17. The Edible Instagram

Megan Garber, staff writer at the Atlantic, writes about the new gastronomical and photographical idea, the Stickygram. She starts out by addressing the “issue” at hand, which is that “You can’t eat them, [the Instagrams].” Garber explains that they are not usually considered edible things, since they are not exactly material things in the first place. But she presents the solution, which is the U.K. firm Boomf that spray-paints Instagram pictures on 9 square marshmallows for £12. Also, Garber reassures the reader that these Stickygrams "taste… exactly like marshmallows." However, she does warn that they might not be the best way to celebrate someone if their picture is going to be eaten.

Megan Garber does a fantastic job in her essay, since she keeps it interesting and fun, which is why the reader finds himself engaged in the writing. She begins her article with a narrative which is used as a hook to bring the reader inwards and grab his attention. The author also uses humor throughout her essay. For instance, she says “Be careful how you use them, though: That black-and-white photo of your dog may be adorable, but there are also lots of other ways to celebrate Baxter than by sticking him on a twig, toasting him in an open flame, and mashing him between two graham crackers.” In this passage, she references the use of marshmallows in the making of s’mores. Garber jokes that one would not want to celebrate someone else by adding their picture on marshmallows only to melt their picture later on. This usage of humor keeps the pace flowing and keeps the reader’s attention fixed. Additionally, the article’s tone is informal and its style is very conversational. The style and the short and quick paragraph organization resemble a conversation between the author and the reader. Also, due to the usage of slang and modern topics, it is suggested that the audience of this article is mainly young adults.

http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/11/the-edible-instagram/281900/