# What is a 'Meme'? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 11, 2015, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-meme/727527 "2015-08-11T05:45:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-meme/727527/1 "2015-08-11T05:45:22Z")
I encounter the word on the internet. And, not wanting to show my ignorance, I just let it slip by, without comment. But now I just have to know. What is a _ **"Meme"** _? For example, “post your favorite meme” one message board that I belong to says. What on earth does that mean? “Meme”? And BTW, I don’t care if I or anyone else already asked this question. If the question was ever asked before, it must have not been answered adequately, _because I still don’t know_. Thank you! And thank you in advance, to all who reply (or read):):)🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-meme/727527/2 "2015-08-11T05:57:21Z")
> **[Meme](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme)** > > A meme (/miːm/ MEEM) is an idea, behavior, or style that spreads by means of imitation from person to person within a culture and often carries symbolic meaning representing a particular phenomenon or theme. A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural ideas, symbols, or practices, that can be transmitted from one mind to another through writing, speech, gestures, rituals, or other imitable phenomena with a mimicked theme. Supporters of the concept regard memes as cultural analogues to Proponen... ---
**Author:** ![Jesta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Jesta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jesta)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-meme/727527/3 "2015-08-11T06:29:54Z")
try these ones, this is what I think you are referring to… > **[Internet meme](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#Image_Memes)** > > An Internet meme, commonly known simply as a meme (/miːm/, MEEM), is a cultural item (such as an idea, behaviour, or style) that is spread via the Internet, often through social media platforms. Inspired by the concept of memes proposed by Richard Dawkins in 1972, Internet memes can take various forms, such as images, videos, GIFs, and various other viral sensations. Characteristics of memes include their susceptibility to parody, their use of intertextuality, their propagation in a viral pat... > **[Image macro](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_macro)** > > An image macro is a piece of digital media featuring a picture, or artwork, with some form of text superimposed. The text frequently appears at the top and bottom of the image. Image macros are one of the most common forms of internet memes, and often feature witty messages or catchphrases, although not all image macros are necessarily humorous. LOLcats, which are images of expressive cats coupled with texts, are considered to be the first notable occurrence of image macros. Advice animal imag Th... or just run a google image search, for meme. And check out [Meme Generator - Imgur](http://imgur.com/memegen) for a good place to start making your own… ---
**Author:** ![Inna\_Minnit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Inna\_Minnit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inna_Minnit)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-meme/727527/4 "2015-08-11T07:16:07Z")
[If only there was some easy way to find information.](http://bfy.tw/1FBd) ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-meme/727527/5 "2015-08-11T08:21:36Z")
**Moderator Note** > [@Inna\_Minnit](#): > > [If only there was some easy way to find information.](http://bfy.tw/1FBd) Your link goes to “Let me google that for you” which is not an acceptable answer in GQ. From the **General Questions Rules & FAQs** sticky at the top of this forum: > [@](#): > > By the same token, we aren’t interested in hearing about how stupid the question was because a search could have answered the question. Nor are we interested in hearing how simple it was for another poster to find the answer in a search engine. If it’s that simple to find the answer, go ahead and post the answer. Please do not post things like this again in GQ. No warning issued. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-meme/727527/6 "2015-08-11T09:14:57Z")
It seems to be a word that inhabits the world of internet forums rather than everyday speech. I for one, have never heard or seen it used anywhere else. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-meme/727527/7 "2015-08-11T09:18:58Z")
In internet parlance, it most commonly refers to an image with a text caption that has become popular - often with the text being changed to comment on current events or trends. ---
**Author:** ![RadicalPi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/radicalpi/32/9806_2.png) [@RadicalPi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RadicalPi)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-meme/727527/8 "2015-08-11T10:02:37Z")
> [@sandra\_nz](#): > > In internet parlance, it most commonly refers to an image with a text caption that has become popular - often with the text being changed to comment on current events or trends. To piggy back on this, Reddit has a subreddit called Advice Animals which is full of them. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-meme/727527/9 "2015-08-11T10:07:48Z")
