PB1B - Genre Generatin'

              Many types of genre generators exist online that serve different purposes, whether it is a name generator to help people spark their imagination or a restaurant generator to help indecisive people choose what to eat for dinner. One specific example of a genre generator is a website called SCIgen. This website is programmed to generate computer science research papers that are not necessarily coherent. With many flowery words and a strict structure, each of these generated research papers share similarities despite having different content. Beginning with a short title that introduces a topic and the authors, the research papers all have an abstract. The abstracts are programmed to first present a general statement that was once true and then proceed to explain how the research paper will disprove the initial argument. The abstracts in these generated research papers typically start by saying something similar to “many people agree about…” and continue to talk about how things change as a result of time. In turn, the authors of these research papers are able to expand and supplement preexisting ideas with new discoveries. The few sentences in the abstract essentially point out the focus of the paper. 

Following the abstract is typically the introduction, which lays the stepping stones for the rest of the article. They often describe how the paper will be organized by saying something along the lines of “the rest of this paper is organized as follows.” The paper also contains a section that describes the method, design, and model of the experiment. This section is usually accompanied with visuals, such as graphs or diagrams. Next is the implementation section, which sets the framework of the research and explains how optimally the project is carried out. The research papers end with conclusions, which explains validations and the large-scale impact, and references to give others credit. Breaking down this website into the conventions that make up these research papers allows one to see how much each random generation has in common. The content of each paper may differ, but in order for this SCIgen generator to function, it must be programmed to have a certain skeleton. The root of foundation is the same, but each generated paper has the ability to branch out in different ways.

Another genre generator that exists is Pandyland, or a random comic generator. This website generates a small comic strip with three images that share similar conventions such as dialogue with exaggerated emotions. Many of these comic strips also demonstrate an escalation in tone. The images progress to become more graphic. Each image is pretty random, causing the comic strip to be illogical. However, many of the images contain content that is relatable to society. For example, there are references to technology such as iPads, social media sites such as Twitter and Instagram, and miscellaneous activities such as being intoxicated. The incoherence of these comic strips can actually aid one’s understanding of genre because the viewers can still agree that each random generation can be categorized as a comic. Despite the lack of fluidity from one image to the next, as long as the strip has the common features of having multiple cartoon images, dialogue, and exaggerated expressions, the strip can be categorized as a comic. In other words, as long as something encompasses a majority of the conventions of a genre, it can be considered to be a branch of said genre.

The third genre generator is a meme generator. With the intention of evoking laughter from its audience, the caption in memes are often accompanied by images that are allusions to popular movies. There are countless images that are used for memes, but each image typically has its own format for the captions. For example, this image from Game of Thrones has captions that always fit this structure: “Brace yourselves. ____ is coming.”    

Additionally, the convention of this crying female meme is that the captions are typically “#FirstWorldProblems,” or trivial problems that would only be of concern in a developed country. 

If one used the Game of Thrones image along with a “First World Problem” caption, the meme would not make sense, as it would be breaking the conventions of the Game of Thrones meme. The fixed pattern across these memes’ captions is what constitutes each image to be categorized as part of its own genre.

           One website that I have used before is http://wtfsigte.com/. The acronym stands for “Where the f- should I go to eat?” This website generates random restaurants near one’s location as suggestions for where to go for lunch or dinner.

Each time the page is refreshed, the website provides the name and address of a restaurant. The audience has the option to change the settings to display a drink or coffee shop instead of a restaurant as well. The fixed pattern that exists is mainly the suggestion of a restaurant that is in the chosen location.

            It is important to understand that one can observe the similar conventions that exist under a specific genre, but the conventions are just the basis—there is a lot of flexible room for variations. Understanding the conventions of a genre is important to everyone because it guides the way people interpret language and their response to it. Even if something is nonsensical, as long as it follows specific conventions, it can still prompt a normal response from the audience.