[Air-L] CFP: PRECONFERENCE WORKSHOP ON INTERNET CATS!

[Andrew Herman]

AOIR Internet Cat Proposal for IR 15 Preconference Proposal 
 Hi All

I would like to put together a preconference workshop on thesubject of Internet Cats: LOL Cats and Icanhazcheezbuger;  Internet Cat Videos and International Internet Cat Video Festivals;  Internet Cat Memes and Gatonovelas;  Internet Cat Ur-Demigods such as Keyboard Cat and contemporary luminaries suchas Lil Bub,  and documentaries about them, and so on. Clearly, the myth that the “Internetis Made of Cats” is widely held but nobody really knows why and, with theexception of Kate Miltner’s MA work at the LSE, there has been little sustainedanalytical consideration of Internet Cats. This is an aporia in Critical Internet Studies that must be addressed as soon as possible. If not now, when?

The purpose of the workshop is to bring together scholarswho have interest in pursuing the theorization, conceptualization and empiricalanalysis one of Internet Cats the most important features of evolving Internetculture.  Please let me know if you areinterested. All I need at this point is an expression of interest inparticipating, your institutional affiliation, and-if you have one- a title ofa brief presentation. PLEASE CONTACT ME BY FEBRuARY 28 at the latest.

 
Andrew Herman



Associate Professor
Department of Communication Studies
Wilfrid Laurier University
Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5