Peer Pedagogies on Digital Platforms by Michael Dezuanni

Author:Michael Dezuanni [Dezuanni, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: YouTube; Let's Play; Minecraft; Stampylonghead; StacyPlays; KarinaOMG; Media Litracy;
Publisher: MIT Press
Published: 2020-08-28T00:00:00+00:00

7 Animal Rescue with StacyPlays

StacyPlays is the YouTube channel of American microcelebrity Stacy Hinojosa, who is in her mid-thirties. The channel differs from the others discussed in this book because its main series, Dogcraft, builds an ongoing coherent narrative about animal rescue and Hinojosa’s own experiences of animal companionship. This storytelling focus culminated with the publication of two New York Times best-selling novels: Wild Rescuers—Guardians of the Taiga (StacyPlays 2018) and Wild Rescuers: Escape to the Mesa (StacyPlays 2019). The StacyPlays channel creates a strong sense of community among young viewers who identify with Hinojosa’s love of animals and her openness about her three dogs, Page, Molly, and Polly, and her cat, Milquetoast, all of which feature on both her Let’s Play channel and her vlog series, Stacyvlogs (394,000 subscribers). Her vlogging channel description demonstrates the close parallel between Hinojosa’s life and her Minecraft Let’s Plays, stating, “Join me and my dogs and cat on our adventures in the mountains of northern Utah! I also play a lot of Minecraft on my gaming channel, StacyPlays” (stacyplays 2018a). Many StacyPlays videos involve rescuing dogs and creating dog-themed builds. The channel is described as “family friendly” and aims to “avoid the use of offensive language, gun violence or adult themes.” This chapter argues that Hinojosa comes across to children as a fun, cool adult who shares their passion for pets and Minecraft. As a consequence, many of Hinojosa’s activities provide designs for young Minecraft players in terms of ideas for building and for ways of becoming in Minecraft and in the world, with a particular focus on kindness toward animals.

Animal companions are a familiar trope in children’s entertainment, providing what Melson (2009, 44) calls “Love on Four Legs.” In the case of StacyPlays, Hinojosa’s focus on her dogs and cat enable her to create a high level of intimacy. She frequently shares stories about her pets’ adventures, challenges, illnesses, injuries, and fun, particularly on Stacyvlogs. Hinojosa regularly posts to her vlog channel, often with her pets also on camera or nearby. She frequently talks about the importance of rescuing animals from shelters and emphasizes that her cat, Milquetoast, is a rescue cat. Animals become a key point of emotional and informational involvement for children as they interact with Hinojosa’s content, establishing a robust network of fan participation. Papacharissi (2018, 1) writes, “Balance between sentiment and information sharing renders networks, and the relationships that sustain them, lively, but also lovable.” Hinojosa’s world building within Minecraft creates opportunities for viewers to emotionally invest in StacyPlays’ animal characters. Her first novel extends the idea of a deep connection between humans and animals, as it is about “a girl raised by a pack of wolves and her quest to protect their shared forest home” (StacyPlays 2018). The peer pedagogies that Hinojosa invites are therefore focused not just on Minecraft play but also on the social, emotional, and ethical practices of interacting with animals.

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