🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 152 (from laksa052)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa152.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical, ml_categories_json AS ml_categories_json, ml_types_json AS ml_types_json, ml_intent_types_json AS ml_intent_types_json, meta_language AS meta_language, attrs_author AS attrs_author, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(attrs_publish_time), 0) AS attrs_publish_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(attrs_original_publish_time), 0) AS attrs_original_publish_time, ifNull(attrs_is_republished, 0) AS attrs_is_republished, ifNull(attrs_nr_words, 0) AS attrs_nr_words, ifNull(attrs_boilerpipe_nr_words, 0) AS attrs_boilerpipe_nr_words, ifNull(body_ext_links_number, 0) AS body_ext_links_number, ifNull(body_int_links_number, 0) AS body_int_links_number, ifNull(meta_nofollow, 0) AS meta_nofollow, ifNull(meta_noarchive, 0) AS meta_noarchive, ifNull(props_was_rendered, 0) AS props_was_rendered, ifNull(src_redirect, \'\') AS src_redirect, ifNull(download_time_msec, 0) AS download_time_msec, ifNull(download_ttfb_msec, 0) AS download_ttfb_msec, ifNull(download_size, 0) AS download_size FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme","crawl_time":1776624890,"first_indexed_time":1375984562,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"org,wikipedia!en,\/wiki\/Internet_meme s443","src_root_hash":"17790707453426894952","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Internet meme - Wikipedia","meta_descriptions":[],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"An\nInternet meme\n, or\nmeme\n(\n), is a cultural item (such as an idea, behavior, or style) that spreads across the\nInternet\n, now primarily through\nsocial media\nplatforms. Internet memes manifest in a variety of formats, including\nimages\n,\nvideos\n(e.g.\nGIFs\n), and other\nviral content\n. Key characteristics of memes include their tendency to be\nparodied\n, their use of\nintertextuality\n, their viral dissemination, and their continual evolution. The term\nmeme\nwas originally introduced by\nRichard Dawkins\nin his 1976 book\nThe Selfish Gene\nto describe the concept of cultural transmission of a singular unit, analogous to biology.\nThe term\nInternet meme\nwas coined by\nMike Godwin\nin 1993 in reference to the way memes proliferated through early\nonline communities\n, including\nmessage boards\n,\nUsenet\ngroups, and email. The emergence of social media platforms such as\nYouTube\n,\nTwitter\n,\nFacebook\n, and\nInstagram\nfurther diversified memes and accelerated their spread.\nDank\nand\nsurrealist\nmemes are some of the newer genres, with newer formats like\nshort-form videos\npopularized by platforms like\nVine\nand\nTikTok\n. Newer internet memes (specifically those of low quality) are often classified as\nbrain rot\nor\nAI slop\n.\nMemes are now recognized as a significant aspect of\nInternet culture\nand are the subject of academic research. They appear across a broad spectrum of contexts, including marketing, economics, finance, politics, social movements, religion, and healthcare. While memes are often viewed as falling under\nfair use\nprotection, their incorporation of material from pre-existing works can result in\ncopyright\ndisputes.\nCharacteristics\nInternet memes derive from the original concept of\nmemes\nas units of cultural transmission, passed from person to person. In the digital realm, this transmission occurs primarily through online platforms, such as\nsocial media\n.\n[\n1\n]\nAlthough related, internet memes differ from traditional memes in that they often represent fleeting trends, whereas the success of traditional memes is measured by their endurance over time. Additionally, internet memes tend to be less abstract in nature compared to their traditional counterparts.\n[\n2\n]\nThey are highly versatile in form and purpose, serving as tools for light entertainment, self-expression, social commentary, and even political discourse.\n[\n3\n]\nTwo fundamental characteristics of internet memes are creative reproduction and\nintertextuality\n.\n[\n4\n]\nCreative reproduction refers to the adaptation and transformation of a meme through imitation or parody, either by reproducing the meme in a new context (\"mimicry\") or by remixing the original material (\"remix\"). In mimicry, the meme is recreated in a different setting, as seen when different individuals replicate the viral video \"\nCharlie Bit My Finger\n\". Remix, on the other hand, involves technological manipulation, such as altering an image with\nPhotoshop\n, while retaining elements of the original meme.\n[\n4\n]\nIntertextuality in memes involves the blending of different cultural references or contexts. An example of this is the combination of US politician\nMitt Romney\n's phrase \"\nbinders full of women\n\" from the 2012 US presidential debate with a scene from the Korean pop song \"\nGangnam Style\n\". In this case, the phrase \"my binders full of women exploded\" is superimposed on a frame from\nPsy\n's music video, creating a new meaning by merging political and cultural references from distinct contexts.\n[\n4\n]\nInternet memes can also function as\nin-jokes\nwithin specific online communities, where they convey insider knowledge that may be incomprehensible to outsiders. This fosters a sense of collective identity within the group.\n[\n5\n]\nConversely, some memes achieve widespread cultural relevance, being understood and appreciated by broader audiences outside of the originating subculture.\n[\n3\n]\nA study by Michele Knobel and Colin Lankshear examined how Richard Dawkins' three characteristics of successful traditional memes—fidelity, fecundity, and longevity—apply to internet memes. It was found that fidelity in the context of internet memes is better described as replicability, as memes are frequently modified through remixing while still maintaining their core message. Fecundity, or the ability of a meme to spread, is promoted by factors such as humor (such as the comically translated video game line \"\nAll your base are belong to us\n\"), intertextuality (as in the various pop culture-referencing renditions of the \"\nStar Wars Kid\n\" viral video), and juxtaposition of seemingly incongruous elements (exemplified in the \"\nBert is Evil\n\" meme). Finally, longevity is essential for a meme's continued circulation and evolution over time.\n[\n6\n]\nEvolution and propagation\nInternet memes propagate in a similar pattern to infectious disease, as shown by this\nSIR model\n. The pattern, as depicted in red, shows an initial spike in popularity followed by a gradual taper to obscurity.\nInternet memes can either remain consistent or evolve over time. This evolution may involve changes in meaning while retaining the meme's structure, or vice versa, with such transformations occurring either by chance or through deliberate efforts like parody.\n[\n7\n]\nA study by Miltner examined the\nlolcats\nmeme, tracing its development from an in-joke within computer and gaming communities on the website\n4chan\nto a broader source of humor and emotional support. As the meme entered mainstream culture, it lost favor with its original creators. Miltner explained that as content moves through different communities, it is reinterpreted to suit the specific needs and desires of those communities, often diverging from the creator's original intent.\n[\n5\n]\nModifications to memes can lead them to transcend social and cultural boundaries.\n[\n8\n]\nMemes spread virally, in a manner similar to the\nSIR\n(Susceptible-Infectious-Recovered) model used to describe the transmission of diseases.\n[\n9\n]\nOnce a meme has reached a critical number of individuals, its continued spread becomes inevitable.\n[\n10\n]\nResearch by Coscia examined the factors contributing to a meme's propagation and longevity, concluding that while memes compete for attention—often resulting in shorter lifespans—they can also collaborate, enhancing their chances of survival. A meme that experiences an exceptionally high peak in popularity is unlikely to endure unless it is uniquely distinct. Conversely, a meme without such a peak, but that coexists with others, tends to have greater longevity.\n[\n11\n]\nIn 2013, Dominic Basulto, writing for\nThe Washington Post\n, argued that the widespread use of memes, particularly by the marketing and advertising industries, has led to a decline in their original cultural value. Once considered valuable cultural artifacts meant to endure, memes now often convey trivial rather than meaningful ideas.\n[\n12\n]\nHistory\nOrigins and early memes\nA lolcat image macro, a meme style especially popular in the mid-and-late 2000s\nThe word\nmeme\nwas coined by\nRichard Dawkins\nin his 1976 book\nThe Selfish Gene\nas an attempt to explain how aspects of culture replicate, mutate, and evolve (\nmemetics\n).\n[\n13\n]\nEmoticons\nare among the earliest examples of internet memes, specifically the smiley emoticon \":-)\", introduced by\nScott Fahlman\nin 1982.\n[\n14\n]\nThe concept of memes in an online context was formally proposed by\nMike Godwin\nin the June 1993 issue of\nWired\n.\n[\n15\n]\nIn 2013, Dawkins characterized an Internet meme as being a meme deliberately altered by human creativity—distinguished from biological genes and his own pre-Internet concept of a meme, which involved mutation by random change and spreading through accurate replication as in Darwinian selection. Dawkins explained that Internet memes are thus a \"hijacking of the original idea\", evolving the very concept of a meme in this new direction.\n[\n16\n]\nNevertheless, by 2013, Limor Shifman solidified the relationship of memes to internet culture and reworked Dawkins' concept for online contexts.\n[\n17\n]\nSuch an association has been shown to be empirically valuable as internet memes carry an additional property that Dawkins' \"memes\" do not: internet memes leave a footprint in the media through which they propagate (for example, social networks) that renders them traceable and analyzable.\n[\n11\n]\nHowever, before internet memes were considered truly academic, they were initially a colloquial reference to humorous visual communication online in the mid-late 1990s among internet denizens; examples of these early internet memes include the\nDancing Baby\nand\nHampster Dance\n.\n[\n18\n]\nMemes of this time were primarily spread via\nmessageboards\n,\nUsenet\ngroups, and\nemail\n, and generally lasted for a longer time than modern memes.\n[\n19\n]\nAn example of the\nDoge\nmeme, popular in 2013 and similar in style to earlier lolcats\n[\n20\n]\nAs the Internet protocols evolved, so did memes.\nLolcats\noriginated from imageboard website\n4chan\n, becoming the prototype of the \"\nimage macro\n\" format (an image overlaid by large text).\n[\n19\n]\nOther early forms of image-based memes included demotivators (parodized motivational posters), photoshopped images,\ncomics\n(such as\nrage comics\n),\n[\n21\n]\n[\n22\n]\nand\nanime\nfan art\n,\n[\n23\n]\nsometimes made by\ndoujin\ncircles in various countries. After the release of\nYouTube\nin 2005, video-based memes such as\nRickrolling\nand\nviral videos\nsuch as \"\nGangnam Style\n\" and\nthe Harlem shake\nemerged.\n[\n19\n]\n[\n24\n]\nThe appearance of social media websites such as\nTwitter\n,\nFacebook\n, and\nInstagram\nprovided additional mediums for the spread of memes,\n[\n25\n]\nand the creation of meme-generating websites made their production more accessible.\n[\n19\n]\nContemporary memes\n\"Dank memes\" are a genre of internet memes that reached mainstream prominence around 2014. Dank memes refer to deliberately zany or odd memes with features such as oversaturated colors,\ncompression artifacts\n, crude humor, strange captions, and overly loud sounds (termed\near rape\n).\n[\n26\n]\n[\n27\n]\nThe term\ndank\n, which refers to cold, damp places, was adapted as a way to describe memes that fit the aforementioned criteria of a dank meme.\n[\n26\n]\n[\n28\n]\nThe term may also be used to describe memes that have become overused and stale to the point of paradoxically becoming humorous again. Despite having lost popularity since the late 2010s, dank memes have seen several \"revival\" attempts, popularised on platforms such as\nTikTok\n.\n[\n29\n]\nThe phenomenon of dank memes sprouted a subculture called the \"meme market\", satirizing\nWall Street\nand applying the associated jargon (such as \"stocks\") to internet memes. Originally started on\nReddit\nas \/r\/MemeEconomy, users jokingly \"buy\" or \"sell\" shares in a meme reflecting opinion on its potential popularity.\n[\n30\n]\nExample of a \"deep-fried\" meme, featuring distortion and saturated colors\n\"Deep-fried\" memes refer to those that have been distorted and run through several filters and\/or layers of\nlossy compression\n.\n[\n31\n]\n[\n32\n]\nAn example of these is the \"E\" meme, a picture of YouTuber\nMarkiplier\nphotoshopped onto\nLord Farquaad\nfrom the film\nShrek\n, in turn photoshopped into a scene from businessman\nMark Zuckerberg\n's hearing in Congress and captioned with a lone 'E'.\n[\n33\n]\nElizabeth Bruenig of the\nWashington Post\ndescribed this as a \"digital update to the surreal and absurd genres of art and literature that characterized the tumultuous early 20th century\".\n[\n34\n]\nMany modern memes make use of humorously absurd and even\nsurrealist\nthemes. Examples of the former include \"they did surgery on a grape\", a video depicting a\nDa Vinci Surgical System\nperforming test surgery on a grape,\n[\n35\n]\nand the \"moth meme\", a close-up picture of a moth with captions humorously conveying the insect's love of\nlamps\n.\n[\n36\n]\nSurreal memes incorporate layers of irony to make them unique and nonsensical, often as a means of escapism from mainstream meme culture.\n[\n37\n]\nThe \"\nThousand Yard Stare\nMeme\", which was popular in 2023\n[\n38\n]\nAfter the success of the application\nVine\n, a format of memes emerged in the form of short videos and scripted sketches. An example is the \"What's Nine Plus Ten?\" meme, a Vine video depicting a child humorously providing an incorrect answer to a math problem.\n[\n39\n]\nAfter the shutdown of Vine in 2017, the de facto replacement became the social network\nTikTok\n, which similarly utilizes the short video format.\n[\n40\n]\nThe platform has become immensely popular, and is the source of many genres of internet memes as of the mid 2020s.\n[\n41\n]\n[\n42\n]\nIn 2022, the term\nbrain rot\nbecame used to reflect a shift in how memes, particularly TikTok videos, were being interacted with. The term describes content lacking in quality and meaning, often associated with slang and trends popular among\nGeneration Alpha\n, such as \"\nskibidi\n\", \"\nrizz\n\", \"\ngyatt\n\", \"\nsigma\n\" and \"\nfanum tax\n\".\n[\n43\n]\nThe name comes from the perceived negative psychological and cognitive effects caused by exposure to such content.\n[\n44\n]\nSome Internet memes have been criticized for being deliberately meaningless and nonsensical, such as the\n6-7 meme\n.\n[\n45\n]\nIn 2025, some TikTok users expressed concern over a \"meme drought\", which was said to be caused by a\ncringe culture\ncommunity known as SlimeTok.\n[\n46\n]\nThe meme drought was also used to criticize AI-inspired\nbrainrot\ntrends and deliberately meaningless content by\nGen Alpha\nand younger\nGen Z\n, such as\n6-7\n, for being \"oversaturated and unfunny\". These people called for a \"\nGreat Meme Reset\n\" on January 1, 2026, which was the act of returning to \"classic\" memes from the 2010s such as\nNyan Cat\nand\nBig Chungus\n.\n[\n47\n]\nBy context\nMarketing\nThe practice of using memes to market products or services has been termed \"memetic marketing\".\n[\n48\n]\nInternet memes allow brands to circumvent the conception of advertisements as irksome, making them less overt and more tailored to the likes of their target audience. Marketing personnel may choose to utilize an existing meme, or create a new meme from scratch. Fashion house\nGucci\nemployed the former strategy, launching a series of\nInstagram\nads that reimagined popular memes featuring its watch collection. The image macro \"The Most Interesting Man in the World\" is an example of the latter, a meme generated from an advertising campaign for the\nDos Equis\nbeer brand.\n[\n49\n]\nProducts may also gain popularity through internet memes without intention by the producer themselves; for instance, the film\nSnakes on a Plane\nbecame a\ncult classic\nafter creation of the website SnakesOnABlog.com by law student Brian Finkelstein.\n[\n50\n]\nUse of memes by brands, while often advantageous, has been subject to criticism for seemingly forced, unoriginal, or unfunny usage of memes, which can negatively impact a brand's image.\n[\n51\n]\nFor example, the fast food company\nWendy's\nbegan a social media-based approach to marketing that was initially met with success (resulting in an almost 50% profit growth that year), but received criticism after sharing a controversial\nPepe\nmeme that was negatively perceived by consumers.\n[\n52\n]\nEconomics and finance\nMeme\nstocks\nare a phenomenon where stock values for a company rise significantly in a short period due to a surge in interest online and subsequent buying by investors. Video game retailer\nGameStop\nis recognized as the first meme stock.\n[\n53\n]\nr\/WallStreetBets\n, a\nsubreddit\nwhere participants discuss\nstock trading\n, and\nRobinhood Markets\n, a financial services company, became notable in 2021 for their involvement in the popularisation of meme stocks.\n[\n54\n]\n[\n55\n]\n\"YOLO investors\" are a phenomenon that emerged during the\nCOVID-19 pandemic\n, who are less risk averse in their investments compared to their traditional counterparts.\n[\n56\n]\nAdditionally, memes have developed an association with\ncryptocurrency\nwith the development of\nmeme currencies\nsuch as\nDogecoin\n, Shiba Inu Coin, and Pepe Coin. Meme cryptocurrencies have suggested comparisons between meme value and monetary markets.\n[\n57\n]\n[\n58\n]\nPolitics\nInternet memes are a medium for fast communication to large online audiences, which has led to their use by those seeking to express a political opinion or actively campaign for (or against) a political entity.\n[\n14\n]\n[\n59\n]\nIn some ways, they can be seen as a modern form of the\npolitical cartoon\n, offering a way to democratize political commentary.\n[\n60\n]\nMeme image used by white nationalists in the US to perpetuate the\nIrish slaves myth\n[\n61\n]\nAmong the earliest political memes were those arising from the viral\nDean scream\n, an excerpt from a speech delivered by\nVermont\ngovernor\nHoward Dean\n.\n[\n62\n]\nOver time, Internet memes have become an increasingly important element in political campaigns, as online communities contribute to broader discourse through the use of memes.\n[\n63\n]\nFor example,\nTed Cruz\n's 2016 Republican presidential bid was damaged by\na meme\nthat jokingly speculated he was the\nZodiac Killer\n.\n[\n64\n]\nResearch has shown the use of memes during elections has a role to play in informing the public on political themes. A study explored this in relation to the\n2017 UK general election\n, and concluded that memes acted as a widely shared conduit for basic political information to audiences who would usually not seek it out.\n[\n65\n]\nThey also found that memes may play some role in increasing\nvoter turnout\n.\n[\n65\n]\nSome political campaigns have begun to explicitly taken advantage of the increasing influence of memes; as part of the\n2020 US presidential campaign\n,\nMichael Bloomberg\nsponsored a number of Instagram accounts (with over 60 million followers collectively) to post memes related to the Bloomberg campaign.\n[\n66\n]\nThe campaign was faulted for treating memes as a commodity that can be bought.\n[\n67\n]\nBeyond their use in elections, Internet memes can become symbols for various political ideologies. A salient example is Pepe the Frog, which has been used as a symbol for the\nalt-right\npolitical movement, as well as for\npro-democracy\nideologies in the\n2019–2020 Hong Kong protests\n.\n[\n68\n]\n[\n69\n]\nA person performing the Ice Bucket Challenge\nInternet memes can be powerful tools in social movements, constructing collective identity and providing platform for discourse.\n[\n3\n]\n[\n70\n]\nDuring the 2010\nIt Gets Better Project\nfor\nLGBTQ+\nempowerment, memes were used to uplift LGBTQ+ youth while negotiating the community's collective identity.\n[\n71\n]\nIn 2014, the viral\nIce Bucket Challenge\nraised money and awareness for\nAmyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis\/Motor Neurone Disease\n(ALS\/MND).\n[\n72\n]\nFurthermore, internet memes proved an important medium in the discourse surrounding the\nOccupy Wall Street\n(OWS) movement.\n[\n73\n]\nReligion\nInternet memes have also been used in the context of\nreligion\n.\n[\n74\n]\nThey create a participatory culture that enables individuals to collectively make meaning of religious beliefs, reflecting a form of\nlived religion\n.\n[\n75\n]\nAguilar et al. of\nTexas A&M University\nidentified six common genres of religious memes: non-religious image macros with religious themes, image macros featuring religious figures, memes reacting to religion-related news, memes deifying non-religious figures such as\ncelebrities\n,\nspoofs\nof religious images, and video-based memes.\n[\n75\n]\nHealthcare\nSocial media platforms can increase the speed of dissemination of evidence-based health practices.\n[\n76\n]\nA study by Reynolds and Boyd found the majority of participants (who were healthcare staff) felt that memes could be an appropriate means of improving healthcare worker's knowledge of and compliance with infection prevention practices.\n[\n77\n]\nInternet memes were also used in\nNigeria\nto raise awareness of the\nCOVID-19 pandemic\n, with healthcare professionals using the medium to disseminate information on the virus and\nits vaccine\n.\n[\n78\n]\nCopyright\nSince many memes are derived from pre-existing works, it has been contended that memes violate the copyright of the original authors. However, some view memes as falling under the ambit of\nfair use\nin the United States.\n[\n79\n]\n[\n80\n]\nThis dilemma has caused conflict between meme producers and copyright owners; for example,\nGetty Images\n' demand for payment from the blog\nGet Digital\nfor publishing the \"Socially Awkward Penguin\" meme without permission.\n[\n81\n]\nUnited States\nUnder United States copyright law, copyright protection subsists in \"original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression, now known or later developed, from which they can be perceived, reproduced, or otherwise communicated, either directly or with the aid of a machine or device\". It is disputed whether the use of memes constitutes copyright infringement.\n[\n79\n]\nThis\nimage macro\nis in the\npublic domain\nin the United States as the background was taken by the\nDepartment of Agriculture\n.\nFair use is a defense under US copyright law which protects work made using other copyrighted works.\n[\n82\n]\nSection 107 of the\n1976 Copyright Act\noutlines four factors for analysis of fair use:\nThe purpose and character of the use,\nThe nature of the copyrighted work,\nThe amount and substantiality of the portion used, and\nThe effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.\n[\n79\n]\nThe first factor implies the secondary use of a copyrighted work should be \"transformative\" (that is, giving novel meaning or expression to the original work); many memes fulfil this criterion, placing pieces of media in a new context to serve a different purpose to that of the original author. The second factor favors copied works drawing from factual sources, which may be problematic for memes derived from fictional works (such as films). Many of these memes, however, only use small portions of such works (such as still images), favoring an argument of fair use per the third factor. With regards to the fourth factor, most memes are non-commercial in nature and thus would not have adverse effects on the potential market for the copyright work.\n[\n79\n]\nGiven these factors, and the overall reliance of memes on appropriation of other sources, it has been argued that they deserve protection from copyright infringement suits.\n[\n82\n]\nNon-fungible tokens\nSome individuals who are subjects of memes (and thus the copyright holders) have made money through sale of\nnon-fungible tokens\n(NFTs) in\nauctions\n.\n[\n83\n]\nBen Lashes, a manager of numerous memes, stated their sales as NFTs made over US$2 million and established memes as serious forms of art.\n[\n84\n]\nOne example is\nDisaster Girl\n, based on a photo of Zoe Roth at age 4 taken in\nMebane, North Carolina\n, in January 2005.\n[\n84\n]\nAfter this photo became famous and had attained widespread usage on the Internet, Roth decided to sell it as an NFT for US$539,973 (equivalent to $641,562 in 2025),\n[\n85\n]\nwith an agreement for a further 10 percent share of any future sales.\n[\n86\n]\nSee also\nList of Internet phenomena\nRemix culture\nShort-form content\nMemetic warfare\n(Meme Warefare)\nReferences\n^\nBenveniste, Alexis (January 26, 2022).\n\"The Meaning and History of Memes\"\n.\nThe New York Times\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on January 28, 2023\n. Retrieved\nJanuary 28,\n2023\n.\n^\nShifman, Limor (April 2013).\n\"Memes in a Digital World: Reconciling with a Conceptual Troublemaker\"\n.\nJournal of Computer-Mediated Communication\n.\n18\n(3): 364.\ndoi\n:\n10.1111\/jcc4.12013\n.\nhdl\n:\n11059\/14843\n.\nS2CID\n \n28196215\n.\n^\na\nb\nc\nBrown, Helen (September 29, 2022).\n\"The surprising power of internet memes\"\n.\nBBC\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on January 28, 2023\n. Retrieved\nJanuary 28,\n2023\n.\n^\na\nb\nc\nShifman, Limor (2013).\nMemes in Digital Culture\n. MIT Press. pp. \n2–\n4,\n20–\n22.\nISBN\n \n978-0-262-31770-2\n.\n^\na\nb\nMiltner, Kate M. (August 1, 2014).\n\"\n'There's no place for lulz on LOLCats': The role of genre, gender, and group identity in the interpretation and enjoyment of an Internet meme\"\n.\nFirst Monday\n.\ndoi\n:\n10.5210\/fm.v19i8.5391\n.\n^\nKnobel, Michele; Lankshear, Colin (2018) [2007].\n\"Online memes, affinities, and cultural production.\"\n.\nA New Literacies Sampler\n.\nPeter Lang Publishing\n. pp. \n201–\n202.\nISBN\n \n9780820495231\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on April 5, 2023\n. Retrieved\nMarch 19,\n2023\n.\n^\nCastaño Díaz, Carlos Mauricio (September 25, 2013).\n\"Defining and characterizing the concept of Internet Meme\"\n.\nCES Psicología\n.\n6\n(2):\n97–\n98.\nProQuest\n \n1713930915\n.\n^\nBauckhage, Christian (August 3, 2021).\n\"Insights into Internet Memes\"\n.\nProceedings of the International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media\n.\n5\n(1):\n42–\n49.\ndoi\n:\n10.1609\/icwsm.v5i1.14097\n.\nS2CID\n \n16629837\n.\n^\nWang, Lin; Wood, Brendan C. (November 2011).\n\"An epidemiological approach to model the viral propagation of memes\"\n.\nApplied Mathematical Modelling\n.\n35\n(11): 5447.\ndoi\n:\n10.1016\/j.apm.2011.04.035\n.\n^\nZetter, K. (February 29, 2008).\n\"Humans Are Just Machines for Propagating Memes\"\n.\nWired\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on February 2, 2014\n. Retrieved\nMarch 7,\n2017\n.\n^\na\nb\nCoscia, Michele (April 5, 2013). \"Competition and Success in the Meme Pool: a Case Study on Quickmeme.com\".\narXiv\n:\n1304.1712\n[\nphysics.soc-ph\n].\nPaper explained for laymen by\nMims, Christopher (June 28, 2013).\n\"Why you'll share this story: The new science of memes\"\n.\nQuartz\n. Archived from\nthe original\non July 3, 2013.\n^\nBasulto, Dominic (July 5, 2013).\n\"Have Internet memes lost their meaning?\"\n.\nThe Washington Post\n. Archived from\nthe original\non July 5, 2013.\n^\nDawkins, Richard\n(1989).\nThe Selfish Gene\n(2 ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 192.\nISBN\n \n978-0-19-286092-7\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on March 16, 2015\n. Retrieved\nJune 16,\n2015\n.\n^\na\nb\nKulkarni, Anushka (June 3, 2017).\n\"Internet Meme and Political Discourse: A Study on the Impact of Internet Meme as a Tool in Communicating Political Satire\"\n(PDF)\n.\nJournal of Content, Community & Communication Amity School of Communication\n.\n6\n: 13.\nSSRN\n \n3501366\n.\n^\nGodwin, Mike (October 1, 1994).\n\"Meme, Counter-meme\"\n.\nWired\n. Retrieved\nJanuary 31,\n2023\n.\n^\nSolon, Olivia (June 20, 2013).\n\"Richard Dawkins on The Internet's hijacking of the word 'meme'\n\"\n.\nWired UK\n. Archived from\nthe original\non July 9, 2013.\n^\nShifman, Limor (April 2013).\n\"Memes in a Digital World: Reconciling with a Conceptual Troublemaker\"\n.\nJournal of Computer-Mediated Communication\n.\n18\n(3): 367.\ndoi\n:\n10.1111\/jcc4.12013\n.\nhdl\n:\n11059\/14843\n.\n^\nKeep, Lennlee (October 8, 2020).\n\"From Kilroy to Pepe: A Brief History of Memes\"\n.\nPublic Broadcasting Service\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on March 6, 2023\n. Retrieved\nJanuary 31,\n2023\n.\n^\na\nb\nc\nd\nWatercutter, Angela; Grey Ellisby, Emma (April 1, 2018).\n\"The WIRED Guide to Memes\"\n.\nWired\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on February 1, 2019\n. Retrieved\nNovember 30,\n2018\n.\n^\n\"We who spoke LOLcat now speak Doge\"\n.\nGizmodo\n. December 11, 2013\n. Retrieved\nJanuary 3,\n2024\n.\n^\nBoutin, Paul (May 9, 2012).\n\"Put Your Rage Into a Cartoon and Exit Laughing\"\n.\nThe New York Times\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on March 14, 2021\n. Retrieved\nNovember 7,\n2020\n.\n^\nDenisova, Anastasia (2020).\nInternet Memes and Society: Social, Cultural, and Political Contexts\n. New York, NY:\nRoutledge\n. pp. \n9–\n11.\nISBN\n \n978-0-429-46940-4\n.\nOCLC\n \n1090540034\n.\n^\nBeran, Dale (2019).\nIt Came from Something Awful: How a Toxic Troll Army Accidentally Memed Donald Trump into Office\n. St. Martin's Publishing Group. p. xi.\nISBN\n \n978-1-250-18974-5\n.\n^\nMichaels, Sean (March 19, 2008).\n\"Taking the Rick\"\n.\nThe Guardian\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on January 31, 2023\n. Retrieved\nJanuary 31,\n2023\n.\n^\nNieubuurt, Joshua Troy (January 15, 2021).\n\"Internet Memes: Leaflet Propaganda of the Digital Age\"\n.\nFrontiers in Communication\n.\n5\n547065: 3.\ndoi\n:\n10.3389\/fcomm.2020.547065\n.\n^\na\nb\nHanlon, Annmarie; Tuten, Tracy L., eds. (2022).\nThe SAGE Handbook of Social Media Marketing\n. SAGE. p. 10.\nISBN\n \n978-1-5297-4378-4\n.\n^\n\"Dank meme\"\n.\nDictionary.com\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on November 30, 2018\n. Retrieved\nNovember 30,\n2018\n.\n^\nHoffman, Ashley (February 2, 2018).\n\"Donald Trump Jr. Just Became a Dank Meme, Literally\"\n.\nTime\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on May 1, 2018\n. Retrieved\nMay 19,\n2018\n.\n^\nGriffin, Annaliese (March 9, 2018).\n\"What does \"dank\" mean? A definition of everyone's new favourite adjective\"\n.\nQuartz\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on May 19, 2018\n. Retrieved\nMay 19,\n2018\n.\n^\nPlaugic, Lizzie (January 10, 2017).\n\"How a group of Redditors is creating a fake stock market to figure out the value of memes\"\n.\nThe Verge\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on December 11, 2018\n. Retrieved\nDecember 10,\n2018\n.\n^\nGünseli, Yalcinkaya (November 11, 2022).\n\"Deep-fried memes: what are they and why do they matter?\"\n.\nDazed\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on February 12, 2023\n. Retrieved\nFebruary 13,\n2023\n.\n^\nMatsakis, Louise (August 30, 2017).\n\"How to Deep-Fry a Meme\"\n.\nVice\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on February 12, 2023\n. Retrieved\nFebruary 13,\n2023\n.\n^\nHathaway, Jay (November 5, 2018).\n\"The 'E' meme shows just how weird memes can get\"\n.\nThe Daily Dot\n. Archived from\nthe original\non March 26, 2019\n. Retrieved\nMarch 26,\n2019\n.\n^\nBruenig, Elizabeth (August 11, 2017).\n\"Why is millennial humor so weird?\"\n.\nThe Washington Post\n. Archived from\nthe original\non May 7, 2019\n. Retrieved\nMarch 26,\n2019\n.\n^\nLee, Bruce Y. (December 2, 2018).\n\"They Did Surgery On A Grape: What Is This New Viral Meme?\"\n.\nForbes\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on February 1, 2023\n. Retrieved\nFebruary 1,\n2023\n.\n^\nKtena, Natalie (September 28, 2018).\n\"Why does everybody love moth memes?\"\n.\nBBC Three\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on October 21, 2018\n. Retrieved\nFebruary 1,\n2023\n.\n^\nBryan, Chloe (February 6, 2019).\n\"Surreal memes deserve their own internet dimension\"\n.\nMashable\n. Archived from\nthe original\non March 27, 2019\n. Retrieved\nMarch 26,\n2019\n.\n^\nAndaloro, Angela (July 22, 2024).\n\"Origins of the Thousand Yard Stare meme\"\n.\nThe Daily Dot\n. Retrieved\nJanuary 25,\n2025\n.\n^\nBain, Ellissa (September 10, 2021).\n\"9\/10\/21 meme explained: What is happening today?\"\n.\nHITC\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on February 2, 2023\n. Retrieved\nFebruary 2,\n2023\n.\n^\nHerrman, John (February 22, 2020).\n\"Vine Changed the Internet Forever. How Much Does the Internet Miss It?\"\n.\nThe New York Times\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on December 26, 2022\n. Retrieved\nFebruary 2,\n2023\n.\n^\nCarman, Ashley (April 29, 2020).\n\"TikTok reaches 2 billion downloads\"\n.\nThe Verge\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on July 29, 2020\n. Retrieved\nFebruary 2,\n2023\n.\n^\nJennings, Rebecca (February 4, 2020).\n\"The most popular dances now come from TikTok. What happens to their creators?\"\n.\nVox\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on February 2, 2023\n. Retrieved\nFebruary 2,\n2023\n.\n^\n\"Parents and Gen Alpha kids are having unintelligible convos because of 'brainrot' language\"\n.\nNBC News\n. August 10, 2024\n. Retrieved\nSeptember 16,\n2024\n.\n^\nRoy, Jessica (June 13, 2024).\n\"If You Know What 'Brainrot' Means, You Might Already Have It\"\n.\nThe New York Times\n.\nISSN\n \n0362-4331\n. Retrieved\nAugust 26,\n2024\n.\n^\n\"Dictionary.com picks \"67,\" a \"nonsensical and playfully absurd\" slang term, as the 2025 word of the year - CBS News\"\n.\nwww.cbsnews.com\n. October 29, 2025\n. Retrieved\nDecember 17,\n2025\n.\n^\nBremner, Broom (April 2, 2025).\n\"The Great Meme Depression and \"SlimeTok\" - Binghamton Review\"\n. Retrieved\nDecember 30,\n2025\n.\n^\nWatercutter, Angela (November 19, 2025).\n\"The 'Great Meme Reset' Is Coming\"\n.\nWired\n. Retrieved\nNovember 28,\n2025\n.\n^\nFlor, Nick (December 11, 2000).\n\"Memetic Marketing\"\n.\nInformIT\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on January 14, 2012\n. Retrieved\nJuly 29,\n2011\n.\n^\nMcCrae, James (May 8, 2017).\n\"Meme Marketing: How Brands Are Speaking A New Consumer Language\"\n.\nForbes\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on March 15, 2018\n. Retrieved\nDecember 10,\n2018\n.\n^\nCarr, David (May 29, 2006).\n\"Hollywood bypassing critics and print as digital gets hotter - Business - International Herald Tribune\"\n.\nThe New York Times\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on July 3, 2012\n. Retrieved\nFebruary 4,\n2023\n.\n^\nPegolo, Valentina; Carpenter, Lucie (February 6, 2021).\n\"Why Memes Will Never Be Monetized\"\n.\nJacobin\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on February 25, 2021\n. Retrieved\nFebruary 7,\n2021\n.\n^\nWhitten, Sarah (January 4, 2017).\n\"A Wendy's tweet just went viral for all the wrong reasons\"\n.\nCNBC\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on November 4, 2021\n. Retrieved\nAugust 19,\n2020\n.\n^\nRossolillo, Nicholas (September 23, 2021).\n\"What Are Meme Stocks?\"\n.\nThe Motley Fool\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on November 13, 2021\n. Retrieved\nOctober 8,\n2021\n.\n^\nPhillip, Matt; Marcos, Coral M. (August 4, 2021).\n\"Robinhood's shares jump as much as 65 percent, like the meme stocks it enabled\"\n.\nThe New York Times\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on October 18, 2021\n. Retrieved\nFebruary 15,\n2023\n.\n^\nPopper, Nathaniel; Browning, Kellen (January 29, 2021).\n\"The 'Roaring Kitty' Rally: How a Reddit User and His Friends Roiled the Markets\"\n.\nThe New York Times\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on January 29, 2021\n. Retrieved\nFebruary 15,\n2023\n.\n^\nChohan, Usman W.; Van Kerckhoven, Sven (2023).\nActivist Retail Investors and the Future of Financial Markets\n. pp. \n99–\n101.\ndoi\n:\n10.4324\/9781003351085\n.\nISBN\n \n978-1-00-335108-5\n.\nS2CID\n \n257228199\n.\n^\nNani, Albi (December 2022).\n\"The doge worth 88 billion dollars: A case study of Dogecoin\"\n.\nConvergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies\n.\n28\n(6):\n1719–\n1721.\ndoi\n:\n10.1177\/13548565211070417\n.\nS2CID\n \n247685455\n.\n^\nYozzo, John (April 2023). \"Meme Stock Values Can Persist in Bankruptcy, but Cannot Prevail Without Business Justification\".\nAmerican Bankruptcy Institute Journal\n.\n42\n(4):\n36–\n37,\n70–\n71.\nProQuest\n \n2794896398\n.\n^\nSeiffert-Brockmann, Jens; Diehl, Trevor; Dobusch, Leonhard (August 2018). \"Memes as games: The evolution of a digital discourse online\".\nNew Media & Society\n.\n20\n(8):\n2862–\n2863.\ndoi\n:\n10.1177\/1461444817735334\n.\nS2CID\n \n206729243\n.\n^\nGrygiel, Jennifer (May 17, 2019).\n\"Political cartoonists are out of touch – it's time to make way for memes\"\n.\nThe Conversation\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on October 6, 2021\n. Retrieved\nMarch 6,\n2021\n.\n^\n\"How the Myth of the \"Irish slaves\" Became a Favorite Meme of Racists Online\"\n. April 19, 2016.\n^\nMurray, Mark (January 18, 2019).\n\"As the 'Dean scream' turns 15, its impact on American politics lives on\"\n.\nNBC News\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on May 19, 2022\n. Retrieved\nFebruary 7,\n2023\n.\n^\nMacLeod, Alan (February 2019). \"Book review: Kill all normies: Online culture wars from 4chan and Tumblr to Trump and the alt-right\".\nNew Media & Society\n.\n21\n(2):\n535–\n537.\ndoi\n:\n10.1177\/1461444818804143\n.\nS2CID\n \n67774146\n.\n^\nStuart, Tessa (February 26, 2016).\n\"Is Ted Cruz the Zodiac Killer? Maybe, Say Florida Voters\"\n.\nRolling Stone\n. Retrieved\nJuly 22,\n2020\n.\n^\na\nb\nMcLoughlin, Liam; Southern, Rosalynd (February 2021).\n\"By any memes necessary? Small political acts, incidental exposure and memes during the 2017 UK general election\"\n.\nThe British Journal of Politics and International Relations\n.\n23\n(1):\n78–\n79.\ndoi\n:\n10.1177\/1369148120930594\n.\nS2CID\n \n225602095\n.\n^\nLorenz, Taylor (February 13, 2020).\n\"Michael Bloomberg's Campaign Suddenly Drops Memes Everywhere\"\n.\nThe New York Times\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on February 13, 2020\n. Retrieved\nJuly 30,\n2020\n.\n^\nTiffany, Kaitlyn (February 28, 2020).\n\"You Can't Buy Memes\"\n.\nThe Atlantic\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on November 14, 2021\n. Retrieved\nJuly 30,\n2020\n.\n^\nPlacido, Dani Di (May 9, 2017).\n\"How 'Pepe The Frog' Became A Symbol Of Hatred\"\n.\nForbes\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on February 8, 2023\n. Retrieved\nFebruary 8,\n2023\n.\n^\nVictor, Daniel (August 19, 2019).\n\"Hong Kong Protesters Love Pepe the Frog. No, They're Not Alt-Right\"\n.\nThe New York Times\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on August 19, 2019\n. Retrieved\nFebruary 8,\n2023\n.\n^\nHarbo, Tenna Foustad (December 2022). \"Internet memes as knowledge practice in social movements: Rethinking Economics' delegitimization of economists\".\nDiscourse, Context & Media\n.\n50\n100650: 8.\ndoi\n:\n10.1016\/j.dcm.2022.100650\n.\nS2CID\n \n252906293\n.\n^\nGal, Noam; Shifman, Limor; Kampf, Zohar (September 2016). \"\n'It Gets Better': Internet memes and the construction of collective identity\".\nNew Media & Society\n.\n18\n(8): 1698.\ndoi\n:\n10.1177\/1461444814568784\n.\nS2CID\n \n206728484\n.\n^\nSample, Ian; Woolf, Nicky (July 27, 2016).\n\"How the ice bucket challenge led to an ALS research breakthrough\"\n.\nThe Guardian\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on November 8, 2017\n. Retrieved\nFebruary 11,\n2023\n.\n^\nMilner, Ryan M. (October 2013).\n\"Pop polyvocality: internet memes, public participation, and the occupy wall street movement\"\n.\nInternational Journal of Communication\n.\n7\n: 2357.\nGale\n \nA352494259\n.\n^\nHaden Church, Scott; Feller, Gavin (January 2, 2020). \"Synecdoche, Aesthetics, and the Sublime Online: Or, What's a Religious Internet Meme?\".\nJournal of Media and Religion\n.\n19\n(1): 12.\ndoi\n:\n10.1080\/15348423.2020.1728188\n.\nS2CID\n \n213540194\n.\n^\na\nb\nAguilar, Gabrielle K.; Campbell, Heidi A.; Stanley, Mariah; Taylor, Ellen (October 3, 2017). \"Communicating mixed messages about religion through internet memes\".\nInformation, Communication & Society\n.\n20\n(10):\n1502–\n1509.\ndoi\n:\n10.1080\/1369118X.2016.1229004\n.\nS2CID\n \n151721706\n.\n^\nCawcutt, Kelly A.; Marcelin, Jasmine R; Silver, Julie K (August 27, 2019). \"Using social media to disseminate research in infection prevention, hospital epidemiology, and antimicrobial stewardship\".\nInfection Control & Hospital Epidemiology\n.\n40\n(11):\n969–\n971.\ndoi\n:\n10.1017\/ice.2019.231\n.\nPMID\n \n31452490\n.\nS2CID\n \n201757947\n.\n^\nReynolds, Staci; Boyd, Shelby (July 2021). \"Healthcare worker's perspectives on use of memes as an implementation strategy in infection prevention: An exploratory descriptive analysis\".\nAmerican Journal of Infection Control\n.\n49\n(7):\n969–\n971.\ndoi\n:\n10.1016\/j.ajic.2020.11.019\n.\nPMID\n \n33249101\n.\nS2CID\n \n227234896\n.\n^\nMsughter, Aondover Eric; Iman, Maryam Lawal (March 15, 2020).\n\"Internet Meme as a Campaign Tool to the Fight against Covid-19 in Nigeria\"\n(PDF)\n.\nGlobal Journal of Human-Social Science\n.\n20\n(A6): 27.\n^\na\nb\nc\nd\nScialabba, Elena E.\n\"A Copy of a Copy of a Copy: Internet Mimesis and the Copyrightability of Memes\"\n.\nDuke Law & Technology Review\n.\n18\n(1):\n340–\n341,\n344–\n346.\nArchived\nfrom the original on February 13, 2023\n. Retrieved\nFebruary 13,\n2023\n.\n^\nSchwartz, Benjamin D. (August 5, 2022).\n\"Who Owns Memes?\"\n.\nThe National Law Review\n. Retrieved\nAugust 20,\n2023\n.\n^\nIyer, Aishwaria S.; Mehrotra, Raghav (February 26, 2017).\n\"A critical analysis of memes and fair use\"\n.\nRostrum's Law Review\n.\n4\n(1):\n2–\n3.\n^\na\nb\nMielczarek, Natalia; Hopkins, W. Wat (March 2021). \"Copyright, Transformativeness, and Protection for Internet Memes\".\nJournalism & Mass Communication Quarterly\n.\n98\n(1):\n53–\n55.\ndoi\n:\n10.1177\/1077699020950492\n.\nS2CID\n \n225023573\n.\n^\nPritchard, Will (April 16, 2021).\n\"They were ancient internet memes. Now NFTs are making them rich\"\n.\nWired UK\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on November 14, 2021\n. Retrieved\nMay 4,\n2021\n.\n^\na\nb\nFazio, Marie (April 29, 2021).\n\"The World Knows Her as 'Disaster Girl.' She Just Made $500,000 Off the Meme\"\n.\nThe New York Times\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on April 29, 2021\n. Retrieved\nApril 30,\n2021\n.\n^\n1634–1699:\nMcCusker, J. J.\n(1997).\nHow Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda\n(PDF)\n.\nAmerican Antiquarian Society\n.\n1700–1799:\nMcCusker, J. J.\n(1992).\nHow Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States\n(PDF)\n.\nAmerican Antiquarian Society\n.\n1800–present:\nFederal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.\n\"Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–\"\n. Retrieved\nFebruary 29,\n2024\n.\n^\nHoward, Jacqueline (April 30, 2021).\n\"\n'Disaster girl', now aged 21, sells original meme photo as an NFT for an eye-watering $650,000\"\n.\nABC News\n.\nArchived\nfrom the original on February 14, 2023\n. Retrieved\nFebruary 14,\n2023\n.\nFurther reading\nBooks\nBlackmore, Susan (2000).\nThe Meme Machine\n. OUP Oxford.\nISBN\n \n978-0-19-157461-0\n.\nDistin, Kate (2005).\nThe Selfish Meme: A Critical Reassessment\n. Cambridge University Press.\nISBN\n \n978-0-521-60627-1\n.\nMina, An Xiao (2019).\nMemes to Movements: How the World's Most Viral Media Is Changing Social Protest and Power\n. Beacon Press.\nISBN\n \n978-0807056585\n.\nShifman, Limor (2013).\nMemes in Digital Culture\n. MIT Press.\nISBN\n \n978-0-262-31770-2\n.\nArticles\nWiggins, Bradley (September 22, 2014).\n\"How the Russia-Ukraine crisis became a magnet for memes\"\n.\nThe Conversation\n.\nWiggins, Bradley E; Bowers, G Bret (December 2015). \"Memes as genre: A structurational analysis of the memescape\".\nNew Media & Society\n.\n17\n(11):\n1886–\n1906.\ndoi\n:\n10.1177\/1461444814535194\n.\nS2CID\n \n30729349\n.\nExternal links\nMedia related to\nInternet memes\nat Wikimedia Commons","attrs_markdown":"[Jump to content](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#bodyContent)\n\nMain menu\n\nMain menu\n\nmove to sidebar\n\nhide\n\nNavigation\n\n- [Main page](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Main_Page \"Visit the main page [z]\")\n- [Contents](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wikipedia:Contents \"Guides to browsing Wikipedia\")\n- [Current events](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Portal:Current_events \"Articles related to current events\")\n- [Random article](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:Random \"Visit a randomly selected article [x]\")\n- [About Wikipedia](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wikipedia:About \"Learn about Wikipedia and how it works\")\n- [Contact us](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wikipedia:Contact_us \"How to contact Wikipedia\")\n\nContribute\n\n- [Help](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Help:Contents \"Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia\")\n- [Learn to edit](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Help:Introduction \"Learn how to edit Wikipedia\")\n- [Community portal](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wikipedia:Community_portal \"The hub for editors\")\n- [Recent changes](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:RecentChanges \"A list of recent changes to Wikipedia [r]\")\n- [Upload file](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wikipedia:File_upload_wizard \"Add images or other media for use on Wikipedia\")\n- [Special pages](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:SpecialPages \"A list of all special pages [q]\")\n\n[![](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/static\/images\/icons\/enwiki-25.svg) ![Wikipedia](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/static\/images\/mobile\/copyright\/wikipedia-wordmark-en-25.svg) ![The Free Encyclopedia](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/static\/images\/mobile\/copyright\/wikipedia-tagline-en-25.svg)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Main_Page)\n\n[Search](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:Search \"Search Wikipedia [f]\")\n\nAppearance\n\n- [Donate](https:\/\/donate.wikimedia.org\/?wmf_source=donate&wmf_medium=sidebar&wmf_campaign=en.wikipedia.org&uselang=en)\n- [Create account](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Special:CreateAccount&returnto=Internet+meme \"You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory\")\n- [Log in](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&returnto=Internet+meme \"You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [o]\")\n\nPersonal tools\n\n- [Donate](https:\/\/donate.wikimedia.org\/?wmf_source=donate&wmf_medium=sidebar&wmf_campaign=en.wikipedia.org&uselang=en)\n- [Create account](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Special:CreateAccount&returnto=Internet+meme \"You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory\")\n- [Log in](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&returnto=Internet+meme \"You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [o]\")\n\n## Contents\nmove to sidebar\n\nhide\n\n- [(Top)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme)\n- [1 Characteristics](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#Characteristics)\n- [2 Evolution and propagation](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#Evolution_and_propagation)\n- [3 History](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#History)\n  Toggle History subsection\n  - [3\\.1 Origins and early memes](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#Origins_and_early_memes)\n  - [3\\.2 Contemporary memes](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#Contemporary_memes)\n- [4 By context](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#By_context)\n  Toggle By context subsection\n  - [4\\.1 Marketing](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#Marketing)\n  - [4\\.2 Economics and finance](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#Economics_and_finance)\n  - [4\\.3 Politics](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#Politics)\n  - [4\\.4 Social movements](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#Social_movements)\n  - [4\\.5 Religion](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#Religion)\n  - [4\\.6 Healthcare](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#Healthcare)\n- [5 Copyright](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#Copyright)\n  Toggle Copyright subsection\n  - [5\\.1 United States](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#United_States)\n    - [5\\.1.1 Non-fungible tokens](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#Non-fungible_tokens)\n- [6 See also](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#See_also)\n- [7 References](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#References)\n- [8 Further reading](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#Further_reading)\n  Toggle Further reading subsection\n  - [8\\.1 Books](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#Books)\n  - [8\\.2 Articles](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#Articles)\n- [9 External links](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#External_links)\n\nToggle the table of contents\n\n# Internet meme\n69 languages\n\n- [Afrikaans](https:\/\/af.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internetmeem \"Internetmeem – Afrikaans\")\n- [العربية](https:\/\/ar.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D9%85%D9%8A%D9%85_%D8%A5%D9%86%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%86%D8%AA \"ميم إنترنت – Arabic\")\n- [Azərbaycanca](https:\/\/az.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%C4%B0nternet_memi \"İnternet memi – Azerbaijani\")\n- [Bikol Central](https:\/\/bcl.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme \"Internet meme – Central Bikol\")\n- [Беларуская](https:\/\/be.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D0%86%D0%BD%D1%82%D1%8D%D1%80%D0%BD%D1%8D%D1%82-%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BC \"Інтэрнэт-мем – Belarusian\")\n- [Български](https:\/\/bg.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D0%9C%D0%B5%D0%BC_\$%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%82\$ \"Мем (интернет) – Bulgarian\")\n- [বাংলা](https:\/\/bn.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%E0%A6%87%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%9F%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%9F_%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%AE \"ইন্টারনেট মিম – Bangla\")\n- [Bosanski](https:\/\/bs.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internetski_mem \"Internetski mem – Bosnian\")\n- [Català](https:\/\/ca.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mem_d%27Internet \"Mem d'Internet – Catalan\")\n- [کوردی](https:\/\/ckb.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D9%85%DB%8C%D9%85%DB%8C_%D8%A6%DB%8C%D9%86%D8%AA%DB%95%D8%B1%D9%86%DB%8E%D8%AA \"میمی ئینتەرنێت – Central Kurdish\")\n- [Čeština](https:\/\/cs.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internetov%C3%BD_mem \"Internetový mem – Czech\")\n- [Cymraeg](https:\/\/cy.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Memyn_rhyngrwyd \"Memyn rhyngrwyd – Welsh\")\n- [Dansk](https:\/\/da.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme \"Internet meme – Danish\")\n- [Deutsch](https:\/\/de.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Meme_\$Kulturph%C3%A4nomen\$ \"Meme (Kulturphänomen) – German\")\n- [Zazaki](https:\/\/diq.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fenomen%C3%AA_interneti \"Fenomenê interneti – Dimli\")\n- [Ελληνικά](https:\/\/el.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%CE%94%CE%B9%CE%B1%CE%B4%CE%B9%CE%BA%CF%84%CF%85%CE%B1%CE%BA%CF%8C_%CE%BC%CE%B9%CE%BC%CE%AF%CE%B4%CE%B9%CE%BF \"Διαδικτυακό μιμίδιο – Greek\")\n- [Esperanto](https:\/\/eo.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Interreta_memeo \"Interreta memeo – Esperanto\")\n- [Español](https:\/\/es.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Meme_\$internet\$ \"Meme (internet) – Spanish\")\n- [Euskara](https:\/\/eu.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Meme_\$Internet\$ \"Meme (Internet) – Basque\")\n- [فارسی](https:\/\/fa.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D9%85%DB%8C%D9%85_%D8%A7%DB%8C%D9%86%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%86%D8%AA%DB%8C \"میم اینترنتی – Persian\")\n- [Suomi](https:\/\/fi.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internetilmi%C3%B6 \"Internetilmiö – Finnish\")\n- [Français](https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/M%C3%A8me_Internet \"Mème Internet – French\")\n- [Galego](https:\/\/gl.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Meme_\$Internet\$ \"Meme (Internet) – Galician\")\n- [گیلکی](https:\/\/glk.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D8%A7%DB%8C%D9%86%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%86%D8%AA%DB%8C_%D9%85%DB%8C%D9%85 \"اینترنتی میم – Gilaki\")\n- [Avañe'ẽ](https:\/\/gn.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/M%C3%A9me_\$%C3%B1andutiguasu\$ \"Méme (ñandutiguasu) – Guarani\")\n- [עברית](https:\/\/he.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D7%9E%D7%9D_%D7%90%D7%99%D7%A0%D7%98%D7%A8%D7%A0%D7%98 \"מם אינטרנט – Hebrew\")\n- [Hrvatski](https:\/\/hr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internetski_memi \"Internetski memi – Croatian\")\n- [Magyar](https:\/\/hu.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internetes_m%C3%A9m \"Internetes mém – Hungarian\")\n- [Հայերեն](https:\/\/hy.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D5%80%D5%A1%D5%B4%D5%A1%D6%81%D5%A1%D5%B6%D6%81%D5%A1%D5%B5%D5%AB%D5%B6_%D5%B4%D5%A5%D5%B4 \"Համացանցային մեմ – Armenian\")\n- [Jaku Iban](https:\/\/iba.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Meme_Internet \"Meme Internet – Iban\")\n- [Bahasa Indonesia](https:\/\/id.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Meme_internet \"Meme internet – Indonesian\")\n- [Italiano](https:\/\/it.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Meme_di_Internet \"Meme di Internet – Italian\")\n- [日本語](https:\/\/ja.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%E3%82%A4%E3%83%B3%E3%82%BF%E3%83%BC%E3%83%8D%E3%83%83%E3%83%88%E3%83%BB%E3%83%9F%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A0 \"インターネット・ミーム – Japanese\")\n- [Jawa](https:\/\/jv.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Meme_intern%C3%A8t \"Meme internèt – Javanese\")\n- [Қазақша](https:\/\/kk.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D0%98%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%82-%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BC \"Интернет-мем – Kazakh\")\n- [한국어](https:\/\/ko.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%EC%9D%B8%ED%84%B0%EB%84%B7_%EB%B0%88 \"인터넷 밈 – Korean\")\n- [Latina](https:\/\/la.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Memum_interretiale \"Memum interretiale – Latin\")\n- [Lëtzebuergesch](https:\/\/lb.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Meme \"Meme – Luxembourgish\")\n- [Latviešu](https:\/\/lv.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Interneta_m%C4%ABms \"Interneta mīms – Latvian\")\n- [Македонски](https:\/\/mk.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D0%9C%D0%B5%D0%BC_\$%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%BC%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B6%D1%98%D0%B5\$ \"Мем (семрежје) – Macedonian\")\n- [मराठी](https:\/\/mr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%E0%A4%87%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%9F%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%9F_%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AE \"इंटरनेट मीम – Marathi\")\n- [Bahasa Melayu](https:\/\/ms.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Meme_Internet \"Meme Internet – Malay\")\n- [မြန်မာဘာသာ](https:\/\/my.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%E1%80%A1%E1%80%84%E1%80%BA%E1%80%90%E1%80%AC%E1%80%94%E1%80%80%E1%80%BA_%E1%80%99%E1%80%AE%E1%80%99%E1%80%AE \"အင်တာနက် မီမီ – Burmese\")\n- [Nedersaksies](https:\/\/nds-nl.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internetmeme \"Internetmeme – Low Saxon\")\n- [Nederlands](https:\/\/nl.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internetmeme \"Internetmeme – Dutch\")\n- [Deitsch](https:\/\/pdc.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Meme \"Meme – Pennsylvania German\")\n- [Polski](https:\/\/pl.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mem_internetowy \"Mem internetowy – Polish\")\n- [پښتو](https:\/\/ps.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%BC%D8%B1%D9%86%DB%90%D9%BC%D9%8A_%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AF%DA%9A%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%86%D9%87 \"انټرنېټي يادښتونه – Pashto\")\n- [Português](https:\/\/pt.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Meme_\$Internet\$ \"Meme (Internet) – Portuguese\")\n- [Runa Simi](https:\/\/qu.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Yachaphuku_\$Chawpillika\$ \"Yachaphuku (Chawpillika) – Quechua\")\n- [Română](https:\/\/ro.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Meme_internet \"Meme internet – Romanian\")\n- [Русский](https:\/\/ru.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D0%98%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%82-%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BC \"Интернет-мем – Russian\")\n- [Simple English](https:\/\/simple.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme \"Internet meme – Simple English\")\n- [Slovenčina](https:\/\/sk.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internetov%C3%BD_m%C3%A9m \"Internetový mém – Slovak\")\n- [Shqip](https:\/\/sq.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Meme_interneti \"Meme interneti – Albanian\")\n- [Српски \/ srpski](https:\/\/sr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D0%9C%D0%B8%D0%BC_\$%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%82\$ \"Мим (интернет) – Serbian\")\n- [Sunda](https:\/\/su.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Meme_Intern%C3%A9t \"Meme Internét – Sundanese\")\n- [Svenska](https:\/\/sv.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internetmem \"Internetmem – Swedish\")\n- [ไทย](https:\/\/th.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%99%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%97%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%A3%E0%B9%8C%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%99%E0%B9%87%E0%B8%95%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%B5%E0%B8%A1 \"อินเทอร์เน็ตมีม – Thai\")\n- [Tagalog](https:\/\/tl.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Meme_ng_Internet \"Meme ng Internet – Tagalog\")\n- [Toki pona](https:\/\/tok.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/sitelen_musi_tan_kulupu_pi_ilo_sona \"sitelen musi tan kulupu pi ilo sona – Toki Pona\")\n- [Türkçe](https:\/\/tr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%C4%B0nternet_meme%27i \"İnternet meme'i – Turkish\")\n- [Українська](https:\/\/uk.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D0%86%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%82-%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BC \"Інтернет-мем – Ukrainian\")\n- [اردو](https:\/\/ur.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%B9%D8%B1%D9%86%DB%8C%D9%B9_%D9%85%DB%8C%D9%85%D8%B2 \"انٹرنیٹ میمز – Urdu\")\n- [Oʻzbekcha \/ ўзбекча](https:\/\/uz.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_memi \"Internet memi – Uzbek\")\n- [Tiếng Việt](https:\/\/vi.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Meme_Internet \"Meme Internet – Vietnamese\")\n- [閩南語 \/ Bân-lâm-gí](https:\/\/zh-min-nan.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/B%C4%81ng-l%C5%8D%CD%98_meme \"Bāng-lō͘ meme – Minnan\")\n- [粵語](https:\/\/zh-yue.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%E7%B6%B2%E7%B5%A1Meme \"網絡Meme – Cantonese\")\n- [中文](https:\/\/zh.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%E7%B6%B2%E8%B7%AF%E8%BF%B7%E5%9B%A0 \"網路迷因 – Chinese\")\n\n[Edit links](https:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/wiki\/Special:EntityPage\/Q2927074#sitelinks-wikipedia \"Edit interlanguage links\")\n\n- [Article](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme \"View the content page [c]\")\n- [Talk](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Talk:Internet_meme \"Discuss improvements to the content page [t]\")\n\nEnglish\n\n- [Read](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme)\n- [View source](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Internet_meme&action=edit \"This page is protected.\n  You can view its source [e]\")\n- [View history](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Internet_meme&action=history \"Past revisions of this page [h]\")\n\nTools\n\nTools\n\nmove to sidebar\n\nhide\n\nActions\n\n- [Read](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme)\n- [View source](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Internet_meme&action=edit)\n- [View history](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Internet_meme&action=history)\n\nGeneral\n\n- [What links here](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:WhatLinksHere\/Internet_meme \"List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [j]\")\n- [Related changes](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:RecentChangesLinked\/Internet_meme \"Recent changes in pages linked from this page [k]\")\n- [Upload file](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard \"Upload files [u]\")\n- [Permanent link](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Internet_meme&oldid=1349136894 \"Permanent link to this revision of this page\")\n- [Page information](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Internet_meme&action=info \"More information about this page\")\n- [Cite this page](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Special:CiteThisPage&page=Internet_meme&id=1349136894&wpFormIdentifier=titleform \"Information on how to cite this page\")\n- [Get shortened URL](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Special:UrlShortener&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FInternet_meme)\n\nPrint\/export\n\n- [Download as PDF](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Special:DownloadAsPdf&page=Internet_meme&action=show-download-screen \"Download this page as a PDF file\")\n- [Printable version](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Internet_meme&printable=yes \"Printable version of this page [p]\")\n\nIn other projects\n\n- [Wikimedia Commons](https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/Category:Internet_memes)\n- [Wikidata item](https:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/wiki\/Special:EntityPage\/Q2927074 \"Structured data on this page hosted by Wikidata [g]\")\n\nAppearance\n\nmove to sidebar\n\nhide\n\n[![This is a good article. Click here for more information.](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/en\/thumb\/9\/94\/Symbol_support_vote.svg\/20px-Symbol_support_vote.svg.png)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wikipedia:Good_articles* \"This is a good article. Click here for more information.\")\n\n[![Page semi-protected](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/en\/thumb\/1\/1b\/Semi-protection-shackle.svg\/20px-Semi-protection-shackle.svg.png)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wikipedia:Protection_policy#semi \"This article is semi-protected due to vandalism\")\n\nFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia\n\nCultural item spread via the Internet\n\n| [Internet](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet \"Internet\") |\n|---|\n| [![Visualization of Internet routing paths](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/3\/3f\/Internet_map_1024_-_transparent%2C_inverted.png\/250px-Internet_map_1024_-_transparent%2C_inverted.png)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Internet_map_1024_-_transparent,_inverted.png \"Visualization of Internet routing paths\")An [Opte Project](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Opte_Project \"Opte Project\") visualization of [routing paths](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Routing \"Routing\") through a portion of the Internet |\n| ![](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/en\/thumb\/d\/db\/Symbol_list_class.svg\/20px-Symbol_list_class.svg.png) [Index](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Index_of_Internet-related_articles \"Index of Internet-related articles\") [Outline](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Outline_of_the_Internet \"Outline of the Internet\") |\n| General [Access](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_access \"Internet access\") [Activism](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_activism \"Internet activism\") [Slacktivism](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Slacktivism \"Slacktivism\") [Censorship](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_censorship \"Internet censorship\") [Data activism](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Data_activism \"Data activism\") [Democracy](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/E-democracy \"E-democracy\") [Digital divide](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Digital_divide \"Digital divide\") [Digital rights](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Digital_rights \"Digital rights\") [Digital public goods](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Digital_public_goods \"Digital public goods\") [Freedom](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_freedom \"Internet freedom\") [Freedom of information](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Freedom_of_information \"Freedom of information\") [Media capture](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Media_capture \"Media capture\") [Net neutrality](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Net_neutrality \"Net neutrality\") [Phenomena](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_Internet_phenomena \"List of Internet phenomena\") [Meme]() [Privacy](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_privacy \"Internet privacy\") [Right to access](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Right_to_Internet_access \"Right to Internet access\") [Sociology](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sociology_of_the_Internet \"Sociology of the Internet\") [Usage](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Global_Internet_usage \"Global Internet usage\") [Vigilantism](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_vigilantism \"Internet vigilantism\") [Virtual community](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Virtual_community \"Virtual community\") [Virtual volunteering](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Virtual_volunteering \"Virtual volunteering\") |\n| [Governance](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_governance \"Internet governance\") [IGF](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_Governance_Forum \"Internet Governance Forum\") [NRO](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Regional_Internet_registry#Number_Resource_Organization \"Regional Internet registry\") [IANA](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_Assigned_Numbers_Authority \"Internet Assigned Numbers Authority\") [ICANN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ICANN \"ICANN\") [IETF](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_Engineering_Task_Force \"Internet Engineering Task Force\") [ISOC](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_Society \"Internet Society\") |\n| [Information infrastructure](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Information_infrastructure \"Information infrastructure\") [Domain Name System](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Domain_Name_System \"Domain Name System\") [Hypertext Transfer Protocol](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hypertext_Transfer_Protocol \"Hypertext Transfer Protocol\") [Internet exchange point](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_exchange_point \"Internet exchange point\") [Internet protocol suite](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_protocol_suite \"Internet protocol suite\") [Internet Protocol](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_Protocol \"Internet Protocol\") [Transmission Control Protocol](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Transmission_Control_Protocol \"Transmission Control Protocol\") [Internet service provider](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_service_provider \"Internet service provider\") [IP address](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/IP_address \"IP address\") [Internet Message Access Protocol](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_Message_Access_Protocol \"Internet Message Access Protocol\") [Simple Mail Transfer Protocol](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Simple_Mail_Transfer_Protocol \"Simple Mail Transfer Protocol\") |\n| Services [Blogs](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Blog \"Blog\") [Microblogging](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Microblogging \"Microblogging\") [Email](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Email \"Email\") [Fax](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_fax \"Internet fax\") [File sharing](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File_sharing \"File sharing\") [File transfer](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File_transfer \"File transfer\") [Games](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Online_game \"Online game\") [Instant messaging](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Instant_messaging \"Instant messaging\") [Podcasts](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Podcast \"Podcast\") [Shopping](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Online_shopping \"Online shopping\") [Television](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Streaming_television \"Streaming television\") [Voice over IP](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Voice_over_IP \"Voice over IP\") [World Wide Web](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/World_Wide_Web \"World Wide Web\") [search](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Web_search_engine \"Web search engine\") |\n| [History](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/History_of_the_Internet \"History of the Internet\") [Timeline](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Timeline_of_the_history_of_the_Internet \"Timeline of the history of the Internet\") [Protocol Wars](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Protocol_Wars \"Protocol Wars\") [Pioneers](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_Internet_pioneers \"List of Internet pioneers\") [Oldest domain names](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_the_oldest_currently_registered_Internet_domain_names \"List of the oldest currently registered Internet domain names\") |\n| [![icon](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/f\/f9\/Crystal_Clear_app_linneighborhood.svg\/20px-Crystal_Clear_app_linneighborhood.svg.png)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Crystal_Clear_app_linneighborhood.svg) [Internet portal](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Portal:Internet \"Portal:Internet\") |\n| [v](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Template:Internet \"Template:Internet\") [t](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Template_talk:Internet \"Template talk:Internet\") [e](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:EditPage\/Template:Internet \"Special:EditPage\/Template:Internet\") |\n\nAn **Internet meme**, or **meme** ([\/miːm\/](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Help:IPA\/English \"Help:IPA\/English\")), is a cultural item (such as an idea, behavior, or style) that spreads across the [Internet](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet \"Internet\"), now primarily through [social media](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Social_media \"Social media\") platforms. Internet memes manifest in a variety of formats, including [images](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Image \"Image\"), [videos](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Video \"Video\") (e.g. [GIFs](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/GIF \"GIF\")), and other [viral content](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Viral_content \"Viral content\"). Key characteristics of memes include their tendency to be [parodied](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Parodied \"Parodied\"), their use of [intertextuality](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Intertextuality \"Intertextuality\"), their viral dissemination, and their continual evolution. The term *[meme](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Meme \"Meme\")* was originally introduced by [Richard Dawkins](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Richard_Dawkins \"Richard Dawkins\") in his 1976 book *[The Selfish Gene](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Selfish_Gene \"The Selfish Gene\")* to describe the concept of cultural transmission of a singular unit, analogous to biology.\n\nThe term *Internet meme* was coined by [Mike Godwin](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mike_Godwin \"Mike Godwin\") in 1993 in reference to the way memes proliferated through early [online communities](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Online_communities \"Online communities\"), including [message boards](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Message_boards \"Message boards\"), [Usenet](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Usenet \"Usenet\") groups, and email. The emergence of social media platforms such as [YouTube](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/YouTube \"YouTube\"), [Twitter](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Twitter \"Twitter\"), [Facebook](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Facebook \"Facebook\"), and [Instagram](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Instagram \"Instagram\") further diversified memes and accelerated their spread. [Dank](https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/dank \"wikt:dank\") and [surrealist](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Surrealist \"Surrealist\") memes are some of the newer genres, with newer formats like [short-form videos](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Short-form_videos \"Short-form videos\") popularized by platforms like [Vine](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vine_\$service\$ \"Vine (service)\") and [TikTok](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/TikTok \"TikTok\"). Newer internet memes (specifically those of low quality) are often classified as [brain rot](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Brain_rot \"Brain rot\") or [AI slop](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/AI_slop \"AI slop\").