Obituaries in newspapers and magazines are solemn, quiet affairs. But the new media offer a different kind of way of honoring a deceased loved one. You can publish articles, countless picture, interactive guest-books and other gimmicks. But a very popular means of mourning are slideshow obituaries.
A few notes concerning terminology are necessary at this point. The term obituary is traditionally used for text-only formats (sometimes including a single picture) that appear in newspapers. The slideshow obituaries of our corpus are structurally as well as content-wise very different from these. Nonetheless, we use have the term as a starting point for our paper and will use it throughout our text.
One can argue that a comparison between slideshow obituaries and traditional ones is impossible because of the high discrepancies in structure and content. But our reason for omitting such a comparison is based on the fact that an analysis of this kind would have to rely primarily on linguistic aspects. The numerous pictures in slideshow obituaries would be dealt with very briefly and which does not do justice to the prominent role they play in this particular kind of text.
But the “more” of a slideshow obituary is not only the pictures. Other visuals play an important role, the layout, the hosting website. You have the freedom to use different fonts and font sizes. You can create everything from scratch or fall back on websites that provide design templates. You can add music or a voice message. The content is usually much less limited than that of a traditional obituary. This myriad of design possibilities leads to our hypothesis: we propose that, in slideshow obituaries, the different modalities – especially word and image – cannot be separated from one another. They fulfill inherently different functions and each contributes vital information to the overall product.
Following this introduction, there will be a section on online obituaries. It will introduce the concept and give examples of different website providing such a service. Chapter three contains the main part of this paper; the analysis of our small corpus of slideshow obituaries. We will determine the functions of the word and the functions of the image. A comparison of these analyses will support our hypothesis. A conclusion will round off the paper and give an outlook on possible further research.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Online Obituaries
2.1. General Background Information
2.1.2. Advantages and Disadvantages
2.1.3. Some Exemplary Websites
2.2. A critical view on Legacy.com
2.2.1. How to Create a Moving Tribute
2.3. Our Corpus
3. Analysis
3.1. Functions of the Word
3.1.1. Introduction
3.1.2. Analysis of the Functions of the Word
3.2. Functions of the Image
3.2.1. Introduction
3.2.2. Analysis of the Functions of the Image
3.3. Analysis of Text-Image-Relation
4. Conclusion
Objectives and Core Topics
This paper examines the emerging genre of digital "slideshow obituaries," investigating how visual and linguistic modalities interact to honor the deceased. It challenges the traditional reliance on text-only formats, arguing that in digital memorials, the integration of image and word creates a symbiotic relationship that provides a more multifaceted representation of a person's life and character.
- Evolution of mourning rituals in the digital age.
- Critical analysis of commercial obituary platforms like Legacy.com.
- Functional taxonomy of textual content in visual slideshows.
- Visual semiotics and the role of images in expressing emotion and character.
- The interdependency of modalities in digital memorial design.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1.2. Analysis of the Functions of the Word
Almost all our obituaries include text that refers to something that is not in the picture it accompanies. Of Norma Theresa Calabro e.g. we learn that she graduated valedictorian from her high school in 1953. This information can not be obtained from the picture, which shows a beautiful young woman. One can assume, but it is not necessarily so, that the picture has been taken during her high school years.
In the obituary for Oskar Schindler we also find additional information on many slides. The picture on this slide serves to illustrate Schindler’s joining of the Nazi Party. But the first two bullets give us a brief idea of his early financial development. His obituary is the only one that distinguishes between captions and other text on the slide. But, as they both contribute to the perception of the whole slide (and eventually the whole obituary), we will not take this distinction into account.
Another obituary that contains a lot of additional information is the one for Peter Frank Lucenti. Only the first phrase in the example below (“CHRISTMAS LOVE”) refers to what we see in the picture. The rest are shared feelings of a crushed mother, who tells us about the uniqueness of her son and the intensity of her mourning.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the shift from traditional newspaper obituaries to digital slideshows and presents the central hypothesis regarding the symbiotic relationship between word and image.
2. Online Obituaries: Provides a background on the digital death industry, discusses the advantages and disadvantages of online mourning, and examines commercial platforms like Legacy.com alongside the paper's corpus.
3. Analysis: Explores the distinct functions of text and image within slideshows, categorizing how each modality serves to provide information, establish relations, interpret visuals, or act as an art form.
4. Conclusion: Summarizes the findings, confirming the interdependency of modalities, and proposes the term "memorial slideshow" as a more accurate descriptor than traditional industry terminology.
Keywords
Online obituaries, slideshow memorials, digital mourning, text-image relation, Legacy.com, modality, bereavement, funeral culture, multimedia, memorial design, semiotics, digital legacy, visual communication, commemorative practices.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this academic work?
The paper explores the structural and functional characteristics of digital slideshow obituaries, a new form of online mourning that combines visual and textual elements to commemorate the deceased.
What are the core thematic areas discussed?
The study centers on the transition of mourning from print to digital media, the commercialization of remembrance, the semiotic functions of images, and the symbiotic role of language in multimedia tributes.
What is the central research question?
The research asks how different modalities—specifically words and images—interact in online obituaries and whether they can be considered separate or if they form an inseparable, unified whole.
Which methodology is applied in this analysis?
The authors use a qualitative analysis of a corpus of fourteen selected online obituaries to observe and categorize the specific functions that text and visuals perform in a slideshow context.
What does the main body of the paper cover?
The main body investigates the functions of the word (such as providing background information and artistic expression), the functions of the image (such as evoking emotion and detailing character), and the relationship between the two.
Which keywords define the scope of this work?
Key terms include online obituaries, slideshow memorials, digital mourning, text-image relation, and memorial design.
How does the author view the platform Legacy.com?
The authors provide a critical analysis of Legacy.com, noting its dominance in the industry, its commercial orientation, and the strict moderation of content which ensures a specific, "celebratory" tone for the deceased.
How is the term "memorial slideshow" justified?
The authors argue that "obituary" is too closely tied to cold, text-only newspaper formats, and "tribute" is a trademarked brand term, thus suggesting "memorial slideshow" as a neutral and accurate term for this digital medium.
- Citar trabajo
- Steffanie Bauer (Autor), 2006, Dying in text and picture - online obituaries, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/154402
