Hi,
I have a conflicted relationship with internet memes. On the one hand I absolutely love them. Despite them being mostly a visual version of the jokes we used to get forwarded by text in the 90s and noughties, I think the essence of a meme is political and communitarian, in that its purpose is to help us process a state of despair or discontent via humour.
Memes are spontaneous and overwhelmingly impossible to own or attribute – once a meme is out there it belongs to everyone. No one hogs the credit and it’s generally bad form to do so. They are also often deeply political, with a sort of wry humour about the state we’re in rather than slapstick or observational. TikTok in particular lends itself well to this political form, with one viral example illustrating the scale of billionaire wealth.
On the other hand, I waste too much time on the internet as it is and have made it a policy to scroll past videos of dancing babies, anthropomorphised cats, and lately, coronavirus humour because otherwise I would spend even more valuable time tittering at frippery rather than doing work or reading the 18 (I just counted them) tabs of serious, valuable information open on my computer.
But that discipline has waned with self-isolation. I’ve made a conscious decision not to be such a nerd, and lean into the funny pandemic response memes that are not only on the internet, but also on all of my WhatsApp groups, and seemingly now the only way my mother can communicate. Even something as regular as sending her a good morning message is answered with an elaborate gif, image, or brief video. Sometimes she’s in the next room when she sends them, and then, she follows me around the house, childish half-laughter on her lips as she asks if I’ve seen the image she sent where the cat looked like it was praying ? Isn’t it hilarious! (Reader, it is).
I’m now also dangerously veering into mum territory, having fully embraced memeing (yes, I verbed it) when everybody has been doing it for a decade, and – because sadly I’m still a nerd – I have to stop myself from flogging jokes to death by following up on what I’ve sent for more analysis and feedback. In that sense I myself have become the physical embodiment of the "How do you do fellow kids" meme.
Memes and all the spammy forwards that you used to get but probably scrolled past are now a simple way to reach out to other people and share a moment of mirth and solidarity, like a small flame that flickers momentarily in the dark to show the face of others you’re sharing the space with, and illuminates your face to them. But if that’s the price of admission to a free and simple formula of laughter and connectedness, then so be it. So how do you do, fellow kids?
What have been the memes that have helped get you through the past few weeks?
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