Internet memes? Me gusta!
What does ‘Me gusta’ mean? The word is a Spanish phrase meaning ‘I like it’. It corresponds to the sketched face on the right, and generally describes a state of being both disturbed and pleased. Confused? Let’s illustrate with an example. Ever experienced the rage of having water in your ear? Oh well, rather than describe the pleasure of feeling the water finally drip out of your ear in long winded paragraphs, just take a look at the rage comic below. That hits the spot, doesn’t it? The sketched face is a rage face, and many of these faces form rage comics. Although simple and crudely drawn, rage comics can effectively convey messages in a way that is near universal, which is exactly why they are so popular. They are a part of a rising internet phenomenon, called internet memes.
WHAT are internet memes?
Do you have any inside jokes among your circle of friends? Like a reference to silly things you have done, or a nickname referring to a particular person? Internet memes are the exact same thing — inside jokes of the internet. They range from movie captions to animal pictures, basically anything that can make you chuckle.
The word meme comes from the word gene, coined by biologist Richard Dawkins in his book The Selfish Gene in 1976, to explain the movement and formation of cultural ideas, behavior or style. According to Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection, genetic information is selectively passed onto the next generation depending on survival of the fittest. When applied to culture, it is similar—what’s popular or not depends on how quickly it is spread from one person to another. Internet memes are pictures, videos or concepts that spread through the internet. While most are designed for humor, some are to mock celebrities or social issues, for example the latest North Korean missile launch.
Fig. 1: (Clockwise from top left) McKayla Maroney is not impressed with the newest iPhone; meme on N. Korean Launch failure; spoof of Beyonce’s unflattering pics during the Super Bowl; new text on Spiderman comics from the 60s |
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WHERE can we find internet memes?
The internet—obviously—but more specifically social networking sites like Twitter or Facebook where pictures and videos can go viral. Image-board sites such as Reddit, Digg, I Can Has Cheezburger, 4chan and 9gag, are also other popular places to hunt for internet memes. They are platforms designed to share internet memes, last of which shows a rising trend of usage according to a global traffic chart in February 2012 (see Fig. 2)
There are just so many sites to choose from, so let’s take a look at each of their features.
Fig. 2: Global traffic chart showing usage trends of different meme sites
Site: 9gag.com
Launched: 2008
Founders: Ray Chan, Chris Chan
Theme: Just For Fun (basically anything funny)
Attraction: humour in poorly designed black and white four-square comics, known as rage faces
Special Feature: User friendly interface connected with Facebook; App for mobile devices
Comments: So addictive that it ‘will eat your soul and won’t let go!’ according to review of the App
Site: Cheezburger.com (I can has Cheezburger)
Launched: 2007
Founders: Eric Nakagawa, Kari Unebasami
Theme: lolcats
Attraction: destructively adorable animal pictures, especially cats (lolcats), with idiosyncratic, grammatically incorrect captions designed for humour (lolspeak)
Special Feature: A LOL Builder so you can create your own lolcat; Part of the Cheezbuger Network which also owns Fail Blog and Know Your Meme
Site: Reddit.com
Launched: 2005
Founders: Steve Huffman, Alexis Ohanian
Theme: Entertainment News
Attraction: IAMA (I am a), where people prompt other users to AMA (ask me anything) or AMAA (ask me almost anything).
Highlight: President Barack Obama’s IAMA while campaigning for his re-election in 2012, which is the highest rated site as of February 2013
Special Features: sub-reddits so you know where to find something
Site: Digg.com
Launched: 2004
Founders: Jay Adelson, Kevin Rose
Theme: Online news
Attraction: Depth and variety of content
Special Feature: The first networking site to set up a submission and voting system
Site: 4chan.org
Launched: 2003
Founders: Christopher Poole
Theme: Anime and Manga (Otaku Culture)
Attraction: Birth place of most memes (e.g. Rickrolling, lolcats)
Special Feature: You can make posts anonymously
Drawbacks: racist, sexist or disgusting comments due to anonymity
WHY do we like them?
 Fig 3. Caption from Disney’s The Lion King in 1994, featuring the antagonist Scar’s reaction towards his dumb henchmen (hench-hyenas). |
In general, it’s to get away from the harshness of real life.
It’s infuriating, isn’t it? Oh, and don’t forget those pseudo-inspirational quotes (see picture on right). As people with higher expectations on life, specially on grammar, it’s not unusual to feel misunderstood when we are constantly “surrounded by idiots”. Meme platforms bring these intelligent people who share the same geeky interests together (think Marvel heroes, Star Wars and The Big Bang Theory). For example, there are quite a lot of anime fans in Western countries. Through 4chan, they can get together and share their common interests.
It’s not that all internet meme viewers are all misunderstood intelligent beings though. With the advancements of gaming technology, a new generation of home dwellers, mostly males, has emerged.
They are an interesting group to examine. On one hand, they question the logic of video games, and on the other hand, they chase after the newest game of Call of Duty (a First Person Shooting game). But what do they have to do with internet memes? Think about it, if they stay indoors all day to play video games, would they have friends in real life? Very few at most. Hence, the only way for them to find people of their same interest is through the internet. As more gamers gather on the meme platforms, they create memes of their own to share their own inside jokes.
Perhaps you may think “I’m just there for the fun”. This is a valid reason as well—life ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. While some get together to share interests, some enjoy the humour, especially from lolcats. Human behaviours and captions are attached to adorable pictures of housecats, which will warm you to the cockles of your heart. These platforms provide a place for users to share interesting little bits of joy in life.
HOW do memes convey our ideas?
The power of a picture cannot be underestimated. Simple examples can be found in demotivational posters. Similar to motivational posters found in offices, they consist of a picture with a black border and a white title in capital letters. Demotivational posters, as you can guess from their name, are pessimistic in nature, but at the same time wittily hilarious.
