Because they’re not memes. I had a heck of a time explaining to my partner that a picture with next on it does not constitute a meme - the same picture used repeatedly with different text captions? Meme.
Who decides what a meme is? Consensus? The creator? A random moderator? This comment is a meme if we decide it is. Every one of these “memes “ were just random pictures with text until they went viral? Were they not memes until then?
Either everything can be a meme, or memes don’t exist.
If nothing is a meme until it is, then all original content is, by definition, not a meme. They only become “memes” when spread and repeated.
So, any original picture with text is thus, not a meme, or potentially a meme. If it is not a meme at conception, then it shouldn’t be proliferated in meme communities, because it’s not a meme.
If everything is a meme then there is no novelty or uniqueness to the content, thus making “memes” superfluous and ubiquitous to the point of nonexistence.
It annoys me that they specify humorous and internet, even if neither of them is required for something to be a meme. Any idea is a meme if it proves successful in spreading among other people.
Because they’re not memes. I had a heck of a time explaining to my partner that a picture with next on it does not constitute a meme - the same picture used repeatedly with different text captions? Meme.
It did not compute.
It’s the poorly drawn black/white dudes that bother me the most.
The rage comics?
No, I like those. I mean the newer ones-
Who decides what a meme is? Consensus? The creator? A random moderator? This comment is a meme if we decide it is. Every one of these “memes “ were just random pictures with text until they went viral? Were they not memes until then?
Your last two sentences is how I would describe it.
It’s text on pictures until it ascends to meme-hood.
Those are just image macros. Not every image macro becomes a meme
And not every meme is in the form of an image macro
From the dictionary:
Its exactly the part where it is copied and spread. It’s just an image macro until then.
A arbitrary comment or image isn’t a meme if nobody copies it and spreads it
Either everything can be a meme, or memes don’t exist.
If nothing is a meme until it is, then all original content is, by definition, not a meme. They only become “memes” when spread and repeated.
So, any original picture with text is thus, not a meme, or potentially a meme. If it is not a meme at conception, then it shouldn’t be proliferated in meme communities, because it’s not a meme.
If everything is a meme then there is no novelty or uniqueness to the content, thus making “memes” superfluous and ubiquitous to the point of nonexistence.
So, the qualifications are arbitrary.
ok boomer
It annoys me that they specify humorous and internet, even if neither of them is required for something to be a meme. Any idea is a meme if it proves successful in spreading among other people.
That could be covered by the 2nd definition, I just didn’t think it was relevant here:
“I like Ike” was a meme from the election where Eisenhower became president.
This was actually peak comedy in 2018 though
Absurdist memes were/are peak