Take, for example, the Demotivational Poster:
Another is Scumbag Steve:
While the Demotivational Poster example is an example of a more frivolous viral image, the Scumbag Steve example shows us how a popular sentiment can spread via a combination of a shared opinion and humour.
The point being made in the Scumbag Steve meme is that the UK riots did little to further some humanitarian cause. To take this a step further, it hints at the wanton stupidity of the riots, drawing attention to the damge they have inflicted on decent members of the community. This agenda then ensures a wide reach by assuming the form of a popular meme, presenting the issue in a wryly humourous way to appeal to people to share the information with others in their online network.
The meme form is also quite online-friendly. It only takes a few clicks of the mouse or strokes of the keyboard to broadcast the image, and it's associated agenda to hundreds.
The Flip-Side
However, like any piece of information, the meme can evolve and change it's message depending on who passes it on. Essentially, a meme is the reframing of a piece of information to make a new point. The image of the riot squad in the Demotivational Poster example in it's organic form tells a factual story about the work being done by riot police. It's restructuring into the above meme tells a joke.
In the same vein, established memes can be adapted to change the meaning being evoked.
Meaning can also be constructed through a blending of symbols to alter their semiotic meaning in an evocative way that is easily passed on.
Case in point:
1 comment:
Haha, the Scumbag Steve poster is great- and highlights what we've been discussing in some of the other posts about the vast differences between the different events- whilst young people were using social media and rioting to fight against a restrictive and corrupt government and police force in Egypt (deemed a revolution), over in London- the reasons were quite unclear, and a lot of the activities appeared to be completely unjustified- and as you say Trish, pretty unfair for those that had to deal with damages to their businesses.
I just found some great pages on facebook like this:
-'Trying on shoes before you loot to make sure that they fit'- there was footage of a group of girls trying on shoes they'd looted in broad daylight- pretty ridiculous and pretty funny!
- 'That Awkward Moment when you don't actually know why you're rioting'
- 'Looting a shop for basmati Rice because you're so disgustingly 'ard'
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