\n\nMemes are now recognized as a significant aspect of [Internet culture](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_culture \"Internet culture\") and are the subject of academic research. They appear across a broad spectrum of contexts, including marketing, economics, finance, politics, social movements, religion, and healthcare. While memes are often viewed as falling under [fair use](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use \"Fair use\") protection, their incorporation of material from pre-existing works can result in [copyright](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Copyright \"Copyright\") disputes.\n\n## Characteristics\nInternet memes derive from the original concept of [memes](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Meme \"Meme\") as units of cultural transmission, passed from person to person. In the digital realm, this transmission occurs primarily through online platforms, such as [social media](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Social_media \"Social media\").[\\[1\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-1) Although related, internet memes differ from traditional memes in that they often represent fleeting trends, whereas the success of traditional memes is measured by their endurance over time. Additionally, internet memes tend to be less abstract in nature compared to their traditional counterparts.[\\[2\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-2) They are highly versatile in form and purpose, serving as tools for light entertainment, self-expression, social commentary, and even political discourse.[\\[3\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-BBC-3)\n\nTwo fundamental characteristics of internet memes are creative reproduction and [intertextuality](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Intertextuality \"Intertextuality\").[\\[4\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-MIT_Press-4) Creative reproduction refers to the adaptation and transformation of a meme through imitation or parody, either by reproducing the meme in a new context (\"mimicry\") or by remixing the original material (\"remix\"). In mimicry, the meme is recreated in a different setting, as seen when different individuals replicate the viral video \"[Charlie Bit My Finger](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Charlie_Bit_My_Finger \"Charlie Bit My Finger\")\". Remix, on the other hand, involves technological manipulation, such as altering an image with [Photoshop](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Adobe_Photoshop \"Adobe Photoshop\"), while retaining elements of the original meme.[\\[4\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-MIT_Press-4)\n\nIntertextuality in memes involves the blending of different cultural references or contexts. An example of this is the combination of US politician [Mitt Romney](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mitt_Romney \"Mitt Romney\")'s phrase \"[binders full of women](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Binders_full_of_women \"Binders full of women\")\" from the 2012 US presidential debate with a scene from the Korean pop song \"[Gangnam Style](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gangnam_Style \"Gangnam Style\")\". In this case, the phrase \"my binders full of women exploded\" is superimposed on a frame from [Psy](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Psy \"Psy\")'s music video, creating a new meaning by merging political and cultural references from distinct contexts.[\\[4\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-MIT_Press-4)\n\nInternet memes can also function as [in-jokes](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/In-joke \"In-joke\") within specific online communities, where they convey insider knowledge that may be incomprehensible to outsiders. This fosters a sense of collective identity within the group.[\\[5\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-First_Monday-5) Conversely, some memes achieve widespread cultural relevance, being understood and appreciated by broader audiences outside of the originating subculture.[\\[3\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-BBC-3)\n\nA study by Michele Knobel and Colin Lankshear examined how Richard Dawkins' three characteristics of successful traditional memes—fidelity, fecundity, and longevity—apply to internet memes. It was found that fidelity in the context of internet memes is better described as replicability, as memes are frequently modified through remixing while still maintaining their core message. Fecundity, or the ability of a meme to spread, is promoted by factors such as humor (such as the comically translated video game line \"[All your base are belong to us](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/All_your_base_are_belong_to_us \"All your base are belong to us\")\"), intertextuality (as in the various pop culture-referencing renditions of the \"[Star Wars Kid](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Star_Wars_Kid \"Star Wars Kid\")\" viral video), and juxtaposition of seemingly incongruous elements (exemplified in the \"[Bert is Evil](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bert_is_Evil \"Bert is Evil\")\" meme). Finally, longevity is essential for a meme's continued circulation and evolution over time.[\\[6\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-6)\n\n## Evolution and propagation\n[![Internet meme propagation graph](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/2\/2a\/Graph_SIR_model_without_vital_dynamics.svg\/250px-Graph_SIR_model_without_vital_dynamics.svg.png)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Graph_SIR_model_without_vital_dynamics.svg)\n\nInternet memes propagate in a similar pattern to infectious disease, as shown by this [SIR model](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/SIR_Model \"SIR Model\"). The pattern, as depicted in red, shows an initial spike in popularity followed by a gradual taper to obscurity.\n\nInternet memes can either remain consistent or evolve over time. This evolution may involve changes in meaning while retaining the meme's structure, or vice versa, with such transformations occurring either by chance or through deliberate efforts like parody.[\\[7\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-7) A study by Miltner examined the [lolcats](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lolcat \"Lolcat\") meme, tracing its development from an in-joke within computer and gaming communities on the website [4chan](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/4chan \"4chan\") to a broader source of humor and emotional support. As the meme entered mainstream culture, it lost favor with its original creators. Miltner explained that as content moves through different communities, it is reinterpreted to suit the specific needs and desires of those communities, often diverging from the creator's original intent.[\\[5\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-First_Monday-5) Modifications to memes can lead them to transcend social and cultural boundaries.[\\[8\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-8)\n\nMemes spread virally, in a manner similar to the [SIR](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/SIR_model \"SIR model\") (Susceptible-Infectious-Recovered) model used to describe the transmission of diseases.[\\[9\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-9) Once a meme has reached a critical number of individuals, its continued spread becomes inevitable.[\\[10\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Wired_temes-10) Research by Coscia examined the factors contributing to a meme's propagation and longevity, concluding that while memes compete for attention—often resulting in shorter lifespans—they can also collaborate, enhancing their chances of survival. A meme that experiences an exceptionally high peak in popularity is unlikely to endure unless it is uniquely distinct. Conversely, a meme without such a peak, but that coexists with others, tends to have greater longevity.[\\[11\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-CosciaHarvardCID2013-11) In 2013, Dominic Basulto, writing for *[The Washington Post](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Washington_Post \"The Washington Post\")*, argued that the widespread use of memes, particularly by the marketing and advertising industries, has led to a decline in their original cultural value. Once considered valuable cultural artifacts meant to endure, memes now often convey trivial rather than meaningful ideas.[\\[12\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-WashingtonPost20130705-12)\n\n## History\n### Origins and early memes\n[![Image of lolcat meme](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/4\/44\/CatLolCatExample.jpg\/250px-CatLolCatExample.jpg)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:CatLolCatExample.jpg)\n\nA lolcat image macro, a meme style especially popular in the mid-and-late 2000s\n\nThe word *meme* was coined by [Richard Dawkins](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Richard_Dawkins \"Richard Dawkins\") in his 1976 book *[The Selfish Gene](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Selfish_Gene \"The Selfish Gene\")* as an attempt to explain how aspects of culture replicate, mutate, and evolve ([memetics](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Memetics \"Memetics\")).[\\[13\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-cream-13) [Emoticons](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Emoticon \"Emoticon\") are among the earliest examples of internet memes, specifically the smiley emoticon \":-)\", introduced by [Scott Fahlman](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Scott_Fahlman \"Scott Fahlman\") in 1982.[\\[14\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Journal_of_Content,_Community_&_Communication_Amity_School_of_Communication-14) The concept of memes in an online context was formally proposed by [Mike Godwin](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mike_Godwin \"Mike Godwin\") in the June 1993 issue of *[Wired](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wired_\$magazine\$ \"Wired (magazine)\")*.[\\[15\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-godwin-15) In 2013, Dawkins characterized an Internet meme as being a meme deliberately altered by human creativity—distinguished from biological genes and his own pre-Internet concept of a meme, which involved mutation by random change and spreading through accurate replication as in Darwinian selection. Dawkins explained that Internet memes are thus a \"hijacking of the original idea\", evolving the very concept of a meme in this new direction.[\\[16\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Wired20130620-16) Nevertheless, by 2013, Limor Shifman solidified the relationship of memes to internet culture and reworked Dawkins' concept for online contexts.[\\[17\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-17) Such an association has been shown to be empirically valuable as internet memes carry an additional property that Dawkins' \"memes\" do not: internet memes leave a footprint in the media through which they propagate (for example, social networks) that renders them traceable and analyzable.[\\[11\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-CosciaHarvardCID2013-11)\n\nHowever, before internet memes were considered truly academic, they were initially a colloquial reference to humorous visual communication online in the mid-late 1990s among internet denizens; examples of these early internet memes include the [Dancing Baby](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dancing_baby \"Dancing baby\") and [Hampster Dance](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hampster_Dance \"Hampster Dance\").[\\[18\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-18) Memes of this time were primarily spread via [messageboards](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_forum \"Internet forum\"), [Usenet](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Usenet \"Usenet\") groups, and [email](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Email \"Email\"), and generally lasted for a longer time than modern memes.[\\[19\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Wired-2018-19)\n\n[![Photograph of a Shiba Inu dog playing in snow, with superimposed text \"wow\" \/ \"many ice\" \/ \"so snow\" \/ \"much frosty\" \/ \"very winter\" \/ \"wow\" \/ \"such freeze omg\" in the Comic Sans font and in varying colors scattered throughout the image.](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/b\/be\/Doge_meme_example.jpg\/250px-Doge_meme_example.jpg)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Doge_meme_example.jpg)\n\nAn example of the [Doge](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doge_\$meme\$ \"Doge (meme)\") meme, popular in 2013 and similar in style to earlier lolcats[\\[20\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-20)\n\nAs the Internet protocols evolved, so did memes. [Lolcats](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lolcat \"Lolcat\") originated from imageboard website [4chan](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/4chan \"4chan\"), becoming the prototype of the \"[image macro](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Image_macro \"Image macro\")\" format (an image overlaid by large text).[\\[19\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Wired-2018-19) Other early forms of image-based memes included demotivators (parodized motivational posters), photoshopped images, [comics](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Comics \"Comics\") (such as [rage comics](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rage_comic \"Rage comic\")),[\\[21\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-21)[\\[22\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-22) and [anime](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Anime \"Anime\") [fan art](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fan_art \"Fan art\"),[\\[23\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-23) sometimes made by [*doujin*](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doujin \"Doujin\") circles in various countries. After the release of [YouTube](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/YouTube \"YouTube\") in 2005, video-based memes such as [Rickrolling](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rickrolling \"Rickrolling\") and [viral videos](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Viral_video \"Viral video\") such as \"[Gangnam Style](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gangnam_Style_\$music_video\$ \"Gangnam Style (music video)\")\" and [the Harlem shake](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Harlem_shake_\$dance\$ \"Harlem shake (dance)\") emerged.[\\[19\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Wired-2018-19)[\\[24\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-24) The appearance of social media websites such as [Twitter](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Twitter \"Twitter\"), [Facebook](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Facebook \"Facebook\"), and [Instagram](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Instagram \"Instagram\") provided additional mediums for the spread of memes,[\\[25\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-25) and the creation of meme-generating websites made their production more accessible.[\\[19\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Wired-2018-19)\n\n### Contemporary memes\n\"Dank memes\" are a genre of internet memes that reached mainstream prominence around 2014. Dank memes refer to deliberately zany or odd memes with features such as oversaturated colors, [compression artifacts](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Compression_artifact \"Compression artifact\"), crude humor, strange captions, and overly loud sounds (termed *ear rape*).[\\[26\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-SAGE-26)[\\[27\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-27) The term *dank*, which refers to cold, damp places, was adapted as a way to describe memes that fit the aforementioned criteria of a dank meme.[\\[26\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-SAGE-26)[\\[28\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-28) The term may also be used to describe memes that have become overused and stale to the point of paradoxically becoming humorous again. Despite having lost popularity since the late 2010s, dank memes have seen several \"revival\" attempts, popularised on platforms such as [TikTok](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/TikTok \"TikTok\").[\\[29\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-29) The phenomenon of dank memes sprouted a subculture called the \"meme market\", satirizing [Wall Street](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wall_Street \"Wall Street\") and applying the associated jargon (such as \"stocks\") to internet memes. Originally started on [Reddit](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Reddit \"Reddit\") as \/r\/MemeEconomy, users jokingly \"buy\" or \"sell\" shares in a meme reflecting opinion on its potential popularity.[\\[30\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-30)\n\n[![](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/1\/18\/Deep_fried_meme.jpg\/250px-Deep_fried_meme.jpg)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Deep_fried_meme.jpg)\n\nExample of a \"deep-fried\" meme, featuring distortion and saturated colors\n\n\"Deep-fried\" memes refer to those that have been distorted and run through several filters and\/or layers of [lossy compression](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lossy_compression \"Lossy compression\").[\\[31\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-31)[\\[32\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-32) An example of these is the \"E\" meme, a picture of YouTuber [Markiplier](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Markiplier \"Markiplier\") photoshopped onto [Lord Farquaad](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lord_Farquaad \"Lord Farquaad\") from the film *[Shrek](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Shrek \"Shrek\")*, in turn photoshopped into a scene from businessman [Mark Zuckerberg](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mark_Zuckerberg \"Mark Zuckerberg\")'s hearing in Congress and captioned with a lone 'E'.[\\[33\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-33) Elizabeth Bruenig of the *[Washington Post](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Washington_Post \"The Washington Post\")* described this as a \"digital update to the surreal and absurd genres of art and literature that characterized the tumultuous early 20th century\".[\\[34\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-34) Many modern memes make use of humorously absurd and even [surrealist](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Surrealism \"Surrealism\") themes. Examples of the former include \"they did surgery on a grape\", a video depicting a [Da Vinci Surgical System](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Da_Vinci_Surgical_System \"Da Vinci Surgical System\") performing test surgery on a grape,[\\[35\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-35) and the \"moth meme\", a close-up picture of a moth with captions humorously conveying the insect's love of [lamps](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Electric_light \"Electric light\").[\\[36\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-36) Surreal memes incorporate layers of irony to make them unique and nonsensical, often as a means of escapism from mainstream meme culture.[\\[37\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-37)\n\n[![](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/e\/e8\/Thousand_yard_stare_meme.png\/250px-Thousand_yard_stare_meme.png)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Thousand_yard_stare_meme.png)\n\nThe \"[Thousand Yard Stare](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Thousand-yard_stare \"Thousand-yard stare\") Meme\", which was popular in 2023[\\[38\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-38)\n\nAfter the success of the application [Vine](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vine_\$service\$ \"Vine (service)\"), a format of memes emerged in the form of short videos and scripted sketches. An example is the \"What's Nine Plus Ten?\" meme, a Vine video depicting a child humorously providing an incorrect answer to a math problem.[\\[39\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-39) After the shutdown of Vine in 2017, the de facto replacement became the social network [TikTok](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/TikTok \"TikTok\"), which similarly utilizes the short video format.[\\[40\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-40) The platform has become immensely popular, and is the source of many genres of internet memes as of the mid 2020s.[\\[41\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-41)[\\[42\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-42)\n\nIn 2022, the term *[brain rot](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Brain_rot \"Brain rot\")* became used to reflect a shift in how memes, particularly TikTok videos, were being interacted with. The term describes content lacking in quality and meaning, often associated with slang and trends popular among [Generation Alpha](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Generation_Alpha \"Generation Alpha\"), such as \"[skibidi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Skibidi_Toilet \"Skibidi Toilet\")\", \"[rizz](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rizz \"Rizz\")\", \"[gyatt](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gyatt \"Gyatt\")\", \"[sigma](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sigma_\$slang\$ \"Sigma (slang)\")\" and \"[fanum tax](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fanum_tax \"Fanum tax\")\".[\\[43\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-43) The name comes from the perceived negative psychological and cognitive effects caused by exposure to such content.[\\[44\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-44)\n\n[![](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/6\/60\/Six-seven_jack-o-lantern%2C_Toronto_2025.jpg\/250px-Six-seven_jack-o-lantern%2C_Toronto_2025.jpg)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Six-seven_jack-o-lantern,_Toronto_2025.jpg)\n\nSome Internet memes have been criticized for being deliberately meaningless and nonsensical, such as the [6-7 meme](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/6-7_meme \"6-7 meme\").[\\[45\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-45)\n\nIn 2025, some TikTok users expressed concern over a \"meme drought\", which was said to be caused by a [cringe culture](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cringe_culture \"Cringe culture\") community known as SlimeTok.[\\[46\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-46) The meme drought was also used to criticize AI-inspired [brainrot](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Brain_rot \"Brain rot\") trends and deliberately meaningless content by [Gen Alpha](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gen_Alpha \"Gen Alpha\") and younger [Gen Z](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gen_Z \"Gen Z\"), such as [6-7](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/6-7_meme \"6-7 meme\"), for being \"oversaturated and unfunny\". These people called for a \"**Great Meme Reset**\" on January 1, 2026, which was the act of returning to \"classic\" memes from the 2010s such as [Nyan Cat](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nyan_cat \"Nyan cat\") and [Big Chungus](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Big_Chungus \"Big Chungus\").[\\[47\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-47)\n\n## By context\n### Marketing\nThe practice of using memes to market products or services has been termed \"memetic marketing\".[\\[48\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-memetic_marketing-48) Internet memes allow brands to circumvent the conception of advertisements as irksome, making them less overt and more tailored to the likes of their target audience. Marketing personnel may choose to utilize an existing meme, or create a new meme from scratch. Fashion house [Gucci](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gucci \"Gucci\") employed the former strategy, launching a series of [Instagram](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Instagram \"Instagram\") ads that reimagined popular memes featuring its watch collection. The image macro \"The Most Interesting Man in the World\" is an example of the latter, a meme generated from an advertising campaign for the [Dos Equis](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dos_Equis \"Dos Equis\") beer brand.[\\[49\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-49) Products may also gain popularity through internet memes without intention by the producer themselves; for instance, the film *[Snakes on a Plane](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Snakes_on_a_Plane \"Snakes on a Plane\")* became a [cult classic](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cult_classic \"Cult classic\") after creation of the website SnakesOnABlog.com by law student Brian Finkelstein.[\\[50\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-50)\n\nUse of memes by brands, while often advantageous, has been subject to criticism for seemingly forced, unoriginal, or unfunny usage of memes, which can negatively impact a brand's image.[\\[51\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-51) For example, the fast food company [Wendy's](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wendy%27s \"Wendy's\") began a social media-based approach to marketing that was initially met with success (resulting in an almost 50% profit growth that year), but received criticism after sharing a controversial [Pepe](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pepe_the_Frog \"Pepe the Frog\") meme that was negatively perceived by consumers.[\\[52\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-52)\n\n### Economics and finance\nFurther information: [Meme stocks](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Meme_stocks \"Meme stocks\")\n\nMeme [stocks](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Stock \"Stock\") are a phenomenon where stock values for a company rise significantly in a short period due to a surge in interest online and subsequent buying by investors. Video game retailer [GameStop](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/GameStop \"GameStop\") is recognized as the first meme stock.[\\[53\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-53) [r\/WallStreetBets](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/\/r\/WallStreetBets \"\/r\/WallStreetBets\"), a [subreddit](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Subreddit \"Subreddit\") where participants discuss [stock trading](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Stock_trader \"Stock trader\"), and [Robinhood Markets](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Robinhood_Markets \"Robinhood Markets\"), a financial services company, became notable in 2021 for their involvement in the popularisation of meme stocks.[\\[54\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-54)[\\[55\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-55) \"YOLO investors\" are a phenomenon that emerged during the [COVID-19 pandemic](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/COVID-19_pandemic \"COVID-19 pandemic\"), who are less risk averse in their investments compared to their traditional counterparts.[\\[56\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-56)\n\nAdditionally, memes have developed an association with [cryptocurrency](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cryptocurrency \"Cryptocurrency\") with the development of [meme currencies](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Meme_coin \"Meme coin\") such as [Dogecoin](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dogecoin \"Dogecoin\"), Shiba Inu Coin, and Pepe Coin. Meme cryptocurrencies have suggested comparisons between meme value and monetary markets.[\\[57\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-57)[\\[58\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-58)\n\n### Politics\nInternet memes are a medium for fast communication to large online audiences, which has led to their use by those seeking to express a political opinion or actively campaign for (or against) a political entity.[\\[14\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Journal_of_Content,_Community_&_Communication_Amity_School_of_Communication-14)[\\[59\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-59) In some ways, they can be seen as a modern form of the [political cartoon](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Political_cartoon \"Political cartoon\"), offering a way to democratize political commentary.[\\[60\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-60)\n\n[![](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/1\/15\/Meme_that_perpetuates_Irish_slaves_myth.png\/250px-Meme_that_perpetuates_Irish_slaves_myth.png)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Meme_that_perpetuates_Irish_slaves_myth.png)\n\nMeme image used by white nationalists in the US to perpetuate the [Irish slaves myth](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Irish_slaves_myth \"Irish slaves myth\")[\\[61\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-61)\n\nAmong the earliest political memes were those arising from the viral [Dean scream](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dean_scream \"Dean scream\"), an excerpt from a speech delivered by [Vermont](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vermont \"Vermont\") [governor](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Governor_\$United_States\$ \"Governor (United States)\") [Howard Dean](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Howard_Dean \"Howard Dean\").[\\[62\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-62) Over time, Internet memes have become an increasingly important element in political campaigns, as online communities contribute to broader discourse through the use of memes.[\\[63\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-63) For example, [Ted Cruz](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ted_Cruz \"Ted Cruz\")'s 2016 Republican presidential bid was damaged by [a meme](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ted_Cruz%E2%80%93Zodiac_Killer_meme \"Ted Cruz–Zodiac Killer meme\") that jokingly speculated he was the [Zodiac Killer](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Zodiac_Killer \"Zodiac Killer\").[\\[64\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-64)\n\nResearch has shown the use of memes during elections has a role to play in informing the public on political themes. A study explored this in relation to the [2017 UK general election](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2017_United_Kingdom_general_election \"2017 United Kingdom general election\"), and concluded that memes acted as a widely shared conduit for basic political information to audiences who would usually not seek it out.[\\[65\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-The_British_Journal_of_Politics_and_International_Relations-65) They also found that memes may play some role in increasing [voter turnout](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Voter_turnout \"Voter turnout\").[\\[65\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-The_British_Journal_of_Politics_and_International_Relations-65)\n\nSome political campaigns have begun to explicitly taken advantage of the increasing influence of memes; as part of the [2020 US presidential campaign](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2020_United_States_presidential_election \"2020 United States presidential election\"), [Michael Bloomberg](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Michael_Bloomberg \"Michael Bloomberg\") sponsored a number of Instagram accounts (with over 60 million followers collectively) to post memes related to the Bloomberg campaign.[\\[66\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-66) The campaign was faulted for treating memes as a commodity that can be bought.[\\[67\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-67)\n\nBeyond their use in elections, Internet memes can become symbols for various political ideologies. A salient example is Pepe the Frog, which has been used as a symbol for the [alt-right](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Alt-right \"Alt-right\") political movement, as well as for [pro-democracy](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pro-democracy \"Pro-democracy\") ideologies in the [2019–2020 Hong Kong protests](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2019%E2%80%932020_Hong_Kong_protests \"2019–2020 Hong Kong protests\").[\\[68\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-68)[\\[69\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-69)\n\n### Social movements\n[![A person stands still and winces as a bucket full of ice and water is poured onto their head by another.](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/d\/d7\/John_Maino_performs_the_ALS_Ice_Bucket_Challenge.jpg\/250px-John_Maino_performs_the_ALS_Ice_Bucket_Challenge.jpg)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:John_Maino_performs_the_ALS_Ice_Bucket_Challenge.jpg)\n\nA person performing the Ice Bucket Challenge\n\nInternet memes can be powerful tools in social movements, constructing collective identity and providing platform for discourse.[\\[3\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-BBC-3)[\\[70\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-70) During the 2010 [It Gets Better Project](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/It_Gets_Better_Project \"It Gets Better Project\") for [LGBTQ+](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/LGBT \"LGBT\") empowerment, memes were used to uplift LGBTQ+ youth while negotiating the community's collective identity.[\\[71\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-71) In 2014, the viral [Ice Bucket Challenge](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ice_Bucket_Challenge \"Ice Bucket Challenge\") raised money and awareness for [Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis\/Motor Neurone Disease](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Amyotrophic_Lateral_Sclerosis \"Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis\") (ALS\/MND).[\\[72\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-72) Furthermore, internet memes proved an important medium in the discourse surrounding the [Occupy Wall Street](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Occupy_Wall_Street \"Occupy Wall Street\") (OWS) movement.[\\[73\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-73)\n\n### Religion\nInternet memes have also been used in the context of [religion](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Religion \"Religion\").[\\[74\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-74) They create a participatory culture that enables individuals to collectively make meaning of religious beliefs, reflecting a form of [lived religion](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lived_religion \"Lived religion\").[\\[75\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Information,_Communication_&_Society-75) Aguilar et al. of [Texas A\\&M University](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Texas_A%26M_University \"Texas A&M University\") identified six common genres of religious memes: non-religious image macros with religious themes, image macros featuring religious figures, memes reacting to religion-related news, memes deifying non-religious figures such as [celebrities](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Celebrity \"Celebrity\"), [spoofs](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Parody \"Parody\") of religious images, and video-based memes.[\\[75\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Information,_Communication_&_Society-75)\n\n### Healthcare\nSocial media platforms can increase the speed of dissemination of evidence-based health practices.[\\[76\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-76) A study by Reynolds and Boyd found the majority of participants (who were healthcare staff) felt that memes could be an appropriate means of improving healthcare worker's knowledge of and compliance with infection prevention practices.[\\[77\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-77) Internet memes were also used in [Nigeria](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nigeria \"Nigeria\") to raise awareness of the [COVID-19 pandemic](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/COVID-19_pandemic \"COVID-19 pandemic\"), with healthcare professionals using the medium to disseminate information on the virus and [its vaccine](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/COVID-19_vaccine \"COVID-19 vaccine\").[\\[78\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-78)\n\n## Copyright\nSince many memes are derived from pre-existing works, it has been contended that memes violate the copyright of the original authors. However, some view memes as falling under the ambit of [fair use](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use \"Fair use\") in the United States.[\\[79\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Duke_Law_&_Technology_Review-79)[\\[80\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-80) This dilemma has caused conflict between meme producers and copyright owners; for example, [Getty Images](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Getty_Images \"Getty Images\")' demand for payment from the blog *Get Digital* for publishing the \"Socially Awkward Penguin\" meme without permission.[\\[81\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-81)\n\n### United States\nUnder United States copyright law, copyright protection subsists in \"original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression, now known or later developed, from which they can be perceived, reproduced, or otherwise communicated, either directly or with the aid of a machine or device\". It is disputed whether the use of memes constitutes copyright infringement.[\\[79\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Duke_Law_&_Technology_Review-79)\n\n[![](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/a\/ac\/Farmer_meme_with_apostrophe.jpg\/250px-Farmer_meme_with_apostrophe.jpg)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Farmer_meme_with_apostrophe.jpg)\n\nThis [image macro](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Image_macro \"Image macro\") is in the [public domain](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Public_domain \"Public domain\") in the United States as the background was taken by the [Department of Agriculture](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_States_Department_of_Agriculture \"United States Department of Agriculture\").\n\nFair use is a defense under US copyright law which protects work made using other copyrighted works.[\\[82\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Journalism_&_Mass_Communication_Quarterly-82) Section 107 of the [1976 Copyright Act](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Copyright_Act_of_1976 \"Copyright Act of 1976\") outlines four factors for analysis of fair use:\n\n1. The purpose and character of the use,\n2. The nature of the copyrighted work,\n3. The amount and substantiality of the portion used, and\n4. The effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.[\\[79\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Duke_Law_&_Technology_Review-79)\n\nThe first factor implies the secondary use of a copyrighted work should be \"transformative\" (that is, giving novel meaning or expression to the original work); many memes fulfil this criterion, placing pieces of media in a new context to serve a different purpose to that of the original author. The second factor favors copied works drawing from factual sources, which may be problematic for memes derived from fictional works (such as films). Many of these memes, however, only use small portions of such works (such as still images), favoring an argument of fair use per the third factor. With regards to the fourth factor, most memes are non-commercial in nature and thus would not have adverse effects on the potential market for the copyright work.[\\[79\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Duke_Law_&_Technology_Review-79) Given these factors, and the overall reliance of memes on appropriation of other sources, it has been argued that they deserve protection from copyright infringement suits.[\\[82\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Journalism_&_Mass_Communication_Quarterly-82)\n\n#### Non-fungible tokens\nSome individuals who are subjects of memes (and thus the copyright holders) have made money through sale of [non-fungible tokens](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Non-fungible_token \"Non-fungible token\") (NFTs) in [auctions](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Auction \"Auction\").[\\[83\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Wired-83) Ben Lashes, a manager of numerous memes, stated their sales as NFTs made over US\\$2 million and established memes as serious forms of art.[\\[84\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Fazio-84) One example is *[Disaster Girl](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Disaster_Girl \"Disaster Girl\")*, based on a photo of Zoe Roth at age 4 taken in [Mebane, North Carolina](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mebane,_North_Carolina \"Mebane, North Carolina\"), in January 2005.[\\[84\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Fazio-84) After this photo became famous and had attained widespread usage on the Internet, Roth decided to sell it as an NFT for US\\$539,973 (equivalent to \\$641,562 in 2025),[\\[85\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-inflation-US-85) with an agreement for a further 10 percent share of any future sales.[\\[86\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-86)\n\n## See also\n- [![icon](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/f\/f9\/Crystal_Clear_app_linneighborhood.svg\/40px-Crystal_Clear_app_linneighborhood.svg.png)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Crystal_Clear_app_linneighborhood.svg)[Internet portal](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Portal:Internet \"Portal:Internet\")\n\n- [List of Internet phenomena](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_Internet_phenomena \"List of Internet phenomena\")\n- [Remix culture](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Remix_culture \"Remix culture\")\n- [Short-form content](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Short-form_content \"Short-form content\")\n- [Memetic warfare](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Memetic_warfare \"Memetic warfare\") (Meme Warefare)\n## References\n1. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-1)**\n   Benveniste, Alexis (January 26, 2022). [\"The Meaning and History of Memes\"](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/01\/26\/crosswords\/what-is-a-meme.html). *The New York Times*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230128093855\/https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/01\/26\/crosswords\/what-is-a-meme.html) from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.\n2. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-2)**\n   Shifman, Limor (April 2013). [\"Memes in a Digital World: Reconciling with a Conceptual Troublemaker\"](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111%2Fjcc4.12013). *Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication*. **18** (3): 364. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.1111\/jcc4.12013](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111%2Fjcc4.12013). [hdl](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hdl_\$identifier\$ \"Hdl (identifier)\"):[11059\/14843](https:\/\/hdl.handle.net\/11059%2F14843). [S2CID](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/S2CID_\$identifier\$ \"S2CID (identifier)\") [28196215](https:\/\/api.semanticscholar.org\/CorpusID:28196215).\n3. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-BBC_3-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-BBC_3-1) [***c***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-BBC_3-2)\n   Brown, Helen (September 29, 2022). [\"The surprising power of internet memes\"](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/future\/article\/20220928-the-surprising-power-of-internet-memes). *BBC*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230128093847\/https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/future\/article\/20220928-the-surprising-power-of-internet-memes) from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.\n4. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-MIT_Press_4-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-MIT_Press_4-1) [***c***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-MIT_Press_4-2)\n   Shifman, Limor (2013). *Memes in Digital Culture*. MIT Press. pp. 2–4, 20–22\\. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n   \n   [978-0-262-31770-2](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/978-0-262-31770-2 \"Special:BookSources\/978-0-262-31770-2\")\n   \n   .\n5. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-First_Monday_5-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-First_Monday_5-1)\n   Miltner, Kate M. (August 1, 2014). [\"'There's no place for lulz on LOLCats': The role of genre, gender, and group identity in the interpretation and enjoyment of an Internet meme\"](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.5210%2Ffm.v19i8.5391). *First Monday*. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.5210\/fm.v19i8.5391](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.5210%2Ffm.v19i8.5391).\n6. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-6)**\n   Knobel, Michele; Lankshear, Colin (2018) \\[2007\\]. [\"Online memes, affinities, and cultural production.\"](https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=4Gjs8uT6dxIC&dq=Online+memes,+affinities+and+cultural+production&pg=PA199). *A New Literacies Sampler*. [Peter Lang Publishing](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Peter_Lang_Publishing \"Peter Lang Publishing\"). pp. 201–202\\. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n   \n   [9780820495231](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/9780820495231 \"Special:BookSources\/9780820495231\")\n   \n   . [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230405041905\/https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=4Gjs8uT6dxIC&dq=Online+memes,+affinities+and+cultural+production&pg=PA199) from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved March 19, 2023.\n7. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-7)**\n   Castaño Díaz, Carlos Mauricio (September 25, 2013). [\"Defining and characterizing the concept of Internet Meme\"](https:\/\/revistas.ces.edu.co\/index.php\/psicologia\/article\/view\/2642). *CES Psicología*. **6** (2): 97–98\\.\n   \n   [ProQuest](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ProQuest \"ProQuest\") [1713930915](https:\/\/www.proquest.com\/docview\/1713930915).\n8. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-8)**\n   Bauckhage, Christian (August 3, 2021). [\"Insights into Internet Memes\"](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1609%2Ficwsm.v5i1.14097). *Proceedings of the International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media*. **5** (1): 42–49\\. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.1609\/icwsm.v5i1.14097](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1609%2Ficwsm.v5i1.14097). [S2CID](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/S2CID_\$identifier\$ \"S2CID (identifier)\") [16629837](https:\/\/api.semanticscholar.org\/CorpusID:16629837).\n9. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-9)**\n   Wang, Lin; Wood, Brendan C. (November 2011). [\"An epidemiological approach to model the viral propagation of memes\"](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016%2Fj.apm.2011.04.035). *Applied Mathematical Modelling*. **35** (11): 5447. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.1016\/j.apm.2011.04.035](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016%2Fj.apm.2011.04.035).\n10. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Wired_temes_10-0)**\n    Zetter, K. (February 29, 2008). [\"Humans Are Just Machines for Propagating Memes\"](https:\/\/www.wired.com\/science\/discoveries\/news\/2008\/02\/ted_blackmore?currentPage=all). *[Wired](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wired_\$magazine\$ \"Wired (magazine)\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20140202123609\/http:\/\/www.wired.com\/science\/discoveries\/news\/2008\/02\/ted_blackmore?currentPage=all) from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved March 7, 2017.\n11. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-CosciaHarvardCID2013_11-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-CosciaHarvardCID2013_11-1)\n    Coscia, Michele (April 5, 2013). \"Competition and Success in the Meme Pool: a Case Study on Quickmeme.com\". [arXiv](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ArXiv_\$identifier\$ \"ArXiv (identifier)\"):[1304\\.1712](https:\/\/arxiv.org\/abs\/1304.1712) \\[[physics.soc-ph](https:\/\/arxiv.org\/archive\/physics.soc-ph)\\].\n    \n    Paper explained for laymen by\n    \n    Mims, Christopher (June 28, 2013). [\"Why you'll share this story: The new science of memes\"](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20130703055640\/http:\/\/qz.com\/98677\/why-youll-share-this-story-the-new-science-of-memes\/). *[Quartz](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Quartz_\$publication\$ \"Quartz (publication)\")*. Archived from [the original](http:\/\/qz.com\/98677\/why-youll-share-this-story-the-new-science-of-memes\/) on July 3, 2013.\n12. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-WashingtonPost20130705_12-0)**\n    Basulto, Dominic (July 5, 2013). [\"Have Internet memes lost their meaning?\"](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20130705202602\/http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/blogs\/innovations\/wp\/2013\/07\/05\/have-internet-memes-lost-their-meaning\/). *The Washington Post*. Archived from [the original](https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/blogs\/innovations\/wp\/2013\/07\/05\/have-internet-memes-lost-their-meaning\/) on July 5, 2013.\n13. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-cream_13-0)**\n    [Dawkins, Richard](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Richard_Dawkins \"Richard Dawkins\") (1989). [*The Selfish Gene*](https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=WkHO9HI7koEC&pg=PA192) (2 ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 192. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n    \n    [978-0-19-286092-7](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/978-0-19-286092-7 \"Special:BookSources\/978-0-19-286092-7\")\n    \n    . [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20150316114026\/http:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=WkHO9HI7koEC&pg=PA192) from the original on March 16, 2015. Retrieved June 16, 2015.\n14. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Journal_of_Content,_Community_&_Communication_Amity_School_of_Communication_14-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Journal_of_Content,_Community_&_Communication_Amity_School_of_Communication_14-1)\n    Kulkarni, Anushka (June 3, 2017). [\"Internet Meme and Political Discourse: A Study on the Impact of Internet Meme as a Tool in Communicating Political Satire\"](https:\/\/www.amity.edu\/gwalior\/jccc\/pdf\/jcc-journal-december-2017-13-17.pdf) (PDF). *Journal of Content, Community & Communication Amity School of Communication*. **6**: 13. [SSRN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/SSRN_\$identifier\$ \"SSRN (identifier)\") [3501366](https:\/\/papers.ssrn.com\/sol3\/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3501366).\n15. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-godwin_15-0)**\n    Godwin, Mike (October 1, 1994). [\"Meme, Counter-meme\"](https:\/\/www.wired.com\/1994\/10\/godwin-if-2\/). *[Wired](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wired_\$magazine\$ \"Wired (magazine)\")*. Retrieved January 31, 2023.\n16. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Wired20130620_16-0)**\n    Solon, Olivia (June 20, 2013). [\"Richard Dawkins on The Internet's hijacking of the word 'meme'\"](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20130709152558\/http:\/\/www.wired.co.uk\/news\/archive\/2013-06\/20\/richard-dawkins-memes). *Wired UK*. Archived from [the original](https:\/\/www.wired.co.uk\/news\/archive\/2013-06\/20\/richard-dawkins-memes) on July 9, 2013.\n17. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-17)**\n    Shifman, Limor (April 2013). [\"Memes in a Digital World: Reconciling with a Conceptual Troublemaker\"](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111%2Fjcc4.12013). *Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication*. **18** (3): 367. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.1111\/jcc4.12013](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111%2Fjcc4.12013). [hdl](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hdl_\$identifier\$ \"Hdl (identifier)\"):[11059\/14843](https:\/\/hdl.handle.net\/11059%2F14843).\n18. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-18)**\n    Keep, Lennlee (October 8, 2020). [\"From Kilroy to Pepe: A Brief History of Memes\"](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/from-kilroy-to-pepe-a-brief-history-of-memes\/). *Public Broadcasting Service*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230306192623\/https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/from-kilroy-to-pepe-a-brief-history-of-memes\/) from the original on March 6, 2023. Retrieved January 31, 2023.\n19. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Wired-2018_19-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Wired-2018_19-1) [***c***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Wired-2018_19-2) [***d***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Wired-2018_19-3)\n    Watercutter, Angela; Grey Ellisby, Emma (April 1, 2018). [\"The WIRED Guide to Memes\"](https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/guide-memes\/). *Wired*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190201164321\/https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/guide-memes\/) from the original on February 1, 2019. Retrieved November 30, 2018.\n20. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-20)**\n    [\"We who spoke LOLcat now speak Doge\"](https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/we-who-spoke-lolcat-now-speak-doge-1481243678). *Gizmodo*. December 11, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2024.\n21. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-21)**\n    Boutin, Paul (May 9, 2012). [\"Put Your Rage Into a Cartoon and Exit Laughing\"](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2012\/05\/10\/technology\/personaltech\/rage-comics-turn-everyday-stress-into-laughs.html). *[The New York Times](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_New_York_Times \"The New York Times\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20210314141449\/https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2012\/05\/10\/technology\/personaltech\/rage-comics-turn-everyday-stress-into-laughs.html) from the original on March 14, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2020.\n22. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-22)**\n    Denisova, Anastasia (2020). *Internet Memes and Society: Social, Cultural, and Political Contexts*. New York, NY: [Routledge](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Routledge \"Routledge\"). pp. 9–11\\. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n    \n    [978-0-429-46940-4](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/978-0-429-46940-4 \"Special:BookSources\/978-0-429-46940-4\")\n    \n    . [OCLC](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/OCLC_\$identifier\$ \"OCLC (identifier)\") [1090540034](https:\/\/search.worldcat.org\/oclc\/1090540034).\n23. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-23)**\n    Beran, Dale (2019). *It Came from Something Awful: How a Toxic Troll Army Accidentally Memed Donald Trump into Office*. St. Martin's Publishing Group. p. xi. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n    \n    [978-1-250-18974-5](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/978-1-250-18974-5 \"Special:BookSources\/978-1-250-18974-5\")\n    \n    .\n24. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-24)**\n    Michaels, Sean (March 19, 2008). [\"Taking the Rick\"](https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/music\/2008\/mar\/19\/news). *[The Guardian](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Guardian \"The Guardian\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230131140850\/https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/music\/2008\/mar\/19\/news) from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved January 31, 2023.\n25. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-25)**\n    Nieubuurt, Joshua Troy (January 15, 2021). [\"Internet Memes: Leaflet Propaganda of the Digital Age\"](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389%2Ffcomm.2020.547065). *Frontiers in Communication*. **5** 547065: 3. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.3389\/fcomm.2020.547065](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389%2Ffcomm.2020.547065).\n26. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-SAGE_26-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-SAGE_26-1)\n    Hanlon, Annmarie; Tuten, Tracy L., eds. (2022). *The SAGE Handbook of Social Media Marketing*. SAGE. p. 10. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n    \n    [978-1-5297-4378-4](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/978-1-5297-4378-4 \"Special:BookSources\/978-1-5297-4378-4\")\n    \n    .\n27. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-27)**\n    [\"Dank meme\"](https:\/\/www.dictionary.com\/e\/slang\/dank-meme\/). *[Dictionary.com](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dictionary.com \"Dictionary.com\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20181130071447\/https:\/\/www.dictionary.com\/e\/slang\/dank-meme\/) from the original on November 30, 2018. Retrieved November 30, 2018.\n28. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-28)**\n    Hoffman, Ashley (February 2, 2018). [\"Donald Trump Jr. Just Became a Dank Meme, Literally\"](https:\/\/time.com\/5130384\/donald-trump-jr-dankness-tweet\/). *Time*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20180501012644\/http:\/\/time.com\/5130384\/donald-trump-jr-dankness-tweet\/) from the original on May 1, 2018. Retrieved May 19, 2018.\n29. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-29)**\n    Griffin, Annaliese (March 9, 2018). [\"What does \"dank\" mean? A definition of everyone's new favourite adjective\"](https:\/\/quartzy.qz.com\/1221995\/dank-is-the-new-umami\/). *[Quartz](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Quartz_\$magazine\$ \"Quartz (magazine)\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20180519121617\/https:\/\/quartzy.qz.com\/1221995\/dank-is-the-new-umami\/) from the original on May 19, 2018. Retrieved May 19, 2018.\n30. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-30)**\n    Plaugic, Lizzie (January 10, 2017). [\"How a group of Redditors is creating a fake stock market to figure out the value of memes\"](https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2017\/1\/10\/14223264\/meme-economy-reddit-stock-market). *The Verge*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20181211010109\/https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2017\/1\/10\/14223264\/meme-economy-reddit-stock-market) from the original on December 11, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2018.\n31. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-31)**\n    Günseli, Yalcinkaya (November 11, 2022). [\"Deep-fried memes: what are they and why do they matter?\"](https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/57422\/1\/deep-fried-memes-surveillance-capitalism-instagram-reddit-censorship). *[Dazed](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dazed \"Dazed\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230212190723\/https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/57422\/1\/deep-fried-memes-surveillance-capitalism-instagram-reddit-censorship) from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.\n32. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-32)**\n    Matsakis, Louise (August 30, 2017). [\"How to Deep-Fry a Meme\"](https:\/\/www.vice.com\/en\/article\/how-to-deep-fry-a-meme\/). *[Vice](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vice_\$magazine\$#Website \"Vice (magazine)\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230212190722\/https:\/\/www.vice.com\/en\/article\/zmm885\/how-to-deep-fry-a-meme) from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.\n33. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-33)**\n    Hathaway, Jay (November 5, 2018). [\"The 'E' meme shows just how weird memes can get\"](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190326134655\/https:\/\/www.dailydot.com\/unclick\/lord-farquaad-e-meme\/). *[The Daily Dot](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Daily_Dot \"The Daily Dot\")*. Archived from [the original](https:\/\/www.dailydot.com\/unclick\/lord-farquaad-e-meme\/) on March 26, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2019.\n34. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-34)**\n    Bruenig, Elizabeth (August 11, 2017). [\"Why is millennial humor so weird?\"](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190507081349\/https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/outlook\/why-is-millennial-humor-so-weird\/2017\/08\/11\/64af9cae-7dd5-11e7-83c7-5bd5460f0d7e_story.html). *[The Washington Post](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Washington_Post \"The Washington Post\")*. Archived from [the original](https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/outlook\/why-is-millennial-humor-so-weird\/2017\/08\/11\/64af9cae-7dd5-11e7-83c7-5bd5460f0d7e_story.html) on May 7, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2019.\n35. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-35)**\n    Lee, Bruce Y. (December 2, 2018). [\"They Did Surgery On A Grape: What Is This New Viral Meme?\"](https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/brucelee\/2018\/12\/02\/they-did-surgery-on-a-grape-what-is-this-new-viral-meme\/). *Forbes*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230201134300\/https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/brucelee\/2018\/12\/02\/they-did-surgery-on-a-grape-what-is-this-new-viral-meme\/) from the original on February 1, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2023.\n36. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-36)**\n    Ktena, Natalie (September 28, 2018). [\"Why does everybody love moth memes?\"](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/bbcthree\/article\/45ce5960-31a2-4223-a426-c3414df5ec79). *BBC Three*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20181021104953\/https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/bbcthree\/article\/45ce5960-31a2-4223-a426-c3414df5ec79) from the original on October 21, 2018. Retrieved February 1, 2023.\n37. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-37)**\n    Bryan, Chloe (February 6, 2019). [\"Surreal memes deserve their own internet dimension\"](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190327090359\/https:\/\/mashable.com\/article\/surreal-memes\/#dBMHaD8Josqt). *Mashable*. Archived from [the original](https:\/\/mashable.com\/article\/surreal-memes\/#dBMHaD8Josqt) on March 27, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2019.\n38. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-38)**\n    Andaloro, Angela (July 22, 2024). [\"Origins of the Thousand Yard Stare meme\"](https:\/\/www.dailydot.com\/memes\/thousand-yard-stare-meme\/). *The Daily Dot*. Retrieved January 25, 2025.\n39. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-39)**\n    Bain, Ellissa (September 10, 2021). [\"9\/10\/21 meme explained: What is happening today?\"](https:\/\/www.hitc.com\/en-gb\/2021\/09\/10\/9-10-21-meme\/). *[HITC](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/HITC \"HITC\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230202140436\/https:\/\/www.hitc.com\/en-gb\/2021\/09\/10\/9-10-21-meme\/) from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2023.\n40. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-40)**\n    Herrman, John (February 22, 2020). [\"Vine Changed the Internet Forever. How Much Does the Internet Miss It?\"](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/02\/22\/style\/byte-vine-short-video-apps.html). *[The New York Times](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_New_York_Times \"The New York Times\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20221226154458\/https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/02\/22\/style\/byte-vine-short-video-apps.html) from the original on December 26, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2023.\n41. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-41)**\n    Carman, Ashley (April 29, 2020). [\"TikTok reaches 2 billion downloads\"](https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2020\/4\/29\/21241788\/tiktok-app-download-numbers-update-2-billion-users). *[The Verge](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Verge \"The Verge\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20200729003408\/https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2020\/4\/29\/21241788\/tiktok-app-download-numbers-update-2-billion-users) from the original on July 29, 2020. Retrieved February 2, 2023.\n42. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-42)**\n    Jennings, Rebecca (February 4, 2020). [\"The most popular dances now come from TikTok. What happens to their creators?\"](https:\/\/www.vox.com\/the-goods\/2020\/2\/4\/21112444\/renegade-tiktok-song-dance). *[Vox](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vox_\$website\$ \"Vox (website)\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230202140435\/https:\/\/www.vox.com\/the-goods\/2020\/2\/4\/21112444\/renegade-tiktok-song-dance) from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2023.\n43. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-43)**\n    [\"Parents and Gen Alpha kids are having unintelligible convos because of 'brainrot' language\"](https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/gen-alpha-kids-parents-brainrot-language-rcna162227). *NBC News*. August 10, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.\n44. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-44)**\n    Roy, Jessica (June 13, 2024). [\"If You Know What 'Brainrot' Means, You Might Already Have It\"](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/06\/13\/style\/brainrot-internet-addiction-social-media-tiktok.html). *The New York Times*. [ISSN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISSN_\$identifier\$ \"ISSN (identifier)\") [0362-4331](https:\/\/search.worldcat.org\/issn\/0362-4331). Retrieved August 26, 2024.\n45. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-45)**\n    [\"Dictionary.com picks \"67,\" a \"nonsensical and playfully absurd\" slang term, as the 2025 word of the year - CBS News\"](https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/dictionary-67-2025-word-of-the-year-meaning\/). *www.cbsnews.com*. October 29, 2025. Retrieved December 17, 2025.\n46. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-46)**\n    Bremner, Broom (April 2, 2025). [\"The Great Meme Depression and \"SlimeTok\" - Binghamton Review\"](https:\/\/binghamtonreview.org\/the-great-meme-depression-and-slimetok\/). Retrieved December 30, 2025.\n47. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-47)**\n    Watercutter, Angela (November 19, 2025). [\"The 'Great Meme Reset' Is Coming\"](https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/the-great-meme-reset-is-coming\/). *Wired*. Retrieved November 28, 2025.\n48. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-memetic_marketing_48-0)**\n    Flor, Nick (December 11, 2000). [\"Memetic Marketing\"](http:\/\/www.informit.com\/articles\/article.aspx?p=19996). [InformIT](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/InformIT \"InformIT\"). [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20120114180653\/http:\/\/www.informit.com\/articles\/article.aspx?p=19996) from the original on January 14, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2011.\n49. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-49)**\n    McCrae, James (May 8, 2017). [\"Meme Marketing: How Brands Are Speaking A New Consumer Language\"](https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/forbescommunicationscouncil\/2017\/05\/08\/meme-marketing-how-brands-are-speaking-a-new-consumer-language\/). *Forbes*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20180315134855\/https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/forbescommunicationscouncil\/2017\/05\/08\/meme-marketing-how-brands-are-speaking-a-new-consumer-language\/) from the original on March 15, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2018.\n50. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-50)**\n    Carr, David (May 29, 2006). [\"Hollywood bypassing critics and print as digital gets hotter - Business - International Herald Tribune\"](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2006\/05\/29\/business\/worldbusiness\/29iht-carr.1839216.html). *[The New York Times](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_New_York_Times \"The New York Times\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20120703071008\/http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2006\/05\/29\/business\/worldbusiness\/29iht-carr.1839216.html) from the original on July 3, 2012. Retrieved February 4, 2023.\n51. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-51)**\n    Pegolo, Valentina; Carpenter, Lucie (February 6, 2021). [\"Why Memes Will Never Be Monetized\"](https:\/\/jacobinmag.com\/2021\/02\/memes-never-monetized-corporate-advertising). *[Jacobin](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jacobin_\$magazine\$ \"Jacobin (magazine)\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20210225142149\/https:\/\/jacobinmag.com\/2021\/02\/memes-never-monetized-corporate-advertising) from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved February 7, 2021.\n52. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-52)**\n    Whitten, Sarah (January 4, 2017). [\"A Wendy's tweet just went viral for all the wrong reasons\"](https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2017\/01\/04\/wendys-saucy-tweets-are-hit-and-miss-on-social-media.html). [CNBC](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/CNBC \"CNBC\"). [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20211104214557\/https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2017\/01\/04\/wendys-saucy-tweets-are-hit-and-miss-on-social-media.html) from the original on November 4, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2020.\n53. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-53)**\n    Rossolillo, Nicholas (September 23, 2021). [\"What Are Meme Stocks?\"](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/investing\/stock-market\/types-of-stocks\/meme-stocks\/). *[The Motley Fool](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Motley_Fool \"The Motley Fool\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20211113155252\/https:\/\/www.fool.com\/investing\/stock-market\/types-of-stocks\/meme-stocks\/) from the original on November 13, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.\n54. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-54)**\n    Phillip, Matt; Marcos, Coral M. (August 4, 2021). [\"Robinhood's shares jump as much as 65 percent, like the meme stocks it enabled\"](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/08\/04\/business\/robinhood-stock-price.html). *[The New York Times](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_New_York_Times \"The New York Times\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20211018143905\/https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/08\/04\/business\/robinhood-stock-price.html) from the original on October 18, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2023.\n55. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-55)**\n    Popper, Nathaniel; Browning, Kellen (January 29, 2021). [\"The 'Roaring Kitty' Rally: How a Reddit User and His Friends Roiled the Markets\"](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/01\/29\/technology\/roaring-kitty-reddit-gamestop-markets.html). *[The New York Times](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_New_York_Times \"The New York Times\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20210129100713\/https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/01\/29\/technology\/roaring-kitty-reddit-gamestop-markets.html) from the original on January 29, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2023.\n56. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-56)**\n    Chohan, Usman W.; Van Kerckhoven, Sven (2023). *Activist Retail Investors and the Future of Financial Markets*. pp. 99–101\\. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.4324\/9781003351085](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4324%2F9781003351085). [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n    \n    [978-1-00-335108-5](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/978-1-00-335108-5 \"Special:BookSources\/978-1-00-335108-5\")\n    \n    . [S2CID](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/S2CID_\$identifier\$ \"S2CID (identifier)\") [257228199](https:\/\/api.semanticscholar.org\/CorpusID:257228199).