What The Hell Is A Meme?

[mikethompson]

A meme is not just a picture with words, or a cartoon. My understanding is that it has to be a fairly common or popular image, with different text to go with it.

How this thread has a sidebar discussion of Darwin I don't quite understand.

 

[cshubhra]

See @seldom post above. The term/concept meme was introduced by neo-Darwinism proponent Richard Dawkins many years ago. It became popular in the mainstream with the advent of internet as it provided a medium where memes can multiply. A lot of people no longer know the origin or the theory of a meme.

A meme is not just a picture with words, or a cartoon. My understanding is that it has to be a fairly common or popular image, with different text to go with it.

How this thread has a sidebar discussion of Darwin I don't quite understand.

 

[captainsousie]

First, LMGTFY.

Meme:

• 1.
  an element of a culture or system of behaviour passed from one individual to another by imitation or other non-genetic means.
  
  
• 2.
  an image, video, piece of text, etc., typically humorous in nature, that is copied and spread rapidly by Internet users, often with slight variations.

Second, anything can be a meme. Anything that spreads rapidly across communication platforms can be a meme like a stupid video of somebody crashing their BMW or pictures of cats with cheese slices on their heads. It's not really any different from The Beatles or the Greatful Dead bears. Whatever makes somebody chukle and pass it on or makes them feel superior and part of a unique group that understands the joke is a meme.

Here's one...

Get off my lawn!!

 

[Kozeman]

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

???

 

[Bowie]