So here are the main points from the class discussion of our presentation the other day. A lot of them were actually something we'd considered doing anyway or stuff we'd covered in our posts already. I'll write each point and a quick comment responding to it, feel free to add some more in the comments below!
Memes connecting groups (Uni, Areas, Schools etc.): We've spoken quite a lot about these groups, it's something that I think has really fueled the spread of memes, involving people that would have previously stayed away from them. This is something we would cover in our articles part of the site.
Experts in memes: It's something we've spoken about already, and something I'm sure we can manage, whether it's just an email to someone from Know Your Meme or an actual academic, such as Jean Burgess (the one Fiona mentioned in relation to "vernacular creativity"). Additionally, contacting someone who has been turned into a meme, and what it's like to be on the other side of it all.
The humour behind the memes:
This is something that was raised by a few people in the class, but covering a whole range of issues. The ideas behind it mainly were concerned with the perception of the humour of the meme.
- Both how humour can be used positively, and in an intellectual way for satire and parody, and the negative side of the humour. The negative side of memes stretches from issues like racism (Aboriginal memes etc.), sexism, cyber bullying, and even hidden agendas behind memes.
- Similar to "fair use" of material, the idea of defamation was raised, and the case of the girl who couldn't get in to law school, and is now being used as a meme. When is it satire/parody and when is it offensive?
- Where is the line for comedy? How far is too far?
- As I mentioned in my post about cyber bullying, people can post something offensive, but due to the author-less nature of memes, they can hide behind them and essentially say whatever they want. It's taking that idea of people cyber bullying and hiding behind their screens to a new level.
- Fiona raised the idea of detournament, and how the meme only works amongst people with shared values or who can recognise the humour behind it.
- The idea of elitism and if this exists in meme creation
1 comments:
Ha the last meme is hi-larious!
Detournament is definitely a great point and something that we should include in one of our features (if anything to add some credibility to our investigation).
Semiotics is also another interesting way of analysing or deconstructing memes. I think that would work well in our guide of how to make a successful meme in which we could do some sort of 'content'/ meme analysis to see what elements are common in this genre.
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