Memes are not Memes

[Famine]

There is no refuge... ONLY ZUUL.


Amusingly, that'd be a meme

 

[stuff1138]

Why is that a problem? You wanted to explain what meme means... or is it a problem because you find you didn't need to make the thread?
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It seems that my experience outside of this forum was either not the norm or you are all intelligent enough to refer to the proper resources to determine what is fact and what is not. I will go with the intelligence levels of those who have decided to actually discuss the topic as a reason for the discussion being the way it is.

You say we're using the word wrong but then include the way we commonly use it as a definition; then your argument is "ah but that's not exclusive" without saying when/where anybody said it was.
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I never said you or anyone in this forum was using the word incorrectly and I didn't single out anyone in this community or even the community itself.
As for where and when. I have a couple examples, one was a debate I had with an entire office of coworkers (24 others) who insisted that a meme was photo with superimposed text on it and nothing else until some of them actually googled it and realised they were wrong.
Another was with my wife who was also misinformed due to the countless number of people on her facebook who are also misinformed. Again it took her reading the definition to understand it.

You also concede that what isn't a meme isn't a meme but if it isn't then it can be one any way.
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the image with superimposed text on the internet can be a meme but it isn't until it is shared and shared again and has some "significant" lasting power and cultural significance

The only point you're still not addressing is how many people need to see something for it to be "shared", if you read @Dotini's excellent definition you could also address whether or not a share is "significant".
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yes significance is a subjective term. Infact you can have a meme among friends...say an inside joke? It may last a day, it may last an hour, it may last a century

 

[BHRxRacer]

This thread and conversation (if one should even begin) is to bring awareness to the incorrect use of the word meme in today's culture. In fact this incorrect use itself is actually a meme and probably one of the more influential since the word awesome was transformed to it's now widely accepted use.

Memes are cultural phenomena which catch on and spread from person to person. Be it a gesture like thumbs up; the misuse of a word like awesome; a beer commercial where everyone says wassuuuppp! when they see each other for years after it stops airing; a video of a cute cat uploaded to youtube that everyone in the office has to see which gets 10 million hits in a day; a funny picture on the internet that spreads around social media like wildfire and everyone you know sees it.

What it isn't though is some picture of a dude making a face with something written in block letters over it and then posted to a forum, facebook, twitter, etc. Until that picture catches on and spreads through popular culture from person to person...it is not a meme. It is just a failed attempt at one.

Everyone you know? So it's relative then. If it's relative, then that would mean it can require 1 person to copy or pass forward the dude making a face for it to be a meme. I'm sure it gained at least 1 share. So it's a meme, by your definition.

Unbelievable what I see on here.

 

[Liquid]

So.. what exactly are we discussing, here, memes in general or the sub-division humour memes?

Memes

Fashion
Hobbies
Eating Habits
Music
Humour
Politics
Ideologies

Examples Of Humour Memes

Bait & Switch
Reaction Images
Advice Animals
Limericks
Jokes
One Liners
Demotivationals

Anything which is a humour meme is a meme. Whether it is popular is another matter entirely. Failed humour memes are memes too, just... unsuccessful ones.

 

[Brend]

Most 'memes' these days are complete tripe.

Blame Reddit and 9Gag.

 

[TenEightyOne]

I never said you or anyone in this forum was using the word incorrectly and I didn't single out anyone in this community or even the community itself.

That may be so, but you still opened with

This thread and conversation (if one should even begin) is to bring awareness to the incorrect use of the word meme in today's culture. In fact this incorrect use itself is actually a meme and probably one of the more influential since the word awesome was transformed to it's now widely accepted use.

That's where you started the is/isn't a meme/non-meme thing, you seemed to include the world in general.

You then went on to explain that some things you say aren't memes are memes, at that point I did "that face" I'm afraid.

 

[ULTRAVIOLENZZ]

Knife is not a screwdriver but sometimes I use it to unscrew things. And it works, even if it doesn't supposed to do that.

 

[Blitz24]

Knife is not a screwdriver but sometimes I use it to unscrew things. And it works, even if it doesn't supposed to do that.

Are you SURE it isn't a screwdriver? You may have found a new use for it.

 

[yabiggoose]

I've done that quite a bit. I've used nail files too.

 

[Blitz24]

I've done that quite a bit. I've used nail files too.

Oh now look who's going all MacGuyver on us.

 

[yabiggoose]

 

[stuff1138]

@TenEightyOne (and anyone else): Yes a photo with superimposed text on it can be a meme. Is that the only definition of the word meme? No it is not. That is my point.

If I open up MS Paint and throw some words on a photo and laugh at it then delete it...I did not make/start a meme.

Now, let's say I share that same photo with my buddy who looks at it and laughs at it but never shares it with anyone else...I will agree and say that is a meme in it's most basic form by definition. However once again the actual photo in it's original state is not a meme. It's just a photo with words on it. Until it was shared it was not a meme and really until it starts to spread around culturally it isn't a successful meme.

When people define meme as "photo with words on it," they are incorrect. Yes that might be a meme, yes it probably is a meme, but that is not what a meme is. It is not a photo with words on it. It's like calling anything that you drive a car and we all know that isn't the case.

 

[Keef]

So, let me get this straight.

You're telling me a meme isn't a meme until it's a meme?

 

[stuff1138]

@Keef no

 

[TenEightyOne]

So, let me get this straight.

It seems to be a kind of public service "Hey, did YOU mis-meme?!" thing that's got out of hand.

 

[yabiggoose]

When people define meme as "photo with words on it," they are incorrect. Yes that might be a meme, yes it probably is a meme, but that is not what a meme is. It is not a photo with words on it. It's like calling anything that you drive a car and we all know that isn't the case.

 

[squadops]

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[stuff1138]

@yabiggoose do you really believe that a meme is only a photo with words on it?

 

[yabiggoose]

No I don't believe they are the only meaning of meme but I do think they are a meaning of meme.

Which you seem to say they are but they aren't.

They are A TYPE but not the ONLY TYPE.

It's like saying only a Ford Focus is a car and a Chevrolet Cruze isn't.

No they both are, just different types. There's really no use getting this worked up over a common 'misuse' of a word.

It's not gonna help anyone.

 

[stuff1138]

@yabiggoose agreed

 

[Lucas]

There was a line which 9GAG, for the lack of another website I can think of, crossed. That line was "let's just grab any picture someone made and try to turn it into a meme". So then you have a picture with words on it, and someone says "this should be a meme", before making multiple images with a similar theme, none of which are funny.

Other things, simply, catch on without anyone saying "hey, this should be a meme". An example from Skyrim: