If you’ve been on the internet for any length of time, you’ve probably experienced a meme. And if you have no idea what I’m talking about, read on!
What is a meme?
1) An element of a culture or behavior that may be passed from one individual to another by nongenetic means, esp. imitation.
2) An image, video, etc. that is passed electronically from one Internet user to another.
Basically it is when something is taken in reused in other ways.
What are some examples of memes I might be familiar with?
An example of a popular internet meme is ‘Grumpy Cat’. She (thanks to Sarah A. for the gender correction!) is an annoyed looking cat who says grumpy things:
You wouldn’t see all these images at once, you’d probably see them one at a time… but this just gives you the idea that one image can be remixed for multiple meanings.
Some memes are like Grumpy Cat: the same image with different text written on top. Other ones like this include ‘overly attached girlfriend’ and ‘success kid’. People come up with their own fun captions using similar fonts and become part of a larger creative effort.
Sometimes, instead of the same image being used, it’s similar text being used with different images. A good example of this is ‘Call Me Maybe’. (Note we did a marketing series related to this this summer: https://breakingeveninc.com/tag/call-me-maybe/)
The refrain from the pop song ‘Hey I just met you, and this is crazy, but here’s my number, so call me maybe.’ is slightly changed and reworked with multiple images and ideas.
As you can see, memes can be simple or complex. And once you are on the lookout, you’ll start noticing them everywhere.
No matter what, a meme is kind of like being a part of an internet joke, whether you make one of your own or share one that someone else created.
Are memes just limited to images?
No, people also have fun creating animated gifs and videos related to a meme. Here’s some videos that are inspired copies of Gangnam Style:
Gangnam Style inspired videos, which likely have similar crazy dance moves.
I think I found a meme but I’m not sure. How can I find out?
Go to Knowyourmeme.com and type in a key word. For example, I typed in ‘baby’ and found Success Kid, since I forgot what that one was called.
Memes are a fun part of the internet. And now you know how to spot them!
Which one is your favorite?