\n57. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-57)**\n    Nani, Albi (December 2022). [\"The doge worth 88 billion dollars: A case study of Dogecoin\"](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177%2F13548565211070417). *Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies*. **28** (6): 1719–1721\\. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.1177\/13548565211070417](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177%2F13548565211070417). [S2CID](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/S2CID_\$identifier\$ \"S2CID (identifier)\") [247685455](https:\/\/api.semanticscholar.org\/CorpusID:247685455).\n58. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-58)**\n    Yozzo, John (April 2023). \"Meme Stock Values Can Persist in Bankruptcy, but Cannot Prevail Without Business Justification\". *American Bankruptcy Institute Journal*. **42** (4): 36–37, 70–71\\.\n    \n    [ProQuest](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ProQuest \"ProQuest\") [2794896398](https:\/\/www.proquest.com\/docview\/2794896398).\n59. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-59)**\n    Seiffert-Brockmann, Jens; Diehl, Trevor; Dobusch, Leonhard (August 2018). \"Memes as games: The evolution of a digital discourse online\". *New Media & Society*. **20** (8): 2862–2863\\. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.1177\/1461444817735334](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177%2F1461444817735334). [S2CID](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/S2CID_\$identifier\$ \"S2CID (identifier)\") [206729243](https:\/\/api.semanticscholar.org\/CorpusID:206729243).\n60. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-60)**\n    Grygiel, Jennifer (May 17, 2019). [\"Political cartoonists are out of touch – it's time to make way for memes\"](https:\/\/theconversation.com\/political-cartoonists-are-out-of-touch-its-time-to-make-way-for-memes-116471). *[The Conversation](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Conversation_\$website\$ \"The Conversation (website)\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20211006222817\/https:\/\/theconversation.com\/political-cartoonists-are-out-of-touch-its-time-to-make-way-for-memes-116471) from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved March 6, 2021.\n61. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-61)**\n    [\"How the Myth of the \"Irish slaves\" Became a Favorite Meme of Racists Online\"](https:\/\/www.splcenter.org\/resources\/hatewatch\/how-myth-irish-slaves-became-favorite-meme-racists-online\/). April 19, 2016.\n62. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-62)**\n    Murray, Mark (January 18, 2019). [\"As the 'Dean scream' turns 15, its impact on American politics lives on\"](https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/meet-the-press\/howard-dean-s-scream-turns-15-its-impact-american-politics-n959916). *[NBC News](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/NBC_News \"NBC News\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20220519033105\/https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/meet-the-press\/howard-dean-s-scream-turns-15-its-impact-american-politics-n959916) from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2023.\n63. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-63)**\n    MacLeod, Alan (February 2019). \"Book review: Kill all normies: Online culture wars from 4chan and Tumblr to Trump and the alt-right\". *New Media & Society*. **21** (2): 535–537\\. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.1177\/1461444818804143](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177%2F1461444818804143). [S2CID](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/S2CID_\$identifier\$ \"S2CID (identifier)\") [67774146](https:\/\/api.semanticscholar.org\/CorpusID:67774146).\n64. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-64)**\n    Stuart, Tessa (February 26, 2016). [\"Is Ted Cruz the Zodiac Killer? Maybe, Say Florida Voters\"](https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/politics\/politics-news\/is-ted-cruz-the-zodiac-killer-maybe-say-38-percent-of-florida-voters-89135\/). *[Rolling Stone](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rolling_Stone \"Rolling Stone\")*. Retrieved July 22, 2020.\n65. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-The_British_Journal_of_Politics_and_International_Relations_65-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-The_British_Journal_of_Politics_and_International_Relations_65-1)\n    McLoughlin, Liam; Southern, Rosalynd (February 2021). [\"By any memes necessary? Small political acts, incidental exposure and memes during the 2017 UK general election\"](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177%2F1369148120930594). *The British Journal of Politics and International Relations*. **23** (1): 78–79\\. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.1177\/1369148120930594](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177%2F1369148120930594). [S2CID](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/S2CID_\$identifier\$ \"S2CID (identifier)\") [225602095](https:\/\/api.semanticscholar.org\/CorpusID:225602095).\n66. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-66)**\n    Lorenz, Taylor (February 13, 2020). [\"Michael Bloomberg's Campaign Suddenly Drops Memes Everywhere\"](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/02\/13\/style\/michael-bloomberg-memes-jerry-media.html). *The New York Times*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20200213060905\/https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/02\/13\/style\/michael-bloomberg-memes-jerry-media.html) from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2020.\n67. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-67)**\n    Tiffany, Kaitlyn (February 28, 2020). [\"You Can't Buy Memes\"](https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/technology\/archive\/2020\/02\/bloomberg-memes-instagram-ads\/607219\/). *The Atlantic*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20211114232707\/https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/technology\/archive\/2020\/02\/bloomberg-memes-instagram-ads\/607219\/) from the original on November 14, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2020.\n68. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-68)**\n    Placido, Dani Di (May 9, 2017). [\"How 'Pepe The Frog' Became A Symbol Of Hatred\"](https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/danidiplacido\/2017\/05\/09\/how-pepe-the-frog-became-a-symbol-of-hatred\/). *[Forbes](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Forbes \"Forbes\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230208142119\/https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/danidiplacido\/2017\/05\/09\/how-pepe-the-frog-became-a-symbol-of-hatred\/) from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2023.\n69. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-69)**\n    Victor, Daniel (August 19, 2019). [\"Hong Kong Protesters Love Pepe the Frog. No, They're Not Alt-Right\"](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2019\/08\/19\/world\/asia\/hong-kong-protest-pepe-frog.html). *[The New York Times](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_New_York_Times \"The New York Times\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190819145229\/https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2019\/08\/19\/world\/asia\/hong-kong-protest-pepe-frog.html) from the original on August 19, 2019. Retrieved February 8, 2023.\n70. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-70)**\n    Harbo, Tenna Foustad (December 2022). \"Internet memes as knowledge practice in social movements: Rethinking Economics' delegitimization of economists\". *Discourse, Context & Media*. **50** 100650: 8. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.1016\/j.dcm.2022.100650](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016%2Fj.dcm.2022.100650). [S2CID](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/S2CID_\$identifier\$ \"S2CID (identifier)\") [252906293](https:\/\/api.semanticscholar.org\/CorpusID:252906293).\n71. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-71)**\n    Gal, Noam; Shifman, Limor; Kampf, Zohar (September 2016). \"'It Gets Better': Internet memes and the construction of collective identity\". *New Media & Society*. **18** (8): 1698. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.1177\/1461444814568784](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177%2F1461444814568784). [S2CID](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/S2CID_\$identifier\$ \"S2CID (identifier)\") [206728484](https:\/\/api.semanticscholar.org\/CorpusID:206728484).\n72. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-72)**\n    Sample, Ian; Woolf, Nicky (July 27, 2016). [\"How the ice bucket challenge led to an ALS research breakthrough\"](https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/science\/2016\/jul\/27\/how-the-ice-bucket-challenge-led-to-an-als-research-breakthrough). *[The Guardian](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Guardian \"The Guardian\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20171108035419\/https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/science\/2016\/jul\/27\/how-the-ice-bucket-challenge-led-to-an-als-research-breakthrough) from the original on November 8, 2017. Retrieved February 11, 2023.\n73. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-73)**\n    Milner, Ryan M. (October 2013). [\"Pop polyvocality: internet memes, public participation, and the occupy wall street movement\"](https:\/\/ijoc.org\/index.php\/ijoc\/article\/view\/1949). *International Journal of Communication*. **7**: 2357.\n    \n    [Gale](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gale_\$publisher\$ \"Gale (publisher)\") [A352494259](https:\/\/go.gale.com\/ps\/anonymous?id=GALE%7CA352494259).\n74. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-74)**\n    Haden Church, Scott; Feller, Gavin (January 2, 2020). \"Synecdoche, Aesthetics, and the Sublime Online: Or, What's a Religious Internet Meme?\". *Journal of Media and Religion*. **19** (1): 12. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.1080\/15348423.2020.1728188](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080%2F15348423.2020.1728188). [S2CID](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/S2CID_\$identifier\$ \"S2CID (identifier)\") [213540194](https:\/\/api.semanticscholar.org\/CorpusID:213540194).\n75. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Information,_Communication_&_Society_75-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Information,_Communication_&_Society_75-1)\n    Aguilar, Gabrielle K.; Campbell, Heidi A.; Stanley, Mariah; Taylor, Ellen (October 3, 2017). \"Communicating mixed messages about religion through internet memes\". *Information, Communication & Society*. **20** (10): 1502–1509\\. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.1080\/1369118X.2016.1229004](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080%2F1369118X.2016.1229004). [S2CID](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/S2CID_\$identifier\$ \"S2CID (identifier)\") [151721706](https:\/\/api.semanticscholar.org\/CorpusID:151721706).\n76. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-76)**\n    Cawcutt, Kelly A.; Marcelin, Jasmine R; Silver, Julie K (August 27, 2019). \"Using social media to disseminate research in infection prevention, hospital epidemiology, and antimicrobial stewardship\". *Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology*. **40** (11): 969–971\\. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.1017\/ice.2019.231](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017%2Fice.2019.231). [PMID](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/PMID_\$identifier\$ \"PMID (identifier)\") [31452490](https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/31452490). [S2CID](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/S2CID_\$identifier\$ \"S2CID (identifier)\") [201757947](https:\/\/api.semanticscholar.org\/CorpusID:201757947).\n77. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-77)**\n    Reynolds, Staci; Boyd, Shelby (July 2021). \"Healthcare worker's perspectives on use of memes as an implementation strategy in infection prevention: An exploratory descriptive analysis\". *American Journal of Infection Control*. **49** (7): 969–971\\. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.1016\/j.ajic.2020.11.019](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016%2Fj.ajic.2020.11.019). [PMID](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/PMID_\$identifier\$ \"PMID (identifier)\") [33249101](https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/33249101). [S2CID](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/S2CID_\$identifier\$ \"S2CID (identifier)\") [227234896](https:\/\/api.semanticscholar.org\/CorpusID:227234896).\n78. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-78)**\n    Msughter, Aondover Eric; Iman, Maryam Lawal (March 15, 2020). [\"Internet Meme as a Campaign Tool to the Fight against Covid-19 in Nigeria\"](https:\/\/globaljournals.org\/GJHSS_Volume20\/4-Internet-Meme-as-a-Campaign.pdf) (PDF). *Global Journal of Human-Social Science*. **20** (A6): 27.\n79. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Duke_Law_&_Technology_Review_79-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Duke_Law_&_Technology_Review_79-1) [***c***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Duke_Law_&_Technology_Review_79-2) [***d***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Duke_Law_&_Technology_Review_79-3)\n    Scialabba, Elena E. [\"A Copy of a Copy of a Copy: Internet Mimesis and the Copyrightability of Memes\"](https:\/\/scholarship.law.duke.edu\/cgi\/viewcontent.cgi?article=1358&context=dltr). *Duke Law & Technology Review*. **18** (1): 340–341, 344–346\\. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230213134645\/https:\/\/scholarship.law.duke.edu\/cgi\/viewcontent.cgi?article=1358&context=dltr) from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.\n80. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-80)**\n    Schwartz, Benjamin D. (August 5, 2022). [\"Who Owns Memes?\"](https:\/\/www.natlawreview.com\/article\/who-owns-memes). *[The National Law Review](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_National_Law_Review \"The National Law Review\")*. Retrieved August 20, 2023.\n81. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-81)**\n    Iyer, Aishwaria S.; Mehrotra, Raghav (February 26, 2017). [\"A critical analysis of memes and fair use\"](https:\/\/pure.jgu.edu.in\/id\/eprint\/3233\/). *Rostrum's Law Review*. **4** (1): 2–3\\.\n82. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Journalism_&_Mass_Communication_Quarterly_82-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Journalism_&_Mass_Communication_Quarterly_82-1)\n    Mielczarek, Natalia; Hopkins, W. Wat (March 2021). \"Copyright, Transformativeness, and Protection for Internet Memes\". *Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly*. **98** (1): 53–55\\. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.1177\/1077699020950492](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177%2F1077699020950492). [S2CID](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/S2CID_\$identifier\$ \"S2CID (identifier)\") [225023573](https:\/\/api.semanticscholar.org\/CorpusID:225023573).\n83. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Wired_83-0)**\n    Pritchard, Will (April 16, 2021). [\"They were ancient internet memes. Now NFTs are making them rich\"](https:\/\/www.wired.co.uk\/article\/nft-memes-2010s). *[Wired UK](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wired_UK \"Wired UK\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20211114232648\/https:\/\/www.wired.co.uk\/article\/nft-memes-2010s) from the original on November 14, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2021.\n84. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Fazio_84-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Fazio_84-1)\n    Fazio, Marie (April 29, 2021). [\"The World Knows Her as 'Disaster Girl.' She Just Made \\$500,000 Off the Meme\"](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/04\/29\/arts\/disaster-girl-meme-nft.html). *[The New York Times](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_New_York_Times \"The New York Times\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20210429155019\/https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/04\/29\/arts\/disaster-girl-meme-nft.html) from the original on April 29, 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2021.\n85. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-inflation-US_85-0)**\n    1634–1699:\n    \n    [McCusker, J. J.](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/John_J._McCusker \"John J. McCusker\") (1997). [*How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda*](https:\/\/www.americanantiquarian.org\/proceedings\/44525121.pdf) (PDF). [American Antiquarian Society](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/American_Antiquarian_Society \"American Antiquarian Society\").\n    \n    1700–1799:\n    \n    [McCusker, J. J.](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/John_J._McCusker \"John J. McCusker\") (1992). [*How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States*](https:\/\/www.americanantiquarian.org\/proceedings\/44517778.pdf) (PDF). [American Antiquarian Society](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/American_Antiquarian_Society \"American Antiquarian Society\").\n    \n    1800–present:\n    \n    Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. [\"Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–\"](https:\/\/www.minneapolisfed.org\/about-us\/monetary-policy\/inflation-calculator\/consumer-price-index-1800-). Retrieved February 29, 2024.\n86. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-86)**\n    Howard, Jacqueline (April 30, 2021). [\"'Disaster girl', now aged 21, sells original meme photo as an NFT for an eye-watering \\$650,000\"](https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2021-04-30\/disaster-girl-meme-sells-for-500-000\/100106366). *ABC News*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230214133900\/https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2021-04-30\/disaster-girl-meme-sells-for-500-000\/100106366) from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.\n## Further reading\n### Books\n- Blackmore, Susan (2000). *The Meme Machine*. OUP Oxford. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n  \n  [978-0-19-157461-0](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/978-0-19-157461-0 \"Special:BookSources\/978-0-19-157461-0\")\n  \n  .\n- Distin, Kate (2005). *The Selfish Meme: A Critical Reassessment*. Cambridge University Press. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n  \n  [978-0-521-60627-1](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/978-0-521-60627-1 \"Special:BookSources\/978-0-521-60627-1\")\n  \n  .\n- Mina, An Xiao (2019). *Memes to Movements: How the World's Most Viral Media Is Changing Social Protest and Power*. Beacon Press. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n  \n  [978-0807056585](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/978-0807056585 \"Special:BookSources\/978-0807056585\")\n  \n  .\n- Shifman, Limor (2013). *Memes in Digital Culture*. MIT Press. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n  \n  [978-0-262-31770-2](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/978-0-262-31770-2 \"Special:BookSources\/978-0-262-31770-2\")\n  \n  .\n### Articles\n- Wiggins, Bradley (September 22, 2014). [\"How the Russia-Ukraine crisis became a magnet for memes\"](https:\/\/theconversation.com\/how-the-russia-ukraine-crisis-became-a-magnet-for-memes-31199). *The Conversation*.\n- Wiggins, Bradley E; Bowers, G Bret (December 2015). \"Memes as genre: A structurational analysis of the memescape\". *New Media & Society*. **17** (11): 1886–1906\\. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.1177\/1461444814535194](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177%2F1461444814535194). [S2CID](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/S2CID_\$identifier\$ \"S2CID (identifier)\") [30729349](https:\/\/api.semanticscholar.org\/CorpusID:30729349).\n## External links\n- [![Wikimedia Commons logo](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/en\/thumb\/4\/4a\/Commons-logo.svg\/20px-Commons-logo.svg.png)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Commons-logo.svg) Media related to [Internet memes](https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/Category:Internet_memes \"commons:Category:Internet memes\") at Wikimedia Commons\n\n| [v](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Template:Appropriation_in_the_arts \"Template:Appropriation in the arts\") [t](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Template_talk:Appropriation_in_the_arts \"Template talk:Appropriation in the arts\") [e](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:EditPage\/Template:Appropriation_in_the_arts \"Special:EditPage\/Template:Appropriation in the arts\")[Appropriation](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Appropriation_\$art\$ \"Appropriation (art)\") in the arts |   |\n|---|---|\n| By field |   |\n|   |   |\n| Music | [Bootleg recording](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bootleg_recording \"Bootleg recording\") [Chopped and screwed](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chopped_and_screwed \"Chopped and screwed\") [Contrafact](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Contrafact \"Contrafact\") [list](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_jazz_contrafacts \"List of jazz contrafacts\") [Contrafactum](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Contrafactum \"Contrafactum\") [Cover version](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cover_version \"Cover version\") [DJ mix](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/DJ_mix \"DJ mix\") [Interpolation](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Interpolation_\$popular_music\$ \"Interpolation (popular music)\") [Medley](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Medley_\$music\$ \"Medley (music)\") [Music mashup](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mashup_\$music\$ \"Mashup (music)\") [Music plagiarism](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Music_plagiarism \"Music plagiarism\") [Musical quotation](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Musical_quotation \"Musical quotation\") [Nightcore](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nightcore \"Nightcore\") [Parody music](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Parody_music \"Parody music\") [Pasticcio](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pasticcio \"Pasticcio\") [Plunderphonics](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Plunderphonics \"Plunderphonics\") [Potpourri](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Potpourri_\$music\$ \"Potpourri (music)\") [Quodlibet](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Quodlibet \"Quodlibet\") [Remix](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Remix \"Remix\") [Riddim](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Riddim \"Riddim\") [Sampling](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sampling_\$music\$ \"Sampling (music)\") [Sound collage](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sound_collage \"Sound collage\") [Standard](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Standard_\$music\$ \"Standard (music)\") [Tribute act](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tribute_act \"Tribute act\") [Trope](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Trope_\$music\$ \"Trope (music)\") [Variation](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Variation_\$music\$ \"Variation (music)\") [Vaporwave](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vaporwave \"Vaporwave\") |\n| Literature \/ theatre | [Assemblage](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Assemblage_\$composition\$ \"Assemblage (composition)\") [Cut-up technique](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cut-up_technique \"Cut-up technique\") [Flarf poetry](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Flarf_poetry \"Flarf poetry\") [Found poetry](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Found_poetry \"Found poetry\") [Jukebox musical](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jukebox_musical \"Jukebox musical\") [Trope](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Trope_\$literature\$ \"Trope (literature)\") [Verbatim theatre](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Verbatim_theatre \"Verbatim theatre\") |\n| Visual arts |   |\n|   |   |\n| [Collage](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Collage \"Collage\") [Combine painting](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Combine_painting \"Combine painting\") [Photographic mosaic](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Photographic_mosaic \"Photographic mosaic\") [Readymades of Marcel Duchamp](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Readymades_of_Marcel_Duchamp \"Readymades of Marcel Duchamp\") [Swipe](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Swipe_\$comics\$ \"Swipe (comics)\") |   |\n| By source material | *[Mona Lisa](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mona_Lisa_replicas_and_reinterpretations \"Mona Lisa replicas and reinterpretations\")* [Michelangelo's *David*](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Replicas_of_Michelangelo%27s_David \"Replicas of Michelangelo's David\") [Michelangelo's *Pietà*](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Replicas_of_Michelangelo%27s_Piet%C3%A0 \"Replicas of Michelangelo's Pietà\") [Statue of Liberty](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Replicas_of_the_Statue_of_Liberty \"Replicas of the Statue of Liberty\") |\n| Cinema \/ television \/ video | [Abridged series](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Abridged_series \"Abridged series\") [Anime music video](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Anime_music_video \"Anime music video\") [Collage film](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Collage_film \"Collage film\") [Found footage](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Found_footage_\$appropriation\$ \"Found footage (appropriation)\") [Literal music video](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Literal_music_video \"Literal music video\") [Parody film](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Parody_film \"Parody film\") [Re-cut trailer](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Re-cut_trailer \"Re-cut trailer\") [Remake](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Remake \"Remake\") [Shot-for-shot](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Shot-for-shot \"Shot-for-shot\") [Supercut](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Supercut \"Supercut\") [TV format](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/TV_format \"TV format\") [Vidding](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vidding \"Vidding\") [Video mashup](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mashup_\$video\$ \"Mashup (video)\") [YouTube Poop](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/YouTube_Poop \"YouTube Poop\") |\n| Other arts | [In-joke](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/In-joke \"In-joke\") [Internet meme]() [Joke theft](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Joke_theft \"Joke theft\") [Parody advertisement](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Parody_advertisement \"Parody advertisement\") [Revivalism (architecture)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Revivalism_\$architecture\$ \"Revivalism (architecture)\") [Video game modding](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Video_game_modding \"Video game modding\") [Bootleg games](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bootleg_games \"Bootleg games\") |\n| General  concepts |   |\n|   |   |\n| [Intertextual figures](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Intertextuality \"Intertextuality\") | [Allusion](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Allusion \"Allusion\") [Calque](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Calque \"Calque\") [Parody](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Parody \"Parody\") [Pastiche](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pastiche \"Pastiche\") [Plagiarism](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Plagiarism \"Plagiarism\") [Quotation](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Quotation \"Quotation\") [Translation](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Translation \"Translation\") |\n| [Adaptation](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Adaptation_\$arts\$ \"Adaptation (arts)\") | [Film](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Film_adaptation \"Film adaptation\") [Literary](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Literary_adaptation \"Literary adaptation\") [Theatre](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Theatrical_adaptation \"Theatrical adaptation\") |\n| Other concepts | [After (art)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/After_\$art\$ \"After (art)\") [Assemblage (art)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Assemblage_\$art\$ \"Assemblage (art)\") [Bricolage](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bricolage \"Bricolage\") [Citation](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Citation \"Citation\") [Détournement](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/D%C3%A9tournement \"Détournement\") [Found object](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Found_object \"Found object\") [Homage](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Homage_\$arts\$ \"Homage (arts)\") [Imitation in art](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Imitation_\$art\$ \"Imitation (art)\") [Mashup](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mashup_\$culture\$ \"Mashup (culture)\") [Reprise](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Reprise \"Reprise\") [Satire](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Satire \"Satire\") [Source criticism in the arts](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Source_criticism#Source_criticism_in_the_arts \"Source criticism\") |\n| Related artistic concepts | [Aesthetic interpretation](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Aesthetic_interpretation \"Aesthetic interpretation\") [Anti-art](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Anti-art \"Anti-art\") [Archetypal literary criticism](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Archetypal_literary_criticism \"Archetypal literary criticism\") [Artistic inspiration](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Artistic_inspiration \"Artistic inspiration\") \"[The Death of the Author](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Death_of_the_Author \"The Death of the Author\")\" [Divine inspiration](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Divine_inspiration \"Divine inspiration\") *[Afflatus](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Afflatus \"Afflatus\")* [Genius (literature)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Genius_\$literature\$ \"Genius (literature)\") [Muses](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Muses \"Muses\") [Fan labor](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fan_labor \"Fan labor\") [Fan fiction](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fan_fiction \"Fan fiction\") [Genre](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Genre \"Genre\") [Genre studies](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Genre_studies \"Genre studies\") [Originality](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Originality \"Originality\") [Simulacrum](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Simulacrum \"Simulacrum\") [Western canon](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Western_canon \"Western canon\") |\n| Standard blocks and forms | [Archetype](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Archetype \"Archetype\") [Formula fiction](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Formula_fiction \"Formula fiction\") [Genre fiction](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Genre_fiction \"Genre fiction\") [Jazz standard](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jazz_standard \"Jazz standard\") [Plot device](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Plot_device \"Plot device\") [Stock character](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Stock_character \"Stock character\") [Story structure](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Story_structure \"Story structure\") |\n| Epoch-marking works | *[L.H.O.O.Q.](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/L.H.O.O.Q. \"L.H.O.O.Q.\")* (1919) \"[Pierre Menard, Author of the *Quixote*](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pierre_Menard,_Author_of_the_Quixote \"Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote\")\" (1939) *[Reality Hunger: A Manifesto](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Reality_Hunger \"Reality Hunger\")* (2010) |\n| Theorization | [Dada](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dada \"Dada\") *[De Copia Rerum](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Copia:_Foundations_of_the_Abundant_Style \"Copia: Foundations of the Abundant Style\")* [Diegesis](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Diegesis \"Diegesis\") [Dionysian *imitatio*](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dionysian_imitatio \"Dionysian imitatio\") [Mimesis](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mimesis \"Mimesis\") *[Nachahmung](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Johann_Joachim_Winckelmann#Critical_response_and_influence \"Johann Joachim Winckelmann\")* *[Palimpsests: Literature in the Second Degree](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Palimpsests:_Literature_in_the_Second_Degree \"Palimpsests: Literature in the Second Degree\")* *[The Pictures Generation](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Pictures_Generation \"The Pictures Generation\")* [Pop art](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pop_art \"Pop art\") [Postmodernism](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Postmodernism \"Postmodernism\") [Russian formalism](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Russian_formalism \"Russian formalism\") |\n| Related non- artistic concepts | [Academic dishonesty](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Academic_dishonesty \"Academic dishonesty\") [Appropriation in sociology](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Appropriation_\$sociology\$ \"Appropriation (sociology)\") [Articulation in sociology](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Articulation_\$sociology\$ \"Articulation (sociology)\") [Cultural appropriation](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cultural_appropriation \"Cultural appropriation\") [History of printing](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/History_of_printing \"History of printing\") [Information society](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Information_society \"Information society\") [Intellectual property](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Intellectual_property \"Intellectual property\") [Copyright infringement](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Copyright_infringement \"Copyright infringement\") [Derivative work](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Derivative_work \"Derivative work\") [Fair use](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use \"Fair use\") [Meme](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Meme \"Meme\") [Open source](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Open_source \"Open source\") [Participatory culture](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Participatory_culture \"Participatory culture\") [Pirate politics](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pirate_Party \"Pirate Party\") [Recontextualisation](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Recontextualisation \"Recontextualisation\") [Remix culture](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Remix_culture \"Remix culture\") |\n\n| [v](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Template:Internet_slang \"Template:Internet slang\") [t](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Template_talk:Internet_slang \"Template talk:Internet slang\") [e](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:EditPage\/Template:Internet_slang \"Special:EditPage\/Template:Internet slang\")[Internet slang](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_slang \"Internet slang\") |   |   |\n|---|---|---|\n| [Abuse](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Abuse \"Abuse\") | [Baizuo](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Baizuo \"Baizuo\") [Creepy treehouse](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Creepy_treehouse \"Creepy treehouse\") [Cyberbullying](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cyberbullying \"Cyberbullying\") [Cyberstalking](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cyberstalking \"Cyberstalking\") [Doxing](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doxing \"Doxing\") [Edgelord](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Edgelord \"Edgelord\") [Flaming](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Flaming_\$Internet\$ \"Flaming (Internet)\") [Griefer](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Griefer \"Griefer\") [Hacker](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hacker_\$computer_security\$ \"Hacker (computer security)\") [Keylogger](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Keylogger \"Keylogger\") [Little Pink](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Little_Pink \"Little Pink\") [Malware](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Malware \"Malware\") [Phishing](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Phishing \"Phishing\") [Schizoposting](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Schizoposting \"Schizoposting\") [Script kiddie](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Script_kiddie \"Script kiddie\") [Sealioning](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sealioning \"Sealioning\") [Shadow banning](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Shadow_banning \"Shadow banning\") [Shitposting](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Shitposting \"Shitposting\") [Spamming](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Spamming \"Spamming\") [Tankie](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tankie \"Tankie\") [Troll](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Troll_\$slang\$ \"Troll (slang)\") | [![Map of the Internet](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/3\/3f\/Internet_map_1024_-_transparent%2C_inverted.png\/120px-Internet_map_1024_-_transparent%2C_inverted.png)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Internet_map_1024_-_transparent,_inverted.png \"Map of the Internet\") |\n| [Chatspeak](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chatspeak \"Chatspeak\") | [Algospeak](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Algospeak \"Algospeak\") [Bronyspeak](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Slang_of_the_My_Little_Pony:_Friendship_Is_Magic_fandom \"Slang of the My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic fandom\") [Emoticon](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Emoticon \"Emoticon\") [uwu](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Uwu \"Uwu\") [Emoji](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Emoji \"Emoji\") [Hodl](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hodl \"Hodl\") [Leet](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Leet \"Leet\") [Owned](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Owned_\$slang\$ \"Owned (slang)\") [Pr0n](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pornography \"Pornography\") [Pwn](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pwn \"Pwn\") [Teh](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Teh \"Teh\") [w00t](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/W00t \"W00t\") [Fap](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Masturbation \"Masturbation\") [LOL](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/LOL \"LOL\") [NSFW](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Not_safe_for_work \"Not safe for work\") [Padonkaffsky jargon](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Padonkaffsky_jargon \"Padonkaffsky jargon\") [Sexting](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sexting \"Sexting\") |   |\n| [Imageboard](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Imageboard \"Imageboard\") | [4chan](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/4chan \"4chan\") [Anonymous](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Anonymous_\$group\$ \"Anonymous (group)\") [\\-chan](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Imageboard#Imageboards \"Imageboard\") [Booru](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Booru \"Booru\") [CP](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Child_pornography \"Child pornography\") [Clop](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Clop_\$erotic_fan_art\$ \"Clop (erotic fan art)\") [goatse.cx](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Goatse.cx \"Goatse.cx\") [Lolcat](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lolcat \"Lolcat\") [Lurk](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lurker \"Lurker\") [Newbie](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Newbie \"Newbie\") [O RLY?](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/O_RLY%3F \"O RLY?\") [OP](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Original_post \"Original post\") [Pedobear](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pedobear \"Pedobear\") [Rickrolling](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rickrolling \"Rickrolling\") [Rule 34](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rule_34 \"Rule 34\") [Rule 63](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rule_63 \"Rule 63\") [Tripcode](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tripcode \"Tripcode\") [Weeaboo](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Japanophilia \"Japanophilia\") [Yiff](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Yiff \"Yiff\") |   |\n| [Memes]() | [Advertising and products](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_Internet_phenomena#Advertising_and_products \"List of Internet phenomena\") [Animation and comics](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_Internet_phenomena#Animation_and_comics \"List of Internet phenomena\") [Challenges](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_Internet_phenomena#Challenges \"List of Internet phenomena\") [Email](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_Internet_phenomena#Email \"List of Internet phenomena\") [Film](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_Internet_phenomena#Film \"List of Internet phenomena\") [Gaming](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_Internet_phenomena#Gaming \"List of Internet phenomena\") [Images](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_Internet_phenomena#Images \"List of Internet phenomena\") [Music](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_viral_music_videos \"List of viral music videos\") [Politics](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_Internet_phenomena#Politics \"List of Internet phenomena\") [Videos](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_viral_videos \"List of viral videos\") [Miscellaneous](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_Internet_phenomena#Other_phenomena \"List of Internet phenomena\") [Doge](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doge_\$meme\$ \"Doge (meme)\") [TL;DR](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/TL;DR \"TL;DR\") |   |\n| [Usenet](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Usenet \"Usenet\") | [Eternal September](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Eternal_September \"Eternal September\") [Sporgery](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sporgery \"Sporgery\") |   |\n| ![](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/en\/thumb\/9\/96\/Symbol_category_class.svg\/20px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png) [**Category**](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Category:Internet_slang \"Category:Internet slang\") [![](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/en\/thumb\/e\/e2\/Symbol_portal_class.svg\/20px-Symbol_portal_class.svg.png)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Symbol_portal_class.svg \"Portal\") [**Portal**](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Portal:Internet \"Portal:Internet\") [![](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/e\/ec\/Wiktionary-logo.svg\/20px-Wiktionary-logo.svg.png)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Wiktionary-logo.svg \"Wiktionary page\") [**Wiktionary**](https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Appendix:English_internet_slang \"wiktionary:Appendix:English internet slang\") |   |   |\n\n|   |   |\n|---|---|\n| [Authority control databases](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Help:Authority_control \"Help:Authority control\"): National [![Edit this at Wikidata](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/en\/thumb\/8\/8a\/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg\/20px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png)](https:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/wiki\/Q2927074#identifiers \"Edit this at Wikidata\") | [France](https:\/\/catalogue.bnf.fr\/ark:\/12148\/cb18096563v) [BnF data](https:\/\/data.bnf.fr\/ark:\/12148\/cb18096563v) |\n\n![](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:CentralAutoLogin\/start?useformat=desktop&type=1x1&usesul3=1)\n\nRetrieved from \"<https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Internet_meme&oldid=1349136894>\"\n\n[Categories](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Help:Category \"Help:Category\"):\n\n- [Internet memes](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Category:Internet_memes \"Category:Internet memes\")\n- [1993 neologisms](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Category:1993_neologisms \"Category:1993 neologisms\")\n\nHidden categories:\n\n- [Articles with short description](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Category:Articles_with_short_description \"Category:Articles with short description\")\n- [Short description is different from Wikidata](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Category:Short_description_is_different_from_Wikidata \"Category:Short description is different from Wikidata\")\n- [Good articles](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Category:Good_articles \"Category:Good articles\")\n- [Wikipedia pages semi-protected against vandalism](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Category:Wikipedia_pages_semi-protected_against_vandalism \"Category:Wikipedia pages semi-protected against vandalism\")\n- [Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Category:Wikipedia_indefinitely_move-protected_pages \"Category:Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages\")\n- [Use mdy dates from December 2025](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Category:Use_mdy_dates_from_December_2025 \"Category:Use mdy dates from December 2025\")\n- [Use American English from December 2025](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Category:Use_American_English_from_December_2025 \"Category:Use American English from December 2025\")\n- [All Wikipedia articles written in American English](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Category:All_Wikipedia_articles_written_in_American_English \"Category:All Wikipedia articles written in American English\")\n- [Commons category link from Wikidata](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Category:Commons_category_link_from_Wikidata \"Category:Commons category link from Wikidata\")\n\n- This page was last edited on 15 April 2026, at 23:33 (UTC).\n- Text is available under the [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_4.0_International_License \"Wikipedia:Text of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License\"); additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the [Terms of Use](https:\/\/foundation.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/Special:MyLanguage\/Policy:Terms_of_Use \"foundation:Special:MyLanguage\/Policy:Terms of Use\") and [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/foundation.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/Special:MyLanguage\/Policy:Privacy_policy \"foundation:Special:MyLanguage\/Policy:Privacy policy\"). Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the [Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.](https:\/\/wikimediafoundation.org\/), a non-profit organization.\n\n- [Privacy policy](https:\/\/foundation.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/Special:MyLanguage\/Policy:Privacy_policy)\n- [About Wikipedia](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wikipedia:About)\n- [Disclaimers](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wikipedia:General_disclaimer)\n- [Contact Wikipedia](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wikipedia:Contact_us)\n- [Legal & safety contacts](https:\/\/foundation.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/Special:MyLanguage\/Legal:Wikimedia_Foundation_Legal_and_Safety_Contact_Information)\n- [Code of Conduct](https:\/\/foundation.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/Special:MyLanguage\/Policy:Universal_Code_of_Conduct)\n- [Developers](https:\/\/developer.wikimedia.org\/)\n- [Statistics](https:\/\/stats.wikimedia.org\/#\/en.wikipedia.org)\n- [Cookie statement](https:\/\/foundation.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/Special:MyLanguage\/Policy:Cookie_statement)\n- [Mobile view](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Internet_meme&mobileaction=toggle_view_mobile)\n\n- [![Wikimedia Foundation](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/static\/images\/footer\/wikimedia.svg)](https:\/\/www.wikimedia.org\/)\n- [![Powered by MediaWiki](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/resources\/assets\/mediawiki_compact.svg)](https:\/\/www.mediawiki.org\/)\n\nSearch\n\nToggle the table of contents\n\nInternet meme\n\n69 languages\n\n[Add topic](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme)","attrs_readable_markdown":"An **Internet meme**, or **meme** (), is a cultural item (such as an idea, behavior, or style) that spreads across the [Internet](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet \"Internet\"), now primarily through [social media](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Social_media \"Social media\") platforms. Internet memes manifest in a variety of formats, including [images](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Image \"Image\"), [videos](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Video \"Video\") (e.g. [GIFs](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/GIF \"GIF\")), and other [viral content](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Viral_content \"Viral content\"). Key characteristics of memes include their tendency to be [parodied](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Parodied \"Parodied\"), their use of [intertextuality](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Intertextuality \"Intertextuality\"), their viral dissemination, and their continual evolution. The term *[meme](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Meme \"Meme\")* was originally introduced by [Richard Dawkins](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Richard_Dawkins \"Richard Dawkins\") in his 1976 book *[The Selfish Gene](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Selfish_Gene \"The Selfish Gene\")* to describe the concept of cultural transmission of a singular unit, analogous to biology.\n\nThe term *Internet meme* was coined by [Mike Godwin](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mike_Godwin \"Mike Godwin\") in 1993 in reference to the way memes proliferated through early [online communities](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Online_communities \"Online communities\"), including [message boards](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Message_boards \"Message boards\"), [Usenet](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Usenet \"Usenet\") groups, and email. The emergence of social media platforms such as [YouTube](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/YouTube \"YouTube\"), [Twitter](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Twitter \"Twitter\"), [Facebook](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Facebook \"Facebook\"), and [Instagram](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Instagram \"Instagram\") further diversified memes and accelerated their spread. [Dank](https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/dank \"wikt:dank\") and [surrealist](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Surrealist \"Surrealist\") memes are some of the newer genres, with newer formats like [short-form videos](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Short-form_videos \"Short-form videos\") popularized by platforms like [Vine](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vine_\$service\$ \"Vine (service)\") and [TikTok](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/TikTok \"TikTok\"). Newer internet memes (specifically those of low quality) are often classified as [brain rot](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Brain_rot \"Brain rot\") or [AI slop](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/AI_slop \"AI slop\").\n\nMemes are now recognized as a significant aspect of [Internet culture](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_culture \"Internet culture\") and are the subject of academic research. They appear across a broad spectrum of contexts, including marketing, economics, finance, politics, social movements, religion, and healthcare. While memes are often viewed as falling under [fair use](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use \"Fair use\") protection, their incorporation of material from pre-existing works can result in [copyright](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Copyright \"Copyright\") disputes.\n\nCharacteristics\n\nInternet memes derive from the original concept of [memes](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Meme \"Meme\") as units of cultural transmission, passed from person to person. In the digital realm, this transmission occurs primarily through online platforms, such as [social media](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Social_media \"Social media\").[\\[1\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-1) Although related, internet memes differ from traditional memes in that they often represent fleeting trends, whereas the success of traditional memes is measured by their endurance over time. Additionally, internet memes tend to be less abstract in nature compared to their traditional counterparts.[\\[2\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-2) They are highly versatile in form and purpose, serving as tools for light entertainment, self-expression, social commentary, and even political discourse.[\\[3\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-BBC-3)\n\nTwo fundamental characteristics of internet memes are creative reproduction and [intertextuality](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Intertextuality \"Intertextuality\").[\\[4\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-MIT_Press-4) Creative reproduction refers to the adaptation and transformation of a meme through imitation or parody, either by reproducing the meme in a new context (\"mimicry\") or by remixing the original material (\"remix\"). In mimicry, the meme is recreated in a different setting, as seen when different individuals replicate the viral video \"[Charlie Bit My Finger](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Charlie_Bit_My_Finger \"Charlie Bit My Finger\")\". Remix, on the other hand, involves technological manipulation, such as altering an image with [Photoshop](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Adobe_Photoshop \"Adobe Photoshop\"), while retaining elements of the original meme.[\\[4\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-MIT_Press-4)\n\nIntertextuality in memes involves the blending of different cultural references or contexts. An example of this is the combination of US politician [Mitt Romney](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mitt_Romney \"Mitt Romney\")'s phrase \"[binders full of women](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Binders_full_of_women \"Binders full of women\")\" from the 2012 US presidential debate with a scene from the Korean pop song \"[Gangnam Style](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gangnam_Style \"Gangnam Style\")\". In this case, the phrase \"my binders full of women exploded\" is superimposed on a frame from [Psy](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Psy \"Psy\")'s music video, creating a new meaning by merging political and cultural references from distinct contexts.[\\[4\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-MIT_Press-4)\n\nInternet memes can also function as [in-jokes](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/In-joke \"In-joke\") within specific online communities, where they convey insider knowledge that may be incomprehensible to outsiders. This fosters a sense of collective identity within the group.[\\[5\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-First_Monday-5) Conversely, some memes achieve widespread cultural relevance, being understood and appreciated by broader audiences outside of the originating subculture.[\\[3\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-BBC-3)\n\nA study by Michele Knobel and Colin Lankshear examined how Richard Dawkins' three characteristics of successful traditional memes—fidelity, fecundity, and longevity—apply to internet memes. It was found that fidelity in the context of internet memes is better described as replicability, as memes are frequently modified through remixing while still maintaining their core message. Fecundity, or the ability of a meme to spread, is promoted by factors such as humor (such as the comically translated video game line \"[All your base are belong to us](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/All_your_base_are_belong_to_us \"All your base are belong to us\")\"), intertextuality (as in the various pop culture-referencing renditions of the \"[Star Wars Kid](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Star_Wars_Kid \"Star Wars Kid\")\" viral video), and juxtaposition of seemingly incongruous elements (exemplified in the \"[Bert is Evil](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bert_is_Evil \"Bert is Evil\")\" meme). Finally, longevity is essential for a meme's continued circulation and evolution over time.[\\[6\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-6)\n\nEvolution and propagation\n\n[![Internet meme propagation graph](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/2\/2a\/Graph_SIR_model_without_vital_dynamics.svg\/250px-Graph_SIR_model_without_vital_dynamics.svg.png)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Graph_SIR_model_without_vital_dynamics.svg)\n\nInternet memes propagate in a similar pattern to infectious disease, as shown by this [SIR model](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/SIR_Model \"SIR Model\"). The pattern, as depicted in red, shows an initial spike in popularity followed by a gradual taper to obscurity.\n\nInternet memes can either remain consistent or evolve over time. This evolution may involve changes in meaning while retaining the meme's structure, or vice versa, with such transformations occurring either by chance or through deliberate efforts like parody.[\\[7\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-7) A study by Miltner examined the [lolcats](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lolcat \"Lolcat\") meme, tracing its development from an in-joke within computer and gaming communities on the website [4chan](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/4chan \"4chan\") to a broader source of humor and emotional support. As the meme entered mainstream culture, it lost favor with its original creators. Miltner explained that as content moves through different communities, it is reinterpreted to suit the specific needs and desires of those communities, often diverging from the creator's original intent.[\\[5\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-First_Monday-5) Modifications to memes can lead them to transcend social and cultural boundaries.[\\[8\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-8)\n\nMemes spread virally, in a manner similar to the [SIR](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/SIR_model \"SIR model\") (Susceptible-Infectious-Recovered) model used to describe the transmission of diseases.[\\[9\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-9) Once a meme has reached a critical number of individuals, its continued spread becomes inevitable.[\\[10\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Wired_temes-10) Research by Coscia examined the factors contributing to a meme's propagation and longevity, concluding that while memes compete for attention—often resulting in shorter lifespans—they can also collaborate, enhancing their chances of survival. A meme that experiences an exceptionally high peak in popularity is unlikely to endure unless it is uniquely distinct. Conversely, a meme without such a peak, but that coexists with others, tends to have greater longevity.[\\[11\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-CosciaHarvardCID2013-11) In 2013, Dominic Basulto, writing for *[The Washington Post](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Washington_Post \"The Washington Post\")*, argued that the widespread use of memes, particularly by the marketing and advertising industries, has led to a decline in their original cultural value. Once considered valuable cultural artifacts meant to endure, memes now often convey trivial rather than meaningful ideas.[\\[12\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-WashingtonPost20130705-12)\n\nHistory\n\nOrigins and early memes\n\n[![Image of lolcat meme](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/4\/44\/CatLolCatExample.jpg\/250px-CatLolCatExample.jpg)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:CatLolCatExample.jpg)\n\nA lolcat image macro, a meme style especially popular in the mid-and-late 2000s\n\nThe word *meme* was coined by [Richard Dawkins](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Richard_Dawkins \"Richard Dawkins\") in his 1976 book *[The Selfish Gene](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Selfish_Gene \"The Selfish Gene\")* as an attempt to explain how aspects of culture replicate, mutate, and evolve ([memetics](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Memetics \"Memetics\")).[\\[13\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-cream-13) [Emoticons](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Emoticon \"Emoticon\") are among the earliest examples of internet memes, specifically the smiley emoticon \":-)\", introduced by [Scott Fahlman](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Scott_Fahlman \"Scott Fahlman\") in 1982.[\\[14\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Journal_of_Content,_Community_&_Communication_Amity_School_of_Communication-14) The concept of memes in an online context was formally proposed by [Mike Godwin](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mike_Godwin \"Mike Godwin\") in the June 1993 issue of *[Wired](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wired_\$magazine\$ \"Wired (magazine)\")*.[\\[15\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-godwin-15) In 2013, Dawkins characterized an Internet meme as being a meme deliberately altered by human creativity—distinguished from biological genes and his own pre-Internet concept of a meme, which involved mutation by random change and spreading through accurate replication as in Darwinian selection. Dawkins explained that Internet memes are thus a \"hijacking of the original idea\", evolving the very concept of a meme in this new direction.[\\[16\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Wired20130620-16) Nevertheless, by 2013, Limor Shifman solidified the relationship of memes to internet culture and reworked Dawkins' concept for online contexts.[\\[17\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-17) Such an association has been shown to be empirically valuable as internet memes carry an additional property that Dawkins' \"memes\" do not: internet memes leave a footprint in the media through which they propagate (for example, social networks) that renders them traceable and analyzable.[\\[11\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-CosciaHarvardCID2013-11)\n\nHowever, before internet memes were considered truly academic, they were initially a colloquial reference to humorous visual communication online in the mid-late 1990s among internet denizens; examples of these early internet memes include the [Dancing Baby](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dancing_baby \"Dancing baby\") and [Hampster Dance](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hampster_Dance \"Hampster Dance\").[\\[18\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-18) Memes of this time were primarily spread via [messageboards](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_forum \"Internet forum\"), [Usenet](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Usenet \"Usenet\") groups, and [email](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Email \"Email\"), and generally lasted for a longer time than modern memes.[\\[19\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Wired-2018-19)\n\n[![Photograph of a Shiba Inu dog playing in snow, with superimposed text \"wow\" \/ \"many ice\" \/ \"so snow\" \/ \"much frosty\" \/ \"very winter\" \/ \"wow\" \/ \"such freeze omg\" in the Comic Sans font and in varying colors scattered throughout the image.](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/b\/be\/Doge_meme_example.jpg\/250px-Doge_meme_example.jpg)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Doge_meme_example.jpg)\n\nAn example of the [Doge](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doge_\$meme\$ \"Doge (meme)\") meme, popular in 2013 and similar in style to earlier lolcats[\\[20\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-20)\n\nAs the Internet protocols evolved, so did memes. [Lolcats](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lolcat \"Lolcat\") originated from imageboard website [4chan](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/4chan \"4chan\"), becoming the prototype of the \"[image macro](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Image_macro \"Image macro\")\" format (an image overlaid by large text).[\\[19\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Wired-2018-19) Other early forms of image-based memes included demotivators (parodized motivational posters), photoshopped images, [comics](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Comics \"Comics\") (such as [rage comics](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rage_comic \"Rage comic\")),[\\[21\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-21)[\\[22\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-22) and [anime](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Anime \"Anime\") [fan art](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fan_art \"Fan art\"),[\\[23\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-23) sometimes made by [*doujin*](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doujin \"Doujin\") circles in various countries. After the release of [YouTube](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/YouTube \"YouTube\") in 2005, video-based memes such as [Rickrolling](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rickrolling \"Rickrolling\") and [viral videos](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Viral_video \"Viral video\") such as \"[Gangnam Style](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gangnam_Style_\$music_video\$ \"Gangnam Style (music video)\")\" and [the Harlem shake](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Harlem_shake_\$dance\$ \"Harlem shake (dance)\") emerged.[\\[19\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Wired-2018-19)[\\[24\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-24) The appearance of social media websites such as [Twitter](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Twitter \"Twitter\"), [Facebook](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Facebook \"Facebook\"), and [Instagram](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Instagram \"Instagram\") provided additional mediums for the spread of memes,[\\[25\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-25) and the creation of meme-generating websites made their production more accessible.[\\[19\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Wired-2018-19)\n\nContemporary memes\n\n\"Dank memes\" are a genre of internet memes that reached mainstream prominence around 2014. Dank memes refer to deliberately zany or odd memes with features such as oversaturated colors, [compression artifacts](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Compression_artifact \"Compression artifact\"), crude humor, strange captions, and overly loud sounds (termed *ear rape*).[\\[26\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-SAGE-26)[\\[27\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-27) The term *dank*, which refers to cold, damp places, was adapted as a way to describe memes that fit the aforementioned criteria of a dank meme.[\\[26\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-SAGE-26)[\\[28\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-28) The term may also be used to describe memes that have become overused and stale to the point of paradoxically becoming humorous again. Despite having lost popularity since the late 2010s, dank memes have seen several \"revival\" attempts, popularised on platforms such as [TikTok](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/TikTok \"TikTok\").[\\[29\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-29) The phenomenon of dank memes sprouted a subculture called the \"meme market\", satirizing [Wall Street](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wall_Street \"Wall Street\") and applying the associated jargon (such as \"stocks\") to internet memes. Originally started on [Reddit](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Reddit \"Reddit\") as \/r\/MemeEconomy, users jokingly \"buy\" or \"sell\" shares in a meme reflecting opinion on its potential popularity.[\\[30\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-30)\n\n[![](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/1\/18\/Deep_fried_meme.jpg\/250px-Deep_fried_meme.jpg)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Deep_fried_meme.jpg)\n\nExample of a \"deep-fried\" meme, featuring distortion and saturated colors\n\n\"Deep-fried\" memes refer to those that have been distorted and run through several filters and\/or layers of [lossy compression](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lossy_compression \"Lossy compression\").[\\[31\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-31)[\\[32\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-32) An example of these is the \"E\" meme, a picture of YouTuber [Markiplier](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Markiplier \"Markiplier\") photoshopped onto [Lord Farquaad](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lord_Farquaad \"Lord Farquaad\") from the film *[Shrek](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Shrek \"Shrek\")*, in turn photoshopped into a scene from businessman [Mark Zuckerberg](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mark_Zuckerberg \"Mark Zuckerberg\")'s hearing in Congress and captioned with a lone 'E'.[\\[33\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-33) Elizabeth Bruenig of the *[Washington Post](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Washington_Post \"The Washington Post\")* described this as a \"digital update to the surreal and absurd genres of art and literature that characterized the tumultuous early 20th century\".[\\[34\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-34) Many modern memes make use of humorously absurd and even [surrealist](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Surrealism \"Surrealism\") themes. Examples of the former include \"they did surgery on a grape\", a video depicting a [Da Vinci Surgical System](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Da_Vinci_Surgical_System \"Da Vinci Surgical System\") performing test surgery on a grape,[\\[35\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-35) and the \"moth meme\", a close-up picture of a moth with captions humorously conveying the insect's love of [lamps](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Electric_light \"Electric light\").[\\[36\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-36) Surreal memes incorporate layers of irony to make them unique and nonsensical, often as a means of escapism from mainstream meme culture.[\\[37\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-37)\n\n[![](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/e\/e8\/Thousand_yard_stare_meme.png\/250px-Thousand_yard_stare_meme.png)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Thousand_yard_stare_meme.png)\n\nThe \"[Thousand Yard Stare](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Thousand-yard_stare \"Thousand-yard stare\") Meme\", which was popular in 2023[\\[38\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-38)\n\nAfter the success of the application [Vine](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vine_\$service\$ \"Vine (service)\"), a format of memes emerged in the form of short videos and scripted sketches. An example is the \"What's Nine Plus Ten?\" meme, a Vine video depicting a child humorously providing an incorrect answer to a math problem.