Even if you didn’t watch the Oscars ceremony, you’ve definitely seen the Will Smith slap memes that came out of it all over social media. Almost all of our cultural moments or news stories quickly get their accompanying memes. But how exactly did “meme” start in the first place?
The term “meme” was coined by British evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in his book “The Selfish Gene”.... way back in 1976. It was originally derived from the Ancient Greek “mimeme” which means “imitated thing”. Dawkins believed that “cultural ideas or “memes” replicate in an imitating fashion”, and that memes spread through generations the same way genes do! Over time the word “meme” has undergone shifts. If you say “meme” today, you’re probably referring to the evolving and popular INTERNET memes appropriated through time. Mackenzie Finklea is a student at the University of Texas, Austin, at a 2019 Ted conference there, she quoted Dawkins clarifying his definition of “meme”, “an internet meme is a meme or a cultural idea that’s been deliberately altered by human creativity, so via the internet in cyber culture, these things become digital artistic expressions”
Today “meme” represents more of a piece of media that is repurposed to deliver a cultural, social or political expression, mainly through humor. We all remember Grumpy Cat, and Doge. Who can forget Pepe the Frog? That was everywhere on the internet back in 2015, and later was appropriated and became a symbol for the alt-right. And when Covid became our norm, we had the Karens, and OK Boomers, and also the wholesome adorable pet memes, and of course, Bernie Sanders sitting there with his woven and colorful winter mittens. Oh, and about Will Smith at the Oscars. Yep, that was cringy, but all these memes eventually became our shared cultural experience.
Maybe that’s why we are so obsessed with memes, because they help us create communities and a cyber culture in which we can all participate. We like how simple memes are so people can resonate with them overcoming cultural barriers. Memes become part of the public discourse for certain events, and a vehicle for people to voice social and political commentary or laugh and distract us from reality with some commonality. Memes have created a highly nuanced form of communication. We appreciate the sense of validation we get from enjoying common memes, giving us something too rare in today’s world, a way to bond with others.