Read on Twitter
this is not super related to the readings but to start off, i read an article about memes and semantic bleaching (i read several articles on random topics for the final project oops.) and i keep on thinking about the idea that as the picture-text correlation gets reinforced-
the images sort of become lexical symbols of themselves, able to be altered and combined and utilized in tandem for the purposes of conversation
two random examples that i had to google "complex meme" to find:
reading through grundlingh& #39;s paper on memes as speech acts, i think this corroborates grundlingh& #39;s interpretation of memes - the addressee has to recognize the speech act for what it is, and the information conveyed is reliant on context and knowledge
just found this but this is another good one-
i think these are really great examples of grundlingh& #39;s argument about the interpretation and function of memes. effectively, common ground knowledge allows the connection between the image and the text to be exploited to convey an incredibly specific emotion/argument
i think it& #39;s really interesting how this article focuses on the usage of memes to advance arguments, make statements, or express opinions. i definitely think this is more a phenomenon of the older & #39;generation& #39; of memes, namely the shops, macros, and demotivationals mentioned in-
the paper. i think the most common function of memes that i have seen is probably to point out a minute yet relatable fact or phenomenon, and to elicit humor and solidarity therein from the audience
this is why i think the meme format of "not this but that" is so common. i mean, just look at how many iterations there are! admit that these are all the same meme!!!!
but wait, there& #39;s more!
there& #39;s some really excellent metacommentary about how these are all, effectively, the same thing:
and this style is so popular because it serves the function of conveying the age-important message: this is what is expected of me, and this is what i am instead doing
i think this is again a great example of how memes function as speech acts, and the ability of memes to denote specific shared cultural norms (as in, what is and isn& #39;t expected, as well as a flouting of such norms and the expectation that addressees will share in the idea that-
many people fail to adhere to them)
to me, mcculloch& #39;s argument in /because internet/ really boils down to the idea that memes are, for the most part, jokes that get spread around and copied to the point that everyone understands the rules and it gains meaning through that replication
it reminds me a lot of that post that says something along the lines of:
"me: [sees a post that makes no sense] wtf
me: [sees a post that makes no sense, but in the same way] ah so it& #39;s a new meme"
"me: [sees a post that makes no sense] wtf
me: [sees a post that makes no sense, but in the same way] ah so it& #39;s a new meme"
i think this is mostly how memes get replicated and acquired! a super vivid memory i have of this exact process is the "30-50 feral hogs" meme. i have an incredibly vivid memory of seeing a tweet referencing it and going "what is happening on twitter i simply do not understand"-
only to see several more tweets riffing off of the same joke further down my timeline, and only then recognizing that it was in fact a new meme. after seeing a couple such tweets, it becomes really easy to follow the rules and make such a joke on your own, which i think is -
the experience described here in regards to the author& #39;s description of "participatory memedom"
i love the idea that jokes are in many ways a "claim to to cultural space"! the desire to get a joke is in so many ways the desire to be a part of a group that shares the commonality and knowledge that allows that joke to land
i think this really goes back to our discussion of online communities - in my own experience, joining new groups online has been a gradual sequence of failing to understand the in-group jokes, recognizing how they work after a series of observations, and being able to make them-
myself after some time.