[\\[39\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-39) After the shutdown of Vine in 2017, the de facto replacement became the social network [TikTok](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/TikTok \"TikTok\"), which similarly utilizes the short video format.[\\[40\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-40) The platform has become immensely popular, and is the source of many genres of internet memes as of the mid 2020s.[\\[41\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-41)[\\[42\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-42)\n\nIn 2022, the term *[brain rot](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Brain_rot \"Brain rot\")* became used to reflect a shift in how memes, particularly TikTok videos, were being interacted with. The term describes content lacking in quality and meaning, often associated with slang and trends popular among [Generation Alpha](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Generation_Alpha \"Generation Alpha\"), such as \"[skibidi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Skibidi_Toilet \"Skibidi Toilet\")\", \"[rizz](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rizz \"Rizz\")\", \"[gyatt](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gyatt \"Gyatt\")\", \"[sigma](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sigma_\$slang\$ \"Sigma (slang)\")\" and \"[fanum tax](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fanum_tax \"Fanum tax\")\".[\\[43\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-43) The name comes from the perceived negative psychological and cognitive effects caused by exposure to such content.[\\[44\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-44)\n\n[![](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/6\/60\/Six-seven_jack-o-lantern%2C_Toronto_2025.jpg\/250px-Six-seven_jack-o-lantern%2C_Toronto_2025.jpg)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Six-seven_jack-o-lantern,_Toronto_2025.jpg)\n\nSome Internet memes have been criticized for being deliberately meaningless and nonsensical, such as the [6-7 meme](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/6-7_meme \"6-7 meme\").[\\[45\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-45)\n\nIn 2025, some TikTok users expressed concern over a \"meme drought\", which was said to be caused by a [cringe culture](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cringe_culture \"Cringe culture\") community known as SlimeTok.[\\[46\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-46) The meme drought was also used to criticize AI-inspired [brainrot](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Brain_rot \"Brain rot\") trends and deliberately meaningless content by [Gen Alpha](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gen_Alpha \"Gen Alpha\") and younger [Gen Z](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gen_Z \"Gen Z\"), such as [6-7](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/6-7_meme \"6-7 meme\"), for being \"oversaturated and unfunny\". These people called for a \"**Great Meme Reset**\" on January 1, 2026, which was the act of returning to \"classic\" memes from the 2010s such as [Nyan Cat](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nyan_cat \"Nyan cat\") and [Big Chungus](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Big_Chungus \"Big Chungus\").[\\[47\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-47)\n\nBy context\n\nMarketing\n\nThe practice of using memes to market products or services has been termed \"memetic marketing\".[\\[48\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-memetic_marketing-48) Internet memes allow brands to circumvent the conception of advertisements as irksome, making them less overt and more tailored to the likes of their target audience. Marketing personnel may choose to utilize an existing meme, or create a new meme from scratch. Fashion house [Gucci](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gucci \"Gucci\") employed the former strategy, launching a series of [Instagram](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Instagram \"Instagram\") ads that reimagined popular memes featuring its watch collection. The image macro \"The Most Interesting Man in the World\" is an example of the latter, a meme generated from an advertising campaign for the [Dos Equis](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dos_Equis \"Dos Equis\") beer brand.[\\[49\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-49) Products may also gain popularity through internet memes without intention by the producer themselves; for instance, the film *[Snakes on a Plane](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Snakes_on_a_Plane \"Snakes on a Plane\")* became a [cult classic](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cult_classic \"Cult classic\") after creation of the website SnakesOnABlog.com by law student Brian Finkelstein.[\\[50\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-50)\n\nUse of memes by brands, while often advantageous, has been subject to criticism for seemingly forced, unoriginal, or unfunny usage of memes, which can negatively impact a brand's image.[\\[51\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-51) For example, the fast food company [Wendy's](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wendy%27s \"Wendy's\") began a social media-based approach to marketing that was initially met with success (resulting in an almost 50% profit growth that year), but received criticism after sharing a controversial [Pepe](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pepe_the_Frog \"Pepe the Frog\") meme that was negatively perceived by consumers.[\\[52\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-52)\n\nEconomics and finance\n\nMeme [stocks](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Stock \"Stock\") are a phenomenon where stock values for a company rise significantly in a short period due to a surge in interest online and subsequent buying by investors. Video game retailer [GameStop](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/GameStop \"GameStop\") is recognized as the first meme stock.[\\[53\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-53) [r\/WallStreetBets](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/\/r\/WallStreetBets \"\/r\/WallStreetBets\"), a [subreddit](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Subreddit \"Subreddit\") where participants discuss [stock trading](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Stock_trader \"Stock trader\"), and [Robinhood Markets](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Robinhood_Markets \"Robinhood Markets\"), a financial services company, became notable in 2021 for their involvement in the popularisation of meme stocks.[\\[54\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-54)[\\[55\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-55) \"YOLO investors\" are a phenomenon that emerged during the [COVID-19 pandemic](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/COVID-19_pandemic \"COVID-19 pandemic\"), who are less risk averse in their investments compared to their traditional counterparts.[\\[56\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-56)\n\nAdditionally, memes have developed an association with [cryptocurrency](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cryptocurrency \"Cryptocurrency\") with the development of [meme currencies](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Meme_coin \"Meme coin\") such as [Dogecoin](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dogecoin \"Dogecoin\"), Shiba Inu Coin, and Pepe Coin. Meme cryptocurrencies have suggested comparisons between meme value and monetary markets.[\\[57\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-57)[\\[58\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-58)\n\nPolitics\n\nInternet memes are a medium for fast communication to large online audiences, which has led to their use by those seeking to express a political opinion or actively campaign for (or against) a political entity.[\\[14\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Journal_of_Content,_Community_&_Communication_Amity_School_of_Communication-14)[\\[59\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-59) In some ways, they can be seen as a modern form of the [political cartoon](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Political_cartoon \"Political cartoon\"), offering a way to democratize political commentary.[\\[60\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-60)\n\n[![](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/1\/15\/Meme_that_perpetuates_Irish_slaves_myth.png\/250px-Meme_that_perpetuates_Irish_slaves_myth.png)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Meme_that_perpetuates_Irish_slaves_myth.png)\n\nMeme image used by white nationalists in the US to perpetuate the [Irish slaves myth](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Irish_slaves_myth \"Irish slaves myth\")[\\[61\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-61)\n\nAmong the earliest political memes were those arising from the viral [Dean scream](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dean_scream \"Dean scream\"), an excerpt from a speech delivered by [Vermont](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vermont \"Vermont\") [governor](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Governor_\$United_States\$ \"Governor (United States)\") [Howard Dean](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Howard_Dean \"Howard Dean\").[\\[62\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-62) Over time, Internet memes have become an increasingly important element in political campaigns, as online communities contribute to broader discourse through the use of memes.[\\[63\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-63) For example, [Ted Cruz](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ted_Cruz \"Ted Cruz\")'s 2016 Republican presidential bid was damaged by [a meme](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ted_Cruz%E2%80%93Zodiac_Killer_meme \"Ted Cruz–Zodiac Killer meme\") that jokingly speculated he was the [Zodiac Killer](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Zodiac_Killer \"Zodiac Killer\").[\\[64\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-64)\n\nResearch has shown the use of memes during elections has a role to play in informing the public on political themes. A study explored this in relation to the [2017 UK general election](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2017_United_Kingdom_general_election \"2017 United Kingdom general election\"), and concluded that memes acted as a widely shared conduit for basic political information to audiences who would usually not seek it out.[\\[65\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-The_British_Journal_of_Politics_and_International_Relations-65) They also found that memes may play some role in increasing [voter turnout](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Voter_turnout \"Voter turnout\").[\\[65\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-The_British_Journal_of_Politics_and_International_Relations-65)\n\nSome political campaigns have begun to explicitly taken advantage of the increasing influence of memes; as part of the [2020 US presidential campaign](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2020_United_States_presidential_election \"2020 United States presidential election\"), [Michael Bloomberg](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Michael_Bloomberg \"Michael Bloomberg\") sponsored a number of Instagram accounts (with over 60 million followers collectively) to post memes related to the Bloomberg campaign.[\\[66\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-66) The campaign was faulted for treating memes as a commodity that can be bought.[\\[67\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-67)\n\nBeyond their use in elections, Internet memes can become symbols for various political ideologies. A salient example is Pepe the Frog, which has been used as a symbol for the [alt-right](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Alt-right \"Alt-right\") political movement, as well as for [pro-democracy](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pro-democracy \"Pro-democracy\") ideologies in the [2019–2020 Hong Kong protests](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2019%E2%80%932020_Hong_Kong_protests \"2019–2020 Hong Kong protests\").[\\[68\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-68)[\\[69\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-69)\n\n[![A person stands still and winces as a bucket full of ice and water is poured onto their head by another.](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/d\/d7\/John_Maino_performs_the_ALS_Ice_Bucket_Challenge.jpg\/250px-John_Maino_performs_the_ALS_Ice_Bucket_Challenge.jpg)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:John_Maino_performs_the_ALS_Ice_Bucket_Challenge.jpg)\n\nA person performing the Ice Bucket Challenge\n\nInternet memes can be powerful tools in social movements, constructing collective identity and providing platform for discourse.[\\[3\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-BBC-3)[\\[70\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-70) During the 2010 [It Gets Better Project](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/It_Gets_Better_Project \"It Gets Better Project\") for [LGBTQ+](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/LGBT \"LGBT\") empowerment, memes were used to uplift LGBTQ+ youth while negotiating the community's collective identity.[\\[71\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-71) In 2014, the viral [Ice Bucket Challenge](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ice_Bucket_Challenge \"Ice Bucket Challenge\") raised money and awareness for [Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis\/Motor Neurone Disease](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Amyotrophic_Lateral_Sclerosis \"Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis\") (ALS\/MND).[\\[72\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-72) Furthermore, internet memes proved an important medium in the discourse surrounding the [Occupy Wall Street](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Occupy_Wall_Street \"Occupy Wall Street\") (OWS) movement.[\\[73\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-73)\n\nReligion\n\nInternet memes have also been used in the context of [religion](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Religion \"Religion\").[\\[74\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-74) They create a participatory culture that enables individuals to collectively make meaning of religious beliefs, reflecting a form of [lived religion](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lived_religion \"Lived religion\").[\\[75\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Information,_Communication_&_Society-75) Aguilar et al. of [Texas A\\&M University](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Texas_A%26M_University \"Texas A&M University\") identified six common genres of religious memes: non-religious image macros with religious themes, image macros featuring religious figures, memes reacting to religion-related news, memes deifying non-religious figures such as [celebrities](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Celebrity \"Celebrity\"), [spoofs](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Parody \"Parody\") of religious images, and video-based memes.[\\[75\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Information,_Communication_&_Society-75)\n\nHealthcare\n\nSocial media platforms can increase the speed of dissemination of evidence-based health practices.[\\[76\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-76) A study by Reynolds and Boyd found the majority of participants (who were healthcare staff) felt that memes could be an appropriate means of improving healthcare worker's knowledge of and compliance with infection prevention practices.[\\[77\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-77) Internet memes were also used in [Nigeria](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nigeria \"Nigeria\") to raise awareness of the [COVID-19 pandemic](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/COVID-19_pandemic \"COVID-19 pandemic\"), with healthcare professionals using the medium to disseminate information on the virus and [its vaccine](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/COVID-19_vaccine \"COVID-19 vaccine\").[\\[78\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-78)\n\nCopyright\n\nSince many memes are derived from pre-existing works, it has been contended that memes violate the copyright of the original authors. However, some view memes as falling under the ambit of [fair use](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use \"Fair use\") in the United States.[\\[79\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Duke_Law_&_Technology_Review-79)[\\[80\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-80) This dilemma has caused conflict between meme producers and copyright owners; for example, [Getty Images](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Getty_Images \"Getty Images\")' demand for payment from the blog *Get Digital* for publishing the \"Socially Awkward Penguin\" meme without permission.[\\[81\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-81)\n\nUnited States\n\nUnder United States copyright law, copyright protection subsists in \"original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression, now known or later developed, from which they can be perceived, reproduced, or otherwise communicated, either directly or with the aid of a machine or device\". It is disputed whether the use of memes constitutes copyright infringement.[\\[79\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Duke_Law_&_Technology_Review-79)\n\n[![](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/a\/ac\/Farmer_meme_with_apostrophe.jpg\/250px-Farmer_meme_with_apostrophe.jpg)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Farmer_meme_with_apostrophe.jpg)\n\nThis [image macro](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Image_macro \"Image macro\") is in the [public domain](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Public_domain \"Public domain\") in the United States as the background was taken by the [Department of Agriculture](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_States_Department_of_Agriculture \"United States Department of Agriculture\").\n\nFair use is a defense under US copyright law which protects work made using other copyrighted works.[\\[82\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Journalism_&_Mass_Communication_Quarterly-82) Section 107 of the [1976 Copyright Act](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Copyright_Act_of_1976 \"Copyright Act of 1976\") outlines four factors for analysis of fair use:\n\n1. The purpose and character of the use,\n2. The nature of the copyrighted work,\n3. The amount and substantiality of the portion used, and\n4. The effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.[\\[79\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Duke_Law_&_Technology_Review-79)\n\nThe first factor implies the secondary use of a copyrighted work should be \"transformative\" (that is, giving novel meaning or expression to the original work); many memes fulfil this criterion, placing pieces of media in a new context to serve a different purpose to that of the original author. The second factor favors copied works drawing from factual sources, which may be problematic for memes derived from fictional works (such as films). Many of these memes, however, only use small portions of such works (such as still images), favoring an argument of fair use per the third factor. With regards to the fourth factor, most memes are non-commercial in nature and thus would not have adverse effects on the potential market for the copyright work.[\\[79\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Duke_Law_&_Technology_Review-79) Given these factors, and the overall reliance of memes on appropriation of other sources, it has been argued that they deserve protection from copyright infringement suits.[\\[82\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Journalism_&_Mass_Communication_Quarterly-82)\n\nNon-fungible tokens\n\nSome individuals who are subjects of memes (and thus the copyright holders) have made money through sale of [non-fungible tokens](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Non-fungible_token \"Non-fungible token\") (NFTs) in [auctions](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Auction \"Auction\").[\\[83\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Wired-83) Ben Lashes, a manager of numerous memes, stated their sales as NFTs made over US\\$2 million and established memes as serious forms of art.[\\[84\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Fazio-84) One example is *[Disaster Girl](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Disaster_Girl \"Disaster Girl\")*, based on a photo of Zoe Roth at age 4 taken in [Mebane, North Carolina](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mebane,_North_Carolina \"Mebane, North Carolina\"), in January 2005.[\\[84\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-Fazio-84) After this photo became famous and had attained widespread usage on the Internet, Roth decided to sell it as an NFT for US\\$539,973 (equivalent to \\$641,562 in 2025),[\\[85\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-inflation-US-85) with an agreement for a further 10 percent share of any future sales.[\\[86\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_note-86)\n\nSee also\n\n- [List of Internet phenomena](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_Internet_phenomena \"List of Internet phenomena\")\n- [Remix culture](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Remix_culture \"Remix culture\")\n- [Short-form content](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Short-form_content \"Short-form content\")\n- [Memetic warfare](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Memetic_warfare \"Memetic warfare\") (Meme Warefare)\n\nReferences\n\n1. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-1)**\n   Benveniste, Alexis (January 26, 2022). [\"The Meaning and History of Memes\"](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/01\/26\/crosswords\/what-is-a-meme.html). *The New York Times*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230128093855\/https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/01\/26\/crosswords\/what-is-a-meme.html) from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.\n2. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-2)**\n   Shifman, Limor (April 2013). [\"Memes in a Digital World: Reconciling with a Conceptual Troublemaker\"](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111%2Fjcc4.12013). *Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication*. **18** (3): 364. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.1111\/jcc4.12013](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111%2Fjcc4.12013). [hdl](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hdl_\$identifier\$ \"Hdl (identifier)\"):[11059\/14843](https:\/\/hdl.handle.net\/11059%2F14843). [S2CID](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/S2CID_\$identifier\$ \"S2CID (identifier)\") [28196215](https:\/\/api.semanticscholar.org\/CorpusID:28196215).\n3. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-BBC_3-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-BBC_3-1) [***c***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-BBC_3-2)\n   Brown, Helen (September 29, 2022). [\"The surprising power of internet memes\"](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/future\/article\/20220928-the-surprising-power-of-internet-memes). *BBC*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230128093847\/https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/future\/article\/20220928-the-surprising-power-of-internet-memes) from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.\n4. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-MIT_Press_4-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-MIT_Press_4-1) [***c***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-MIT_Press_4-2)\n   Shifman, Limor (2013). *Memes in Digital Culture*. MIT Press. pp. 2–4, 20–22\\. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n   \n   [978-0-262-31770-2](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/978-0-262-31770-2 \"Special:BookSources\/978-0-262-31770-2\")\n   \n   .\n5. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-First_Monday_5-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-First_Monday_5-1)\n   Miltner, Kate M. (August 1, 2014). [\"'There's no place for lulz on LOLCats': The role of genre, gender, and group identity in the interpretation and enjoyment of an Internet meme\"](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.5210%2Ffm.v19i8.5391). *First Monday*. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.5210\/fm.v19i8.5391](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.5210%2Ffm.v19i8.5391).\n6. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-6)**\n   Knobel, Michele; Lankshear, Colin (2018) \\[2007\\]. [\"Online memes, affinities, and cultural production.\"](https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=4Gjs8uT6dxIC&dq=Online+memes,+affinities+and+cultural+production&pg=PA199). *A New Literacies Sampler*. [Peter Lang Publishing](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Peter_Lang_Publishing \"Peter Lang Publishing\"). pp. 201–202\\. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n   \n   [9780820495231](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/9780820495231 \"Special:BookSources\/9780820495231\")\n   \n   . [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230405041905\/https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=4Gjs8uT6dxIC&dq=Online+memes,+affinities+and+cultural+production&pg=PA199) from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved March 19, 2023.\n7. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-7)**\n   Castaño Díaz, Carlos Mauricio (September 25, 2013). [\"Defining and characterizing the concept of Internet Meme\"](https:\/\/revistas.ces.edu.co\/index.php\/psicologia\/article\/view\/2642). *CES Psicología*. **6** (2): 97–98\\. [ProQuest](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ProQuest \"ProQuest\") [1713930915](https:\/\/www.proquest.com\/docview\/1713930915).\n8. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-8)**\n   Bauckhage, Christian (August 3, 2021). [\"Insights into Internet Memes\"](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1609%2Ficwsm.v5i1.14097). *Proceedings of the International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media*. **5** (1): 42–49\\. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.1609\/icwsm.v5i1.14097](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1609%2Ficwsm.v5i1.14097). [S2CID](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/S2CID_\$identifier\$ \"S2CID (identifier)\") [16629837](https:\/\/api.semanticscholar.org\/CorpusID:16629837).\n9. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-9)**\n   Wang, Lin; Wood, Brendan C. (November 2011). [\"An epidemiological approach to model the viral propagation of memes\"](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016%2Fj.apm.2011.04.035). *Applied Mathematical Modelling*. **35** (11): 5447. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.1016\/j.apm.2011.04.035](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016%2Fj.apm.2011.04.035).\n10. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Wired_temes_10-0)**\n    Zetter, K. (February 29, 2008). [\"Humans Are Just Machines for Propagating Memes\"](https:\/\/www.wired.com\/science\/discoveries\/news\/2008\/02\/ted_blackmore?currentPage=all). *[Wired](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wired_\$magazine\$ \"Wired (magazine)\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20140202123609\/http:\/\/www.wired.com\/science\/discoveries\/news\/2008\/02\/ted_blackmore?currentPage=all) from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved March 7, 2017.\n11. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-CosciaHarvardCID2013_11-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-CosciaHarvardCID2013_11-1)\n    Coscia, Michele (April 5, 2013). \"Competition and Success in the Meme Pool: a Case Study on Quickmeme.com\". [arXiv](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ArXiv_\$identifier\$ \"ArXiv (identifier)\"):[1304\\.1712](https:\/\/arxiv.org\/abs\/1304.1712) \\[[physics.soc-ph](https:\/\/arxiv.org\/archive\/physics.soc-ph)\\].\n    \n    Paper explained for laymen by\n    \n    Mims, Christopher (June 28, 2013). [\"Why you'll share this story: The new science of memes\"](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20130703055640\/http:\/\/qz.com\/98677\/why-youll-share-this-story-the-new-science-of-memes\/). *[Quartz](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Quartz_\$publication\$ \"Quartz (publication)\")*. Archived from [the original](http:\/\/qz.com\/98677\/why-youll-share-this-story-the-new-science-of-memes\/) on July 3, 2013.\n12. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-WashingtonPost20130705_12-0)**\n    Basulto, Dominic (July 5, 2013). [\"Have Internet memes lost their meaning?\"](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20130705202602\/http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/blogs\/innovations\/wp\/2013\/07\/05\/have-internet-memes-lost-their-meaning\/). *The Washington Post*. Archived from [the original](https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/blogs\/innovations\/wp\/2013\/07\/05\/have-internet-memes-lost-their-meaning\/) on July 5, 2013.\n13. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-cream_13-0)**\n    [Dawkins, Richard](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Richard_Dawkins \"Richard Dawkins\") (1989). [*The Selfish Gene*](https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=WkHO9HI7koEC&pg=PA192) (2 ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 192. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n    \n    [978-0-19-286092-7](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/978-0-19-286092-7 \"Special:BookSources\/978-0-19-286092-7\")\n    \n    . [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20150316114026\/http:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=WkHO9HI7koEC&pg=PA192) from the original on March 16, 2015. Retrieved June 16, 2015.\n14. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Journal_of_Content,_Community_&_Communication_Amity_School_of_Communication_14-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Journal_of_Content,_Community_&_Communication_Amity_School_of_Communication_14-1)\n    Kulkarni, Anushka (June 3, 2017). [\"Internet Meme and Political Discourse: A Study on the Impact of Internet Meme as a Tool in Communicating Political Satire\"](https:\/\/www.amity.edu\/gwalior\/jccc\/pdf\/jcc-journal-december-2017-13-17.pdf) (PDF). *Journal of Content, Community & Communication Amity School of Communication*. **6**: 13. [SSRN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/SSRN_\$identifier\$ \"SSRN (identifier)\") [3501366](https:\/\/papers.ssrn.com\/sol3\/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3501366).\n15. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-godwin_15-0)**\n    Godwin, Mike (October 1, 1994). [\"Meme, Counter-meme\"](https:\/\/www.wired.com\/1994\/10\/godwin-if-2\/). *[Wired](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wired_\$magazine\$ \"Wired (magazine)\")*. Retrieved January 31, 2023.\n16. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Wired20130620_16-0)**\n    Solon, Olivia (June 20, 2013). [\"Richard Dawkins on The Internet's hijacking of the word 'meme'\"](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20130709152558\/http:\/\/www.wired.co.uk\/news\/archive\/2013-06\/20\/richard-dawkins-memes). *Wired UK*. Archived from [the original](https:\/\/www.wired.co.uk\/news\/archive\/2013-06\/20\/richard-dawkins-memes) on July 9, 2013.\n17. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-17)**\n    Shifman, Limor (April 2013). [\"Memes in a Digital World: Reconciling with a Conceptual Troublemaker\"](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111%2Fjcc4.12013). *Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication*. **18** (3): 367. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.1111\/jcc4.12013](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111%2Fjcc4.12013). [hdl](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hdl_\$identifier\$ \"Hdl (identifier)\"):[11059\/14843](https:\/\/hdl.handle.net\/11059%2F14843).\n18. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-18)**\n    Keep, Lennlee (October 8, 2020). [\"From Kilroy to Pepe: A Brief History of Memes\"](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/from-kilroy-to-pepe-a-brief-history-of-memes\/). *Public Broadcasting Service*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230306192623\/https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/from-kilroy-to-pepe-a-brief-history-of-memes\/) from the original on March 6, 2023. Retrieved January 31, 2023.\n19. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Wired-2018_19-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Wired-2018_19-1) [***c***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Wired-2018_19-2) [***d***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Wired-2018_19-3)\n    Watercutter, Angela; Grey Ellisby, Emma (April 1, 2018). [\"The WIRED Guide to Memes\"](https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/guide-memes\/). *Wired*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190201164321\/https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/guide-memes\/) from the original on February 1, 2019. Retrieved November 30, 2018.\n20. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-20)**\n    [\"We who spoke LOLcat now speak Doge\"](https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/we-who-spoke-lolcat-now-speak-doge-1481243678). *Gizmodo*. December 11, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2024.\n21. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-21)**\n    Boutin, Paul (May 9, 2012). [\"Put Your Rage Into a Cartoon and Exit Laughing\"](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2012\/05\/10\/technology\/personaltech\/rage-comics-turn-everyday-stress-into-laughs.html). *[The New York Times](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_New_York_Times \"The New York Times\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20210314141449\/https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2012\/05\/10\/technology\/personaltech\/rage-comics-turn-everyday-stress-into-laughs.html) from the original on March 14, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2020.\n22. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-22)**\n    Denisova, Anastasia (2020). *Internet Memes and Society: Social, Cultural, and Political Contexts*. New York, NY: [Routledge](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Routledge \"Routledge\"). pp. 9–11\\. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n    \n    [978-0-429-46940-4](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/978-0-429-46940-4 \"Special:BookSources\/978-0-429-46940-4\")\n    \n    . [OCLC](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/OCLC_\$identifier\$ \"OCLC (identifier)\") [1090540034](https:\/\/search.worldcat.org\/oclc\/1090540034).\n23. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-23)**\n    Beran, Dale (2019). *It Came from Something Awful: How a Toxic Troll Army Accidentally Memed Donald Trump into Office*. St. Martin's Publishing Group. p. xi. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n    \n    [978-1-250-18974-5](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/978-1-250-18974-5 \"Special:BookSources\/978-1-250-18974-5\")\n    \n    .\n24. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-24)**\n    Michaels, Sean (March 19, 2008). [\"Taking the Rick\"](https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/music\/2008\/mar\/19\/news). *[The Guardian](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Guardian \"The Guardian\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230131140850\/https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/music\/2008\/mar\/19\/news) from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved January 31, 2023.\n25. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-25)**\n    Nieubuurt, Joshua Troy (January 15, 2021). [\"Internet Memes: Leaflet Propaganda of the Digital Age\"](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389%2Ffcomm.2020.547065). *Frontiers in Communication*. **5** 547065: 3. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.3389\/fcomm.2020.547065](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389%2Ffcomm.2020.547065).\n26. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-SAGE_26-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-SAGE_26-1)\n    Hanlon, Annmarie; Tuten, Tracy L., eds. (2022). *The SAGE Handbook of Social Media Marketing*. SAGE. p. 10. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n    \n    [978-1-5297-4378-4](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/978-1-5297-4378-4 \"Special:BookSources\/978-1-5297-4378-4\")\n    \n    .\n27. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-27)**\n    [\"Dank meme\"](https:\/\/www.dictionary.com\/e\/slang\/dank-meme\/). *[Dictionary.com](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dictionary.com \"Dictionary.com\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20181130071447\/https:\/\/www.dictionary.com\/e\/slang\/dank-meme\/) from the original on November 30, 2018. Retrieved November 30, 2018.\n28. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-28)**\n    Hoffman, Ashley (February 2, 2018). [\"Donald Trump Jr. Just Became a Dank Meme, Literally\"](https:\/\/time.com\/5130384\/donald-trump-jr-dankness-tweet\/). *Time*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20180501012644\/http:\/\/time.com\/5130384\/donald-trump-jr-dankness-tweet\/) from the original on May 1, 2018. Retrieved May 19, 2018.\n29. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-29)**\n    Griffin, Annaliese (March 9, 2018). [\"What does \"dank\" mean? A definition of everyone's new favourite adjective\"](https:\/\/quartzy.qz.com\/1221995\/dank-is-the-new-umami\/). *[Quartz](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Quartz_\$magazine\$ \"Quartz (magazine)\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20180519121617\/https:\/\/quartzy.qz.com\/1221995\/dank-is-the-new-umami\/) from the original on May 19, 2018. Retrieved May 19, 2018.\n30. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-30)**\n    Plaugic, Lizzie (January 10, 2017). [\"How a group of Redditors is creating a fake stock market to figure out the value of memes\"](https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2017\/1\/10\/14223264\/meme-economy-reddit-stock-market). *The Verge*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20181211010109\/https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2017\/1\/10\/14223264\/meme-economy-reddit-stock-market) from the original on December 11, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2018.\n31. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-31)**\n    Günseli, Yalcinkaya (November 11, 2022). [\"Deep-fried memes: what are they and why do they matter?\"](https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/57422\/1\/deep-fried-memes-surveillance-capitalism-instagram-reddit-censorship). *[Dazed](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dazed \"Dazed\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230212190723\/https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/57422\/1\/deep-fried-memes-surveillance-capitalism-instagram-reddit-censorship) from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.\n32. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-32)**\n    Matsakis, Louise (August 30, 2017). [\"How to Deep-Fry a Meme\"](https:\/\/www.vice.com\/en\/article\/how-to-deep-fry-a-meme\/). *[Vice](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vice_\$magazine\$#Website \"Vice (magazine)\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230212190722\/https:\/\/www.vice.com\/en\/article\/zmm885\/how-to-deep-fry-a-meme) from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.\n33. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-33)**\n    Hathaway, Jay (November 5, 2018). [\"The 'E' meme shows just how weird memes can get\"](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190326134655\/https:\/\/www.dailydot.com\/unclick\/lord-farquaad-e-meme\/). *[The Daily Dot](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Daily_Dot \"The Daily Dot\")*. Archived from [the original](https:\/\/www.dailydot.com\/unclick\/lord-farquaad-e-meme\/) on March 26, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2019.\n34. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-34)**\n    Bruenig, Elizabeth (August 11, 2017). [\"Why is millennial humor so weird?\"](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190507081349\/https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/outlook\/why-is-millennial-humor-so-weird\/2017\/08\/11\/64af9cae-7dd5-11e7-83c7-5bd5460f0d7e_story.html). *[The Washington Post](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Washington_Post \"The Washington Post\")*. Archived from [the original](https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/outlook\/why-is-millennial-humor-so-weird\/2017\/08\/11\/64af9cae-7dd5-11e7-83c7-5bd5460f0d7e_story.html) on May 7, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2019.\n35. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-35)**\n    Lee, Bruce Y. (December 2, 2018). [\"They Did Surgery On A Grape: What Is This New Viral Meme?\"](https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/brucelee\/2018\/12\/02\/they-did-surgery-on-a-grape-what-is-this-new-viral-meme\/). *Forbes*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230201134300\/https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/brucelee\/2018\/12\/02\/they-did-surgery-on-a-grape-what-is-this-new-viral-meme\/) from the original on February 1, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2023.\n36. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-36)**\n    Ktena, Natalie (September 28, 2018). [\"Why does everybody love moth memes?\"](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/bbcthree\/article\/45ce5960-31a2-4223-a426-c3414df5ec79). *BBC Three*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20181021104953\/https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/bbcthree\/article\/45ce5960-31a2-4223-a426-c3414df5ec79) from the original on October 21, 2018. Retrieved February 1, 2023.\n37. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-37)**\n    Bryan, Chloe (February 6, 2019). [\"Surreal memes deserve their own internet dimension\"](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190327090359\/https:\/\/mashable.com\/article\/surreal-memes\/#dBMHaD8Josqt). *Mashable*. Archived from [the original](https:\/\/mashable.com\/article\/surreal-memes\/#dBMHaD8Josqt) on March 27, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2019.\n38. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-38)**\n    Andaloro, Angela (July 22, 2024). [\"Origins of the Thousand Yard Stare meme\"](https:\/\/www.dailydot.com\/memes\/thousand-yard-stare-meme\/). *The Daily Dot*. Retrieved January 25, 2025.\n39. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-39)**\n    Bain, Ellissa (September 10, 2021). [\"9\/10\/21 meme explained: What is happening today?\"](https:\/\/www.hitc.com\/en-gb\/2021\/09\/10\/9-10-21-meme\/). *[HITC](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/HITC \"HITC\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230202140436\/https:\/\/www.hitc.com\/en-gb\/2021\/09\/10\/9-10-21-meme\/) from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2023.\n40. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-40)**\n    Herrman, John (February 22, 2020). [\"Vine Changed the Internet Forever. How Much Does the Internet Miss It?\"](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/02\/22\/style\/byte-vine-short-video-apps.html). *[The New York Times](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_New_York_Times \"The New York Times\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20221226154458\/https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/02\/22\/style\/byte-vine-short-video-apps.html) from the original on December 26, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2023.\n41. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-41)**\n    Carman, Ashley (April 29, 2020). [\"TikTok reaches 2 billion downloads\"](https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2020\/4\/29\/21241788\/tiktok-app-download-numbers-update-2-billion-users). *[The Verge](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Verge \"The Verge\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20200729003408\/https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2020\/4\/29\/21241788\/tiktok-app-download-numbers-update-2-billion-users) from the original on July 29, 2020. Retrieved February 2, 2023.\n42. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-42)**\n    Jennings, Rebecca (February 4, 2020). [\"The most popular dances now come from TikTok. What happens to their creators?\"](https:\/\/www.vox.com\/the-goods\/2020\/2\/4\/21112444\/renegade-tiktok-song-dance). *[Vox](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vox_\$website\$ \"Vox (website)\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230202140435\/https:\/\/www.vox.com\/the-goods\/2020\/2\/4\/21112444\/renegade-tiktok-song-dance) from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2023.\n43. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-43)**\n    [\"Parents and Gen Alpha kids are having unintelligible convos because of 'brainrot' language\"](https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/gen-alpha-kids-parents-brainrot-language-rcna162227). *NBC News*. August 10, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.\n44. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-44)**\n    Roy, Jessica (June 13, 2024). [\"If You Know What 'Brainrot' Means, You Might Already Have It\"](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/06\/13\/style\/brainrot-internet-addiction-social-media-tiktok.html). *The New York Times*. [ISSN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISSN_\$identifier\$ \"ISSN (identifier)\") [0362-4331](https:\/\/search.worldcat.org\/issn\/0362-4331). Retrieved August 26, 2024.\n45. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-45)**\n    [\"Dictionary.com picks \"67,\" a \"nonsensical and playfully absurd\" slang term, as the 2025 word of the year - CBS News\"](https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/dictionary-67-2025-word-of-the-year-meaning\/). *www.cbsnews.com*. October 29, 2025. Retrieved December 17, 2025.\n46. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-46)**\n    Bremner, Broom (April 2, 2025). [\"The Great Meme Depression and \"SlimeTok\" - Binghamton Review\"](https:\/\/binghamtonreview.org\/the-great-meme-depression-and-slimetok\/). Retrieved December 30, 2025.\n47. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-47)**\n    Watercutter, Angela (November 19, 2025). [\"The 'Great Meme Reset' Is Coming\"](https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/the-great-meme-reset-is-coming\/). *Wired*. Retrieved November 28, 2025.\n48. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-memetic_marketing_48-0)**\n    Flor, Nick (December 11, 2000). [\"Memetic Marketing\"](http:\/\/www.informit.com\/articles\/article.aspx?p=19996). [InformIT](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/InformIT \"InformIT\"). [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20120114180653\/http:\/\/www.informit.com\/articles\/article.aspx?p=19996) from the original on January 14, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2011.\n49. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-49)**\n    McCrae, James (May 8, 2017). [\"Meme Marketing: How Brands Are Speaking A New Consumer Language\"](https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/forbescommunicationscouncil\/2017\/05\/08\/meme-marketing-how-brands-are-speaking-a-new-consumer-language\/). *Forbes*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20180315134855\/https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/forbescommunicationscouncil\/2017\/05\/08\/meme-marketing-how-brands-are-speaking-a-new-consumer-language\/) from the original on March 15, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2018.\n50. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-50)**\n    Carr, David (May 29, 2006). [\"Hollywood bypassing critics and print as digital gets hotter - Business - International Herald Tribune\"](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2006\/05\/29\/business\/worldbusiness\/29iht-carr.1839216.html). *[The New York Times](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_New_York_Times \"The New York Times\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20120703071008\/http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2006\/05\/29\/business\/worldbusiness\/29iht-carr.1839216.html) from the original on July 3, 2012. Retrieved February 4, 2023.\n51. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-51)**\n    Pegolo, Valentina; Carpenter, Lucie (February 6, 2021). [\"Why Memes Will Never Be Monetized\"](https:\/\/jacobinmag.com\/2021\/02\/memes-never-monetized-corporate-advertising). *[Jacobin](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jacobin_\$magazine\$ \"Jacobin (magazine)\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20210225142149\/https:\/\/jacobinmag.com\/2021\/02\/memes-never-monetized-corporate-advertising) from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved February 7, 2021.\n52. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-52)**\n    Whitten, Sarah (January 4, 2017). [\"A Wendy's tweet just went viral for all the wrong reasons\"](https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2017\/01\/04\/wendys-saucy-tweets-are-hit-and-miss-on-social-media.html). [CNBC](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/CNBC \"CNBC\"). [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20211104214557\/https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2017\/01\/04\/wendys-saucy-tweets-are-hit-and-miss-on-social-media.html) from the original on November 4, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2020.\n53. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-53)**\n    Rossolillo, Nicholas (September 23, 2021). [\"What Are Meme Stocks?\"](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/investing\/stock-market\/types-of-stocks\/meme-stocks\/). *[The Motley Fool](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Motley_Fool \"The Motley Fool\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20211113155252\/https:\/\/www.fool.com\/investing\/stock-market\/types-of-stocks\/meme-stocks\/) from the original on November 13, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.\n54. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-54)**\n    Phillip, Matt; Marcos, Coral M. (August 4, 2021). [\"Robinhood's shares jump as much as 65 percent, like the meme stocks it enabled\"](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/08\/04\/business\/robinhood-stock-price.html). *[The New York Times](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_New_York_Times \"The New York Times\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20211018143905\/https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/08\/04\/business\/robinhood-stock-price.html) from the original on October 18, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2023.\n55. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-55)**\n    Popper, Nathaniel; Browning, Kellen (January 29, 2021). [\"The 'Roaring Kitty' Rally: How a Reddit User and His Friends Roiled the Markets\"](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/01\/29\/technology\/roaring-kitty-reddit-gamestop-markets.html). *[The New York Times](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_New_York_Times \"The New York Times\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20210129100713\/https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/01\/29\/technology\/roaring-kitty-reddit-gamestop-markets.html) from the original on January 29, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2023.\n56. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-56)**\n    Chohan, Usman W.; Van Kerckhoven, Sven (2023). *Activist Retail Investors and the Future of Financial Markets*. pp. 99–101\\. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.4324\/9781003351085](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4324%2F9781003351085). [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n    \n    [978-1-00-335108-5](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/978-1-00-335108-5 \"Special:BookSources\/978-1-00-335108-5\")\n    \n    . [S2CID](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/S2CID_\$identifier\$ \"S2CID (identifier)\") [257228199](https:\/\/api.semanticscholar.org\/CorpusID:257228199).\n57. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-57)**\n    Nani, Albi (December 2022). [\"The doge worth 88 billion dollars: A case study of Dogecoin\"](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177%2F13548565211070417). *Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies*. **28** (6): 1719–1721\\. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.1177\/13548565211070417](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177%2F13548565211070417). [S2CID](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/S2CID_\$identifier\$ \"S2CID (identifier)\") [247685455](https:\/\/api.semanticscholar.org\/CorpusID:247685455).\n58. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-58)**\n    Yozzo, John (April 2023). \"Meme Stock Values Can Persist in Bankruptcy, but Cannot Prevail Without Business Justification\". *American Bankruptcy Institute Journal*. **42** (4): 36–37, 70–71\\. [ProQuest](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ProQuest \"ProQuest\") [2794896398](https:\/\/www.proquest.com\/docview\/2794896398).\n59. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-59)**\n    Seiffert-Brockmann, Jens; Diehl, Trevor; Dobusch, Leonhard (August 2018). \"Memes as games: The evolution of a digital discourse online\". *New Media & Society*. **20** (8): 2862–2863\\. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.1177\/1461444817735334](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177%2F1461444817735334). [S2CID](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/S2CID_\$identifier\$ \"S2CID (identifier)\") [206729243](https:\/\/api.semanticscholar.org\/CorpusID:206729243).\n60. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-60)**\n    Grygiel, Jennifer (May 17, 2019). [\"Political cartoonists are out of touch – it's time to make way for memes\"](https:\/\/theconversation.com\/political-cartoonists-are-out-of-touch-its-time-to-make-way-for-memes-116471). *[The Conversation](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Conversation_\$website\$ \"The Conversation (website)\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20211006222817\/https:\/\/theconversation.com\/political-cartoonists-are-out-of-touch-its-time-to-make-way-for-memes-116471) from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved March 6, 2021.\n61. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-61)**\n    [\"How the Myth of the \"Irish slaves\" Became a Favorite Meme of Racists Online\"](https:\/\/www.splcenter.org\/resources\/hatewatch\/how-myth-irish-slaves-became-favorite-meme-racists-online\/). April 19, 2016.\n62. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-62)**\n    Murray, Mark (January 18, 2019). [\"As the 'Dean scream' turns 15, its impact on American politics lives on\"](https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/meet-the-press\/howard-dean-s-scream-turns-15-its-impact-american-politics-n959916). *[NBC News](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/NBC_News \"NBC News\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20220519033105\/https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/meet-the-press\/howard-dean-s-scream-turns-15-its-impact-american-politics-n959916) from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2023.\n63. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-63)**\n    MacLeod, Alan (February 2019). \"Book review: Kill all normies: Online culture wars from 4chan and Tumblr to Trump and the alt-right\". *New Media & Society*. **21** (2): 535–537\\. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.1177\/1461444818804143](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177%2F1461444818804143). [S2CID](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/S2CID_\$identifier\$ \"S2CID (identifier)\") [67774146](https:\/\/api.semanticscholar.org\/CorpusID:67774146).\n64. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-64)**\n    Stuart, Tessa (February 26, 2016). [\"Is Ted Cruz the Zodiac Killer? Maybe, Say Florida Voters\"](https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/politics\/politics-news\/is-ted-cruz-the-zodiac-killer-maybe-say-38-percent-of-florida-voters-89135\/). *[Rolling Stone](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rolling_Stone \"Rolling Stone\")*. Retrieved July 22, 2020.\n65. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-The_British_Journal_of_Politics_and_International_Relations_65-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-The_British_Journal_of_Politics_and_International_Relations_65-1)\n    McLoughlin, Liam; Southern, Rosalynd (February 2021). [\"By any memes necessary? Small political acts, incidental exposure and memes during the 2017 UK general election\"](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177%2F1369148120930594). *The British Journal of Politics and International Relations*. **23** (1): 78–79\\. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.1177\/1369148120930594](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177%2F1369148120930594). [S2CID](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/S2CID_\$identifier\$ \"S2CID (identifier)\") [225602095](https:\/\/api.semanticscholar.org\/CorpusID:225602095).\n66. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-66)**\n    Lorenz, Taylor (February 13, 2020). [\"Michael Bloomberg's Campaign Suddenly Drops Memes Everywhere\"](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/02\/13\/style\/michael-bloomberg-memes-jerry-media.html). *The New York Times*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20200213060905\/https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/02\/13\/style\/michael-bloomberg-memes-jerry-media.html) from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2020.\n67. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-67)**\n    Tiffany, Kaitlyn (February 28, 2020). [\"You Can't Buy Memes\"](https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/technology\/archive\/2020\/02\/bloomberg-memes-instagram-ads\/607219\/). *The Atlantic*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20211114232707\/https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/technology\/archive\/2020\/02\/bloomberg-memes-instagram-ads\/607219\/) from the original on November 14, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2020.\n68. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-68)**\n    Placido, Dani Di (May 9, 2017). [\"How 'Pepe The Frog' Became A Symbol Of Hatred\"](https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/danidiplacido\/2017\/05\/09\/how-pepe-the-frog-became-a-symbol-of-hatred\/). *[Forbes](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Forbes \"Forbes\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230208142119\/https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/danidiplacido\/2017\/05\/09\/how-pepe-the-frog-became-a-symbol-of-hatred\/) from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2023.\n69. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-69)**\n    Victor, Daniel (August 19, 2019). [\"Hong Kong Protesters Love Pepe the Frog. No, They're Not Alt-Right\"](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2019\/08\/19\/world\/asia\/hong-kong-protest-pepe-frog.html). *[The New York Times](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_New_York_Times \"The New York Times\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190819145229\/https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2019\/08\/19\/world\/asia\/hong-kong-protest-pepe-frog.html) from the original on August 19, 2019. Retrieved February 8, 2023.\n70. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-70)**\n    Harbo, Tenna Foustad (December 2022). \"Internet memes as knowledge practice in social movements: Rethinking Economics' delegitimization of economists\". *Discourse, Context & Media*. **50** 100650: 8. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.1016\/j.dcm.2022.100650](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016%2Fj.dcm.2022.100650). [S2CID](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/S2CID_\$identifier\$ \"S2CID (identifier)\") [252906293](https:\/\/api.semanticscholar.org\/CorpusID:252906293).\n71. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-71)**\n    Gal, Noam; Shifman, Limor; Kampf, Zohar (September 2016). \"'It Gets Better': Internet memes and the construction of collective identity\". *New Media & Society*. **18** (8): 1698. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.1177\/1461444814568784](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177%2F1461444814568784). [S2CID](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/S2CID_\$identifier\$ \"S2CID (identifier)\") [206728484](https:\/\/api.semanticscholar.org\/CorpusID:206728484).\n72. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-72)**\n    Sample, Ian; Woolf, Nicky (July 27, 2016). [\"How the ice bucket challenge led to an ALS research breakthrough\"](https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/science\/2016\/jul\/27\/how-the-ice-bucket-challenge-led-to-an-als-research-breakthrough). *[The Guardian](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Guardian \"The Guardian\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20171108035419\/https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/science\/2016\/jul\/27\/how-the-ice-bucket-challenge-led-to-an-als-research-breakthrough) from the original on November 8, 2017. Retrieved February 11, 2023.\n73. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-73)**\n    Milner, Ryan M. (October 2013). [\"Pop polyvocality: internet memes, public participation, and the occupy wall street movement\"](https:\/\/ijoc.org\/index.php\/ijoc\/article\/view\/1949). *International Journal of Communication*. **7**: 2357. [Gale](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gale_\$publisher\$ \"Gale (publisher)\") [A352494259](https:\/\/go.gale.com\/ps\/anonymous?id=GALE%7CA352494259).\n74. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-74)**\n    Haden Church, Scott; Feller, Gavin (January 2, 2020). \"Synecdoche, Aesthetics, and the Sublime Online: Or, What's a Religious Internet Meme?\". *Journal of Media and Religion*. **19** (1): 12. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.1080\/15348423.2020.1728188](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080%2F15348423.2020.1728188). [S2CID](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/S2CID_\$identifier\$ \"S2CID (identifier)\") [213540194](https:\/\/api.semanticscholar.org\/CorpusID:213540194).\n75. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Information,_Communication_&_Society_75-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Information,_Communication_&_Society_75-1)\n    Aguilar, Gabrielle K.; Campbell, Heidi A.; Stanley, Mariah; Taylor, Ellen (October 3, 2017). \"Communicating mixed messages about religion through internet memes\". *Information, Communication & Society*. **20** (10): 1502–1509\\. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.1080\/1369118X.2016.1229004](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080%2F1369118X.2016.1229004). [S2CID](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/S2CID_\$identifier\$ \"S2CID (identifier)\") [151721706](https:\/\/api.semanticscholar.org\/CorpusID:151721706).\n76. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-76)**\n    Cawcutt, Kelly A.; Marcelin, Jasmine R; Silver, Julie K (August 27, 2019). \"Using social media to disseminate research in infection prevention, hospital epidemiology, and antimicrobial stewardship\". *Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology*. **40** (11): 969–971\\. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.1017\/ice.2019.231](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017%2Fice.2019.231). [PMID](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/PMID_\$identifier\$ \"PMID (identifier)\") [31452490](https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/31452490). [S2CID](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/S2CID_\$identifier\$ \"S2CID (identifier)\") [201757947](https:\/\/api.semanticscholar.org\/CorpusID:201757947).\n77. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-77)**\n    Reynolds, Staci; Boyd, Shelby (July 2021). \"Healthcare worker's perspectives on use of memes as an implementation strategy in infection prevention: An exploratory descriptive analysis\". *American Journal of Infection Control*. **49** (7): 969–971\\. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.1016\/j.ajic.2020.11.019](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016%2Fj.ajic.2020.11.019). [PMID](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/PMID_\$identifier\$ \"PMID (identifier)\") [33249101](https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/33249101). [S2CID](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/S2CID_\$identifier\$ \"S2CID (identifier)\") [227234896](https:\/\/api.semanticscholar.org\/CorpusID:227234896).\n78. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-78)**\n    Msughter, Aondover Eric; Iman, Maryam Lawal (March 15, 2020). [\"Internet Meme as a Campaign Tool to the Fight against Covid-19 in Nigeria\"](https:\/\/globaljournals.org\/GJHSS_Volume20\/4-Internet-Meme-as-a-Campaign.pdf) (PDF). *Global Journal of Human-Social Science*. **20** (A6): 27.\n79. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Duke_Law_&_Technology_Review_79-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Duke_Law_&_Technology_Review_79-1) [***c***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Duke_Law_&_Technology_Review_79-2) [***d***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Duke_Law_&_Technology_Review_79-3)\n    Scialabba, Elena E. [\"A Copy of a Copy of a Copy: Internet Mimesis and the Copyrightability of Memes\"](https:\/\/scholarship.law.duke.edu\/cgi\/viewcontent.cgi?article=1358&context=dltr). *Duke Law & Technology Review*. **18** (1): 340–341, 344–346\\. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230213134645\/https:\/\/scholarship.law.duke.edu\/cgi\/viewcontent.cgi?article=1358&context=dltr) from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.\n80. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-80)**\n    Schwartz, Benjamin D. (August 5, 2022). [\"Who Owns Memes?\"](https:\/\/www.natlawreview.com\/article\/who-owns-memes). *[The National Law Review](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_National_Law_Review \"The National Law Review\")*. Retrieved August 20, 2023.\n81. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-81)**\n    Iyer, Aishwaria S.; Mehrotra, Raghav (February 26, 2017). [\"A critical analysis of memes and fair use\"](https:\/\/pure.jgu.edu.in\/id\/eprint\/3233\/). *Rostrum's Law Review*. **4** (1): 2–3\\.\n82. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Journalism_&_Mass_Communication_Quarterly_82-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Journalism_&_Mass_Communication_Quarterly_82-1)\n    Mielczarek, Natalia; Hopkins, W. Wat (March 2021). \"Copyright, Transformativeness, and Protection for Internet Memes\". *Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly*. **98** (1): 53–55\\. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.1177\/1077699020950492](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177%2F1077699020950492). [S2CID](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/S2CID_\$identifier\$ \"S2CID (identifier)\") [225023573](https:\/\/api.semanticscholar.org\/CorpusID:225023573).\n83. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Wired_83-0)**\n    Pritchard, Will (April 16, 2021). [\"They were ancient internet memes. Now NFTs are making them rich\"](https:\/\/www.wired.co.uk\/article\/nft-memes-2010s). *[Wired UK](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wired_UK \"Wired UK\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20211114232648\/https:\/\/www.wired.co.uk\/article\/nft-memes-2010s) from the original on November 14, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2021.\n84. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Fazio_84-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Fazio_84-1)\n    Fazio, Marie (April 29, 2021). [\"The World Knows Her as 'Disaster Girl.' She Just Made \\$500,000 Off the Meme\"](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/04\/29\/arts\/disaster-girl-meme-nft.html). *[The New York Times](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_New_York_Times \"The New York Times\")*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20210429155019\/https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/04\/29\/arts\/disaster-girl-meme-nft.html) from the original on April 29, 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2021.\n85. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-inflation-US_85-0)**\n    1634–1699:\n    \n    [McCusker, J. J.](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/John_J._McCusker \"John J. McCusker\") (1997). [*How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda*](https:\/\/www.americanantiquarian.org\/proceedings\/44525121.pdf) (PDF). [American Antiquarian Society](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/American_Antiquarian_Society \"American Antiquarian Society\").\n    \n    1700–1799:\n    \n    [McCusker, J. J.](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/John_J._McCusker \"John J. McCusker\") (1992). [*How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States*](https:\/\/www.americanantiquarian.org\/proceedings\/44517778.pdf) (PDF). [American Antiquarian Society](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/American_Antiquarian_Society \"American Antiquarian Society\").\n    \n    1800–present:\n    \n    Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. [\"Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–\"](https:\/\/www.minneapolisfed.org\/about-us\/monetary-policy\/inflation-calculator\/consumer-price-index-1800-). Retrieved February 29, 2024.\n86. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_meme#cite_ref-86)**\n    Howard, Jacqueline (April 30, 2021). [\"'Disaster girl', now aged 21, sells original meme photo as an NFT for an eye-watering \\$650,000\"](https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2021-04-30\/disaster-girl-meme-sells-for-500-000\/100106366). *ABC News*. [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230214133900\/https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2021-04-30\/disaster-girl-meme-sells-for-500-000\/100106366) from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.\n\nFurther reading\n\nBooks\n\n- Blackmore, Susan (2000). *The Meme Machine*. OUP Oxford. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n  \n  [978-0-19-157461-0](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/978-0-19-157461-0 \"Special:BookSources\/978-0-19-157461-0\")\n  \n  .\n- Distin, Kate (2005). *The Selfish Meme: A Critical Reassessment*. Cambridge University Press. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n  \n  [978-0-521-60627-1](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/978-0-521-60627-1 \"Special:BookSources\/978-0-521-60627-1\")\n  \n  .\n- Mina, An Xiao (2019). *Memes to Movements: How the World's Most Viral Media Is Changing Social Protest and Power*. Beacon Press. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n  \n  [978-0807056585](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/978-0807056585 \"Special:BookSources\/978-0807056585\")\n  \n  .\n- Shifman, Limor (2013). *Memes in Digital Culture*. MIT Press. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n  \n  [978-0-262-31770-2](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/978-0-262-31770-2 \"Special:BookSources\/978-0-262-31770-2\")\n  \n  .\n\nArticles\n\n- Wiggins, Bradley (September 22, 2014). [\"How the Russia-Ukraine crisis became a magnet for memes\"](https:\/\/theconversation.com\/how-the-russia-ukraine-crisis-became-a-magnet-for-memes-31199). *The Conversation*.\n- Wiggins, Bradley E; Bowers, G Bret (December 2015). \"Memes as genre: A structurational analysis of the memescape\". *New Media & Society*. **17** (11): 1886–1906\\. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.1177\/1461444814535194](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177%2F1461444814535194). [S2CID](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/S2CID_\$identifier\$ \"S2CID (identifier)\") [30729349](https:\/\/api.semanticscholar.org\/CorpusID:30729349).\n\nExternal links\n\n- [![Wikimedia Commons logo](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/en\/thumb\/4\/4a\/Commons-logo.svg\/20px-Commons-logo.svg.png)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Commons-logo.svg) Media related to [Internet memes](https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/Category:Internet_memes \"commons:Category:Internet memes\") at Wikimedia Commons","meta_canonical":null,"ml_categories_json":"{\"\/Arts_and_Entertainment\":435,\"\/Online_Communities\":349,\"\/Online_Communities\/Social_Networks\":286,\"\/Internet_and_Telecom\":238,\"\/Arts_and_Entertainment\/Humor\":228,\"\/Internet_and_Telecom\/Web_Services\":207,\"\/Internet_and_Telecom\/Web_Services\/Other\":143,\"\/Arts_and_Entertainment\/Humor\/Spoofs_and_Satire\":127}","ml_types_json":"{\"\/Article\":997,\"\/Article\/Wiki\":830}","ml_intent_types_json":"{\"Informational\":999}","meta_language":"en","attrs_author":null,"attrs_publish_time":0,"attrs_original_publish_time":1375984562,"attrs_is_republished":0,"attrs_nr_words":"7867","attrs_boilerpipe_nr_words":"6857","body_ext_links_number":208,"body_int_links_number":616,"meta_nofollow":0,"meta_noarchive":0,"props_was_rendered":0,"src_redirect":"","download_time_msec":1433,"download_ttfb_msec":1411,"download_size":66818}

