What Is a Meme?

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A meme is really a virally transmitted image embellished with text, usually discussing pointed commentary on cultural symbols, social ideas, or current occasions. A meme is usually a photograph or video, although sometimes it’s really a block of text. Whenever a meme resonates with lots of people, it’s spread via social platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, texting, and much more. The greater a meme is spread, the higher the cultural influence it’s.

Here is a much deeper consider just what a meme is, the different sorts of memes, and a few meme examples.

Some a meme sticks around some time since it represents something timeless that constantly rings true for individuals, for example being a parent. Other memes are specific to some specific event or idea.

The Origins from the Term ‘Meme’

Richard Dawkins meme

Transformative biologist Richard Dawkins created the term “meme” (rhymes with “team”) in the bestselling 1976 book The Selfish Gene. As they was clueless that of their future internet-related context, he used the term meme to explain a concept, behavior, or style that quickly spreads for every person inside a culture. In the book, he likened a meme’s spread to what virus. The term meme originated from the Greek word mime me, meaning imitated factor.

Decades later, Dawkins supported the appropriation from the word meme in to the digital world. He stated the new meaning is not that not even close to his original explanation.

Memes was once the domain of 20-somethings. However, online users of every age group and all sorts of amounts of digital savviness now utilize memes to convey their feelings.

Why is a Meme

Memes really are a worldwide social phenomenon. The greater a meme resonates with individuals, the greater they’ll share it and also the farther it’ll spread. Memes are often funny, but frequently that humor is injected with wry political or social commentary.

Sometimes memes exists for shock value in order to educate a existence lesson. Other occasions just one photo or short video will generate countless amusing interpretations. A meme is going to be appreciated by merely a select group, along with other occasions a meme may have near-universal appeal.

Here’s a glance at some popular meme groups and examples to provide you with a much better concept of the breadth and scope of those viral statements.

A meme could be a still photograph or perhaps an animated GIF, as lengthy because the content attracts others inside a shareable format.

General Humor Memes

Popular memes are frequently funny, varying from silly humor to niche humor to more pointed political humor. Kids, parenting, pets, and everyday existence offer endless meme material.

Frequently one funny image spurs a number of memes, just like this determined-searching toddler clenching his hands right into a fist. The above mentioned meme mimics our determination on New Year’s Eve to finally make positive changes.

Exactly the same image represents our feelings of satisfaction and winning whenever we get an unpredicted windfall.

Sometimes memes offer simple, funny humor running out of energy enjoy, similar to this Pavlov joke:

Cute creatures figure conspicuously in harmless-humor memes, like these adorable ducklings:

Funny memes frequently attract specific groups, for example parents:

Brother or sister memes really are a popular meme subgroup that attracts lots of people:

Other classic and famous funny memes include:

  • Irritated Cat memes
  • Planking memes
  • Success Kid memes
  • Distracted Boyfriend memes
  • Chuck Norris Details memes
  • Jordan memes
  • Kermit the Frog memes
  • Keyboard Cat memes
  • Rickrolling memes
  • Frederick Ducreux memes
  • Probably The Most Interesting Man on the planet memes
  • Keep Calm memes
  • More dark-Humored Memes

Man wiped out to dying meme

Some memes have pointed humor. These memes help with a viewpoint, argue with other people, have a provocative stance, or use more dark subjects, like the above meme that uses a regrettable headline.

Other memes tackle more questionable subjects, like the Area 51 raid plan:Or even the flat-Earth movement:

Other more dark-humored memes include:

  • Honey Badger memes
  • Cash Me Ousside memes
  • Angry German Kid memes
  • Dogs Visit Paradise meme
  • Lady Yelling in a Cat memes
  • Sad Keanu memes
  • Michael Jackson Eating Popcorn memes
  • Shirtless Putin memes
  • Scumbag Steve memes
  • Condescending and sarcastic Willy Wonka memes

Social Memes

A wine meme showing wine aerobic exercise-using a wine opener.

Social commentary colors many memes, touching upon subjects for example wine consuming, a hugely popular subject on the web.

Frequently, memes tackle different assumes societal norms, for example memes about hesitant to have kids:

More social commentary memes include:

  • Wine memes
  • Flu memes
  • Conspiracy Keanu memes
  • First-World Problems memes
  • That’s None of My Company memes
  • Look At Your Privilege memes

Conversational Memes

In some instances, a meme achieves prestige like a conversational expression. As with the above mentioned example, the saying “Meanwhile in…” has produced a slew of memes showing how existence is elsewhere.

Other conversational memes include:

  • Who’re You? memes
  • Shots Fired memes
  • U Mad Bro? memes
  • Catchphrase memes
  • World Event Memes

Quarantine weight-gain meme

World occasions provide endless meme fodder, with humor that’s sometimes pointed, sometimes silly, and often painful. As with the above mentioned meme, social isolation periods generate a large number of memes, taking advantage of the dark humor of the shared experience.

The brief murder hornet scare is yet another example:

Brexit would be a wealthy supply of memes:

Superbowls provide endless meme fodder, because this 2019 Adam Levine halftime show meme shows:

Other current subject memes:

  • Broom challenge memes
  • LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Tinder memes
  • Tiger King memes
  • Don’t Touch The Face memes

Television Show Memes

The most popular Television shows provide a lot of meme material, like the above example from Bet on Thrones. Other meme-Television show favorites range from the Office:

More Television shows that generate memes include:

  • Buddies memes
  • Big Bang Theory memes
  • Parks & Entertainment memes
  • M*A*S*H memes

Memes Are Continually Evolving

Likely to endless number of memes, varying from mundane, everyday topics to critical existence and world occasions. More are produced and shared every single day, and new materials are constantly available.

If you’re inspired by a picture or video you discover, help make your own meme with Meme Generator and find out whether it resonates with other people. Visit Know Your Meme to analyze a meme or get inspiration.

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