Memes in Digital Culture by Limor Shifman

 Memes in Digital Culture

Shifman, L., 2015. Memes In Digital Culture. Boca Raton: CRC Press.

Notes

• The term 'meme' was coined by Richard Dawkins in 1976 used to refer to 'small units of culture that spread from person to person by copying or imitation'  PG 2
• Richard Dawkins was a biologist whom adopted the term 'meme' in his 1976 book 'The Selfish Gene'. He used the term in context to describe 'small cultural units of transmission' that are passed from person to person by 'copying or imitation' PG10
• Examples of memes in Dawkins' book consist of cultural artifacts such as 'melodies, catchphrases, clothing fashions and abstract beliefs' PG10
• 'memes diffuse from person to person, but shape and reflect general mindsets' PG5
• Memes were initially considered a pretty irrelevant source for communicating 'mass-meditated content', but now are recognised as an incredibly relevant form of communication due to a time 'marked by a convergence of media platforms', enabling content to flow more swiftly PG6-7
• According to Michele Knobel and Koline Lankshear, online users employ the term 'meme' to describe the spread of 'a particular idea presented as a written text, image, language 'move' or some other unit of 'cultural stuff' PG13
• 'internet memes can be treated (post)modern folklore, in which shared norms and values are constructed through cultural artifacts such as Photoshopped images or urban legends' PG14
• In the midst of social media and the digital age, people don't have to 'repackage memes' as they are able to spread the content by 'forwarding, linking, or copying' PG20
• There are two key ways in which memes can be repackaged on the web are 'mimicry and remix'. Mimicry involves the practice of 'redoing'; the act of recreation of a specific text or image by other people and by other means PG20
• Imitation has stood 'at the very basis of meme diffusion' since the 'dawn of humanity' according to Blackmore. Everyday 'mimetic praxis' however, has now turned into a mass phenomenon in the digital era; with viral videos such as 'Charlie bit my finger' on Youtube being heavily mimicked and 'remixed' PG20
• Early 'memes': 'Kilroy was here'. This 'veteran meme' was launched during WW2 and was linked to a Massachusetts shipyard inspector named James. J. Kilroy (according to Daniel Gilmore). To warn others of Kilroys' inspections, people began to spot these drawings all over unexpected internal parts of ships. After the war, Kilroy was 'reincarnated in urban graffiti, as well as pop culture artifacts' pg26
• 'In an era marked by "network individualism" people use memes to simultaneously express both their uniqueness and their connectivity' PG31
• 'While all parody includes some kind of imitation, it is important to note that not all imitations and parodies' PG47
• An example of a meme with heavy political undertones is the 'Pepper-spraying Cop' (2011); the original image showcased a police officer spraying a row of 'still-sitting students' that were part of the 'Ocupy Wall Street protest'. The meme can be analysed using the model of 'content, form and stance', meaning that although the meme shared a similar Photoshop form, they all vary in terms of content. Some versions of the meme had political roots, with people Photoshopping in figures such as George Washington. These political versions share the same message that the police officer 'violated the basic values of justice and freedom as represented by the protestors'. Other versions of the meme are more pop-culture focused, with figures such as 'Snoopy and Marilyn Monroe' PG51
• 'The utterly serious keying of the original photograph has been transformed in the process of memetic uptake' involving playfully explicit content PG53
• The tools of the digital world 'while designed for mundane uses, can be extremely powerful in the hands of digital activists, especially those environments where free speech is limited' - Ethan Zuckerman, 'The Cute Cat Theory of Digital Activism' PG119
• 'Regardless of their emotional keying, political memes are about making a point - participating in a normative debate about how the world should look and the best way the get there' PG 121

Functions of political memes: (PG122-123)

• 'Memes as forms of persuasion or political advocacy'
• 'Memes as grassroots action' 
• 'Memes as modes of expression and public discussion'

• Viral videos in the context of persuasion and political campaigns highlight the ways in which 'power comes into play in an allegedly egalitarian sphere'. Memes in the form of political action stressed their role of 'citizen empowerment' PG127
• Memes had a 'prevalent role' in the Occupy Wall Street protests, 'exploring injustices in the United States' PG129-130
• Kale Lasn (editor of the magazine Adbusters) suggested in a manifesto titled Culture Jam: The Uncooling of America that 'readers should resist the corporate messages that dominate American media through creative vandalism and mock-advertisements' PG130
• Memes 'expand the range of participatory options in democracies; citizens can express their political opinions in new and accessible ways, engage in heated debates, and enjoy the process to boot' PG144