed that) and before we can move forward, tradition demands that we set goals for the New Year. That’s right; it’s time to talk resolutions.

Do you have a resolution? Are you still following it? According to a 2002 study, almost 25% of New Year resolvers have given up by the end of the first week in January. This statistic makes this week-the second week of the new year- the perfect time to reflect on what we resolved. And maybe we can sway some of you on the brink of giving up! Keep with it!

What did the online world resolve for this coming year? To find out, I logged on to Visible Intelligence®, Visible’s® social media monitoring platform, and started searching! First, I skimmed over what people on the internet were talking about when talking about resolutions. The regular suspects were all there: this year, I’m losing weight, exercising more, cutting back on cigarettes or alcohol, spending less. There were also many things that fall under what I’m calling Self Improvement: I’m going to learn more, be nicer, and give back. People have big, admirable plans! Read more…

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