In other internet memes, you may see the same picture, but only to be replaced with another caption, shown. The repeated use of the same image gives the meme its own context, so even if the caption is in a foreign language, you would be able to guess the emotions the creator wants to convey. For instance, Skeptical Fry (see Fig. 10) illustrates skepticism on a phenomenon, and the Socially Awkward Penguin (Fig.11) describes situations where one would feel humiliated, aka socially awkward. Rage faces are also an effective way to display emotions.
(Right) Fig. 11 : Socially Awkward Penguin on failed high fives
WILL internet memes last?
Judging by how quickly things come and go in the modern day society, it is hard to say whether internet memes will be ‘in’ for a long time. The reason they exist is for the entertainment of those who beg to differ from mainstream culture (food pictures and whatnot). But judging from the deteriorating average intelligence of the human population, let’s just cross our fingers and hope that our future generations do not all grow into this (left), or that (below). Otherwise, products of wit and humour, like internet memes, may cease to exist, and that, would be a shame.
Honey Boo-boo
One last laugh
Lai Yan Wing, Cherie
Image Sources:
Me gusta
Oswald, M. (Artist). Me Gusta [Meme], Retrieved August 23, 2013 from: http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/103/740/c2c.png
Rage comic
Rage comic [Meme]. Retrieved August 23, 2013 from: http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lva5naRPOb1qlhv9do1_500.jpg
Fig. 1
(Top left) Kayla Maroney is not impressed with iPhone 5 [Meme]. Retrieved August 23, 2013 from: http://mckaylaisnotimpressed.tumblr.com/post/31419415922/kayla-maroney-not-impressed-with-iphone-5
(Top right ) Launch? I said lunch [Meme] Retrieved August 23, 2013 from: http://weknowmemes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/launch-i-said-lunch.jpg
(Bottom right ) This isn't my final form [Meme]. Retrieved August 23, 2013 from: http://i1.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/012/238/3svw92.jpg
(Bottom left) No, barrel, I insist, after you. [Meme]. Retrieved August 23, 2013 from: http://cdn.smosh.com/sites/default/files/bloguploads/spider-man-barrel.jpg
Fig. 2
comScore global data, (2012). Millions of monthly unique visitors to meme community sites [Graph], Retrieved August 28, 2013 from: http://allthingsd.com/20120412/meet-9gag-the-community-comedy-site-thats-growing-like-crazy/#lizg-ethics
Fig. 3
I'm surrounded by idiots [Meme]. Retrieved August 28, 2013 from: http://www.memecenter.com/fun/23740/Im-surrounded-by-idiots
Fig. 4
Confession Bear [Meme]. Retrieved August 28, 2013 from: http://9gag.com/gag/aARoXAL
Fig. 5
Choo choo. [Meme]. Retrieved August 29, 2013 from: http://twicsy.com/i/pKHAgc
Fig. 6
0.5 caliber to the chest [Meme]. Retrieved August 28, 2013 from: http://cdn.hugelol.org/i700/82474.jpg
Fig. 7
Mom said go play outside. [Meme]. Retrieved August 28, 2013 from: http://weknowmemes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/mom-said-go-play-outside-meme.jpg
Fig. 8
Kung Fu Kitty [Meme]. Retrieved August 28, 2013 from: http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z257/Saralaya180/LOLCATS%20and%20DOGS/KungFuKitty.jpg
Fig. 9
Unique [Meme]. Retrieved August 28, 2013 from: http://lolympics.com/files/images/motivational-poster-unique.jpg
Fig. 10 (From left to right)
Skeptical Fry on Man of Steel [Meme]. Retrieved August 28, 2013 from: http://cdn.lulztruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Skeptical-Fry-is-back.jpg
Skeptical Fry on notetaking [Meme]. Retrieved August 28, 2013 from: http://i.imgur.com/fN4YU.png
Skeptical Fry on Valentine's Day [Meme]. Retrieved August 28, 2013 from: http://blu.stb.s-msn.com/i/6A/FC3BA09BE1D1F1B8C42132B88FE4BB_h316_w628_m5_cXrFhuKmK.jpg
Skeptical Fry on Call of Duty [Meme]. Retrieved August 28, 2013 from: http://t.qkme.me/3qvb1a.jpg
Fig. 11
Socially Awkward Penguin on Failed High Fives [Meme]. Retrieved August 29, 2013 from: http://cdn.memegenerator.net/instances/400x/15632899.jpg
Honey Boo-boo
Honey Boo Boo [Photograph]. Retrieved August 28, 2013 from: http://images.christianpost.com/full/54873/honey-boo-boo.jpg?w=262
Last laugh
Evolution of Man [Meme]. Retrieved August 28, 2013 from: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y1YNUkKW84c/UQ4XKjzD_pI/AAAAAAAAAk4/3CHZ4lzds0g/s1600/evolution-of-man-splittingmythoughtsinto2-tumblr.jpg
Information Sources:
Brown, S., Why are memes so popular? In User Interfaced. Retrieved August 29, 2013 from http://userinterfaced.com/why-are-memes-popular/
Chatfield, T. (17 April 2013). The 10 best words the internet has given English. In The Guardian. Retrieved August 29, 2013 from http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/apr/17/tom-chatfield-top-10-internet-neologisms
Gannes, L. (12 April 2012). Meet 9GAG, the community comedy site that’s growing like crazy. In All things D. Retrieved August 29, 2013 from http://allthingsd.com/20120412/meet-9gag-the-community-comedy-site-thats-growing-like-crazy/
Sociology of memes (2010). Know your meme. Retrieved August 29, 2013 from http://knowyourmeme.com/forums/meme-research/topics/544-sociology-of-memes