Meme was a word coined by Richard Dawkins. It refers to a _replicating idea_ (or set of ideas), by analogy with the word “gene.” The prototypical example of a meme is religion–a belief system which generally encourages believers to spread their ideas to others and to exclude competing ideas. The word has basically been co-opted by Redditors to refer to funny images with text. Although they _are_ memes by the original definition (the humorous concept causes people to replicate them), they are only simplistic and weak examples. Meme is pronounced “meem”, not “me-me”. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-meme/727527/10 "2015-08-11T11:11:18Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > The word has basically been co-opted by Redditors. Both the idea of an Internet meme (captioned photo, etc.) and the specialization of the word “meme” were around years before reddit. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-meme/727527/11 "2015-08-11T12:08:29Z")
> [@RadicalPi](#): > > To piggy back on this, Reddit has a subreddit called Advice Animals which is full of them. One of the best internet repositories for memes: knowyourmeme.com This place is updated several times a day, and each entry typically contains a good deal of background information on each meme. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-meme/727527/12 "2015-08-11T12:27:00Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > Meme was a word coined by Richard Dawkins. It refers to a _replicating idea_ (or set of ideas), by analogy with the word “gene.” The prototypical example of a meme is religion–a belief system which generally encourages believers to spread their ideas to others and to exclude competing ideas. I would say that an example of a meme is **a** religion. Or a belief in god or gods. But yes, a self-replicating set of ideas would cover it. They have to reinforce each other and help each other reproduce. A related word is sememe, used by linguists to denote a semantic atom. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-meme/727527/13 "2015-08-11T13:23:42Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-meme/727527/14 "2015-08-11T13:33:46Z")
> [@tnetennba](#): > > Both the idea of an Internet meme (captioned photo, etc.) and the specialization of the word “meme” were around years before reddit. Which is where they co-opted it from, I’m assuming. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-meme/727527/15 "2015-08-11T13:35:41Z")
> [@sandra\_nz](#): > > In internet parlance, it most commonly refers to an image with a text caption that has become popular - often with the text being changed to comment on current events or trends. Yeah, it’s interesting that “meme” has migrated in such a short time from its original connotation ([obligatory link to Cecil’s column](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2495/what-is-a-meme)), into meaning more or less a synonym for “funny image macro.” ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-meme/727527/16 "2015-08-11T13:45:10Z")
> [@OneCentStamp](#): > > ([obligatory link to Cecil’s column](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2495/what-is-a-meme)) ☹ You guys, we’re slipping, if it takes this long for someone to refer to a Straight Dope column that has virtually the exact same title as the question asked by this thread. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-meme/727527/17 "2015-08-11T14:01:38Z")
Asking a question on a message board is a meme. So is posting an answer. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-meme/727527/18 "2015-08-11T14:07:05Z")
On internet MBs such as this one, “meme” often carries a negative connotation. Someone will say “that a common meme”, meaning “that’s a factually incorrect piece of information that is commonly held”. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-meme/727527/19 "2015-08-11T15:02:37Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > On internet MBs such as this one, “meme” often carries a negative connotation. Someone will say “that a common meme”, meaning “that’s a factually incorrect piece of information that is commonly held”. The proper word meaning “that’s a factually incorrect piece of information that is commonly held” is “factoid”. Which is not what most people seem to think it means. The prescriptivist / descriptivist battle has sped up considerably since a big percentage of all several billion of us got our own worldwide soapbox / printing press. ---
**Author:** ![Inna\_Minnit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Inna\_Minnit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inna_Minnit)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-meme/727527/20 "2015-08-11T19:32:53Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > **Moderator Note** > > Your link goes to “Let me google that for you” which is not an acceptable answer in GQ. > > From the **General Questions Rules & FAQs** sticky at the top of this forum: > Please do not post things like this again in GQ. > > No warning issued. Except that my answer was in and of itself a meme. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-meme/727527.md?page=2)