With social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook already popular, it seems that many meme sites are now becoming influential as well. People are constantly sharing funny jokes with their friends, and many internet memes relating to public figures in the news, such as "Texts from Hillary" have gone viral. There is even a "University of Maryland Memes" page on Facebook that has thousands of followers. What do you make of this trend, and do you think it will last, or just fade out like other internet fads?
Some examples:
quickmeme.com
whatshouldwecallme.tumblr.com
textsfromhillary.tumblr.com
I'm personally fascinated by the memes craze. I think their eye-catching visual delivery and quick witiness is exactly what Internet users are looking for. They are easy distractions that don't take long to analyze, understand and spread. Many memes, such as whatshouldwecallme.tumblr.com have punchlines that beg the "oh my god", "I've so been there" or "that is so true" factor, which encourages people to share them with friends. I think memes are here to stay because they swiftly tell a story that's accessible to all bored, procrastinating, ready-to-waste time Internet users (AKA majority of college students.)
ReplyDeleteI think that memes are here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future.They're funny, relate-able and super easy to access. Unlike viral videos, memes are really easy to share with friends and also easy for people to make. I think that whatshouldwecallme.tumblr.com is the big trend right now. just in the past two days I've come across three almost identical sites. One was created by a student at Davidson, who uses the same memes as whatshouldwecallme only it applies them to Davidson students. I could see lots of other colleges doing the same.
ReplyDeleteI think specific meme websites will fade out. I hadn't heard from textsfromhillary.tumblr.com (I just looked at it though and it's hilarious), but I don't think that website is going to last forever. I think memes in itself will be here for a while, it's an easy way to make jokes, and like Annie said they're really relate-able. Same for whatshouldwecallme, really fun now, but in a few weeks we'll have completely forgotten about them.
ReplyDeleteI think meme websites are very funny and personally enjoy reading them. The idea of memes has spread to many sites and college campuses like Annie says, so the general idea of the meme websites, I think, will stick around. However, I don't think the specific websites will have the same lasting power.For example, whatshouldwecallme.tumblr.com is quickly being mimicked by howdoiputthisgently.tumblr.com as well as several others. You start to see some of the same pictures and phrases repeated and it becomes old news. I agree with Doris that they are funny now, but a fad that will be forgotten shortly.
ReplyDeleteMemes are certainly an interesting phenomenon which, as you said, can be a forum of expression. However, you started your question by mentioning Facebook and Twitter, and I really don't think meme websites are on the same plane - or anywhere close. Many of the above comments have aptly described the nature of meme sites as fun yet fleeting. Sure, a Sarah Palin pun is great, but meme sites lack the functionality of Facebook and Twitter.
ReplyDeleteBesides, once Facebook purchases an easy meme-creator, meme websites will have no chance to compete.
I think they can be pretty funny and are probably here to stay. For example, Tosh.O is a popular show on Comedy Central and it's successful for a couple reasons.
ReplyDelete1.) Daniel Tosh, the host, is really funny.
2.) People will continue to put things on the internet that can be made fun of.
As long as people have a forum to post ridiculous things that they do themselves or see others doing, memes will be relevant. It's a virtual form of an inside joke.
I agree that if Facebook buys a meme-creator, it could render sites purely dedicated to creating them obsolete.
I honestly can't think of any other internet fads like the meme craze. I think memes will always be a go-to for online jokes, so they'll never become obsolete. But as to whether they remain as popular as they are now, I'm sure they'll die down a bit. I think there's nothing on the internet quite like memes because they are so simple in design and punchline, and so easily identifiable as a medium of sarcasm. With sites like quickmeme.com, they're also super easy to personalize and create your own memes. I think the repetition factor is what makes memes brilliant; one image can be turned into a hundred quirky jokes.
ReplyDeleteOddly enough, I just discovered that what I had been looking at all this time were called memes. I thought memes were something else entirely. So now that I understand what a meme is it's clear that they've been a relative force on the internet for some time now and most likely will be for the foreseeable future. I remember seeing those cat-related memes like 5 years ago such as "I haz cheesburger." As far as Websites totally devoted to the meme, I agree with a several of the above statements in that individual sites will come and go but meme sites in general will always be around. They are just too hilarious and easy to make as well as simple to pass along to just go away.
ReplyDeleteI remember my first time seeing memes. Comparing then and now, the popularity of memes of have risen. It has also caught the eyes of famous individuals such as Hilary Clinton herself. Memes are also an interesting phenomenon that gives insight to this generation's culture. Yet, I believe that like a curve, memes have are at their peak. It will eventually become an old joke and reach a decline. But that doesn't mean that once their down they can never rise again. Personally, I really enjoy going on the various memes sites.
ReplyDeleteI think memes are funny and perhaps more than just an internet trend. Because there is such a wide variety of them (ranging from "lazy college senior" to "socially awkward penguin" to the wide variety out there involving celebrities and popular figures, they appeal to an equally as wide audience. Aggregation sites that pile them all in one, such as WhatShouldWeCallMe and the Facebook memes page for UMD students are great entertainment and provide easy to share features (Tumblr has a "reblog" option, and Facebook has the "share" button). While those sites themselves might fade in popularity, I think the actual memes are here to stay. They evoke a certain sense of relation, which in turn builds the internet into a community where users can feel a sense of belonging (might sound far-fetched, but I know many memes cause reactions like "oh that's so funny, I do that too!). And as a result, memes are more than just a trend.
ReplyDelete