3. Robots.txt Check

Query:

Response:

4. Spam/Ban Check

Query:

Response:

5. Seen Status Check

ℹ️ Skipped - page is already crawled

📄

INDEXABLE

✅

CRAWLED

7 days ago

🤖

ROBOTS ALLOWED

Page Info Filters

Filter	Status	Condition	Details
HTTP status	PASS	`download_http_code = 200`	HTTP 200
Age cutoff	PASS	`download_stamp > now() - 6 MONTH`	0.3 months ago (distributed domain, exempt)
History drop	PASS	`isNull(history_drop_reason)`	No drop reason
Spam/ban	PASS	`fh_dont_index != 1 AND ml_spam_score = 0`	ml_spam_score=0
Canonical	PASS	`meta_canonical IS NULL OR = '' OR = src_unparsed`	Not set

Page Details

Property

Value

URL

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme

Last Crawled

2026-04-19 18:54:50 (7 days ago)

First Indexed

2013-08-08 17:56:02 (12 years ago)

HTTP Status Code

200

Content

Meta Title

Internet meme - Wikipedia

Meta Description

null

Meta Canonical

null

Boilerpipe Text

An Internet meme , or meme ( ), is a cultural item (such as an idea, behavior, or style) that spreads across the Internet , now primarily through social media platforms. Internet memes manifest in a variety of formats, including images , videos (e.g. GIFs ), and other viral content . Key characteristics of memes include their tendency to be parodied , their use of intertextuality , their viral dissemination, and their continual evolution. The term meme was originally introduced by Richard Dawkins in his 1976 book The Selfish Gene to describe the concept of cultural transmission of a singular unit, analogous to biology. The term Internet meme was coined by Mike Godwin in 1993 in reference to the way memes proliferated through early online communities , including message boards , Usenet groups, and email. The emergence of social media platforms such as YouTube , Twitter , Facebook , and Instagram further diversified memes and accelerated their spread. Dank and surrealist memes are some of the newer genres, with newer formats like short-form videos popularized by platforms like Vine and TikTok . Newer internet memes (specifically those of low quality) are often classified as brain rot or AI slop . Memes are now recognized as a significant aspect of Internet culture and are the subject of academic research. They appear across a broad spectrum of contexts, including marketing, economics, finance, politics, social movements, religion, and healthcare. While memes are often viewed as falling under fair use protection, their incorporation of material from pre-existing works can result in copyright disputes. Characteristics Internet memes derive from the original concept of memes as units of cultural transmission, passed from person to person. In the digital realm, this transmission occurs primarily through online platforms, such as social media . [ 1 ] Although related, internet memes differ from traditional memes in that they often represent fleeting trends, whereas the success of traditional memes is measured by their endurance over time. Additionally, internet memes tend to be less abstract in nature compared to their traditional counterparts. [ 2 ] They are highly versatile in form and purpose, serving as tools for light entertainment, self-expression, social commentary, and even political discourse. [ 3 ] Two fundamental characteristics of internet memes are creative reproduction and intertextuality . [ 4 ] Creative reproduction refers to the adaptation and transformation of a meme through imitation or parody, either by reproducing the meme in a new context ("mimicry") or by remixing the original material ("remix"). In mimicry, the meme is recreated in a different setting, as seen when different individuals replicate the viral video " Charlie Bit My Finger ". Remix, on the other hand, involves technological manipulation, such as altering an image with Photoshop , while retaining elements of the original meme. [ 4 ] Intertextuality in memes involves the blending of different cultural references or contexts. An example of this is the combination of US politician Mitt Romney 's phrase " binders full of women " from the 2012 US presidential debate with a scene from the Korean pop song " Gangnam Style ". In this case, the phrase "my binders full of women exploded" is superimposed on a frame from Psy 's music video, creating a new meaning by merging political and cultural references from distinct contexts. [ 4 ] Internet memes can also function as in-jokes within specific online communities, where they convey insider knowledge that may be incomprehensible to outsiders. This fosters a sense of collective identity within the group. [ 5 ] Conversely, some memes achieve widespread cultural relevance, being understood and appreciated by broader audiences outside of the originating subculture. [ 3 ] A study by Michele Knobel and Colin Lankshear examined how Richard Dawkins' three characteristics of successful traditional memes—fidelity, fecundity, and longevity—apply to internet memes. It was found that fidelity in the context of internet memes is better described as replicability, as memes are frequently modified through remixing while still maintaining their core message. Fecundity, or the ability of a meme to spread, is promoted by factors such as humor (such as the comically translated video game line " All your base are belong to us "), intertextuality (as in the various pop culture-referencing renditions of the " Star Wars Kid " viral video), and juxtaposition of seemingly incongruous elements (exemplified in the " Bert is Evil " meme). Finally, longevity is essential for a meme's continued circulation and evolution over time. [ 6 ] Evolution and propagation Internet memes propagate in a similar pattern to infectious disease, as shown by this SIR model . The pattern, as depicted in red, shows an initial spike in popularity followed by a gradual taper to obscurity. Internet memes can either remain consistent or evolve over time. This evolution may involve changes in meaning while retaining the meme's structure, or vice versa, with such transformations occurring either by chance or through deliberate efforts like parody. [ 7 ] A study by Miltner examined the lolcats meme, tracing its development from an in-joke within computer and gaming communities on the website 4chan to a broader source of humor and emotional support. As the meme entered mainstream culture, it lost favor with its original creators. Miltner explained that as content moves through different communities, it is reinterpreted to suit the specific needs and desires of those communities, often diverging from the creator's original intent. [ 5 ] Modifications to memes can lead them to transcend social and cultural boundaries. [ 8 ] Memes spread virally, in a manner similar to the SIR (Susceptible-Infectious-Recovered) model used to describe the transmission of diseases. [ 9 ] Once a meme has reached a critical number of individuals, its continued spread becomes inevitable. [ 10 ] Research by Coscia examined the factors contributing to a meme's propagation and longevity, concluding that while memes compete for attention—often resulting in shorter lifespans—they can also collaborate, enhancing their chances of survival. A meme that experiences an exceptionally high peak in popularity is unlikely to endure unless it is uniquely distinct. Conversely, a meme without such a peak, but that coexists with others, tends to have greater longevity. [ 11 ] In 2013, Dominic Basulto, writing for The Washington Post , argued that the widespread use of memes, particularly by the marketing and advertising industries, has led to a decline in their original cultural value. Once considered valuable cultural artifacts meant to endure, memes now often convey trivial rather than meaningful ideas. [ 12 ] History Origins and early memes A lolcat image macro, a meme style especially popular in the mid-and-late 2000s The word meme was coined by Richard Dawkins in his 1976 book The Selfish Gene as an attempt to explain how aspects of culture replicate, mutate, and evolve ( memetics ). [ 13 ] Emoticons are among the earliest examples of internet memes, specifically the smiley emoticon ":-)", introduced by Scott Fahlman in 1982. [ 14 ] The concept of memes in an online context was formally proposed by Mike Godwin in the June 1993 issue of Wired . [ 15 ] In 2013, Dawkins characterized an Internet meme as being a meme deliberately altered by human creativity—distinguished from biological genes and his own pre-Internet concept of a meme, which involved mutation by random change and spreading through accurate replication as in Darwinian selection. Dawkins explained that Internet memes are thus a "hijacking of the original idea", evolving the very concept of a meme in this new direction. [ 16 ] Nevertheless, by 2013, Limor Shifman solidified the relationship of memes to internet culture and reworked Dawkins' concept for online contexts. [ 17 ] Such an association has been shown to be empirically valuable as internet memes carry an additional property that Dawkins' "memes" do not: internet memes leave a footprint in the media through which they propagate (for example, social networks) that renders them traceable and analyzable. [ 11 ] However, before internet memes were considered truly academic, they were initially a colloquial reference to humorous visual communication online in the mid-late 1990s among internet denizens; examples of these early internet memes include the Dancing Baby and Hampster Dance . [ 18 ] Memes of this time were primarily spread via messageboards , Usenet groups, and email , and generally lasted for a longer time than modern memes. [ 19 ] An example of the Doge meme, popular in 2013 and similar in style to earlier lolcats [ 20 ] As the Internet protocols evolved, so did memes. Lolcats originated from imageboard website 4chan , becoming the prototype of the " image macro " format (an image overlaid by large text). [ 19 ] Other early forms of image-based memes included demotivators (parodized motivational posters), photoshopped images, comics (such as rage comics ), [ 21 ] [ 22 ] and anime fan art , [ 23 ] sometimes made by doujin circles in various countries. After the release of YouTube in 2005, video-based memes such as Rickrolling and viral videos such as " Gangnam Style " and the Harlem shake emerged. [ 19 ] [ 24 ] The appearance of social media websites such as Twitter , Facebook , and Instagram provided additional mediums for the spread of memes, [ 25 ] and the creation of meme-generating websites made their production more accessible. [ 19 ] Contemporary memes "Dank memes" are a genre of internet memes that reached mainstream prominence around 2014. Dank memes refer to deliberately zany or odd memes with features such as oversaturated colors, compression artifacts , crude humor, strange captions, and overly loud sounds (termed ear rape ). [ 26 ] [ 27 ] The term dank , which refers to cold, damp places, was adapted as a way to describe memes that fit the aforementioned criteria of a dank meme. [ 26 ] [ 28 ] The term may also be used to describe memes that have become overused and stale to the point of paradoxically becoming humorous again. Despite having lost popularity since the late 2010s, dank memes have seen several "revival" attempts, popularised on platforms such as TikTok . [ 29 ] The phenomenon of dank memes sprouted a subculture called the "meme market", satirizing Wall Street and applying the associated jargon (such as "stocks") to internet memes. Originally started on Reddit as /r/MemeEconomy, users jokingly "buy" or "sell" shares in a meme reflecting opinion on its potential popularity. [ 30 ] Example of a "deep-fried" meme, featuring distortion and saturated colors "Deep-fried" memes refer to those that have been distorted and run through several filters and/or layers of lossy compression . [ 31 ] [ 32 ] An example of these is the "E" meme, a picture of YouTuber Markiplier photoshopped onto Lord Farquaad from the film Shrek , in turn photoshopped into a scene from businessman Mark Zuckerberg 's hearing in Congress and captioned with a lone 'E'. [ 33 ] Elizabeth Bruenig of the Washington Post described this as a "digital update to the surreal and absurd genres of art and literature that characterized the tumultuous early 20th century". [ 34 ] Many modern memes make use of humorously absurd and even surrealist themes. Examples of the former include "they did surgery on a grape", a video depicting a Da Vinci Surgical System performing test surgery on a grape, [ 35 ] and the "moth meme", a close-up picture of a moth with captions humorously conveying the insect's love of lamps . [ 36 ] Surreal memes incorporate layers of irony to make them unique and nonsensical, often as a means of escapism from mainstream meme culture. [ 37 ] The " Thousand Yard Stare Meme", which was popular in 2023 [ 38 ] After the success of the application Vine , a format of memes emerged in the form of short videos and scripted sketches. An example is the "What's Nine Plus Ten?" meme, a Vine video depicting a child humorously providing an incorrect answer to a math problem. [ 39 ] After the shutdown of Vine in 2017, the de facto replacement became the social network TikTok , which similarly utilizes the short video format. [ 40 ] The platform has become immensely popular, and is the source of many genres of internet memes as of the mid 2020s. [ 41 ] [ 42 ] In 2022, the term brain rot became used to reflect a shift in how memes, particularly TikTok videos, were being interacted with. The term describes content lacking in quality and meaning, often associated with slang and trends popular among Generation Alpha , such as " skibidi ", " rizz ", " gyatt ", " sigma " and " fanum tax ". [ 43 ] The name comes from the perceived negative psychological and cognitive effects caused by exposure to such content. [ 44 ] Some Internet memes have been criticized for being deliberately meaningless and nonsensical, such as the 6-7 meme . [ 45 ] In 2025, some TikTok users expressed concern over a "meme drought", which was said to be caused by a cringe culture community known as SlimeTok. [ 46 ] The meme drought was also used to criticize AI-inspired brainrot trends and deliberately meaningless content by Gen Alpha and younger Gen Z , such as 6-7 , for being "oversaturated and unfunny". These people called for a " Great Meme Reset " on January 1, 2026, which was the act of returning to "classic" memes from the 2010s such as Nyan Cat and Big Chungus . [ 47 ] By context Marketing The practice of using memes to market products or services has been termed "memetic marketing". [ 48 ] Internet memes allow brands to circumvent the conception of advertisements as irksome, making them less overt and more tailored to the likes of their target audience. Marketing personnel may choose to utilize an existing meme, or create a new meme from scratch. Fashion house Gucci employed the former strategy, launching a series of Instagram ads that reimagined popular memes featuring its watch collection. The image macro "The Most Interesting Man in the World" is an example of the latter, a meme generated from an advertising campaign for the Dos Equis beer brand. [ 49 ] Products may also gain popularity through internet memes without intention by the producer themselves; for instance, the film Snakes on a Plane became a cult classic after creation of the website SnakesOnABlog.com by law student Brian Finkelstein. [ 50 ] Use of memes by brands, while often advantageous, has been subject to criticism for seemingly forced, unoriginal, or unfunny usage of memes, which can negatively impact a brand's image. [ 51 ] For example, the fast food company Wendy's began a social media-based approach to marketing that was initially met with success (resulting in an almost 50% profit growth that year), but received criticism after sharing a controversial Pepe meme that was negatively perceived by consumers. [ 52 ] Economics and finance Meme stocks are a phenomenon where stock values for a company rise significantly in a short period due to a surge in interest online and subsequent buying by investors. Video game retailer GameStop is recognized as the first meme stock. [ 53 ] r/WallStreetBets , a subreddit where participants discuss stock trading , and Robinhood Markets , a financial services company, became notable in 2021 for their involvement in the popularisation of meme stocks. [ 54 ] [ 55 ] "YOLO investors" are a phenomenon that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic , who are less risk averse in their investments compared to their traditional counterparts. [ 56 ] Additionally, memes have developed an association with cryptocurrency with the development of meme currencies such as Dogecoin , Shiba Inu Coin, and Pepe Coin. Meme cryptocurrencies have suggested comparisons between meme value and monetary markets. [ 57 ] [ 58 ] Politics Internet memes are a medium for fast communication to large online audiences, which has led to their use by those seeking to express a political opinion or actively campaign for (or against) a political entity. [ 14 ] [ 59 ] In some ways, they can be seen as a modern form of the political cartoon , offering a way to democratize political commentary. [ 60 ] Meme image used by white nationalists in the US to perpetuate the Irish slaves myth [ 61 ] Among the earliest political memes were those arising from the viral Dean scream , an excerpt from a speech delivered by Vermont governor Howard Dean . [ 62 ] Over time, Internet memes have become an increasingly important element in political campaigns, as online communities contribute to broader discourse through the use of memes. [ 63 ] For example, Ted Cruz 's 2016 Republican presidential bid was damaged by a meme that jokingly speculated he was the Zodiac Killer . [ 64 ] Research has shown the use of memes during elections has a role to play in informing the public on political themes. A study explored this in relation to the 2017 UK general election , and concluded that memes acted as a widely shared conduit for basic political information to audiences who would usually not seek it out. [ 65 ] They also found that memes may play some role in increasing voter turnout . [ 65 ] Some political campaigns have begun to explicitly taken advantage of the increasing influence of memes; as part of the 2020 US presidential campaign , Michael Bloomberg sponsored a number of Instagram accounts (with over 60 million followers collectively) to post memes related to the Bloomberg campaign. [ 66 ] The campaign was faulted for treating memes as a commodity that can be bought. [ 67 ] Beyond their use in elections, Internet memes can become symbols for various political ideologies. A salient example is Pepe the Frog, which has been used as a symbol for the alt-right political movement, as well as for pro-democracy ideologies in the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests . [ 68 ] [ 69 ] A person performing the Ice Bucket Challenge Internet memes can be powerful tools in social movements, constructing collective identity and providing platform for discourse. [ 3 ] [ 70 ] During the 2010 It Gets Better Project for LGBTQ+ empowerment, memes were used to uplift LGBTQ+ youth while negotiating the community's collective identity. [ 71 ] In 2014, the viral Ice Bucket Challenge raised money and awareness for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/Motor Neurone Disease (ALS/MND). [ 72 ] Furthermore, internet memes proved an important medium in the discourse surrounding the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement. [ 73 ] Religion Internet memes have also been used in the context of religion . [ 74 ] They create a participatory culture that enables individuals to collectively make meaning of religious beliefs, reflecting a form of lived religion . [ 75 ] Aguilar et al. of Texas A&M University identified six common genres of religious memes: non-religious image macros with religious themes, image macros featuring religious figures, memes reacting to religion-related news, memes deifying non-religious figures such as celebrities , spoofs of religious images, and video-based memes. [ 75 ] Healthcare Social media platforms can increase the speed of dissemination of evidence-based health practices. [ 76 ] A study by Reynolds and Boyd found the majority of participants (who were healthcare staff) felt that memes could be an appropriate means of improving healthcare worker's knowledge of and compliance with infection prevention practices. [ 77 ] Internet memes were also used in Nigeria to raise awareness of the COVID-19 pandemic , with healthcare professionals using the medium to disseminate information on the virus and its vaccine . [ 78 ] Copyright Since many memes are derived from pre-existing works, it has been contended that memes violate the copyright of the original authors. However, some view memes as falling under the ambit of fair use in the United States. [ 79 ] [ 80 ] This dilemma has caused conflict between meme producers and copyright owners; for example, Getty Images ' demand for payment from the blog Get Digital for publishing the "Socially Awkward Penguin" meme without permission. [ 81 ] United States Under United States copyright law, copyright protection subsists in "original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression, now known or later developed, from which they can be perceived, reproduced, or otherwise communicated, either directly or with the aid of a machine or device". It is disputed whether the use of memes constitutes copyright infringement. [ 79 ] This image macro is in the public domain in the United States as the background was taken by the Department of Agriculture . Fair use is a defense under US copyright law which protects work made using other copyrighted works. [ 82 ] Section 107 of the 1976 Copyright Act outlines four factors for analysis of fair use: The purpose and character of the use, The nature of the copyrighted work, The amount and substantiality of the portion used, and The effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work. [ 79 ] The first factor implies the secondary use of a copyrighted work should be "transformative" (that is, giving novel meaning or expression to the original work); many memes fulfil this criterion, placing pieces of media in a new context to serve a different purpose to that of the original author. The second factor favors copied works drawing from factual sources, which may be problematic for memes derived from fictional works (such as films). Many of these memes, however, only use small portions of such works (such as still images), favoring an argument of fair use per the third factor. With regards to the fourth factor, most memes are non-commercial in nature and thus would not have adverse effects on the potential market for the copyright work. [ 79 ] Given these factors, and the overall reliance of memes on appropriation of other sources, it has been argued that they deserve protection from copyright infringement suits. [ 82 ] Non-fungible tokens Some individuals who are subjects of memes (and thus the copyright holders) have made money through sale of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in auctions . [ 83 ] Ben Lashes, a manager of numerous memes, stated their sales as NFTs made over US$2 million and established memes as serious forms of art. [ 84 ] One example is Disaster Girl , based on a photo of Zoe Roth at age 4 taken in Mebane, North Carolina , in January 2005. [ 84 ] After this photo became famous and had attained widespread usage on the Internet, Roth decided to sell it as an NFT for US$539,973 (equivalent to $641,562 in 2025), [ 85 ] with an agreement for a further 10 percent share of any future sales. [ 86 ] See also List of Internet phenomena Remix culture Short-form content Memetic warfare (Meme Warefare) References ^ Benveniste, Alexis (January 26, 2022). "The Meaning and History of Memes" . The New York Times . Archived from the original on January 28, 2023 . Retrieved January 28, 2023 . ^ Shifman, Limor (April 2013). "Memes in a Digital World: Reconciling with a Conceptual Troublemaker" . Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication . 18 (3): 364. doi : 10.1111/jcc4.12013 . hdl : 11059/14843 . S2CID 28196215 . ^ a b c Brown, Helen (September 29, 2022). "The surprising power of internet memes" . BBC . Archived from the original on January 28, 2023 . Retrieved January 28, 2023 . ^ a b c Shifman, Limor (2013). Memes in Digital Culture . MIT Press. pp. 2– 4, 20– 22. ISBN 978-0-262-31770-2 . ^ a b Miltner, Kate M. (August 1, 2014). " 'There's no place for lulz on LOLCats': The role of genre, gender, and group identity in the interpretation and enjoyment of an Internet meme" . First Monday . doi : 10.5210/fm.v19i8.5391 . ^ Knobel, Michele; Lankshear, Colin (2018) [2007]. "Online memes, affinities, and cultural production." . A New Literacies Sampler . Peter Lang Publishing . pp. 201– 202. ISBN 9780820495231 . Archived from the original on April 5, 2023 . Retrieved March 19, 2023 . ^ Castaño Díaz, Carlos Mauricio (September 25, 2013). "Defining and characterizing the concept of Internet Meme" . CES Psicología . 6 (2): 97– 98. ProQuest 1713930915 . ^ Bauckhage, Christian (August 3, 2021). "Insights into Internet Memes" . Proceedings of the International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media . 5 (1): 42– 49. doi : 10.1609/icwsm.v5i1.14097 . S2CID 16629837 . ^ Wang, Lin; Wood, Brendan C. (November 2011). "An epidemiological approach to model the viral propagation of memes" . Applied Mathematical Modelling . 35 (11): 5447. doi : 10.1016/j.apm.2011.04.035 . ^ Zetter, K. (February 29, 2008). "Humans Are Just Machines for Propagating Memes" . Wired . Archived from the original on February 2, 2014 . Retrieved March 7, 2017 . ^ a b Coscia, Michele (April 5, 2013). "Competition and Success in the Meme Pool: a Case Study on Quickmeme.com". arXiv : 1304.1712 [ physics.soc-ph ]. Paper explained for laymen by Mims, Christopher (June 28, 2013). "Why you'll share this story: The new science of memes" . Quartz . Archived from the original on July 3, 2013. ^ Basulto, Dominic (July 5, 2013). "Have Internet memes lost their meaning?" . The Washington Post . Archived from the original on July 5, 2013. ^ Dawkins, Richard (1989). The Selfish Gene (2 ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 192. ISBN 978-0-19-286092-7 . Archived from the original on March 16, 2015 . Retrieved June 16, 2015 . ^ a b Kulkarni, Anushka (June 3, 2017). "Internet Meme and Political Discourse: A Study on the Impact of Internet Meme as a Tool in Communicating Political Satire" (PDF) . Journal of Content, Community & Communication Amity School of Communication . 6 : 13. SSRN 3501366 . ^ Godwin, Mike (October 1, 1994). "Meme, Counter-meme" . Wired . Retrieved January 31, 2023 . ^ Solon, Olivia (June 20, 2013). "Richard Dawkins on The Internet's hijacking of the word 'meme' " . Wired UK . Archived from the original on July 9, 2013. ^ Shifman, Limor (April 2013). "Memes in a Digital World: Reconciling with a Conceptual Troublemaker" . Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication . 18 (3): 367. doi : 10.1111/jcc4.12013 . hdl : 11059/14843 . ^ Keep, Lennlee (October 8, 2020). "From Kilroy to Pepe: A Brief History of Memes" . Public Broadcasting Service . Archived from the original on March 6, 2023 . Retrieved January 31, 2023 . ^ a b c d Watercutter, Angela; Grey Ellisby, Emma (April 1, 2018). "The WIRED Guide to Memes" . Wired . Archived from the original on February 1, 2019 . Retrieved November 30, 2018 . ^ "We who spoke LOLcat now speak Doge" . Gizmodo . December 11, 2013 . Retrieved January 3, 2024 . ^ Boutin, Paul (May 9, 2012). "Put Your Rage Into a Cartoon and Exit Laughing" . The New York Times . Archived from the original on March 14, 2021 . Retrieved November 7, 2020 . ^ Denisova, Anastasia (2020). Internet Memes and Society: Social, Cultural, and Political Contexts . New York, NY: Routledge . pp. 9– 11. ISBN 978-0-429-46940-4 . OCLC 1090540034 . ^ Beran, Dale (2019). It Came from Something Awful: How a Toxic Troll Army Accidentally Memed Donald Trump into Office . St. Martin's Publishing Group. p. xi. ISBN 978-1-250-18974-5 . ^ Michaels, Sean (March 19, 2008). "Taking the Rick" . The Guardian . Archived from the original on January 31, 2023 . Retrieved January 31, 2023 . ^ Nieubuurt, Joshua Troy (January 15, 2021). "Internet Memes: Leaflet Propaganda of the Digital Age" . Frontiers in Communication . 5 547065: 3. doi : 10.3389/fcomm.2020.547065 . ^ a b Hanlon, Annmarie; Tuten, Tracy L., eds. (2022). The SAGE Handbook of Social Media Marketing . SAGE. p. 10. ISBN 978-1-5297-4378-4 . ^ "Dank meme" . Dictionary.com . Archived from the original on November 30, 2018 . Retrieved November 30, 2018 . ^ Hoffman, Ashley (February 2, 2018). "Donald Trump Jr. Just Became a Dank Meme, Literally" . Time . Archived from the original on May 1, 2018 . Retrieved May 19, 2018 . ^ Griffin, Annaliese (March 9, 2018). "What does "dank" mean? A definition of everyone's new favourite adjective" . Quartz . Archived from the original on May 19, 2018 . Retrieved May 19, 2018 . ^ Plaugic, Lizzie (January 10, 2017). "How a group of Redditors is creating a fake stock market to figure out the value of memes" . The Verge . Archived from the original on December 11, 2018 . Retrieved December 10, 2018 . ^ Günseli, Yalcinkaya (November 11, 2022). "Deep-fried memes: what are they and why do they matter?" . Dazed . Archived from the original on February 12, 2023 . Retrieved February 13, 2023 . ^ Matsakis, Louise (August 30, 2017). "How to Deep-Fry a Meme" . Vice . Archived from the original on February 12, 2023 . Retrieved February 13, 2023 . ^ Hathaway, Jay (November 5, 2018). "The 'E' meme shows just how weird memes can get" . The Daily Dot . Archived from the original on March 26, 2019 . Retrieved March 26, 2019 . ^ Bruenig, Elizabeth (August 11, 2017). "Why is millennial humor so weird?" . The Washington Post . Archived from the original on May 7, 2019 . Retrieved March 26, 2019 . ^ Lee, Bruce Y. (December 2, 2018). "They Did Surgery On A Grape: What Is This New Viral Meme?" . Forbes . Archived from the original on February 1, 2023 . Retrieved February 1, 2023 . ^ Ktena, Natalie (September 28, 2018). "Why does everybody love moth memes?" . BBC Three . Archived from the original on October 21, 2018 . Retrieved February 1, 2023 . ^ Bryan, Chloe (February 6, 2019). "Surreal memes deserve their own internet dimension" . Mashable . Archived from the original on March 27, 2019 . Retrieved March 26, 2019 . ^ Andaloro, Angela (July 22, 2024). "Origins of the Thousand Yard Stare meme" . The Daily Dot . Retrieved January 25, 2025 . ^ Bain, Ellissa (September 10, 2021). "9/10/21 meme explained: What is happening today?" . HITC . Archived from the original on February 2, 2023 . Retrieved February 2, 2023 . ^ Herrman, John (February 22, 2020). "Vine Changed the Internet Forever. How Much Does the Internet Miss It?" . The New York Times . Archived from the original on December 26, 2022 . Retrieved February 2, 2023 . ^ Carman, Ashley (April 29, 2020). "TikTok reaches 2 billion downloads" . The Verge . Archived from the original on July 29, 2020 . Retrieved February 2, 2023 . ^ Jennings, Rebecca (February 4, 2020). "The most popular dances now come from TikTok. What happens to their creators?" . Vox . Archived from the original on February 2, 2023 . Retrieved February 2, 2023 . ^ "Parents and Gen Alpha kids are having unintelligible convos because of 'brainrot' language" . NBC News . August 10, 2024 . Retrieved September 16, 2024 . ^ Roy, Jessica (June 13, 2024). "If You Know What 'Brainrot' Means, You Might Already Have It" . The New York Times . ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved August 26, 2024 . ^ "Dictionary.com picks "67," a "nonsensical and playfully absurd" slang term, as the 2025 word of the year - CBS News" . www.cbsnews.com . October 29, 2025 . Retrieved December 17, 2025 . ^ Bremner, Broom (April 2, 2025). "The Great Meme Depression and "SlimeTok" - Binghamton Review" . Retrieved December 30, 2025 . ^ Watercutter, Angela (November 19, 2025). "The 'Great Meme Reset' Is Coming" . Wired . Retrieved November 28, 2025 . ^ Flor, Nick (December 11, 2000). "Memetic Marketing" . InformIT . Archived from the original on January 14, 2012 . Retrieved July 29, 2011 . ^ McCrae, James (May 8, 2017). "Meme Marketing: How Brands Are Speaking A New Consumer Language" . Forbes . Archived from the original on March 15, 2018 . Retrieved December 10, 2018 . ^ Carr, David (May 29, 2006). "Hollywood bypassing critics and print as digital gets hotter - Business - International Herald Tribune" . The New York Times . Archived from the original on July 3, 2012 . Retrieved February 4, 2023 . ^ Pegolo, Valentina; Carpenter, Lucie (February 6, 2021). "Why Memes Will Never Be Monetized" . Jacobin . Archived from the original on February 25, 2021 . Retrieved February 7, 2021 . ^ Whitten, Sarah (January 4, 2017). "A Wendy's tweet just went viral for all the wrong reasons" . CNBC . Archived from the original on November 4, 2021 . Retrieved August 19, 2020 . ^ Rossolillo, Nicholas (September 23, 2021). "What Are Meme Stocks?" . The Motley Fool . Archived from the original on November 13, 2021 . Retrieved October 8, 2021 . ^ Phillip, Matt; Marcos, Coral M. (August 4, 2021). "Robinhood's shares jump as much as 65 percent, like the meme stocks it enabled" . The New York Times . Archived from the original on October 18, 2021 . Retrieved February 15, 2023 . ^ Popper, Nathaniel; Browning, Kellen (January 29, 2021). "The 'Roaring Kitty' Rally: How a Reddit User and His Friends Roiled the Markets" . The New York Times . Archived from the original on January 29, 2021 . Retrieved February 15, 2023 . ^ Chohan, Usman W.; Van Kerckhoven, Sven (2023). Activist Retail Investors and the Future of Financial Markets . pp. 99– 101. doi : 10.4324/9781003351085 . ISBN 978-1-00-335108-5 . S2CID 257228199 . ^ Nani, Albi (December 2022). "The doge worth 88 billion dollars: A case study of Dogecoin" . Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies . 28 (6): 1719– 1721. doi : 10.1177/13548565211070417 . S2CID 247685455 . ^ Yozzo, John (April 2023). "Meme Stock Values Can Persist in Bankruptcy, but Cannot Prevail Without Business Justification". American Bankruptcy Institute Journal . 42 (4): 36– 37, 70– 71. ProQuest 2794896398 . ^ Seiffert-Brockmann, Jens; Diehl, Trevor; Dobusch, Leonhard (August 2018). "Memes as games: The evolution of a digital discourse online". New Media & Society . 20 (8): 2862– 2863. doi : 10.1177/1461444817735334 . S2CID 206729243 . ^ Grygiel, Jennifer (May 17, 2019). "Political cartoonists are out of touch – it's time to make way for memes" . The Conversation . Archived from the original on October 6, 2021 . Retrieved March 6, 2021 . ^ "How the Myth of the "Irish slaves" Became a Favorite Meme of Racists Online" . April 19, 2016. ^ Murray, Mark (January 18, 2019). "As the 'Dean scream' turns 15, its impact on American politics lives on" . NBC News . Archived from the original on May 19, 2022 . Retrieved February 7, 2023 . ^ MacLeod, Alan (February 2019). "Book review: Kill all normies: Online culture wars from 4chan and Tumblr to Trump and the alt-right". New Media & Society . 21 (2): 535– 537. doi : 10.1177/1461444818804143 . S2CID 67774146 . ^ Stuart, Tessa (February 26, 2016). "Is Ted Cruz the Zodiac Killer? Maybe, Say Florida Voters" . Rolling Stone . Retrieved July 22, 2020 . ^ a b McLoughlin, Liam; Southern, Rosalynd (February 2021). "By any memes necessary? Small political acts, incidental exposure and memes during the 2017 UK general election" . The British Journal of Politics and International Relations . 23 (1): 78– 79. doi : 10.1177/1369148120930594 . S2CID 225602095 . ^ Lorenz, Taylor (February 13, 2020). "Michael Bloomberg's Campaign Suddenly Drops Memes Everywhere" . The New York Times . Archived from the original on February 13, 2020 . Retrieved July 30, 2020 . ^ Tiffany, Kaitlyn (February 28, 2020). "You Can't Buy Memes" . The Atlantic . Archived from the original on November 14, 2021 . Retrieved July 30, 2020 . ^ Placido, Dani Di (May 9, 2017). "How 'Pepe The Frog' Became A Symbol Of Hatred" . Forbes . Archived from the original on February 8, 2023 . Retrieved February 8, 2023 . ^ Victor, Daniel (August 19, 2019). "Hong Kong Protesters Love Pepe the Frog. No, They're Not Alt-Right" . The New York Times . Archived from the original on August 19, 2019 . Retrieved February 8, 2023 . ^ Harbo, Tenna Foustad (December 2022). "Internet memes as knowledge practice in social movements: Rethinking Economics' delegitimization of economists". Discourse, Context & Media . 50 100650: 8. doi : 10.1016/j.dcm.2022.100650 . S2CID 252906293 . ^ Gal, Noam; Shifman, Limor; Kampf, Zohar (September 2016). " 'It Gets Better': Internet memes and the construction of collective identity". New Media & Society . 18 (8): 1698. doi : 10.1177/1461444814568784 . S2CID 206728484 . ^ Sample, Ian; Woolf, Nicky (July 27, 2016). "How the ice bucket challenge led to an ALS research breakthrough" . The Guardian . Archived from the original on November 8, 2017 . Retrieved February 11, 2023 . ^ Milner, Ryan M. (October 2013). "Pop polyvocality: internet memes, public participation, and the occupy wall street movement" . International Journal of Communication . 7 : 2357. Gale A352494259 . ^ Haden Church, Scott; Feller, Gavin (January 2, 2020). "Synecdoche, Aesthetics, and the Sublime Online: Or, What's a Religious Internet Meme?". Journal of Media and Religion . 19 (1): 12. doi : 10.1080/15348423.2020.1728188 . S2CID 213540194 . ^ a b Aguilar, Gabrielle K.; Campbell, Heidi A.; Stanley, Mariah; Taylor, Ellen (October 3, 2017). "Communicating mixed messages about religion through internet memes". Information, Communication & Society . 20 (10): 1502– 1509. doi : 10.1080/1369118X.2016.1229004 . S2CID 151721706 . ^ Cawcutt, Kelly A.; Marcelin, Jasmine R; Silver, Julie K (August 27, 2019). "Using social media to disseminate research in infection prevention, hospital epidemiology, and antimicrobial stewardship". Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology . 40 (11): 969– 971. doi : 10.1017/ice.2019.231 . PMID 31452490 . S2CID 201757947 . ^ Reynolds, Staci; Boyd, Shelby (July 2021). "Healthcare worker's perspectives on use of memes as an implementation strategy in infection prevention: An exploratory descriptive analysis". American Journal of Infection Control . 49 (7): 969– 971. doi : 10.1016/j.ajic.2020.11.019 . PMID 33249101 . S2CID 227234896 . ^ Msughter, Aondover Eric; Iman, Maryam Lawal (March 15, 2020). "Internet Meme as a Campaign Tool to the Fight against Covid-19 in Nigeria" (PDF) . Global Journal of Human-Social Science . 20 (A6): 27. ^ a b c d Scialabba, Elena E. "A Copy of a Copy of a Copy: Internet Mimesis and the Copyrightability of Memes" . Duke Law & Technology Review . 18 (1): 340– 341, 344– 346. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023 . Retrieved February 13, 2023 . ^ Schwartz, Benjamin D. (August 5, 2022). "Who Owns Memes?" . The National Law Review . Retrieved August 20, 2023 . ^ Iyer, Aishwaria S.; Mehrotra, Raghav (February 26, 2017). "A critical analysis of memes and fair use" . Rostrum's Law Review . 4 (1): 2– 3. ^ a b Mielczarek, Natalia; Hopkins, W. Wat (March 2021). "Copyright, Transformativeness, and Protection for Internet Memes". Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly . 98 (1): 53– 55. doi : 10.1177/1077699020950492 . S2CID 225023573 . ^ Pritchard, Will (April 16, 2021). "They were ancient internet memes. Now NFTs are making them rich" . Wired UK . Archived from the original on November 14, 2021 . Retrieved May 4, 2021 . ^ a b Fazio, Marie (April 29, 2021). "The World Knows Her as 'Disaster Girl.' She Just Made $500,000 Off the Meme" . The New York Times . Archived from the original on April 29, 2021 . Retrieved April 30, 2021 . ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF) . American Antiquarian Society . 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF) . American Antiquarian Society . 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–" . Retrieved February 29, 2024 . ^ Howard, Jacqueline (April 30, 2021). " 'Disaster girl', now aged 21, sells original meme photo as an NFT for an eye-watering $650,000" . ABC News . Archived from the original on February 14, 2023 . Retrieved February 14, 2023 . Further reading Books Blackmore, Susan (2000). The Meme Machine . OUP Oxford. ISBN 978-0-19-157461-0 . Distin, Kate (2005). The Selfish Meme: A Critical Reassessment . Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-60627-1 . Mina, An Xiao (2019). Memes to Movements: How the World's Most Viral Media Is Changing Social Protest and Power . Beacon Press. ISBN 978-0807056585 . Shifman, Limor (2013). Memes in Digital Culture . MIT Press. ISBN 978-0-262-31770-2 . Articles Wiggins, Bradley (September 22, 2014). "How the Russia-Ukraine crisis became a magnet for memes" . The Conversation . Wiggins, Bradley E; Bowers, G Bret (December 2015). "Memes as genre: A structurational analysis of the memescape". New Media & Society . 17 (11): 1886– 1906. doi : 10.1177/1461444814535194 . S2CID 30729349 . External links Media related to Internet memes at Wikimedia Commons

