Memes! Everywhere! (Bonus Blog)

At this point you have probably figured out that I am fascinated by memes and by meme-ing, by the way of replication and transformation of pattern of culture. In the same way that genes are replicated, we replicate elements of culture. And history. Not exactly, but kind of.

Take, for instance, Rosie the Riveter.

Someone, probably a guy, wanted to motivate women to work in factories during World War II, so he chose a woman to represent all of the women, and he fashioned an image designed to make factory working desirable. The image went viral, so to speak. although known one called it that then.

Over time, the image has morphed many time and has been used to make many different arguments.

You can see elements of culture replicated, to inspire, to mock, and to sell products. 

Why not? The images are familiar, and they carry all kinds of underlying assumptions, meaning that doesn't have to be stated. We just know it. We feel it. 

Whenever we see Rosie the Riveter, we think, "Women have the power to do anything!" (We overlook the propaganda aspect because, hey, it's WW2). And so the meme takes the element of culture and applies, puts the phrase in Spanish, and it says something similar, but something new. We put a hijab on a woman, and it says something. I'm not sure what it says when Obama is the woman, but that's a whole other thing.

And then Swiffer wants us to see women as powerful and yet appeal to housecleaning? Yeah. I hate that one. 

In order to be effective, memes must meme elements of culture. If don't understand the element of culture, the meaning of the meme is lost.

In your blogs, find a meme and its various uses. What element of culture is it meme-ing? What makes the meme work? In other words, is there an underlying assumption with this meme? Btw, blog posts are due by Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. Have fun.