In its original definition, a meme (pronounced meam; rhymes with beam) is a term referring to a unit of cultural information transferable from one mind to another.
It was first coined by Richard Dawkins, a British scientist, with regards to evolutionary principles and the spread of ideas. In simple terms: How an idea is transmitted from one person to another.
To the average netizen, an internet meme can be a funny video, phrase or illustration that spreads rapidly across the internet. Memes can be hilarous (Rickrolling will never get old) Or they can be just plain stupid. (Refer to It’s over 9000!) Sometimes though, memes border on the obscene and repulsive.
It is easy to dismiss memes as ‘just entertainment’. But one cannot deny how well memes capture our attention. Internet memes have the potential to cross over into the real world and embed themselves in our cultural consciousness. If I mentioned the phrase ‘The man your man could smell like’, which brand immediately comes to mind? Similarly, if I mention threadmills, which band comes to mind? That is the power of memes.
Below are three further reasons why memes matter:
1: Understanding The Internet
Take memes as a cultural barometer of the Internet. Memes are a heavy influence on Internet culture. Understanding memes may help you understand the digital generation better.
2: Creates opportunities for exploitation
In 1998, the song ‘Believe‘ by Cher was released and many people wondered how she achieved the vocal effect in that song. That effect is now better known as Auto-Tune.
Almost exclusively used in music, popular artistes like T-Pain and Kanye West also use Auto-Tune quite frequently in their songs. (T-Pain has even gone as far releasing an app for the iPhone promoting the Auto-Tune effect).
However, it wasn’t until 2008 that the Gregory Brothers spotted an opportunity to use it as entertainment. Combining their musical and comedic talents, they took the Vice-Presidential Debate of 2008 and Auto-Tuned it. This formed the basis of the now famous Youtube series, Auto-Tune the News. This has paid dividends for the Gregory Brothers; they have put several of the ‘songs’ on iTunes and they are selling well.
All it took was someone to spot the idea and apply it to something else.
3: They are ideas that spread
The concept is simple. Put anything into a blender. But will it blend? That is the question. And Blendtec answered it superbly. Believing that its blenders could blend anything, it put its money where its mouth was. Featuring its amicable CEO, Blendtec have created a wildly popular series on Youtube, blending everything from an iPhone to Chuck Norris. According to Blendtec, its viral videos have boosted its sales 5 fold.
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