Markdown

[Jump to content](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#bodyContent) Main menu Main menu move to sidebar hide Navigation - [Main page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page "Visit the main page [z]") - [Contents](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contents "Guides to browsing Wikipedia") - [Current events](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Current_events "Articles related to current events") - [Random article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random "Visit a randomly selected article [x]") - [About Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:About "Learn about Wikipedia and how it works") - [Contact us](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contact_us "How to contact Wikipedia") Contribute - [Help](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Contents "Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia") - [Learn to edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Introduction "Learn how to edit Wikipedia") - [Community portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Community_portal "The hub for editors") - [Recent changes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:RecentChanges "A list of recent changes to Wikipedia [r]") - [Upload file](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:File_upload_wizard "Add images or other media for use on Wikipedia") - [Special pages](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:SpecialPages "A list of all special pages [q]") [![](https://en.wikipedia.org/static/images/icons/enwiki-25.svg) ![Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/static/images/mobile/copyright/wikipedia-wordmark-en-25.svg) ![The Free Encyclopedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/static/images/mobile/copyright/wikipedia-tagline-en-25.svg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page) [Search](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search "Search Wikipedia [f]") Appearance - [Donate](https://donate.wikimedia.org/?wmf_source=donate&wmf_medium=sidebar&wmf_campaign=en.wikipedia.org&uselang=en) - [Create account](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:CreateAccount&returnto=Internet+meme "You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory") - [Log in](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&returnto=Internet+meme "You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [o]") Personal tools - [Donate](https://donate.wikimedia.org/?wmf_source=donate&wmf_medium=sidebar&wmf_campaign=en.wikipedia.org&uselang=en) - [Create account](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:CreateAccount&returnto=Internet+meme "You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory") - [Log in](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&returnto=Internet+meme "You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [o]") ## Contents move to sidebar hide - [(Top)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme) - [1 Characteristics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#Characteristics) - [2 Evolution and propagation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#Evolution_and_propagation) - [3 History](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#History) Toggle History subsection - [3\.1 Origins and early memes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#Origins_and_early_memes) - [3\.2 Contemporary memes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#Contemporary_memes) - [4 By context](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#By_context) Toggle By context subsection - [4\.1 Marketing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#Marketing) - [4\.2 Economics and finance](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#Economics_and_finance) - [4\.3 Politics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#Politics) - [4\.4 Social movements](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#Social_movements) - [4\.5 Religion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#Religion) - [4\.6 Healthcare](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#Healthcare) - [5 Copyright](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#Copyright) Toggle Copyright subsection - [5\.1 United States](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#United_States) - [5\.1.1 Non-fungible tokens](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#Non-fungible_tokens) - [6 See also](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#See_also) - [7 References](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#References) - [8 Further reading](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#Further_reading) Toggle Further reading subsection - [8\.1 Books](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#Books) - [8\.2 Articles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#Articles) - [9 External links](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#External_links) Toggle the table of contents # Internet meme 69 languages - [Afrikaans](https://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internetmeem "Internetmeem – Afrikaans") - [العربية](https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%85%D9%8A%D9%85_%D8%A5%D9%86%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%86%D8%AA "ميم إنترنت – Arabic") - [Azərbaycanca](https://az.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%B0nternet_memi "İnternet memi – Azerbaijani") - [Bikol Central](https://bcl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme "Internet meme – Central Bikol") - [Беларуская](https://be.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%86%D0%BD%D1%82%D1%8D%D1%80%D0%BD%D1%8D%D1%82-%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BC "Інтэрнэт-мем – Belarusian") - [Български](https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B5%D0%BC_$%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%82$ "Мем (интернет) – Bulgarian") - [বাংলা](https://bn.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A6%87%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%9F%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%9F_%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%AE "ইন্টারনেট মিম – Bangla") - [Bosanski](https://bs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internetski_mem "Internetski mem – Bosnian") - [Català](https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mem_d%27Internet "Mem d'Internet – Catalan") - [کوردی](https://ckb.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%85%DB%8C%D9%85%DB%8C_%D8%A6%DB%8C%D9%86%D8%AA%DB%95%D8%B1%D9%86%DB%8E%D8%AA "میمی ئینتەرنێت – Central Kurdish") - [Čeština](https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internetov%C3%BD_mem "Internetový mem – Czech") - [Cymraeg](https://cy.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memyn_rhyngrwyd "Memyn rhyngrwyd – Welsh") - [Dansk](https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme "Internet meme – Danish") - [Deutsch](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme_$Kulturph%C3%A4nomen$ "Meme (Kulturphänomen) – German") - [Zazaki](https://diq.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fenomen%C3%AA_interneti "Fenomenê interneti – Dimli") - [Ελληνικά](https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%94%CE%B9%CE%B1%CE%B4%CE%B9%CE%BA%CF%84%CF%85%CE%B1%CE%BA%CF%8C_%CE%BC%CE%B9%CE%BC%CE%AF%CE%B4%CE%B9%CE%BF "Διαδικτυακό μιμίδιο – Greek") - [Esperanto](https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interreta_memeo "Interreta memeo – Esperanto") - [Español](https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme_$internet$ "Meme (internet) – Spanish") - [Euskara](https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme_$Internet$ "Meme (Internet) – Basque") - [فارسی](https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%85%DB%8C%D9%85_%D8%A7%DB%8C%D9%86%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%86%D8%AA%DB%8C "میم اینترنتی – Persian") - [Suomi](https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internetilmi%C3%B6 "Internetilmiö – Finnish") - [Français](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A8me_Internet "Mème Internet – French") - [Galego](https://gl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme_$Internet$ "Meme (Internet) – Galician") - [گیلکی](https://glk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A7%DB%8C%D9%86%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%86%D8%AA%DB%8C_%D9%85%DB%8C%D9%85 "اینترنتی میم – Gilaki") - [Avañe'ẽ](https://gn.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A9me_$%C3%B1andutiguasu$ "Méme (ñandutiguasu) – Guarani") - [עברית](https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%9E%D7%9D_%D7%90%D7%99%D7%A0%D7%98%D7%A8%D7%A0%D7%98 "מם אינטרנט – Hebrew") - [Hrvatski](https://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internetski_memi "Internetski memi – Croatian") - [Magyar](https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internetes_m%C3%A9m "Internetes mém – Hungarian") - [Հայերեն](https://hy.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D5%80%D5%A1%D5%B4%D5%A1%D6%81%D5%A1%D5%B6%D6%81%D5%A1%D5%B5%D5%AB%D5%B6_%D5%B4%D5%A5%D5%B4 "Համացանցային մեմ – Armenian") - [Jaku Iban](https://iba.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme_Internet "Meme Internet – Iban") - [Bahasa Indonesia](https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme_internet "Meme internet – Indonesian") - [Italiano](https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme_di_Internet "Meme di Internet – Italian") - [日本語](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%A4%E3%83%B3%E3%82%BF%E3%83%BC%E3%83%8D%E3%83%83%E3%83%88%E3%83%BB%E3%83%9F%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A0 "インターネット・ミーム – Japanese") - [Jawa](https://jv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme_intern%C3%A8t "Meme internèt – Javanese") - [Қазақша](https://kk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%98%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%82-%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BC "Интернет-мем – Kazakh") - [한국어](https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EC%9D%B8%ED%84%B0%EB%84%B7_%EB%B0%88 "인터넷 밈 – Korean") - [Latina](https://la.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memum_interretiale "Memum interretiale – Latin") - [Lëtzebuergesch](https://lb.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme "Meme – Luxembourgish") - [Latviešu](https://lv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interneta_m%C4%ABms "Interneta mīms – Latvian") - [Македонски](https://mk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B5%D0%BC_$%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%BC%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B6%D1%98%D0%B5$ "Мем (семрежје) – Macedonian") - [मराठी](https://mr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%87%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%9F%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%9F_%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AE "इंटरनेट मीम – Marathi") - [Bahasa Melayu](https://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme_Internet "Meme Internet – Malay") - [မြန်မာဘာသာ](https://my.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E1%80%A1%E1%80%84%E1%80%BA%E1%80%90%E1%80%AC%E1%80%94%E1%80%80%E1%80%BA_%E1%80%99%E1%80%AE%E1%80%99%E1%80%AE "အင်တာနက် မီမီ – Burmese") - [Nedersaksies](https://nds-nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internetmeme "Internetmeme – Low Saxon") - [Nederlands](https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internetmeme "Internetmeme – Dutch") - [Deitsch](https://pdc.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme "Meme – Pennsylvania German") - [Polski](https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mem_internetowy "Mem internetowy – Polish") - [پښتو](https://ps.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%BC%D8%B1%D9%86%DB%90%D9%BC%D9%8A_%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AF%DA%9A%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%86%D9%87 "انټرنېټي يادښتونه – Pashto") - [Português](https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme_$Internet$ "Meme (Internet) – Portuguese") - [Runa Simi](https://qu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yachaphuku_$Chawpillika$ "Yachaphuku (Chawpillika) – Quechua") - [Română](https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme_internet "Meme internet – Romanian") - [Русский](https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%98%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%82-%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BC "Интернет-мем – Russian") - [Simple English](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme "Internet meme – Simple English") - [Slovenčina](https://sk.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internetov%C3%BD_m%C3%A9m "Internetový mém – Slovak") - [Shqip](https://sq.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme_interneti "Meme interneti – Albanian") - [Српски / srpski](https://sr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B8%D0%BC_$%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%82$ "Мим (интернет) – Serbian") - [Sunda](https://su.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme_Intern%C3%A9t "Meme Internét – Sundanese") - [Svenska](https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internetmem "Internetmem – Swedish") - [ไทย](https://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%99%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%97%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%A3%E0%B9%8C%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%99%E0%B9%87%E0%B8%95%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%B5%E0%B8%A1 "อินเทอร์เน็ตมีม – Thai") - [Tagalog](https://tl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme_ng_Internet "Meme ng Internet – Tagalog") - [Toki pona](https://tok.wikipedia.org/wiki/sitelen_musi_tan_kulupu_pi_ilo_sona "sitelen musi tan kulupu pi ilo sona – Toki Pona") - [Türkçe](https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%B0nternet_meme%27i "İnternet meme'i – Turkish") - [Українська](https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%86%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%82-%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BC "Інтернет-мем – Ukrainian") - [اردو](https://ur.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%B9%D8%B1%D9%86%DB%8C%D9%B9_%D9%85%DB%8C%D9%85%D8%B2 "انٹرنیٹ میمز – Urdu") - [Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча](https://uz.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_memi "Internet memi – Uzbek") - [Tiếng Việt](https://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme_Internet "Meme Internet – Vietnamese") - [閩南語 / Bân-lâm-gí](https://zh-min-nan.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C4%81ng-l%C5%8D%CD%98_meme "Bāng-lō͘ meme – Minnan") - [粵語](https://zh-yue.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%B6%B2%E7%B5%A1Meme "網絡Meme – Cantonese") - [中文](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%B6%B2%E8%B7%AF%E8%BF%B7%E5%9B%A0 "網路迷因 – Chinese") [Edit links](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q2927074#sitelinks-wikipedia "Edit interlanguage links") - [Article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme "View the content page [c]") - [Talk](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Internet_meme "Discuss improvements to the content page [t]") English - [Read](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme) - [View source](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Internet_meme&action=edit "This page is protected. You can view its source [e]") - [View history](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Internet_meme&action=history "Past revisions of this page [h]") Tools Tools move to sidebar hide Actions - [Read](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme) - [View source](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Internet_meme&action=edit) - [View history](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Internet_meme&action=history) General - [What links here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:WhatLinksHere/Internet_meme "List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [j]") - [Related changes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:RecentChangesLinked/Internet_meme "Recent changes in pages linked from this page [k]") - [Upload file](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard "Upload files [u]") - [Permanent link](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Internet_meme&oldid=1349136894 "Permanent link to this revision of this page") - [Page information](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Internet_meme&action=info "More information about this page") - [Cite this page](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:CiteThisPage&page=Internet_meme&id=1349136894&wpFormIdentifier=titleform "Information on how to cite this page") - [Get shortened URL](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:UrlShortener&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FInternet_meme) Print/export - [Download as PDF](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:DownloadAsPdf&page=Internet_meme&action=show-download-screen "Download this page as a PDF file") - [Printable version](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Internet_meme&printable=yes "Printable version of this page [p]") In other projects - [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Internet_memes) - [Wikidata item](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q2927074 "Structured data on this page hosted by Wikidata [g]") Appearance move to sidebar hide [![This is a good article. Click here for more information.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/94/Symbol_support_vote.svg/20px-Symbol_support_vote.svg.png)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Good_articles* "This is a good article. Click here for more information.") [![Page semi-protected](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1b/Semi-protection-shackle.svg/20px-Semi-protection-shackle.svg.png)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Protection_policy#semi "This article is semi-protected due to vandalism") From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Cultural item spread via the Internet | [Internet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet "Internet") | |---| | [![Visualization of Internet routing paths](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3f/Internet_map_1024_-_transparent%2C_inverted.png/250px-Internet_map_1024_-_transparent%2C_inverted.png)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Internet_map_1024_-_transparent,_inverted.png "Visualization of Internet routing paths")An [Opte Project](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opte_Project "Opte Project") visualization of [routing paths](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Routing "Routing") through a portion of the Internet | | ![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/db/Symbol_list_class.svg/20px-Symbol_list_class.svg.png) [Index](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Index_of_Internet-related_articles "Index of Internet-related articles") [Outline](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outline_of_the_Internet "Outline of the Internet") | | General [Access](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_access "Internet access") [Activism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_activism "Internet activism") [Slacktivism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slacktivism "Slacktivism") [Censorship](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_censorship "Internet censorship") [Data activism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_activism "Data activism") [Democracy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-democracy "E-democracy") [Digital divide](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_divide "Digital divide") [Digital rights](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_rights "Digital rights") [Digital public goods](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_public_goods "Digital public goods") [Freedom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_freedom "Internet freedom") [Freedom of information](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_information "Freedom of information") [Media capture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_capture "Media capture") [Net neutrality](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Net_neutrality "Net neutrality") [Phenomena](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Internet_phenomena "List of Internet phenomena") [Meme]() [Privacy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_privacy "Internet privacy") [Right to access](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_to_Internet_access "Right to Internet access") [Sociology](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sociology_of_the_Internet "Sociology of the Internet") [Usage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Internet_usage "Global Internet usage") [Vigilantism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_vigilantism "Internet vigilantism") [Virtual community](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_community "Virtual community") [Virtual volunteering](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_volunteering "Virtual volunteering") | | [Governance](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_governance "Internet governance") [IGF](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Governance_Forum "Internet Governance Forum") [NRO](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regional_Internet_registry#Number_Resource_Organization "Regional Internet registry") [IANA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Assigned_Numbers_Authority "Internet Assigned Numbers Authority") [ICANN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICANN "ICANN") [IETF](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Engineering_Task_Force "Internet Engineering Task Force") [ISOC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Society "Internet Society") | | [Information infrastructure](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_infrastructure "Information infrastructure") [Domain Name System](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domain_Name_System "Domain Name System") [Hypertext Transfer Protocol](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypertext_Transfer_Protocol "Hypertext Transfer Protocol") [Internet exchange point](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_exchange_point "Internet exchange point") [Internet protocol suite](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_protocol_suite "Internet protocol suite") [Internet Protocol](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Protocol "Internet Protocol") [Transmission Control Protocol](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transmission_Control_Protocol "Transmission Control Protocol") [Internet service provider](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_service_provider "Internet service provider") [IP address](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_address "IP address") [Internet Message Access Protocol](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Message_Access_Protocol "Internet Message Access Protocol") [Simple Mail Transfer Protocol](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_Mail_Transfer_Protocol "Simple Mail Transfer Protocol") | | Services [Blogs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog "Blog") [Microblogging](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microblogging "Microblogging") [Email](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Email "Email") [Fax](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_fax "Internet fax") [File sharing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_sharing "File sharing") [File transfer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_transfer "File transfer") [Games](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_game "Online game") [Instant messaging](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instant_messaging "Instant messaging") [Podcasts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcast "Podcast") [Shopping](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_shopping "Online shopping") [Television](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streaming_television "Streaming television") [Voice over IP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_over_IP "Voice over IP") [World Wide Web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Wide_Web "World Wide Web") [search](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_search_engine "Web search engine") | | [History](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Internet "History of the Internet") [Timeline](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_history_of_the_Internet "Timeline of the history of the Internet") [Protocol Wars](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protocol_Wars "Protocol Wars") [Pioneers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Internet_pioneers "List of Internet pioneers") [Oldest domain names](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_oldest_currently_registered_Internet_domain_names "List of the oldest currently registered Internet domain names") | | [![icon](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/Crystal_Clear_app_linneighborhood.svg/20px-Crystal_Clear_app_linneighborhood.svg.png)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Crystal_Clear_app_linneighborhood.svg) [Internet portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Internet "Portal:Internet") | | [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Internet "Template:Internet") [t](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template_talk:Internet "Template talk:Internet") [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Internet "Special:EditPage/Template:Internet") | An **Internet meme**, or **meme** ([/miːm/](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/English "Help:IPA/English")), is a cultural item (such as an idea, behavior, or style) that spreads across the [Internet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet "Internet"), now primarily through [social media](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media "Social media") platforms. Internet memes manifest in a variety of formats, including [images](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image "Image"), [videos](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video "Video") (e.g. [GIFs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GIF "GIF")), and other [viral content](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viral_content "Viral content"). Key characteristics of memes include their tendency to be [parodied](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parodied "Parodied"), their use of [intertextuality](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intertextuality "Intertextuality"), their viral dissemination, and their continual evolution. The term *[meme](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme "Meme")* was originally introduced by [Richard Dawkins](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Dawkins "Richard Dawkins") in his 1976 book *[The Selfish Gene](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Selfish_Gene "The Selfish Gene")* to describe the concept of cultural transmission of a singular unit, analogous to biology. The term *Internet meme* was coined by [Mike Godwin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Godwin "Mike Godwin") in 1993 in reference to the way memes proliferated through early [online communities](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_communities "Online communities"), including [message boards](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Message_boards "Message boards"), [Usenet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usenet "Usenet") groups, and email. The emergence of social media platforms such as [YouTube](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube "YouTube"), [Twitter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter "Twitter"), [Facebook](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook "Facebook"), and [Instagram](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instagram "Instagram") further diversified memes and accelerated their spread. [Dank](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/dank "wikt:dank") and [surrealist](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrealist "Surrealist") memes are some of the newer genres, with newer formats like [short-form videos](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short-form_videos "Short-form videos") popularized by platforms like [Vine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vine_$service$ "Vine (service)") and [TikTok](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TikTok "TikTok"). Newer internet memes (specifically those of low quality) are often classified as [brain rot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_rot "Brain rot") or [AI slop](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AI_slop "AI slop"). Memes are now recognized as a significant aspect of [Internet culture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_culture "Internet culture") and are the subject of academic research. They appear across a broad spectrum of contexts, including marketing, economics, finance, politics, social movements, religion, and healthcare. While memes are often viewed as falling under [fair use](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use "Fair use") protection, their incorporation of material from pre-existing works can result in [copyright](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright "Copyright") disputes. ## Characteristics Internet memes derive from the original concept of [memes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme "Meme") as units of cultural transmission, passed from person to person. In the digital realm, this transmission occurs primarily through online platforms, such as [social media](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media "Social media").[\[1\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-1) Although related, internet memes differ from traditional memes in that they often represent fleeting trends, whereas the success of traditional memes is measured by their endurance over time. Additionally, internet memes tend to be less abstract in nature compared to their traditional counterparts.[\[2\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-2) They are highly versatile in form and purpose, serving as tools for light entertainment, self-expression, social commentary, and even political discourse.[\[3\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-BBC-3) Two fundamental characteristics of internet memes are creative reproduction and [intertextuality](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intertextuality "Intertextuality").[\[4\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-MIT_Press-4) Creative reproduction refers to the adaptation and transformation of a meme through imitation or parody, either by reproducing the meme in a new context ("mimicry") or by remixing the original material ("remix"). In mimicry, the meme is recreated in a different setting, as seen when different individuals replicate the viral video "[Charlie Bit My Finger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Bit_My_Finger "Charlie Bit My Finger")". Remix, on the other hand, involves technological manipulation, such as altering an image with [Photoshop](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe_Photoshop "Adobe Photoshop"), while retaining elements of the original meme.[\[4\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-MIT_Press-4) Intertextuality in memes involves the blending of different cultural references or contexts. An example of this is the combination of US politician [Mitt Romney](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitt_Romney "Mitt Romney")'s phrase "[binders full of women](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binders_full_of_women "Binders full of women")" from the 2012 US presidential debate with a scene from the Korean pop song "[Gangnam Style](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gangnam_Style "Gangnam Style")". In this case, the phrase "my binders full of women exploded" is superimposed on a frame from [Psy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psy "Psy")'s music video, creating a new meaning by merging political and cultural references from distinct contexts.[\[4\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-MIT_Press-4) Internet memes can also function as [in-jokes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-joke "In-joke") within specific online communities, where they convey insider knowledge that may be incomprehensible to outsiders. This fosters a sense of collective identity within the group.[\[5\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-First_Monday-5) Conversely, some memes achieve widespread cultural relevance, being understood and appreciated by broader audiences outside of the originating subculture.[\[3\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-BBC-3) A study by Michele Knobel and Colin Lankshear examined how Richard Dawkins' three characteristics of successful traditional memes—fidelity, fecundity, and longevity—apply to internet memes. It was found that fidelity in the context of internet memes is better described as replicability, as memes are frequently modified through remixing while still maintaining their core message. Fecundity, or the ability of a meme to spread, is promoted by factors such as humor (such as the comically translated video game line "[All your base are belong to us](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_your_base_are_belong_to_us "All your base are belong to us")"), intertextuality (as in the various pop culture-referencing renditions of the "[Star Wars Kid](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_Kid "Star Wars Kid")" viral video), and juxtaposition of seemingly incongruous elements (exemplified in the "[Bert is Evil](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bert_is_Evil "Bert is Evil")" meme). Finally, longevity is essential for a meme's continued circulation and evolution over time.[\[6\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-6) ## Evolution and propagation [![Internet meme propagation graph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2a/Graph_SIR_model_without_vital_dynamics.svg/250px-Graph_SIR_model_without_vital_dynamics.svg.png)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Graph_SIR_model_without_vital_dynamics.svg) Internet memes propagate in a similar pattern to infectious disease, as shown by this [SIR model](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIR_Model "SIR Model"). The pattern, as depicted in red, shows an initial spike in popularity followed by a gradual taper to obscurity. Internet memes can either remain consistent or evolve over time. This evolution may involve changes in meaning while retaining the meme's structure, or vice versa, with such transformations occurring either by chance or through deliberate efforts like parody.[\[7\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-7) A study by Miltner examined the [lolcats](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lolcat "Lolcat") meme, tracing its development from an in-joke within computer and gaming communities on the website [4chan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4chan "4chan") to a broader source of humor and emotional support. As the meme entered mainstream culture, it lost favor with its original creators. Miltner explained that as content moves through different communities, it is reinterpreted to suit the specific needs and desires of those communities, often diverging from the creator's original intent.[\[5\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-First_Monday-5) Modifications to memes can lead them to transcend social and cultural boundaries.[\[8\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-8) Memes spread virally, in a manner similar to the [SIR](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIR_model "SIR model") (Susceptible-Infectious-Recovered) model used to describe the transmission of diseases.[\[9\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-9) Once a meme has reached a critical number of individuals, its continued spread becomes inevitable.[\[10\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Wired_temes-10) Research by Coscia examined the factors contributing to a meme's propagation and longevity, concluding that while memes compete for attention—often resulting in shorter lifespans—they can also collaborate, enhancing their chances of survival. A meme that experiences an exceptionally high peak in popularity is unlikely to endure unless it is uniquely distinct. Conversely, a meme without such a peak, but that coexists with others, tends to have greater longevity.[\[11\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-CosciaHarvardCID2013-11) In 2013, Dominic Basulto, writing for *[The Washington Post](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Washington_Post "The Washington Post")*, argued that the widespread use of memes, particularly by the marketing and advertising industries, has led to a decline in their original cultural value. Once considered valuable cultural artifacts meant to endure, memes now often convey trivial rather than meaningful ideas.[\[12\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-WashingtonPost20130705-12) ## History ### Origins and early memes [![Image of lolcat meme](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/CatLolCatExample.jpg/250px-CatLolCatExample.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CatLolCatExample.jpg) A lolcat image macro, a meme style especially popular in the mid-and-late 2000s The word *meme* was coined by [Richard Dawkins](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Dawkins "Richard Dawkins") in his 1976 book *[The Selfish Gene](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Selfish_Gene "The Selfish Gene")* as an attempt to explain how aspects of culture replicate, mutate, and evolve ([memetics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memetics "Memetics")).[\[13\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-cream-13) [Emoticons](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emoticon "Emoticon") are among the earliest examples of internet memes, specifically the smiley emoticon ":-)", introduced by [Scott Fahlman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Fahlman "Scott Fahlman") in 1982.[\[14\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Journal_of_Content,_Community_&_Communication_Amity_School_of_Communication-14) The concept of memes in an online context was formally proposed by [Mike Godwin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Godwin "Mike Godwin") in the June 1993 issue of *[Wired](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wired_$magazine$ "Wired (magazine)")*.[\[15\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-godwin-15) In 2013, Dawkins characterized an Internet meme as being a meme deliberately altered by human creativity—distinguished from biological genes and his own pre-Internet concept of a meme, which involved mutation by random change and spreading through accurate replication as in Darwinian selection. Dawkins explained that Internet memes are thus a "hijacking of the original idea", evolving the very concept of a meme in this new direction.[\[16\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Wired20130620-16) Nevertheless, by 2013, Limor Shifman solidified the relationship of memes to internet culture and reworked Dawkins' concept for online contexts.[\[17\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-17) Such an association has been shown to be empirically valuable as internet memes carry an additional property that Dawkins' "memes" do not: internet memes leave a footprint in the media through which they propagate (for example, social networks) that renders them traceable and analyzable.[\[11\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-CosciaHarvardCID2013-11) However, before internet memes were considered truly academic, they were initially a colloquial reference to humorous visual communication online in the mid-late 1990s among internet denizens; examples of these early internet memes include the [Dancing Baby](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_baby "Dancing baby") and [Hampster Dance](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hampster_Dance "Hampster Dance").[\[18\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-18) Memes of this time were primarily spread via [messageboards](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_forum "Internet forum"), [Usenet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usenet "Usenet") groups, and [email](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Email "Email"), and generally lasted for a longer time than modern memes.[\[19\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Wired-2018-19) [![Photograph of a Shiba Inu dog playing in snow, with superimposed text "wow" / "many ice" / "so snow" / "much frosty" / "very winter" / "wow" / "such freeze omg" in the Comic Sans font and in varying colors scattered throughout the image.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/Doge_meme_example.jpg/250px-Doge_meme_example.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Doge_meme_example.jpg) An example of the [Doge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doge_$meme$ "Doge (meme)") meme, popular in 2013 and similar in style to earlier lolcats[\[20\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-20) As the Internet protocols evolved, so did memes. [Lolcats](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lolcat "Lolcat") originated from imageboard website [4chan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4chan "4chan"), becoming the prototype of the "[image macro](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_macro "Image macro")" format (an image overlaid by large text).[\[19\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Wired-2018-19) Other early forms of image-based memes included demotivators (parodized motivational posters), photoshopped images, [comics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comics "Comics") (such as [rage comics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rage_comic "Rage comic")),[\[21\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-21)[\[22\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-22) and [anime](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anime "Anime") [fan art](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_art "Fan art"),[\[23\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-23) sometimes made by [*doujin*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doujin "Doujin") circles in various countries. After the release of [YouTube](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube "YouTube") in 2005, video-based memes such as [Rickrolling](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rickrolling "Rickrolling") and [viral videos](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viral_video "Viral video") such as "[Gangnam Style](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gangnam_Style_$music_video$ "Gangnam Style (music video)")" and [the Harlem shake](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlem_shake_$dance$ "Harlem shake (dance)") emerged.[\[19\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Wired-2018-19)[\[24\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-24) The appearance of social media websites such as [Twitter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter "Twitter"), [Facebook](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook "Facebook"), and [Instagram](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instagram "Instagram") provided additional mediums for the spread of memes,[\[25\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-25) and the creation of meme-generating websites made their production more accessible.[\[19\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Wired-2018-19) ### Contemporary memes "Dank memes" are a genre of internet memes that reached mainstream prominence around 2014. Dank memes refer to deliberately zany or odd memes with features such as oversaturated colors, [compression artifacts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compression_artifact "Compression artifact"), crude humor, strange captions, and overly loud sounds (termed *ear rape*).[\[26\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-SAGE-26)[\[27\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-27) The term *dank*, which refers to cold, damp places, was adapted as a way to describe memes that fit the aforementioned criteria of a dank meme.[\[26\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-SAGE-26)[\[28\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-28) The term may also be used to describe memes that have become overused and stale to the point of paradoxically becoming humorous again. Despite having lost popularity since the late 2010s, dank memes have seen several "revival" attempts, popularised on platforms such as [TikTok](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TikTok "TikTok").[\[29\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-29) The phenomenon of dank memes sprouted a subculture called the "meme market", satirizing [Wall Street](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall_Street "Wall Street") and applying the associated jargon (such as "stocks") to internet memes. Originally started on [Reddit](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reddit "Reddit") as /r/MemeEconomy, users jokingly "buy" or "sell" shares in a meme reflecting opinion on its potential popularity.[\[30\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-30) [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/18/Deep_fried_meme.jpg/250px-Deep_fried_meme.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Deep_fried_meme.jpg) Example of a "deep-fried" meme, featuring distortion and saturated colors "Deep-fried" memes refer to those that have been distorted and run through several filters and/or layers of [lossy compression](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lossy_compression "Lossy compression").[\[31\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-31)[\[32\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-32) An example of these is the "E" meme, a picture of YouTuber [Markiplier](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markiplier "Markiplier") photoshopped onto [Lord Farquaad](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Farquaad "Lord Farquaad") from the film *[Shrek](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrek "Shrek")*, in turn photoshopped into a scene from businessman [Mark Zuckerberg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Zuckerberg "Mark Zuckerberg")'s hearing in Congress and captioned with a lone 'E'.[\[33\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-33) Elizabeth Bruenig of the *[Washington Post](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Washington_Post "The Washington Post")* described this as a "digital update to the surreal and absurd genres of art and literature that characterized the tumultuous early 20th century".[\[34\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-34) Many modern memes make use of humorously absurd and even [surrealist](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrealism "Surrealism") themes. Examples of the former include "they did surgery on a grape", a video depicting a [Da Vinci Surgical System](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Da_Vinci_Surgical_System "Da Vinci Surgical System") performing test surgery on a grape,[\[35\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-35) and the "moth meme", a close-up picture of a moth with captions humorously conveying the insect's love of [lamps](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_light "Electric light").[\[36\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-36) Surreal memes incorporate layers of irony to make them unique and nonsensical, often as a means of escapism from mainstream meme culture.[\[37\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-37) [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e8/Thousand_yard_stare_meme.png/250px-Thousand_yard_stare_meme.png)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Thousand_yard_stare_meme.png) The "[Thousand Yard Stare](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thousand-yard_stare "Thousand-yard stare") Meme", which was popular in 2023[\[38\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-38) After the success of the application [Vine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vine_$service$ "Vine (service)"), a format of memes emerged in the form of short videos and scripted sketches. An example is the "What's Nine Plus Ten?" meme, a Vine video depicting a child humorously providing an incorrect answer to a math problem.[\[39\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-39) After the shutdown of Vine in 2017, the de facto replacement became the social network [TikTok](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TikTok "TikTok"), which similarly utilizes the short video format.[\[40\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-40) The platform has become immensely popular, and is the source of many genres of internet memes as of the mid 2020s.[\[41\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-41)[\[42\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-42) In 2022, the term *[brain rot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_rot "Brain rot")* became used to reflect a shift in how memes, particularly TikTok videos, were being interacted with. The term describes content lacking in quality and meaning, often associated with slang and trends popular among [Generation Alpha](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Alpha "Generation Alpha"), such as "[skibidi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skibidi_Toilet "Skibidi Toilet")", "[rizz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rizz "Rizz")", "[gyatt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyatt "Gyatt")", "[sigma](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigma_$slang$ "Sigma (slang)")" and "[fanum tax](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanum_tax "Fanum tax")".[\[43\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-43) The name comes from the perceived negative psychological and cognitive effects caused by exposure to such content.[\[44\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-44) [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Six-seven_jack-o-lantern%2C_Toronto_2025.jpg/250px-Six-seven_jack-o-lantern%2C_Toronto_2025.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Six-seven_jack-o-lantern,_Toronto_2025.jpg) Some Internet memes have been criticized for being deliberately meaningless and nonsensical, such as the [6-7 meme](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6-7_meme "6-7 meme").[\[45\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-45) In 2025, some TikTok users expressed concern over a "meme drought", which was said to be caused by a [cringe culture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cringe_culture "Cringe culture") community known as SlimeTok.[\[46\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-46) The meme drought was also used to criticize AI-inspired [brainrot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_rot "Brain rot") trends and deliberately meaningless content by [Gen Alpha](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gen_Alpha "Gen Alpha") and younger [Gen Z](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gen_Z "Gen Z"), such as [6-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6-7_meme "6-7 meme"), for being "oversaturated and unfunny". These people called for a "**Great Meme Reset**" on January 1, 2026, which was the act of returning to "classic" memes from the 2010s such as [Nyan Cat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyan_cat "Nyan cat") and [Big Chungus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Chungus "Big Chungus").[\[47\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-47) ## By context ### Marketing The practice of using memes to market products or services has been termed "memetic marketing".[\[48\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-memetic_marketing-48) Internet memes allow brands to circumvent the conception of advertisements as irksome, making them less overt and more tailored to the likes of their target audience. Marketing personnel may choose to utilize an existing meme, or create a new meme from scratch. Fashion house [Gucci](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gucci "Gucci") employed the former strategy, launching a series of [Instagram](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instagram "Instagram") ads that reimagined popular memes featuring its watch collection. The image macro "The Most Interesting Man in the World" is an example of the latter, a meme generated from an advertising campaign for the [Dos Equis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dos_Equis "Dos Equis") beer brand.[\[49\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-49) Products may also gain popularity through internet memes without intention by the producer themselves; for instance, the film *[Snakes on a Plane](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snakes_on_a_Plane "Snakes on a Plane")* became a [cult classic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_classic "Cult classic") after creation of the website SnakesOnABlog.com by law student Brian Finkelstein.[\[50\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-50) Use of memes by brands, while often advantageous, has been subject to criticism for seemingly forced, unoriginal, or unfunny usage of memes, which can negatively impact a brand's image.[\[51\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-51) For example, the fast food company [Wendy's](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendy%27s "Wendy's") began a social media-based approach to marketing that was initially met with success (resulting in an almost 50% profit growth that year), but received criticism after sharing a controversial [Pepe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepe_the_Frog "Pepe the Frog") meme that was negatively perceived by consumers.[\[52\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-52) ### Economics and finance Further information: [Meme stocks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme_stocks "Meme stocks") Meme [stocks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stock "Stock") are a phenomenon where stock values for a company rise significantly in a short period due to a surge in interest online and subsequent buying by investors. Video game retailer [GameStop](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GameStop "GameStop") is recognized as the first meme stock.[\[53\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-53) [r/WallStreetBets](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki//r/WallStreetBets "/r/WallStreetBets"), a [subreddit](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subreddit "Subreddit") where participants discuss [stock trading](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stock_trader "Stock trader"), and [Robinhood Markets](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robinhood_Markets "Robinhood Markets"), a financial services company, became notable in 2021 for their involvement in the popularisation of meme stocks.[\[54\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-54)[\[55\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-55) "YOLO investors" are a phenomenon that emerged during the [COVID-19 pandemic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic "COVID-19 pandemic"), who are less risk averse in their investments compared to their traditional counterparts.[\[56\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-56) Additionally, memes have developed an association with [cryptocurrency](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptocurrency "Cryptocurrency") with the development of [meme currencies](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme_coin "Meme coin") such as [Dogecoin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogecoin "Dogecoin"), Shiba Inu Coin, and Pepe Coin. Meme cryptocurrencies have suggested comparisons between meme value and monetary markets.[\[57\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-57)[\[58\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-58) ### Politics Internet memes are a medium for fast communication to large online audiences, which has led to their use by those seeking to express a political opinion or actively campaign for (or against) a political entity.[\[14\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Journal_of_Content,_Community_&_Communication_Amity_School_of_Communication-14)[\[59\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-59) In some ways, they can be seen as a modern form of the [political cartoon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_cartoon "Political cartoon"), offering a way to democratize political commentary.[\[60\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-60) [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/15/Meme_that_perpetuates_Irish_slaves_myth.png/250px-Meme_that_perpetuates_Irish_slaves_myth.png)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Meme_that_perpetuates_Irish_slaves_myth.png) Meme image used by white nationalists in the US to perpetuate the [Irish slaves myth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_slaves_myth "Irish slaves myth")[\[61\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-61) Among the earliest political memes were those arising from the viral [Dean scream](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_scream "Dean scream"), an excerpt from a speech delivered by [Vermont](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermont "Vermont") [governor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governor_$United_States$ "Governor (United States)") [Howard Dean](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Dean "Howard Dean").[\[62\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-62) Over time, Internet memes have become an increasingly important element in political campaigns, as online communities contribute to broader discourse through the use of memes.[\[63\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-63) For example, [Ted Cruz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Cruz "Ted Cruz")'s 2016 Republican presidential bid was damaged by [a meme](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Cruz%E2%80%93Zodiac_Killer_meme "Ted Cruz–Zodiac Killer meme") that jokingly speculated he was the [Zodiac Killer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zodiac_Killer "Zodiac Killer").[\[64\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-64) Research has shown the use of memes during elections has a role to play in informing the public on political themes. A study explored this in relation to the [2017 UK general election](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_United_Kingdom_general_election "2017 United Kingdom general election"), and concluded that memes acted as a widely shared conduit for basic political information to audiences who would usually not seek it out.[\[65\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-The_British_Journal_of_Politics_and_International_Relations-65) They also found that memes may play some role in increasing [voter turnout](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voter_turnout "Voter turnout").[\[65\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-The_British_Journal_of_Politics_and_International_Relations-65) Some political campaigns have begun to explicitly taken advantage of the increasing influence of memes; as part of the [2020 US presidential campaign](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_United_States_presidential_election "2020 United States presidential election"), [Michael Bloomberg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Bloomberg "Michael Bloomberg") sponsored a number of Instagram accounts (with over 60 million followers collectively) to post memes related to the Bloomberg campaign.[\[66\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-66) The campaign was faulted for treating memes as a commodity that can be bought.[\[67\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-67) Beyond their use in elections, Internet memes can become symbols for various political ideologies. A salient example is Pepe the Frog, which has been used as a symbol for the [alt-right](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alt-right "Alt-right") political movement, as well as for [pro-democracy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pro-democracy "Pro-democracy") ideologies in the [2019–2020 Hong Kong protests](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019%E2%80%932020_Hong_Kong_protests "2019–2020 Hong Kong protests").[\[68\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-68)[\[69\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-69) ### Social movements [![A person stands still and winces as a bucket full of ice and water is poured onto their head by another.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/John_Maino_performs_the_ALS_Ice_Bucket_Challenge.jpg/250px-John_Maino_performs_the_ALS_Ice_Bucket_Challenge.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:John_Maino_performs_the_ALS_Ice_Bucket_Challenge.jpg) A person performing the Ice Bucket Challenge Internet memes can be powerful tools in social movements, constructing collective identity and providing platform for discourse.[\[3\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-BBC-3)[\[70\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-70) During the 2010 [It Gets Better Project](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Gets_Better_Project "It Gets Better Project") for [LGBTQ+](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT "LGBT") empowerment, memes were used to uplift LGBTQ+ youth while negotiating the community's collective identity.[\[71\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-71) In 2014, the viral [Ice Bucket Challenge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_Bucket_Challenge "Ice Bucket Challenge") raised money and awareness for [Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/Motor Neurone Disease](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amyotrophic_Lateral_Sclerosis "Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis") (ALS/MND).[\[72\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-72) Furthermore, internet memes proved an important medium in the discourse surrounding the [Occupy Wall Street](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupy_Wall_Street "Occupy Wall Street") (OWS) movement.[\[73\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-73) ### Religion Internet memes have also been used in the context of [religion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion "Religion").[\[74\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-74) They create a participatory culture that enables individuals to collectively make meaning of religious beliefs, reflecting a form of [lived religion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lived_religion "Lived religion").[\[75\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Information,_Communication_&_Society-75) Aguilar et al. of [Texas A\&M University](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_A%26M_University "Texas A&M University") identified six common genres of religious memes: non-religious image macros with religious themes, image macros featuring religious figures, memes reacting to religion-related news, memes deifying non-religious figures such as [celebrities](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celebrity "Celebrity"), [spoofs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parody "Parody") of religious images, and video-based memes.[\[75\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Information,_Communication_&_Society-75) ### Healthcare Social media platforms can increase the speed of dissemination of evidence-based health practices.[\[76\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-76) A study by Reynolds and Boyd found the majority of participants (who were healthcare staff) felt that memes could be an appropriate means of improving healthcare worker's knowledge of and compliance with infection prevention practices.[\[77\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-77) Internet memes were also used in [Nigeria](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigeria "Nigeria") to raise awareness of the [COVID-19 pandemic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic "COVID-19 pandemic"), with healthcare professionals using the medium to disseminate information on the virus and [its vaccine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_vaccine "COVID-19 vaccine").[\[78\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-78) ## Copyright Since many memes are derived from pre-existing works, it has been contended that memes violate the copyright of the original authors. However, some view memes as falling under the ambit of [fair use](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use "Fair use") in the United States.[\[79\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Duke_Law_&_Technology_Review-79)[\[80\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-80) This dilemma has caused conflict between meme producers and copyright owners; for example, [Getty Images](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getty_Images "Getty Images")' demand for payment from the blog *Get Digital* for publishing the "Socially Awkward Penguin" meme without permission.[\[81\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-81) ### United States Under United States copyright law, copyright protection subsists in "original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression, now known or later developed, from which they can be perceived, reproduced, or otherwise communicated, either directly or with the aid of a machine or device". It is disputed whether the use of memes constitutes copyright infringement.[\[79\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Duke_Law_&_Technology_Review-79) [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ac/Farmer_meme_with_apostrophe.jpg/250px-Farmer_meme_with_apostrophe.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Farmer_meme_with_apostrophe.jpg) This [image macro](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_macro "Image macro") is in the [public domain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domain "Public domain") in the United States as the background was taken by the [Department of Agriculture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Agriculture "United States Department of Agriculture"). Fair use is a defense under US copyright law which protects work made using other copyrighted works.[\[82\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Journalism_&_Mass_Communication_Quarterly-82) Section 107 of the [1976 Copyright Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_Act_of_1976 "Copyright Act of 1976") outlines four factors for analysis of fair use: 1. The purpose and character of the use, 2. The nature of the copyrighted work, 3. The amount and substantiality of the portion used, and 4. The effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.[\[79\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Duke_Law_&_Technology_Review-79) The first factor implies the secondary use of a copyrighted work should be "transformative" (that is, giving novel meaning or expression to the original work); many memes fulfil this criterion, placing pieces of media in a new context to serve a different purpose to that of the original author. The second factor favors copied works drawing from factual sources, which may be problematic for memes derived from fictional works (such as films). Many of these memes, however, only use small portions of such works (such as still images), favoring an argument of fair use per the third factor. With regards to the fourth factor, most memes are non-commercial in nature and thus would not have adverse effects on the potential market for the copyright work.[\[79\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Duke_Law_&_Technology_Review-79) Given these factors, and the overall reliance of memes on appropriation of other sources, it has been argued that they deserve protection from copyright infringement suits.[\[82\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Journalism_&_Mass_Communication_Quarterly-82) #### Non-fungible tokens Some individuals who are subjects of memes (and thus the copyright holders) have made money through sale of [non-fungible tokens](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-fungible_token "Non-fungible token") (NFTs) in [auctions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auction "Auction").[\[83\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Wired-83) Ben Lashes, a manager of numerous memes, stated their sales as NFTs made over US\$2 million and established memes as serious forms of art.[\[84\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Fazio-84) One example is *[Disaster Girl](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disaster_Girl "Disaster Girl")*, based on a photo of Zoe Roth at age 4 taken in [Mebane, North Carolina](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mebane,_North_Carolina "Mebane, North Carolina"), in January 2005.[\[84\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Fazio-84) After this photo became famous and had attained widespread usage on the Internet, Roth decided to sell it as an NFT for US\$539,973 (equivalent to \$641,562 in 2025),[\[85\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-inflation-US-85) with an agreement for a further 10 percent share of any future sales.[\[86\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-86) ## See also - [![icon](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/Crystal_Clear_app_linneighborhood.svg/40px-Crystal_Clear_app_linneighborhood.svg.png)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Crystal_Clear_app_linneighborhood.svg)[Internet portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Internet "Portal:Internet") - [List of Internet phenomena](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Internet_phenomena "List of Internet phenomena") - [Remix culture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remix_culture "Remix culture") - [Short-form content](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short-form_content "Short-form content") - [Memetic warfare](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memetic_warfare "Memetic warfare") (Meme Warefare) ## References 1. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-1)** Benveniste, Alexis (January 26, 2022). ["The Meaning and History of Memes"](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/26/crosswords/what-is-a-meme.html). *The New York Times*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230128093855/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/26/crosswords/what-is-a-meme.html) from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023. 2. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-2)** Shifman, Limor (April 2013). ["Memes in a Digital World: Reconciling with a Conceptual Troublemaker"](https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fjcc4.12013). *Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication*. **18** (3): 364. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1111/jcc4.12013](https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fjcc4.12013). [hdl](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hdl_$identifier$ "Hdl (identifier)"):[11059/14843](https://hdl.handle.net/11059%2F14843). [S2CID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S2CID_$identifier$ "S2CID (identifier)") [28196215](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:28196215). 3. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-BBC_3-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-BBC_3-1) [***c***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-BBC_3-2) Brown, Helen (September 29, 2022). ["The surprising power of internet memes"](https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220928-the-surprising-power-of-internet-memes). *BBC*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230128093847/https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220928-the-surprising-power-of-internet-memes) from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023. 4. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-MIT_Press_4-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-MIT_Press_4-1) [***c***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-MIT_Press_4-2) Shifman, Limor (2013). *Memes in Digital Culture*. MIT Press. pp. 2–4, 20–22\. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0-262-31770-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-262-31770-2 "Special:BookSources/978-0-262-31770-2") . 5. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-First_Monday_5-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-First_Monday_5-1) Miltner, Kate M. (August 1, 2014). ["'There's no place for lulz on LOLCats': The role of genre, gender, and group identity in the interpretation and enjoyment of an Internet meme"](https://doi.org/10.5210%2Ffm.v19i8.5391). *First Monday*. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.5210/fm.v19i8.5391](https://doi.org/10.5210%2Ffm.v19i8.5391). 6. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-6)** Knobel, Michele; Lankshear, Colin (2018) \[2007\]. ["Online memes, affinities, and cultural production."](https://books.google.com/books?id=4Gjs8uT6dxIC&dq=Online+memes,+affinities+and+cultural+production&pg=PA199). *A New Literacies Sampler*. [Peter Lang Publishing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Lang_Publishing "Peter Lang Publishing"). pp. 201–202\. