Richard Dawkins
(2006) created the term “meme” as a way of describing how culture is
transmitted. Memes are key to this transmission through sharing and longevity. The
concept of meme grew in an online presence (Shifman, 2009).
When the word meme began gaining popularity, I (embarrassingly)
thought it was “Me – Me” because the memes were all about me. There were “25 Things about Me” and “Four Questions
about Me” notes in Facebook (remember those?). Then there was “Gratuitous
Picture of Yourself Wednesday” (Thanks, Tumblr!). Famous bloggers posted their first memes. A coloring book was made.
Recently,
Colin McGinn discusses the role of memes in his New York Times article, Memes, Dreams & Themes. McGinn argues that memes spread like a
virus through each other’s minds. When we have a commercial jingle or pop song
stuck in our head, it’s a meme. Memes are not always silly – they are closely
related to culture. Memes spread culture and ideas. They can spread art,
ideologies, and unwritten rules.
McGinn asks us
to consider the difference between memes (those that are “mentally
manipulated”) and those that are themes (those that are “genuinely good,” like,
say, the oxford comma). Intermixed within the question, is another question to
consider: if a meme spreads, who is to say it’s not good? Perhaps Gratuitous Picture of Yourself
Wednesday (GPOYW) isn’t actually gratuitous, but these photos may be empowering or
expressive. Is determining the value of a meme similar to determining the value
of art?
I think the
bigger question to the value of a meme lies at an exterior level: How are memes
spreading? What makes a meme circulate? Memetic and cultural circulation seem
closely linked to engagement, emotion, and creativity of the audience.
Likewise,
literature about memorable messages tell us the ideas that stick are closely
related to individual emotion and relatability (or recognition) in addition to an
audience and value. These characteristics are linked to storytelling as a way of generating meaning. When
your idea or product sits within a narrative or you can place it in your own narrative,
ideas and memes can stick and spread.
And this is
important, because marketing your selfie means people have to notice it.
--Janell Walther
