Understanding Online Humor: The Emergence of Memes Internet memes have effectively transformed the landscape of internet humor and pop culture. Fuelled by imageboards, jokes, and wit, memes rapidly spread through shared viral content, gaining unprecedented popularity overnight.
Internet memes often originate from a source that may either be a random individual or even famous personalities. The elements that combine to form these memes are typically equipped with hilarious, sarcastic, or ironic undertones that their audience finds relatable.
Let's take the instance of the 'two-button hard choice' meme. Its original format was a comic strip by the popular internet artist @kcgreenn. The online community has since taken the comic strip and made countless situations out of it.
The 'two-button hard choice' meme has undergone various transformations since its inception, adjusting to new contexts and scenarios. This adaptability and humour contributes significantly to its viral nature.
From Subreddits to Virality
Reddit, a platform functioning as an online forum, plays a vital role in viral meme sharing. Threads like r/memes are hotspots for meme generation and circulation, enabling creators to share their humorous content with the world.
In this regard, viral trends like 'dank memes' owe much of their existence to Reddit. They highlight humour that is rooted in internet culture – as their fame blooms, so does recognition for the original creators.
However, Reddit is not the only platform that fuels meme creation and distribution. Social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook also contribute significantly, allowing users to share and recreate memes in real-time.
Twitter, for example, was the platform that got the 'Hide the Pain Harold' meme into motion. This meme features a stock photo model, who despite displaying a smile, has a hint of sadness in his eyes. Very soon, Twitterati began creating stories and one-liners around Harold's hidden pain.
Memes: A Universal Language
The internet, with its treasure trove of memes, steers the language of humor in our society. More than mere 'jokes,' memes are a way we communicate, share experiences, and generally relate to each other.
Internet memes have become so pervasive that they have found their way into formal conversations. ‘LOLcats,’ ‘doge,’ and other similar memes are now part of our everyday language, often used to add a dash of humor to everyday discussions.
Today, memes are essential to our online discourse. They exist in our Twitter threads, Facebook newsfeeds, Instagram stories - everywhere. Through images, texts, videos, and GIFs, they add color and amusement to our virtual conversations.
The more we understand this new language, the more we appreciate the power of internet humour. A meme can take an otherwise dull topic and turn it into something relatable and comical.
Impact of Meme Virality on Society
The virality of internet memes goes beyond humor an entertainment. The fast-spreading 'Area 51' meme, for example, influenced millions of people to pledge to 'storm' the top-secret military base to uncover hidden secrets.
Such instances show how memes, while entertaining, can also influence our behavior, opinions, and decisions. They can shape our collective online psyche and drive forward conversations on current issues.
Yet, the power of memes is not restricted to influencing ideas. Memes are also used by businesses and marketers to promote their brand, making them a powerful tool for advertising in the digital age.
Given the impact of memes on our society, it becomes crucial to understand their nature and the viral mechanics that drive their popularity.
Unguided Yet Influential: The Unpredictable Nature of Memes
Memes are fascinating because they are, essentially, unguided. Their virality is unpredictable, often random, and depends largely on the cultural resonance with the meme's concept.
The classic example of this unpredictability is the ‘Distracted Boyfriend’ meme. It started as an insignificant stock photo but ended up as one of the internet’s most beloved memes.
The ‘pepe the frog’ meme similarly illustrates the unpredictability and changeability of memes. Originally, Pepe was a peaceful cartoon character, a ‘sad frog,’ but it was misconstrued and co-opted by various political factions for their specific agendas.
In essence, the seemingly innocuous activity of sharing memes has a profound impact on our online culture and society as a whole. The exploration of internet memes indeed offers a captivating glance into the mechanics of viral internet culture.