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [9780820495231](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780820495231 "Special:BookSources/9780820495231") . [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230405041905/https://books.google.com/books?id=4Gjs8uT6dxIC&dq=Online+memes,+affinities+and+cultural+production&pg=PA199) from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved March 19, 2023. 7. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-7)** Castaño Díaz, Carlos Mauricio (September 25, 2013). ["Defining and characterizing the concept of Internet Meme"](https://revistas.ces.edu.co/index.php/psicologia/article/view/2642). *CES Psicología*. **6** (2): 97–98\. [ProQuest](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ProQuest "ProQuest") [1713930915](https://www.proquest.com/docview/1713930915). 8. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-8)** Bauckhage, Christian (August 3, 2021). ["Insights into Internet Memes"](https://doi.org/10.1609%2Ficwsm.v5i1.14097). *Proceedings of the International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media*. **5** (1): 42–49\. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1609/icwsm.v5i1.14097](https://doi.org/10.1609%2Ficwsm.v5i1.14097). [S2CID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S2CID_$identifier$ "S2CID (identifier)") [16629837](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:16629837). 9. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-9)** Wang, Lin; Wood, Brendan C. (November 2011). ["An epidemiological approach to model the viral propagation of memes"](https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.apm.2011.04.035). *Applied Mathematical Modelling*. **35** (11): 5447. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1016/j.apm.2011.04.035](https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.apm.2011.04.035). 10. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Wired_temes_10-0)** Zetter, K. (February 29, 2008). ["Humans Are Just Machines for Propagating Memes"](https://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2008/02/ted_blackmore?currentPage=all). *[Wired](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wired_$magazine$ "Wired (magazine)")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20140202123609/http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2008/02/ted_blackmore?currentPage=all) from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved March 7, 2017. 11. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-CosciaHarvardCID2013_11-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-CosciaHarvardCID2013_11-1) Coscia, Michele (April 5, 2013). "Competition and Success in the Meme Pool: a Case Study on Quickmeme.com". [arXiv](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ArXiv_$identifier$ "ArXiv (identifier)"):[1304\.1712](https://arxiv.org/abs/1304.1712) \[[physics.soc-ph](https://arxiv.org/archive/physics.soc-ph)\]. Paper explained for laymen by Mims, Christopher (June 28, 2013). ["Why you'll share this story: The new science of memes"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130703055640/http://qz.com/98677/why-youll-share-this-story-the-new-science-of-memes/). *[Quartz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartz_$publication$ "Quartz (publication)")*. Archived from [the original](http://qz.com/98677/why-youll-share-this-story-the-new-science-of-memes/) on July 3, 2013. 12. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-WashingtonPost20130705_12-0)** Basulto, Dominic (July 5, 2013). ["Have Internet memes lost their meaning?"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130705202602/http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2013/07/05/have-internet-memes-lost-their-meaning/). *The Washington Post*. Archived from [the original](https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2013/07/05/have-internet-memes-lost-their-meaning/) on July 5, 2013. 13. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-cream_13-0)** [Dawkins, Richard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Dawkins "Richard Dawkins") (1989). [*The Selfish Gene*](https://books.google.com/books?id=WkHO9HI7koEC&pg=PA192) (2 ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 192. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0-19-286092-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-19-286092-7 "Special:BookSources/978-0-19-286092-7") . [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20150316114026/http://books.google.com/books?id=WkHO9HI7koEC&pg=PA192) from the original on March 16, 2015. Retrieved June 16, 2015. 14. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Journal_of_Content,_Community_&_Communication_Amity_School_of_Communication_14-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Journal_of_Content,_Community_&_Communication_Amity_School_of_Communication_14-1) Kulkarni, Anushka (June 3, 2017). ["Internet Meme and Political Discourse: A Study on the Impact of Internet Meme as a Tool in Communicating Political Satire"](https://www.amity.edu/gwalior/jccc/pdf/jcc-journal-december-2017-13-17.pdf) (PDF). *Journal of Content, Community & Communication Amity School of Communication*. **6**: 13. [SSRN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SSRN_$identifier$ "SSRN (identifier)") [3501366](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3501366). 15. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-godwin_15-0)** Godwin, Mike (October 1, 1994). ["Meme, Counter-meme"](https://www.wired.com/1994/10/godwin-if-2/). *[Wired](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wired_$magazine$ "Wired (magazine)")*. Retrieved January 31, 2023. 16. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Wired20130620_16-0)** Solon, Olivia (June 20, 2013). ["Richard Dawkins on The Internet's hijacking of the word 'meme'"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130709152558/http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2013-06/20/richard-dawkins-memes). *Wired UK*. Archived from [the original](https://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2013-06/20/richard-dawkins-memes) on July 9, 2013. 17. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-17)** Shifman, Limor (April 2013). ["Memes in a Digital World: Reconciling with a Conceptual Troublemaker"](https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fjcc4.12013). *Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication*. **18** (3): 367. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1111/jcc4.12013](https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fjcc4.12013). [hdl](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hdl_$identifier$ "Hdl (identifier)"):[11059/14843](https://hdl.handle.net/11059%2F14843). 18. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-18)** Keep, Lennlee (October 8, 2020). ["From Kilroy to Pepe: A Brief History of Memes"](https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/blog/from-kilroy-to-pepe-a-brief-history-of-memes/). *Public Broadcasting Service*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230306192623/https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/blog/from-kilroy-to-pepe-a-brief-history-of-memes/) from the original on March 6, 2023. Retrieved January 31, 2023. 19. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Wired-2018_19-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Wired-2018_19-1) [***c***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Wired-2018_19-2) [***d***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Wired-2018_19-3) Watercutter, Angela; Grey Ellisby, Emma (April 1, 2018). ["The WIRED Guide to Memes"](https://www.wired.com/story/guide-memes/). *Wired*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20190201164321/https://www.wired.com/story/guide-memes/) from the original on February 1, 2019. Retrieved November 30, 2018. 20. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-20)** ["We who spoke LOLcat now speak Doge"](https://gizmodo.com/we-who-spoke-lolcat-now-speak-doge-1481243678). *Gizmodo*. December 11, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2024. 21. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-21)** Boutin, Paul (May 9, 2012). ["Put Your Rage Into a Cartoon and Exit Laughing"](https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/10/technology/personaltech/rage-comics-turn-everyday-stress-into-laughs.html). *[The New York Times](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times "The New York Times")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210314141449/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/10/technology/personaltech/rage-comics-turn-everyday-stress-into-laughs.html) from the original on March 14, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2020. 22. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-22)** Denisova, Anastasia (2020). *Internet Memes and Society: Social, Cultural, and Political Contexts*. New York, NY: [Routledge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Routledge "Routledge"). pp. 9–11\. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0-429-46940-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-429-46940-4 "Special:BookSources/978-0-429-46940-4") . [OCLC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OCLC_$identifier$ "OCLC (identifier)") [1090540034](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/1090540034). 23. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-23)** Beran, Dale (2019). *It Came from Something Awful: How a Toxic Troll Army Accidentally Memed Donald Trump into Office*. St. Martin's Publishing Group. p. xi. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [978-1-250-18974-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-250-18974-5 "Special:BookSources/978-1-250-18974-5") . 24. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-24)** Michaels, Sean (March 19, 2008). ["Taking the Rick"](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/mar/19/news). *[The Guardian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Guardian "The Guardian")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230131140850/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/mar/19/news) from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved January 31, 2023. 25. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-25)** Nieubuurt, Joshua Troy (January 15, 2021). ["Internet Memes: Leaflet Propaganda of the Digital Age"](https://doi.org/10.3389%2Ffcomm.2020.547065). *Frontiers in Communication*. **5** 547065: 3. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.3389/fcomm.2020.547065](https://doi.org/10.3389%2Ffcomm.2020.547065). 26. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-SAGE_26-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-SAGE_26-1) Hanlon, Annmarie; Tuten, Tracy L., eds. (2022). *The SAGE Handbook of Social Media Marketing*. SAGE. p. 10. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [978-1-5297-4378-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-5297-4378-4 "Special:BookSources/978-1-5297-4378-4") . 27. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-27)** ["Dank meme"](https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/dank-meme/). *[Dictionary.com](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dictionary.com "Dictionary.com")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20181130071447/https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/dank-meme/) from the original on November 30, 2018. Retrieved November 30, 2018. 28. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-28)** Hoffman, Ashley (February 2, 2018). ["Donald Trump Jr. Just Became a Dank Meme, Literally"](https://time.com/5130384/donald-trump-jr-dankness-tweet/). *Time*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180501012644/http://time.com/5130384/donald-trump-jr-dankness-tweet/) from the original on May 1, 2018. Retrieved May 19, 2018. 29. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-29)** Griffin, Annaliese (March 9, 2018). ["What does "dank" mean? A definition of everyone's new favourite adjective"](https://quartzy.qz.com/1221995/dank-is-the-new-umami/). *[Quartz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartz_$magazine$ "Quartz (magazine)")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180519121617/https://quartzy.qz.com/1221995/dank-is-the-new-umami/) from the original on May 19, 2018. Retrieved May 19, 2018. 30. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-30)** Plaugic, Lizzie (January 10, 2017). ["How a group of Redditors is creating a fake stock market to figure out the value of memes"](https://www.theverge.com/2017/1/10/14223264/meme-economy-reddit-stock-market). *The Verge*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20181211010109/https://www.theverge.com/2017/1/10/14223264/meme-economy-reddit-stock-market) from the original on December 11, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2018. 31. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-31)** Günseli, Yalcinkaya (November 11, 2022). ["Deep-fried memes: what are they and why do they matter?"](https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/57422/1/deep-fried-memes-surveillance-capitalism-instagram-reddit-censorship). *[Dazed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dazed "Dazed")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230212190723/https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/57422/1/deep-fried-memes-surveillance-capitalism-instagram-reddit-censorship) from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023. 32. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-32)** Matsakis, Louise (August 30, 2017). ["How to Deep-Fry a Meme"](https://www.vice.com/en/article/how-to-deep-fry-a-meme/). *[Vice](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vice_$magazine$#Website "Vice (magazine)")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230212190722/https://www.vice.com/en/article/zmm885/how-to-deep-fry-a-meme) from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023. 33. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-33)** Hathaway, Jay (November 5, 2018). ["The 'E' meme shows just how weird memes can get"](https://web.archive.org/web/20190326134655/https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/lord-farquaad-e-meme/). *[The Daily Dot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Daily_Dot "The Daily Dot")*. Archived from [the original](https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/lord-farquaad-e-meme/) on March 26, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2019. 34. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-34)** Bruenig, Elizabeth (August 11, 2017). ["Why is millennial humor so weird?"](https://web.archive.org/web/20190507081349/https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/why-is-millennial-humor-so-weird/2017/08/11/64af9cae-7dd5-11e7-83c7-5bd5460f0d7e_story.html). *[The Washington Post](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Washington_Post "The Washington Post")*. Archived from [the original](https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/why-is-millennial-humor-so-weird/2017/08/11/64af9cae-7dd5-11e7-83c7-5bd5460f0d7e_story.html) on May 7, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2019. 35. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-35)** Lee, Bruce Y. (December 2, 2018). ["They Did Surgery On A Grape: What Is This New Viral Meme?"](https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2018/12/02/they-did-surgery-on-a-grape-what-is-this-new-viral-meme/). *Forbes*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230201134300/https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2018/12/02/they-did-surgery-on-a-grape-what-is-this-new-viral-meme/) from the original on February 1, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2023. 36. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-36)** Ktena, Natalie (September 28, 2018). ["Why does everybody love moth memes?"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/45ce5960-31a2-4223-a426-c3414df5ec79). *BBC Three*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20181021104953/https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/45ce5960-31a2-4223-a426-c3414df5ec79) from the original on October 21, 2018. Retrieved February 1, 2023. 37. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-37)** Bryan, Chloe (February 6, 2019). ["Surreal memes deserve their own internet dimension"](https://web.archive.org/web/20190327090359/https://mashable.com/article/surreal-memes/#dBMHaD8Josqt). *Mashable*. Archived from [the original](https://mashable.com/article/surreal-memes/#dBMHaD8Josqt) on March 27, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2019. 38. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-38)** Andaloro, Angela (July 22, 2024). ["Origins of the Thousand Yard Stare meme"](https://www.dailydot.com/memes/thousand-yard-stare-meme/). *The Daily Dot*. Retrieved January 25, 2025. 39. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-39)** Bain, Ellissa (September 10, 2021). ["9/10/21 meme explained: What is happening today?"](https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2021/09/10/9-10-21-meme/). *[HITC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HITC "HITC")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230202140436/https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2021/09/10/9-10-21-meme/) from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2023. 40. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-40)** Herrman, John (February 22, 2020). ["Vine Changed the Internet Forever. How Much Does the Internet Miss It?"](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/22/style/byte-vine-short-video-apps.html). *[The New York Times](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times "The New York Times")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20221226154458/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/22/style/byte-vine-short-video-apps.html) from the original on December 26, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2023. 41. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-41)** Carman, Ashley (April 29, 2020). ["TikTok reaches 2 billion downloads"](https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/29/21241788/tiktok-app-download-numbers-update-2-billion-users). *[The Verge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Verge "The Verge")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20200729003408/https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/29/21241788/tiktok-app-download-numbers-update-2-billion-users) from the original on July 29, 2020. Retrieved February 2, 2023. 42. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-42)** Jennings, Rebecca (February 4, 2020). ["The most popular dances now come from TikTok. What happens to their creators?"](https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2020/2/4/21112444/renegade-tiktok-song-dance). *[Vox](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vox_$website$ "Vox (website)")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230202140435/https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2020/2/4/21112444/renegade-tiktok-song-dance) from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2023. 43. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-43)** ["Parents and Gen Alpha kids are having unintelligible convos because of 'brainrot' language"](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/gen-alpha-kids-parents-brainrot-language-rcna162227). *NBC News*. August 10, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024. 44. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-44)** Roy, Jessica (June 13, 2024). ["If You Know What 'Brainrot' Means, You Might Already Have It"](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/13/style/brainrot-internet-addiction-social-media-tiktok.html). *The New York Times*. [ISSN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSN_$identifier$ "ISSN (identifier)") [0362-4331](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). Retrieved August 26, 2024. 45. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-45)** ["Dictionary.com picks "67," a "nonsensical and playfully absurd" slang term, as the 2025 word of the year - CBS News"](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dictionary-67-2025-word-of-the-year-meaning/). *www.cbsnews.com*. October 29, 2025. Retrieved December 17, 2025. 46. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-46)** Bremner, Broom (April 2, 2025). ["The Great Meme Depression and "SlimeTok" - Binghamton Review"](https://binghamtonreview.org/the-great-meme-depression-and-slimetok/). Retrieved December 30, 2025. 47. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-47)** Watercutter, Angela (November 19, 2025). ["The 'Great Meme Reset' Is Coming"](https://www.wired.com/story/the-great-meme-reset-is-coming/). *Wired*. Retrieved November 28, 2025. 48. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-memetic_marketing_48-0)** Flor, Nick (December 11, 2000). ["Memetic Marketing"](http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=19996). [InformIT](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InformIT "InformIT"). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120114180653/http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=19996) from the original on January 14, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2011. 49. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-49)** McCrae, James (May 8, 2017). ["Meme Marketing: How Brands Are Speaking A New Consumer Language"](https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2017/05/08/meme-marketing-how-brands-are-speaking-a-new-consumer-language/). *Forbes*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180315134855/https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2017/05/08/meme-marketing-how-brands-are-speaking-a-new-consumer-language/) from the original on March 15, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2018. 50. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-50)** Carr, David (May 29, 2006). ["Hollywood bypassing critics and print as digital gets hotter - Business - International Herald Tribune"](https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/29/business/worldbusiness/29iht-carr.1839216.html). *[The New York Times](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times "The New York Times")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120703071008/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/29/business/worldbusiness/29iht-carr.1839216.html) from the original on July 3, 2012. Retrieved February 4, 2023. 51. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-51)** Pegolo, Valentina; Carpenter, Lucie (February 6, 2021). ["Why Memes Will Never Be Monetized"](https://jacobinmag.com/2021/02/memes-never-monetized-corporate-advertising). *[Jacobin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacobin_$magazine$ "Jacobin (magazine)")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210225142149/https://jacobinmag.com/2021/02/memes-never-monetized-corporate-advertising) from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved February 7, 2021. 52. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-52)** Whitten, Sarah (January 4, 2017). ["A Wendy's tweet just went viral for all the wrong reasons"](https://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/04/wendys-saucy-tweets-are-hit-and-miss-on-social-media.html). [CNBC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CNBC "CNBC"). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20211104214557/https://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/04/wendys-saucy-tweets-are-hit-and-miss-on-social-media.html) from the original on November 4, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2020. 53. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-53)** Rossolillo, Nicholas (September 23, 2021). ["What Are Meme Stocks?"](https://www.fool.com/investing/stock-market/types-of-stocks/meme-stocks/). *[The Motley Fool](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Motley_Fool "The Motley Fool")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20211113155252/https://www.fool.com/investing/stock-market/types-of-stocks/meme-stocks/) from the original on November 13, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021. 54. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-54)** Phillip, Matt; Marcos, Coral M. (August 4, 2021). ["Robinhood's shares jump as much as 65 percent, like the meme stocks it enabled"](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/04/business/robinhood-stock-price.html). *[The New York Times](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times "The New York Times")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20211018143905/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/04/business/robinhood-stock-price.html) from the original on October 18, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2023. 55. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-55)** Popper, Nathaniel; Browning, Kellen (January 29, 2021). ["The 'Roaring Kitty' Rally: How a Reddit User and His Friends Roiled the Markets"](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/29/technology/roaring-kitty-reddit-gamestop-markets.html). *[The New York Times](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times "The New York Times")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210129100713/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/29/technology/roaring-kitty-reddit-gamestop-markets.html) from the original on January 29, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2023. 56. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-56)** Chohan, Usman W.; Van Kerckhoven, Sven (2023). *Activist Retail Investors and the Future of Financial Markets*. pp. 99–101\. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.4324/9781003351085](https://doi.org/10.4324%2F9781003351085). [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [978-1-00-335108-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-00-335108-5 "Special:BookSources/978-1-00-335108-5") . [S2CID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S2CID_$identifier$ "S2CID (identifier)") [257228199](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:257228199). 57. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-57)** Nani, Albi (December 2022). ["The doge worth 88 billion dollars: A case study of Dogecoin"](https://doi.org/10.1177%2F13548565211070417). *Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies*. **28** (6): 1719–1721\. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1177/13548565211070417](https://doi.org/10.1177%2F13548565211070417). [S2CID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S2CID_$identifier$ "S2CID (identifier)") [247685455](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:247685455). 58. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-58)** Yozzo, John (April 2023). "Meme Stock Values Can Persist in Bankruptcy, but Cannot Prevail Without Business Justification". *American Bankruptcy Institute Journal*. **42** (4): 36–37, 70–71\. [ProQuest](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ProQuest "ProQuest") [2794896398](https://www.proquest.com/docview/2794896398). 59. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-59)** Seiffert-Brockmann, Jens; Diehl, Trevor; Dobusch, Leonhard (August 2018). "Memes as games: The evolution of a digital discourse online". *New Media & Society*. **20** (8): 2862–2863\. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1177/1461444817735334](https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1461444817735334). [S2CID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S2CID_$identifier$ "S2CID (identifier)") [206729243](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:206729243). 60. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-60)** Grygiel, Jennifer (May 17, 2019). ["Political cartoonists are out of touch – it's time to make way for memes"](https://theconversation.com/political-cartoonists-are-out-of-touch-its-time-to-make-way-for-memes-116471). *[The Conversation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Conversation_$website$ "The Conversation (website)")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20211006222817/https://theconversation.com/political-cartoonists-are-out-of-touch-its-time-to-make-way-for-memes-116471) from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved March 6, 2021. 61. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-61)** ["How the Myth of the "Irish slaves" Became a Favorite Meme of Racists Online"](https://www.splcenter.org/resources/hatewatch/how-myth-irish-slaves-became-favorite-meme-racists-online/). April 19, 2016. 62. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-62)** Murray, Mark (January 18, 2019). ["As the 'Dean scream' turns 15, its impact on American politics lives on"](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/meet-the-press/howard-dean-s-scream-turns-15-its-impact-american-politics-n959916). *[NBC News](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBC_News "NBC News")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20220519033105/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/meet-the-press/howard-dean-s-scream-turns-15-its-impact-american-politics-n959916) from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2023. 63. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-63)** MacLeod, Alan (February 2019). "Book review: Kill all normies: Online culture wars from 4chan and Tumblr to Trump and the alt-right". *New Media & Society*. **21** (2): 535–537\. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1177/1461444818804143](https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1461444818804143). [S2CID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S2CID_$identifier$ "S2CID (identifier)") [67774146](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:67774146). 64. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-64)** Stuart, Tessa (February 26, 2016). ["Is Ted Cruz the Zodiac Killer? Maybe, Say Florida Voters"](https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/is-ted-cruz-the-zodiac-killer-maybe-say-38-percent-of-florida-voters-89135/). *[Rolling Stone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_Stone "Rolling Stone")*. Retrieved July 22, 2020. 65. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-The_British_Journal_of_Politics_and_International_Relations_65-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-The_British_Journal_of_Politics_and_International_Relations_65-1) McLoughlin, Liam; Southern, Rosalynd (February 2021). ["By any memes necessary? Small political acts, incidental exposure and memes during the 2017 UK general election"](https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1369148120930594). *The British Journal of Politics and International Relations*. **23** (1): 78–79\. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1177/1369148120930594](https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1369148120930594). [S2CID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S2CID_$identifier$ "S2CID (identifier)") [225602095](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:225602095). 66. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-66)** Lorenz, Taylor (February 13, 2020). ["Michael Bloomberg's Campaign Suddenly Drops Memes Everywhere"](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/13/style/michael-bloomberg-memes-jerry-media.html). *The New York Times*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20200213060905/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/13/style/michael-bloomberg-memes-jerry-media.html) from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2020. 67. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-67)** Tiffany, Kaitlyn (February 28, 2020). ["You Can't Buy Memes"](https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2020/02/bloomberg-memes-instagram-ads/607219/). *The Atlantic*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20211114232707/https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2020/02/bloomberg-memes-instagram-ads/607219/) from the original on November 14, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2020. 68. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-68)** Placido, Dani Di (May 9, 2017). ["How 'Pepe The Frog' Became A Symbol Of Hatred"](https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2017/05/09/how-pepe-the-frog-became-a-symbol-of-hatred/). *[Forbes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbes "Forbes")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230208142119/https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2017/05/09/how-pepe-the-frog-became-a-symbol-of-hatred/) from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2023. 69. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-69)** Victor, Daniel (August 19, 2019). ["Hong Kong Protesters Love Pepe the Frog. No, They're Not Alt-Right"](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/19/world/asia/hong-kong-protest-pepe-frog.html). *[The New York Times](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times "The New York Times")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20190819145229/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/19/world/asia/hong-kong-protest-pepe-frog.html) from the original on August 19, 2019. Retrieved February 8, 2023. 70. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-70)** Harbo, Tenna Foustad (December 2022). "Internet memes as knowledge practice in social movements: Rethinking Economics' delegitimization of economists". *Discourse, Context & Media*. **50** 100650: 8. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1016/j.dcm.2022.100650](https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.dcm.2022.100650). [S2CID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S2CID_$identifier$ "S2CID (identifier)") [252906293](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:252906293). 71. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-71)** Gal, Noam; Shifman, Limor; Kampf, Zohar (September 2016). "'It Gets Better': Internet memes and the construction of collective identity". *New Media & Society*. **18** (8): 1698. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1177/1461444814568784](https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1461444814568784). [S2CID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S2CID_$identifier$ "S2CID (identifier)") [206728484](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:206728484). 72. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-72)** Sample, Ian; Woolf, Nicky (July 27, 2016). ["How the ice bucket challenge led to an ALS research breakthrough"](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/jul/27/how-the-ice-bucket-challenge-led-to-an-als-research-breakthrough). *[The Guardian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Guardian "The Guardian")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20171108035419/https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/jul/27/how-the-ice-bucket-challenge-led-to-an-als-research-breakthrough) from the original on November 8, 2017. Retrieved February 11, 2023. 73. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-73)** Milner, Ryan M. (October 2013). ["Pop polyvocality: internet memes, public participation, and the occupy wall street movement"](https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/1949). *International Journal of Communication*. **7**: 2357. [Gale](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gale_$publisher$ "Gale (publisher)") [A352494259](https://go.gale.com/ps/anonymous?id=GALE%7CA352494259). 74. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-74)** Haden Church, Scott; Feller, Gavin (January 2, 2020). "Synecdoche, Aesthetics, and the Sublime Online: Or, What's a Religious Internet Meme?". *Journal of Media and Religion*. **19** (1): 12. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1080/15348423.2020.1728188](https://doi.org/10.1080%2F15348423.2020.1728188). [S2CID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S2CID_$identifier$ "S2CID (identifier)") [213540194](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:213540194). 75. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Information,_Communication_&_Society_75-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Information,_Communication_&_Society_75-1) Aguilar, Gabrielle K.; Campbell, Heidi A.; Stanley, Mariah; Taylor, Ellen (October 3, 2017). "Communicating mixed messages about religion through internet memes". *Information, Communication & Society*. **20** (10): 1502–1509\. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1080/1369118X.2016.1229004](https://doi.org/10.1080%2F1369118X.2016.1229004). [S2CID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S2CID_$identifier$ "S2CID (identifier)") [151721706](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:151721706). 76. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-76)** Cawcutt, Kelly A.; Marcelin, Jasmine R; Silver, Julie K (August 27, 2019). "Using social media to disseminate research in infection prevention, hospital epidemiology, and antimicrobial stewardship". *Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology*. **40** (11): 969–971\. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1017/ice.2019.231](https://doi.org/10.1017%2Fice.2019.231). [PMID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PMID_$identifier$ "PMID (identifier)") [31452490](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31452490). [S2CID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S2CID_$identifier$ "S2CID (identifier)") [201757947](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:201757947). 77. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-77)** Reynolds, Staci; Boyd, Shelby (July 2021). "Healthcare worker's perspectives on use of memes as an implementation strategy in infection prevention: An exploratory descriptive analysis". *American Journal of Infection Control*. **49** (7): 969–971\. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1016/j.ajic.2020.11.019](https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.ajic.2020.11.019). [PMID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PMID_$identifier$ "PMID (identifier)") [33249101](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33249101). [S2CID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S2CID_$identifier$ "S2CID (identifier)") [227234896](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:227234896). 78. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-78)** Msughter, Aondover Eric; Iman, Maryam Lawal (March 15, 2020). ["Internet Meme as a Campaign Tool to the Fight against Covid-19 in Nigeria"](https://globaljournals.org/GJHSS_Volume20/4-Internet-Meme-as-a-Campaign.pdf) (PDF). *Global Journal of Human-Social Science*. **20** (A6): 27. 79. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Duke_Law_&_Technology_Review_79-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Duke_Law_&_Technology_Review_79-1) [***c***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Duke_Law_&_Technology_Review_79-2) [***d***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Duke_Law_&_Technology_Review_79-3) Scialabba, Elena E. ["A Copy of a Copy of a Copy: Internet Mimesis and the Copyrightability of Memes"](https://scholarship.law.duke.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1358&context=dltr). *Duke Law & Technology Review*. **18** (1): 340–341, 344–346\. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230213134645/https://scholarship.law.duke.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1358&context=dltr) from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023. 80. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-80)** Schwartz, Benjamin D. (August 5, 2022). ["Who Owns Memes?"](https://www.natlawreview.com/article/who-owns-memes). *[The National Law Review](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_National_Law_Review "The National Law Review")*. Retrieved August 20, 2023. 81. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-81)** Iyer, Aishwaria S.; Mehrotra, Raghav (February 26, 2017). ["A critical analysis of memes and fair use"](https://pure.jgu.edu.in/id/eprint/3233/). *Rostrum's Law Review*. **4** (1): 2–3\. 82. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Journalism_&_Mass_Communication_Quarterly_82-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Journalism_&_Mass_Communication_Quarterly_82-1) Mielczarek, Natalia; Hopkins, W. Wat (March 2021). "Copyright, Transformativeness, and Protection for Internet Memes". *Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly*. **98** (1): 53–55\. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1177/1077699020950492](https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1077699020950492). [S2CID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S2CID_$identifier$ "S2CID (identifier)") [225023573](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:225023573). 83. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Wired_83-0)** Pritchard, Will (April 16, 2021). ["They were ancient internet memes. Now NFTs are making them rich"](https://www.wired.co.uk/article/nft-memes-2010s). *[Wired UK](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wired_UK "Wired UK")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20211114232648/https://www.wired.co.uk/article/nft-memes-2010s) from the original on November 14, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2021. 84. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Fazio_84-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Fazio_84-1) Fazio, Marie (April 29, 2021). ["The World Knows Her as 'Disaster Girl.' She Just Made \$500,000 Off the Meme"](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/29/arts/disaster-girl-meme-nft.html). *[The New York Times](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times "The New York Times")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210429155019/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/29/arts/disaster-girl-meme-nft.html) from the original on April 29, 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2021. 85. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-inflation-US_85-0)** 1634–1699: [McCusker, J. J.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_J._McCusker "John J. McCusker") (1997). [*How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda*](https://www.americanantiquarian.org/proceedings/44525121.pdf) (PDF). [American Antiquarian Society](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Antiquarian_Society "American Antiquarian Society"). 1700–1799: [McCusker, J. J.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_J._McCusker "John J. McCusker") (1992). [*How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States*](https://www.americanantiquarian.org/proceedings/44517778.pdf) (PDF). [American Antiquarian Society](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Antiquarian_Society "American Antiquarian Society"). 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. ["Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–"](https://www.minneapolisfed.org/about-us/monetary-policy/inflation-calculator/consumer-price-index-1800-). Retrieved February 29, 2024. 86. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-86)** Howard, Jacqueline (April 30, 2021). ["'Disaster girl', now aged 21, sells original meme photo as an NFT for an eye-watering \$650,000"](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-30/disaster-girl-meme-sells-for-500-000/100106366). *ABC News*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230214133900/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-30/disaster-girl-meme-sells-for-500-000/100106366) from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023. ## Further reading ### Books - Blackmore, Susan (2000). *The Meme Machine*. OUP Oxford. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0-19-157461-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-19-157461-0 "Special:BookSources/978-0-19-157461-0") . - Distin, Kate (2005). *The Selfish Meme: A Critical Reassessment*. Cambridge University Press. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0-521-60627-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-521-60627-1 "Special:BookSources/978-0-521-60627-1") . - Mina, An Xiao (2019). *Memes to Movements: How the World's Most Viral Media Is Changing Social Protest and Power*. Beacon Press. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0807056585](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0807056585 "Special:BookSources/978-0807056585") . - Shifman, Limor (2013). *Memes in Digital Culture*. MIT Press. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0-262-31770-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-262-31770-2 "Special:BookSources/978-0-262-31770-2") . ### Articles - Wiggins, Bradley (September 22, 2014). ["How the Russia-Ukraine crisis became a magnet for memes"](https://theconversation.com/how-the-russia-ukraine-crisis-became-a-magnet-for-memes-31199). *The Conversation*. - Wiggins, Bradley E; Bowers, G Bret (December 2015). "Memes as genre: A structurational analysis of the memescape". *New Media & Society*. **17** (11): 1886–1906\. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1177/1461444814535194](https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1461444814535194). [S2CID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S2CID_$identifier$ "S2CID (identifier)") [30729349](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:30729349). ## External links - [![Wikimedia Commons logo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/20px-Commons-logo.svg.png)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Commons-logo.svg) Media related to [Internet memes](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Internet_memes "commons:Category:Internet memes") at Wikimedia Commons | [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Appropriation_in_the_arts "Template:Appropriation in the arts") [t](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template_talk:Appropriation_in_the_arts "Template talk:Appropriation in the arts") [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Appropriation_in_the_arts "Special:EditPage/Template:Appropriation in the arts")[Appropriation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appropriation_$art$ "Appropriation (art)") in the arts | | |---|---| | By field | | | | | | Music | [Bootleg recording](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bootleg_recording "Bootleg recording") [Chopped and screwed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chopped_and_screwed "Chopped and screwed") [Contrafact](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrafact "Contrafact") [list](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_jazz_contrafacts "List of jazz contrafacts") [Contrafactum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrafactum "Contrafactum") [Cover version](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cover_version "Cover version") [DJ mix](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DJ_mix "DJ mix") [Interpolation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpolation_$popular_music$ "Interpolation (popular music)") [Medley](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medley_$music$ "Medley (music)") [Music mashup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashup_$music$ "Mashup (music)") [Music plagiarism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_plagiarism "Music plagiarism") [Musical quotation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_quotation "Musical quotation") [Nightcore](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nightcore "Nightcore") [Parody music](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parody_music "Parody music") [Pasticcio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasticcio "Pasticcio") [Plunderphonics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plunderphonics "Plunderphonics") [Potpourri](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potpourri_$music$ "Potpourri (music)") [Quodlibet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quodlibet "Quodlibet") [Remix](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remix "Remix") [Riddim](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riddim "Riddim") [Sampling](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sampling_$music$ "Sampling (music)") [Sound collage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_collage "Sound collage") [Standard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_$music$ "Standard (music)") [Tribute act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribute_act "Tribute act") [Trope](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trope_$music$ "Trope (music)") [Variation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variation_$music$ "Variation (music)") [Vaporwave](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaporwave "Vaporwave") | | Literature / theatre | [Assemblage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assemblage_$composition$ "Assemblage (composition)") [Cut-up technique](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cut-up_technique "Cut-up technique") [Flarf poetry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flarf_poetry "Flarf poetry") [Found poetry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Found_poetry "Found poetry") [Jukebox musical](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jukebox_musical "Jukebox musical") [Trope](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trope_$literature$ "Trope (literature)") [Verbatim theatre](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verbatim_theatre "Verbatim theatre") | | Visual arts | | | | | | [Collage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collage "Collage") [Combine painting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combine_painting "Combine painting") [Photographic mosaic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photographic_mosaic "Photographic mosaic") [Readymades of Marcel Duchamp](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Readymades_of_Marcel_Duchamp "Readymades of Marcel Duchamp") [Swipe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swipe_$comics$ "Swipe (comics)") | | | By source material | *[Mona Lisa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa_replicas_and_reinterpretations "Mona Lisa replicas and reinterpretations")* [Michelangelo's *David*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Replicas_of_Michelangelo%27s_David "Replicas of Michelangelo's David") [Michelangelo's *Pietà*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Replicas_of_Michelangelo%27s_Piet%C3%A0 "Replicas of Michelangelo's Pietà") [Statue of Liberty](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Replicas_of_the_Statue_of_Liberty "Replicas of the Statue of Liberty") | | Cinema / television / video | [Abridged series](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abridged_series "Abridged series") [Anime music video](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anime_music_video "Anime music video") [Collage film](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collage_film "Collage film") [Found footage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Found_footage_$appropriation$ "Found footage (appropriation)") [Literal music video](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literal_music_video "Literal music video") [Parody film](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parody_film "Parody film") [Re-cut trailer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Re-cut_trailer "Re-cut trailer") [Remake](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remake "Remake") [Shot-for-shot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shot-for-shot "Shot-for-shot") [Supercut](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supercut "Supercut") [TV format](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV_format "TV format") [Vidding](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vidding "Vidding") [Video mashup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashup_$video$ "Mashup (video)") [YouTube Poop](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube_Poop "YouTube Poop") | | Other arts | [In-joke](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-joke "In-joke") [Internet meme]() [Joke theft](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joke_theft "Joke theft") [Parody advertisement](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parody_advertisement "Parody advertisement") [Revivalism (architecture)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revivalism_$architecture$ "Revivalism (architecture)") [Video game modding](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_modding "Video game modding") [Bootleg games](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bootleg_games "Bootleg games") | | General concepts | | | | | | [Intertextual figures](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intertextuality "Intertextuality") | [Allusion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allusion "Allusion") [Calque](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calque "Calque") [Parody](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parody "Parody") [Pastiche](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastiche "Pastiche") [Plagiarism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plagiarism "Plagiarism") [Quotation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quotation "Quotation") [Translation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Translation "Translation") | | [Adaptation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adaptation_$arts$ "Adaptation (arts)") | [Film](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_adaptation "Film adaptation") [Literary](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literary_adaptation "Literary adaptation") [Theatre](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatrical_adaptation "Theatrical adaptation") | | Other concepts | [After (art)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/After_$art$ "After (art)") [Assemblage (art)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assemblage_$art$ "Assemblage (art)") [Bricolage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bricolage "Bricolage") [Citation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citation "Citation") [Détournement](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%A9tournement "Détournement") [Found object](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Found_object "Found object") [Homage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homage_$arts$ "Homage (arts)") [Imitation in art](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imitation_$art$ "Imitation (art)") [Mashup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashup_$culture$ "Mashup (culture)") [Reprise](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reprise "Reprise") [Satire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satire "Satire") [Source criticism in the arts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Source_criticism#Source_criticism_in_the_arts "Source criticism") | | Related artistic concepts | [Aesthetic interpretation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aesthetic_interpretation "Aesthetic interpretation") [Anti-art](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-art "Anti-art") [Archetypal literary criticism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archetypal_literary_criticism "Archetypal literary criticism") [Artistic inspiration](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artistic_inspiration "Artistic inspiration") "[The Death of the Author](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Death_of_the_Author "The Death of the Author")" [Divine inspiration](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divine_inspiration "Divine inspiration") *[Afflatus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afflatus "Afflatus")* [Genius (literature)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genius_$literature$ "Genius (literature)") [Muses](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muses "Muses") [Fan labor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_labor "Fan labor") [Fan fiction](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_fiction "Fan fiction") [Genre](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genre "Genre") [Genre studies](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genre_studies "Genre studies") [Originality](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Originality "Originality") [Simulacrum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulacrum "Simulacrum") [Western canon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_canon "Western canon") | | Standard blocks and forms | [Archetype](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archetype "Archetype") [Formula fiction](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formula_fiction "Formula fiction") [Genre fiction](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genre_fiction "Genre fiction") [Jazz standard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jazz_standard "Jazz standard") [Plot device](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plot_device "Plot device") [Stock character](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stock_character "Stock character") [Story structure](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Story_structure "Story structure") | | Epoch-marking works | *[L.H.O.O.Q.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L.H.O.O.Q. "L.H.O.O.Q.")* (1919) "[Pierre Menard, Author of the *Quixote*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Menard,_Author_of_the_Quixote "Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote")" (1939) *[Reality Hunger: A Manifesto](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reality_Hunger "Reality Hunger")* (2010) | | Theorization | [Dada](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dada "Dada") *[De Copia Rerum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copia:_Foundations_of_the_Abundant_Style "Copia: Foundations of the Abundant Style")* [Diegesis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diegesis "Diegesis") [Dionysian *imitatio*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dionysian_imitatio "Dionysian imitatio") [Mimesis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimesis "Mimesis") *[Nachahmung](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Joachim_Winckelmann#Critical_response_and_influence "Johann Joachim Winckelmann")* *[Palimpsests: Literature in the Second Degree](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palimpsests:_Literature_in_the_Second_Degree "Palimpsests: Literature in the Second Degree")* *[The Pictures Generation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pictures_Generation "The Pictures Generation")* [Pop art](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pop_art "Pop art") [Postmodernism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postmodernism "Postmodernism") [Russian formalism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_formalism "Russian formalism") | | Related non- artistic concepts | [Academic dishonesty](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_dishonesty "Academic dishonesty") [Appropriation in sociology](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appropriation_$sociology$ "Appropriation (sociology)") [Articulation in sociology](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articulation_$sociology$ "Articulation (sociology)") [Cultural appropriation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_appropriation "Cultural appropriation") [History of printing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_printing "History of printing") [Information society](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_society "Information society") [Intellectual property](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_property "Intellectual property") [Copyright infringement](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_infringement "Copyright infringement") [Derivative work](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derivative_work "Derivative work") [Fair use](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use "Fair use") [Meme](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme "Meme") [Open source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source "Open source") [Participatory culture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Participatory_culture "Participatory culture") [Pirate politics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirate_Party "Pirate Party") [Recontextualisation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recontextualisation "Recontextualisation") [Remix culture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remix_culture "Remix culture") | | [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Internet_slang "Template:Internet slang") [t](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template_talk:Internet_slang "Template talk:Internet slang") [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Internet_slang "Special:EditPage/Template:Internet slang")[Internet slang](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_slang "Internet slang") | | | |---|---|---| | [Abuse](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abuse "Abuse") | [Baizuo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baizuo "Baizuo") [Creepy treehouse](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creepy_treehouse "Creepy treehouse") [Cyberbullying](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberbullying "Cyberbullying") [Cyberstalking](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberstalking "Cyberstalking") [Doxing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doxing "Doxing") [Edgelord](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgelord "Edgelord") [Flaming](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flaming_$Internet$ "Flaming (Internet)") [Griefer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griefer "Griefer") [Hacker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacker_$computer_security$ "Hacker (computer security)") [Keylogger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keylogger "Keylogger") [Little Pink](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Pink "Little Pink") [Malware](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malware "Malware") [Phishing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phishing "Phishing") [Schizoposting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizoposting "Schizoposting") [Script kiddie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Script_kiddie "Script kiddie") [Sealioning](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sealioning "Sealioning") [Shadow banning](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_banning "Shadow banning") [Shitposting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shitposting "Shitposting") [Spamming](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spamming "Spamming") [Tankie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tankie "Tankie") [Troll](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_$slang$ "Troll (slang)") | [![Map of the Internet](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3f/Internet_map_1024_-_transparent%2C_inverted.png/120px-Internet_map_1024_-_transparent%2C_inverted.png)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Internet_map_1024_-_transparent,_inverted.png "Map of the Internet") | | [Chatspeak](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chatspeak "Chatspeak") | [Algospeak](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algospeak "Algospeak") [Bronyspeak](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slang_of_the_My_Little_Pony:_Friendship_Is_Magic_fandom "Slang of the My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic fandom") [Emoticon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emoticon "Emoticon") [uwu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uwu "Uwu") [Emoji](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emoji "Emoji") [Hodl](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hodl "Hodl") [Leet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leet "Leet") [Owned](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owned_$slang$ "Owned (slang)") [Pr0n](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pornography "Pornography") [Pwn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pwn "Pwn") [Teh](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teh "Teh") [w00t](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W00t "W00t") [Fap](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masturbation "Masturbation") [LOL](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LOL "LOL") [NSFW](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Not_safe_for_work "Not safe for work") [Padonkaffsky jargon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padonkaffsky_jargon "Padonkaffsky jargon") [Sexting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexting "Sexting") | | | [Imageboard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imageboard "Imageboard") | [4chan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4chan "4chan") [Anonymous](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anonymous_$group$ "Anonymous (group)") [\-chan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imageboard#Imageboards "Imageboard") [Booru](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booru "Booru") [CP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_pornography "Child pornography") [Clop](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clop_$erotic_fan_art$ "Clop (erotic fan art)") [goatse.cx](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goatse.cx "Goatse.cx") [Lolcat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lolcat "Lolcat") [Lurk](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lurker "Lurker") [Newbie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newbie "Newbie") [O RLY?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_RLY%3F "O RLY?") [OP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_post "Original post") [Pedobear](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedobear "Pedobear") [Rickrolling](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rickrolling "Rickrolling") [Rule 34](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_34 "Rule 34") [Rule 63](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_63 "Rule 63") [Tripcode](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tripcode "Tripcode") [Weeaboo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanophilia "Japanophilia") [Yiff](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yiff "Yiff") | | | [Memes]() | [Advertising and products](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Internet_phenomena#Advertising_and_products "List of Internet phenomena") [Animation and comics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Internet_phenomena#Animation_and_comics "List of Internet phenomena") [Challenges](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Internet_phenomena#Challenges "List of Internet phenomena") [Email](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Internet_phenomena#Email "List of Internet phenomena") [Film](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Internet_phenomena#Film "List of Internet phenomena") [Gaming](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Internet_phenomena#Gaming "List of Internet phenomena") [Images](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Internet_phenomena#Images "List of Internet phenomena") [Music](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_viral_music_videos "List of viral music videos") [Politics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Internet_phenomena#Politics "List of Internet phenomena") [Videos](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_viral_videos "List of viral videos") [Miscellaneous](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Internet_phenomena#Other_phenomena "List of Internet phenomena") [Doge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doge_$meme$ "Doge (meme)") [TL;DR](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TL;DR "TL;DR") | | | [Usenet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usenet "Usenet") | [Eternal September](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_September "Eternal September") [Sporgery](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sporgery "Sporgery") | | | ![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/20px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png) [**Category**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Internet_slang "Category:Internet slang") [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e2/Symbol_portal_class.svg/20px-Symbol_portal_class.svg.png)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Symbol_portal_class.svg "Portal") [**Portal**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Internet "Portal:Internet") [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ec/Wiktionary-logo.svg/20px-Wiktionary-logo.svg.png)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wiktionary-logo.svg "Wiktionary page") [**Wiktionary**](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:English_internet_slang "wiktionary:Appendix:English internet slang") | | | | | | |---|---| | [Authority control databases](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Authority_control "Help:Authority control"): National [![Edit this at Wikidata](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8a/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg/20px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png)](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2927074#identifiers "Edit this at Wikidata") | [France](https://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb18096563v) [BnF data](https://data.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb18096563v) | ![](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?useformat=desktop&type=1x1&usesul3=1) Retrieved from "<https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Internet_meme&oldid=1349136894>" [Categories](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Category "Help:Category"): - [Internet memes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Internet_memes "Category:Internet memes") - [1993 neologisms](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:1993_neologisms "Category:1993 neologisms") Hidden categories: - [Articles with short description](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Articles_with_short_description "Category:Articles with short description") - [Short description is different from Wikidata](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Short_description_is_different_from_Wikidata "Category:Short description is different from Wikidata") - [Good articles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Good_articles "Category:Good articles") - [Wikipedia pages semi-protected against vandalism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Wikipedia_pages_semi-protected_against_vandalism "Category:Wikipedia pages semi-protected against vandalism") - [Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Wikipedia_indefinitely_move-protected_pages "Category:Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages") - [Use mdy dates from December 2025](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Use_mdy_dates_from_December_2025 "Category:Use mdy dates from December 2025") - [Use American English from December 2025](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Use_American_English_from_December_2025 "Category:Use American English from December 2025") - [All Wikipedia articles written in American English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:All_Wikipedia_articles_written_in_American_English "Category:All Wikipedia articles written in American English") - [Commons category link from Wikidata](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Commons_category_link_from_Wikidata "Category:Commons category link from Wikidata") - This page was last edited on 15 April 2026, at 23:33 (UTC). - Text is available under the [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_4.0_International_License "Wikipedia:Text of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License"); additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the [Terms of Use](https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Terms_of_Use "foundation:Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Terms of Use") and [Privacy Policy](https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Privacy_policy "foundation:Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Privacy policy"). Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the [Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.](https://wikimediafoundation.org/), a non-profit organization. - [Privacy policy](https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Privacy_policy) - [About Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:About) - [Disclaimers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:General_disclaimer) - [Contact Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contact_us) - [Legal & safety contacts](https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Legal:Wikimedia_Foundation_Legal_and_Safety_Contact_Information) - [Code of Conduct](https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Universal_Code_of_Conduct) - [Developers](https://developer.wikimedia.org/) - [Statistics](https://stats.wikimedia.org/#/en.wikipedia.org) - [Cookie statement](https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Cookie_statement) - [Mobile view](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Internet_meme&mobileaction=toggle_view_mobile) - [![Wikimedia Foundation](https://en.wikipedia.org/static/images/footer/wikimedia.svg)](https://www.wikimedia.org/) - [![Powered by MediaWiki](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/resources/assets/mediawiki_compact.svg)](https://www.mediawiki.org/) Search Toggle the table of contents Internet meme 69 languages [Add topic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme)

