#IfTheyGunnedMeDown was a successful movement that went viral after starting on Twitter and making it’s way through The New York Times, Washington Post, Time Inc., and other popular news outlets. The hashtag was in response to how the media portrayed Michael Brown, an 18 year old African-American male who was shot by police in Missouri. Instead of using peaceful pictures of Michael, for example in his football jersey, or in his graduation cap and gown, after all, he was going to be graduating very soon, the media used negative images. Images that would make it seem as if Michael was a thug and pictures of him flashing gang signs. Images that would show Michael Brown as a bad person. Unfortunately, this isn’t the first case of this happening. It has become a trend to see news outlets portray African-American victims with unpleasing photos.
As you can see in the tweets mentioned below, people on Twitter got very involved with this hashtag. Users began to tweet the hashtag, #IfTheyGunnedMeDown along with two images of their selves. One being a positive picture of them, for example, a picture of them doing something positive, along with a picture that can portray them in a negative way, such as a picture of them dressed in inappropriate clothing, drinking, throwing gang signs, etc.
Of course, with every viral content that spreads on social media, there is always controversy. Some users felt like the hashtag was “stupid” and wasn’t making a point. Users felt that people shouldn’t have any picture of them selves on the web that can portray them a negative way. They felt that people who were posting these type of pictures with the hashtag wasn’t helping the cause, but instead, possibly digging their selves in a hole.
The #IfTheyGunnedMeDown movement had many people talking on social media, even Ethan Z. Below are some tweets including the hashtag:
#iftheygunnedmedown "is evidence that online campaigns can shape media more broadly, & perhaps shape norms”- @ethanz https://t.co/0GmQbIJ2jt
— Alex Howard (@digiphile) October 20, 2015
#IfTheyGunnedMeDown what picture would they use pic.twitter.com/lJ3k3tT63n
— Scru Face (@King_Ghidorah5) August 11, 2014
A2: I think that #iftheygunnedmedown was a pretty incredible use of Twitter photography as a form of activism #photochat
— Luke Richardson (@onestrattoomany) February 5, 2015
#IfTheyGunnedMeDown would they use my pic on the left or the right? pic.twitter.com/W3W1EUMXvz
— Velvet R0pe of LOTNS (@_bennythejet) August 10, 2014
#iftheygunnedmedown which picture would they use? pic.twitter.com/YgSAUC1R8u
— Rell from Statefarm (@Assheart_Rell) August 10, 2014
#IfTheyGunnedMeDown which pic would they use? pic.twitter.com/RiLUvc1Gd5
— ari$potle (@nathanriveraaa) December 29, 2014
#IfTheyGunnedMeDown which picture of my friends would they use? pic.twitter.com/qvQBxyEYVL
— Kyrie Curving™ (@cdiddy513) August 10, 2014
#IfTheyGunnedMeDown is a stupid hashtag. It's true but y'all are contradicting yourselves by posting vulgar pics if you don't want them used
— Taylor Huff (@DaaaddyTaaay) June 17, 2015
#IfTheyGunnedMeDown is such a STUPID hashtag. Maybe you shouldn't take ratchet looking pictures and then they wouldn't use them. #idiots
— Shelby Biddle (@littttle_biddle) June 15, 2015
#IfTheyGunnedMeDown was started for a reason. We ALWAYS have to protect our image from the media. Media automatically protect the cops.
— Terrell J. Starr (@Russian_Starr) December 21, 2014
I remember seeing this campaign when it first came to the picture. SUPER powerful, I think it demonstrates some of the best things about social media. It shows that social media can rally people together to make serious points and assert valid arguments. If only older generations were more apt on social media so they would have been able to see the campaign and understand it better…