you are to watch the documentary Feels Good Man, which chronicles the evolution

you are to watch the documentary Feels Good Man, which chronicles the evolution of the image of Pepe the Frog. As you watch the film, pay attention to the encoding/decoding loop, how Pepe does not have one meaning, but what the image signifies changes over time and across contexts. Who does Pepe represent at various points in the character’s history? What is the role of digital platforms and user generated content? How is Pepe monetized–who is making money from the image, and how? Much of the documentary is a story about the battle for a hegemonic meaning–is there a final meaning of Pepe that supersedes all others? Explain how you arrived at that conclusion.
For the final essay, reflect on the documentary and how it illustrates at least three of the theories below. You should directly refer to the readings where the theories are explained. I have listed them below to help jog your memory:
Encoding/Decoding
Hegemony
Discourse
The Frankfurt School
Image-based culture
Neoliberalism
Governmentality
Theories of Representation (Spectacle of the Other, Ginsburg readings)
Commodity Audience
Branding
Social media and interactivity
Technology and Society
Essays should follow traditional organizational structure: Introduction that states your argument/thesis, supporting evidence that demonstrates your mastery in applying the material, and a strong conclusion that reiterates your position and expands on the importance of the topic.
The paper should be 6 pages in length, and include both in-text citations and a bibliography (APA style).