Ah, the meme. Perhaps no other artifact on the internet has as much power to collectively amuse us with just an image and a few words. Instantly relatable, highly shareable, and always remixable, memes are arguably as popular as celebrity cats.One Facebook page, “Evil Thoughts” (with a whopping 154K followers), shares dank memes that almost all of us can relate to, if not chuckle at. Here’s a collection of our favorites.More info:FacebookThis post may includeaffiliate links.
Ah, the meme. Perhaps no other artifact on the internet has as much power to collectively amuse us with just an image and a few words. Instantly relatable, highly shareable, and always remixable, memes are arguably as popular as celebrity cats.
One Facebook page, “Evil Thoughts” (with a whopping 154K followers), shares dank memes that almost all of us can relate to, if not chuckle at. Here’s a collection of our favorites.
More info:Facebook
This post may includeaffiliate links.
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Internet historians have zeroed in on some two-panel cartoons from early 1920speriodicalsas proto-memes. In one of them, the left panel shows a dapper gent, with the caption “How you think you look when a flashlight is taken.” On the following panel is a very goofycartoonversion of the same fellow, captioned “How you really look.” This “expectation vs. reality” format is still widely used today.
Bored Pandareached out to pop culture expertMike Singtonto ask him a couple questions about memes. When we asked him what it is that makes internet memes so popular, he had this to say, “Internet memes are so popular because they offer a unique blend of humor, relatability, and shareability.“Sington goes on, “They often tap into current events, social trends, or common experiences, allowing people to express themselves and connect with others in a concise and often funny way. The visual nature of memes makes them easily digestible and their ability to be remixed and reinterpreted allows for endless creativity and evolution, keeping them fresh and engaging.”
Bored Pandareached out to pop culture expertMike Singtonto ask him a couple questions about memes. When we asked him what it is that makes internet memes so popular, he had this to say, “Internet memes are so popular because they offer a unique blend of humor, relatability, and shareability.”
Sington goes on, “They often tap into current events, social trends, or common experiences, allowing people to express themselves and connect with others in a concise and often funny way. The visual nature of memes makes them easily digestible and their ability to be remixed and reinterpreted allows for endless creativity and evolution, keeping them fresh and engaging.”
When we asked Sington whether he thought internet memes were an accurate reflection of society today, he responded, “While internet memes offer a fascinating and often hilarious snapshot of current events, social trends, and shared experiences, it would be an overstatement to say they’re the most accurate reflection of the world.“Sington concluded, “Memes are inherently subjective and selective, often prioritizing humor or emotional impact over nuanced representation. They can simplify complex issues, perpetuate stereotypes, or reflect a limited perspective. Though they capture the zeitgeist in a unique way, memes shouldn’t be mistaken for a comprehensive or objective account of reality.”
When we asked Sington whether he thought internet memes were an accurate reflection of society today, he responded, “While internet memes offer a fascinating and often hilarious snapshot of current events, social trends, and shared experiences, it would be an overstatement to say they’re the most accurate reflection of the world.”
Sington concluded, “Memes are inherently subjective and selective, often prioritizing humor or emotional impact over nuanced representation. They can simplify complex issues, perpetuate stereotypes, or reflect a limited perspective. Though they capture the zeitgeist in a unique way, memes shouldn’t be mistaken for a comprehensive or objective account of reality.”
ASCII artmight be considered some of the earliest internet memes. As a concept, ASCII art, or making images out of numbers and letters, has been around since the late 1800s when people started making pictures with typewriters. In the ’90s, this art form realized further spread online and is the ancestor to today’s emoji.
Early memes were undoubtedly much more basic than the memes we see going viral these days; however, they paved the way for what comedy looks like on the internet today. It was a time of experimenting and playful learning, and a lot of the elements that made these memes prevalent on the web remain visible in today’s most iconic meme formats.
Another powerful meme design, the “image macro,” showed up in the early 2000s. Most people online today will recognize the form, which is essentially a captioned picture. Early image macros fell into a few different genres, like LOLcats, which are just captioned pictures of cats, typically in amusing situations.“Advice animal” image macros featured different animals that each had their own theme, like Courage Wolf or Awkward Penguin. They didn’t need to be animals, either - adviceanimalmeme designs featuring Morpheus from “The Matrix” or Boromir from “The Lord of the Rings” became so popular they’re still easy to recognize today.
Another powerful meme design, the “image macro,” showed up in the early 2000s. Most people online today will recognize the form, which is essentially a captioned picture. Early image macros fell into a few different genres, like LOLcats, which are just captioned pictures of cats, typically in amusing situations.
“Advice animal” image macros featured different animals that each had their own theme, like Courage Wolf or Awkward Penguin. They didn’t need to be animals, either - adviceanimalmeme designs featuring Morpheus from “The Matrix” or Boromir from “The Lord of the Rings” became so popular they’re still easy to recognize today.
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In her article forCNN, AJ Willingham writes that good memes are basically public inside jokes, and their evolution is so quick and varied it’s hard to explain their general impact. One thing’s for sure, digital memes will remain powerful artifacts of the cultural zeitgeist - as long as the internet exists, that is.What did you think of the memes in this list? Could you relate to any of them? Don’t forget to upvote your favorites and leave a comment if you get the urge!
In her article forCNN, AJ Willingham writes that good memes are basically public inside jokes, and their evolution is so quick and varied it’s hard to explain their general impact. One thing’s for sure, digital memes will remain powerful artifacts of the cultural zeitgeist - as long as the internet exists, that is.
What did you think of the memes in this list? Could you relate to any of them? Don’t forget to upvote your favorites and leave a comment if you get the urge!
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