Readable Markdown

An **Internet meme**, or **meme** (), is a cultural item (such as an idea, behavior, or style) that spreads across the [Internet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet "Internet"), now primarily through [social media](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media "Social media") platforms. Internet memes manifest in a variety of formats, including [images](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image "Image"), [videos](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video "Video") (e.g. [GIFs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GIF "GIF")), and other [viral content](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viral_content "Viral content"). Key characteristics of memes include their tendency to be [parodied](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parodied "Parodied"), their use of [intertextuality](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intertextuality "Intertextuality"), their viral dissemination, and their continual evolution. The term *[meme](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme "Meme")* was originally introduced by [Richard Dawkins](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Dawkins "Richard Dawkins") in his 1976 book *[The Selfish Gene](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Selfish_Gene "The Selfish Gene")* to describe the concept of cultural transmission of a singular unit, analogous to biology. The term *Internet meme* was coined by [Mike Godwin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Godwin "Mike Godwin") in 1993 in reference to the way memes proliferated through early [online communities](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_communities "Online communities"), including [message boards](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Message_boards "Message boards"), [Usenet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usenet "Usenet") groups, and email. The emergence of social media platforms such as [YouTube](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube "YouTube"), [Twitter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter "Twitter"), [Facebook](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook "Facebook"), and [Instagram](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instagram "Instagram") further diversified memes and accelerated their spread. [Dank](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/dank "wikt:dank") and [surrealist](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrealist "Surrealist") memes are some of the newer genres, with newer formats like [short-form videos](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short-form_videos "Short-form videos") popularized by platforms like [Vine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vine_$service$ "Vine (service)") and [TikTok](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TikTok "TikTok"). Newer internet memes (specifically those of low quality) are often classified as [brain rot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_rot "Brain rot") or [AI slop](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AI_slop "AI slop"). Memes are now recognized as a significant aspect of [Internet culture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_culture "Internet culture") and are the subject of academic research. They appear across a broad spectrum of contexts, including marketing, economics, finance, politics, social movements, religion, and healthcare. While memes are often viewed as falling under [fair use](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use "Fair use") protection, their incorporation of material from pre-existing works can result in [copyright](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright "Copyright") disputes. Characteristics Internet memes derive from the original concept of [memes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme "Meme") as units of cultural transmission, passed from person to person. In the digital realm, this transmission occurs primarily through online platforms, such as [social media](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media "Social media").[\[1\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-1) Although related, internet memes differ from traditional memes in that they often represent fleeting trends, whereas the success of traditional memes is measured by their endurance over time. Additionally, internet memes tend to be less abstract in nature compared to their traditional counterparts.[\[2\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-2) They are highly versatile in form and purpose, serving as tools for light entertainment, self-expression, social commentary, and even political discourse.[\[3\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-BBC-3) Two fundamental characteristics of internet memes are creative reproduction and [intertextuality](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intertextuality "Intertextuality").[\[4\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-MIT_Press-4) Creative reproduction refers to the adaptation and transformation of a meme through imitation or parody, either by reproducing the meme in a new context ("mimicry") or by remixing the original material ("remix"). In mimicry, the meme is recreated in a different setting, as seen when different individuals replicate the viral video "[Charlie Bit My Finger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Bit_My_Finger "Charlie Bit My Finger")". Remix, on the other hand, involves technological manipulation, such as altering an image with [Photoshop](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe_Photoshop "Adobe Photoshop"), while retaining elements of the original meme.[\[4\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-MIT_Press-4) Intertextuality in memes involves the blending of different cultural references or contexts. An example of this is the combination of US politician [Mitt Romney](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitt_Romney "Mitt Romney")'s phrase "[binders full of women](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binders_full_of_women "Binders full of women")" from the 2012 US presidential debate with a scene from the Korean pop song "[Gangnam Style](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gangnam_Style "Gangnam Style")". In this case, the phrase "my binders full of women exploded" is superimposed on a frame from [Psy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psy "Psy")'s music video, creating a new meaning by merging political and cultural references from distinct contexts.[\[4\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-MIT_Press-4) Internet memes can also function as [in-jokes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-joke "In-joke") within specific online communities, where they convey insider knowledge that may be incomprehensible to outsiders. This fosters a sense of collective identity within the group.[\[5\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-First_Monday-5) Conversely, some memes achieve widespread cultural relevance, being understood and appreciated by broader audiences outside of the originating subculture.[\[3\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-BBC-3) A study by Michele Knobel and Colin Lankshear examined how Richard Dawkins' three characteristics of successful traditional memes—fidelity, fecundity, and longevity—apply to internet memes. It was found that fidelity in the context of internet memes is better described as replicability, as memes are frequently modified through remixing while still maintaining their core message. Fecundity, or the ability of a meme to spread, is promoted by factors such as humor (such as the comically translated video game line "[All your base are belong to us](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_your_base_are_belong_to_us "All your base are belong to us")"), intertextuality (as in the various pop culture-referencing renditions of the "[Star Wars Kid](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_Kid "Star Wars Kid")" viral video), and juxtaposition of seemingly incongruous elements (exemplified in the "[Bert is Evil](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bert_is_Evil "Bert is Evil")" meme). Finally, longevity is essential for a meme's continued circulation and evolution over time.[\[6\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-6) Evolution and propagation [![Internet meme propagation graph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2a/Graph_SIR_model_without_vital_dynamics.svg/250px-Graph_SIR_model_without_vital_dynamics.svg.png)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Graph_SIR_model_without_vital_dynamics.svg) Internet memes propagate in a similar pattern to infectious disease, as shown by this [SIR model](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIR_Model "SIR Model"). The pattern, as depicted in red, shows an initial spike in popularity followed by a gradual taper to obscurity. Internet memes can either remain consistent or evolve over time. This evolution may involve changes in meaning while retaining the meme's structure, or vice versa, with such transformations occurring either by chance or through deliberate efforts like parody.[\[7\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-7) A study by Miltner examined the [lolcats](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lolcat "Lolcat") meme, tracing its development from an in-joke within computer and gaming communities on the website [4chan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4chan "4chan") to a broader source of humor and emotional support. As the meme entered mainstream culture, it lost favor with its original creators. Miltner explained that as content moves through different communities, it is reinterpreted to suit the specific needs and desires of those communities, often diverging from the creator's original intent.[\[5\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-First_Monday-5) Modifications to memes can lead them to transcend social and cultural boundaries.[\[8\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-8) Memes spread virally, in a manner similar to the [SIR](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIR_model "SIR model") (Susceptible-Infectious-Recovered) model used to describe the transmission of diseases.[\[9\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-9) Once a meme has reached a critical number of individuals, its continued spread becomes inevitable.[\[10\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Wired_temes-10) Research by Coscia examined the factors contributing to a meme's propagation and longevity, concluding that while memes compete for attention—often resulting in shorter lifespans—they can also collaborate, enhancing their chances of survival. A meme that experiences an exceptionally high peak in popularity is unlikely to endure unless it is uniquely distinct. Conversely, a meme without such a peak, but that coexists with others, tends to have greater longevity.[\[11\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-CosciaHarvardCID2013-11) In 2013, Dominic Basulto, writing for *[The Washington Post](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Washington_Post "The Washington Post")*, argued that the widespread use of memes, particularly by the marketing and advertising industries, has led to a decline in their original cultural value. Once considered valuable cultural artifacts meant to endure, memes now often convey trivial rather than meaningful ideas.[\[12\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-WashingtonPost20130705-12) History Origins and early memes [![Image of lolcat meme](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/CatLolCatExample.jpg/250px-CatLolCatExample.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CatLolCatExample.jpg) A lolcat image macro, a meme style especially popular in the mid-and-late 2000s The word *meme* was coined by [Richard Dawkins](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Dawkins "Richard Dawkins") in his 1976 book *[The Selfish Gene](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Selfish_Gene "The Selfish Gene")* as an attempt to explain how aspects of culture replicate, mutate, and evolve ([memetics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memetics "Memetics")).[\[13\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-cream-13) [Emoticons](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emoticon "Emoticon") are among the earliest examples of internet memes, specifically the smiley emoticon ":-)", introduced by [Scott Fahlman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Fahlman "Scott Fahlman") in 1982.[\[14\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Journal_of_Content,_Community_&_Communication_Amity_School_of_Communication-14) The concept of memes in an online context was formally proposed by [Mike Godwin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Godwin "Mike Godwin") in the June 1993 issue of *[Wired](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wired_$magazine$ "Wired (magazine)")*.[\[15\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-godwin-15) In 2013, Dawkins characterized an Internet meme as being a meme deliberately altered by human creativity—distinguished from biological genes and his own pre-Internet concept of a meme, which involved mutation by random change and spreading through accurate replication as in Darwinian selection. Dawkins explained that Internet memes are thus a "hijacking of the original idea", evolving the very concept of a meme in this new direction.[\[16\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Wired20130620-16) Nevertheless, by 2013, Limor Shifman solidified the relationship of memes to internet culture and reworked Dawkins' concept for online contexts.[\[17\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-17) Such an association has been shown to be empirically valuable as internet memes carry an additional property that Dawkins' "memes" do not: internet memes leave a footprint in the media through which they propagate (for example, social networks) that renders them traceable and analyzable.[\[11\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-CosciaHarvardCID2013-11) However, before internet memes were considered truly academic, they were initially a colloquial reference to humorous visual communication online in the mid-late 1990s among internet denizens; examples of these early internet memes include the [Dancing Baby](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_baby "Dancing baby") and [Hampster Dance](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hampster_Dance "Hampster Dance").[\[18\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-18) Memes of this time were primarily spread via [messageboards](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_forum "Internet forum"), [Usenet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usenet "Usenet") groups, and [email](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Email "Email"), and generally lasted for a longer time than modern memes.[\[19\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Wired-2018-19) [![Photograph of a Shiba Inu dog playing in snow, with superimposed text "wow" / "many ice" / "so snow" / "much frosty" / "very winter" / "wow" / "such freeze omg" in the Comic Sans font and in varying colors scattered throughout the image.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/Doge_meme_example.jpg/250px-Doge_meme_example.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Doge_meme_example.jpg) An example of the [Doge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doge_$meme$ "Doge (meme)") meme, popular in 2013 and similar in style to earlier lolcats[\[20\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-20) As the Internet protocols evolved, so did memes. [Lolcats](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lolcat "Lolcat") originated from imageboard website [4chan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4chan "4chan"), becoming the prototype of the "[image macro](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_macro "Image macro")" format (an image overlaid by large text).[\[19\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Wired-2018-19) Other early forms of image-based memes included demotivators (parodized motivational posters), photoshopped images, [comics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comics "Comics") (such as [rage comics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rage_comic "Rage comic")),[\[21\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-21)[\[22\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-22) and [anime](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anime "Anime") [fan art](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_art "Fan art"),[\[23\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-23) sometimes made by [*doujin*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doujin "Doujin") circles in various countries. After the release of [YouTube](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube "YouTube") in 2005, video-based memes such as [Rickrolling](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rickrolling "Rickrolling") and [viral videos](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viral_video "Viral video") such as "[Gangnam Style](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gangnam_Style_$music_video$ "Gangnam Style (music video)")" and [the Harlem shake](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlem_shake_$dance$ "Harlem shake (dance)") emerged.[\[19\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Wired-2018-19)[\[24\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-24) The appearance of social media websites such as [Twitter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter "Twitter"), [Facebook](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook "Facebook"), and [Instagram](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instagram "Instagram") provided additional mediums for the spread of memes,[\[25\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-25) and the creation of meme-generating websites made their production more accessible.[\[19\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Wired-2018-19) Contemporary memes "Dank memes" are a genre of internet memes that reached mainstream prominence around 2014. Dank memes refer to deliberately zany or odd memes with features such as oversaturated colors, [compression artifacts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compression_artifact "Compression artifact"), crude humor, strange captions, and overly loud sounds (termed *ear rape*).[\[26\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-SAGE-26)[\[27\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-27) The term *dank*, which refers to cold, damp places, was adapted as a way to describe memes that fit the aforementioned criteria of a dank meme.[\[26\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-SAGE-26)[\[28\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-28) The term may also be used to describe memes that have become overused and stale to the point of paradoxically becoming humorous again. Despite having lost popularity since the late 2010s, dank memes have seen several "revival" attempts, popularised on platforms such as [TikTok](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TikTok "TikTok").[\[29\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-29) The phenomenon of dank memes sprouted a subculture called the "meme market", satirizing [Wall Street](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall_Street "Wall Street") and applying the associated jargon (such as "stocks") to internet memes. Originally started on [Reddit](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reddit "Reddit") as /r/MemeEconomy, users jokingly "buy" or "sell" shares in a meme reflecting opinion on its potential popularity.[\[30\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-30) [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/18/Deep_fried_meme.jpg/250px-Deep_fried_meme.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Deep_fried_meme.jpg) Example of a "deep-fried" meme, featuring distortion and saturated colors "Deep-fried" memes refer to those that have been distorted and run through several filters and/or layers of [lossy compression](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lossy_compression "Lossy compression").[\[31\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-31)[\[32\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-32) An example of these is the "E" meme, a picture of YouTuber [Markiplier](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markiplier "Markiplier") photoshopped onto [Lord Farquaad](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Farquaad "Lord Farquaad") from the film *[Shrek](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrek "Shrek")*, in turn photoshopped into a scene from businessman [Mark Zuckerberg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Zuckerberg "Mark Zuckerberg")'s hearing in Congress and captioned with a lone 'E'.[\[33\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-33) Elizabeth Bruenig of the *[Washington Post](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Washington_Post "The Washington Post")* described this as a "digital update to the surreal and absurd genres of art and literature that characterized the tumultuous early 20th century".[\[34\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-34) Many modern memes make use of humorously absurd and even [surrealist](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrealism "Surrealism") themes. Examples of the former include "they did surgery on a grape", a video depicting a [Da Vinci Surgical System](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Da_Vinci_Surgical_System "Da Vinci Surgical System") performing test surgery on a grape,[\[35\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-35) and the "moth meme", a close-up picture of a moth with captions humorously conveying the insect's love of [lamps](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_light "Electric light").[\[36\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-36) Surreal memes incorporate layers of irony to make them unique and nonsensical, often as a means of escapism from mainstream meme culture.[\[37\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-37) [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e8/Thousand_yard_stare_meme.png/250px-Thousand_yard_stare_meme.png)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Thousand_yard_stare_meme.png) The "[Thousand Yard Stare](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thousand-yard_stare "Thousand-yard stare") Meme", which was popular in 2023[\[38\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-38) After the success of the application [Vine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vine_$service$ "Vine (service)"), a format of memes emerged in the form of short videos and scripted sketches. An example is the "What's Nine Plus Ten?" meme, a Vine video depicting a child humorously providing an incorrect answer to a math problem.[\[39\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-39) After the shutdown of Vine in 2017, the de facto replacement became the social network [TikTok](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TikTok "TikTok"), which similarly utilizes the short video format.[\[40\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-40) The platform has become immensely popular, and is the source of many genres of internet memes as of the mid 2020s.[\[41\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-41)[\[42\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-42) In 2022, the term *[brain rot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_rot "Brain rot")* became used to reflect a shift in how memes, particularly TikTok videos, were being interacted with. The term describes content lacking in quality and meaning, often associated with slang and trends popular among [Generation Alpha](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Alpha "Generation Alpha"), such as "[skibidi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skibidi_Toilet "Skibidi Toilet")", "[rizz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rizz "Rizz")", "[gyatt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyatt "Gyatt")", "[sigma](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigma_$slang$ "Sigma (slang)")" and "[fanum tax](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanum_tax "Fanum tax")".[\[43\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-43) The name comes from the perceived negative psychological and cognitive effects caused by exposure to such content.[\[44\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-44) [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Six-seven_jack-o-lantern%2C_Toronto_2025.jpg/250px-Six-seven_jack-o-lantern%2C_Toronto_2025.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Six-seven_jack-o-lantern,_Toronto_2025.jpg) Some Internet memes have been criticized for being deliberately meaningless and nonsensical, such as the [6-7 meme](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6-7_meme "6-7 meme").[\[45\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-45) In 2025, some TikTok users expressed concern over a "meme drought", which was said to be caused by a [cringe culture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cringe_culture "Cringe culture") community known as SlimeTok.[\[46\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-46) The meme drought was also used to criticize AI-inspired [brainrot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_rot "Brain rot") trends and deliberately meaningless content by [Gen Alpha](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gen_Alpha "Gen Alpha") and younger [Gen Z](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gen_Z "Gen Z"), such as [6-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6-7_meme "6-7 meme"), for being "oversaturated and unfunny". These people called for a "**Great Meme Reset**" on January 1, 2026, which was the act of returning to "classic" memes from the 2010s such as [Nyan Cat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyan_cat "Nyan cat") and [Big Chungus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Chungus "Big Chungus").[\[47\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-47) By context Marketing The practice of using memes to market products or services has been termed "memetic marketing".[\[48\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-memetic_marketing-48) Internet memes allow brands to circumvent the conception of advertisements as irksome, making them less overt and more tailored to the likes of their target audience. Marketing personnel may choose to utilize an existing meme, or create a new meme from scratch. Fashion house [Gucci](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gucci "Gucci") employed the former strategy, launching a series of [Instagram](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instagram "Instagram") ads that reimagined popular memes featuring its watch collection. The image macro "The Most Interesting Man in the World" is an example of the latter, a meme generated from an advertising campaign for the [Dos Equis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dos_Equis "Dos Equis") beer brand.[\[49\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-49) Products may also gain popularity through internet memes without intention by the producer themselves; for instance, the film *[Snakes on a Plane](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snakes_on_a_Plane "Snakes on a Plane")* became a [cult classic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_classic "Cult classic") after creation of the website SnakesOnABlog.com by law student Brian Finkelstein.[\[50\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-50) Use of memes by brands, while often advantageous, has been subject to criticism for seemingly forced, unoriginal, or unfunny usage of memes, which can negatively impact a brand's image.[\[51\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-51) For example, the fast food company [Wendy's](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendy%27s "Wendy's") began a social media-based approach to marketing that was initially met with success (resulting in an almost 50% profit growth that year), but received criticism after sharing a controversial [Pepe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepe_the_Frog "Pepe the Frog") meme that was negatively perceived by consumers.[\[52\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-52) Economics and finance Meme [stocks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stock "Stock") are a phenomenon where stock values for a company rise significantly in a short period due to a surge in interest online and subsequent buying by investors. Video game retailer [GameStop](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GameStop "GameStop") is recognized as the first meme stock.[\[53\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-53) [r/WallStreetBets](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki//r/WallStreetBets "/r/WallStreetBets"), a [subreddit](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subreddit "Subreddit") where participants discuss [stock trading](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stock_trader "Stock trader"), and [Robinhood Markets](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robinhood_Markets "Robinhood Markets"), a financial services company, became notable in 2021 for their involvement in the popularisation of meme stocks.[\[54\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-54)[\[55\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-55) "YOLO investors" are a phenomenon that emerged during the [COVID-19 pandemic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic "COVID-19 pandemic"), who are less risk averse in their investments compared to their traditional counterparts.[\[56\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-56) Additionally, memes have developed an association with [cryptocurrency](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptocurrency "Cryptocurrency") with the development of [meme currencies](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme_coin "Meme coin") such as [Dogecoin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogecoin "Dogecoin"), Shiba Inu Coin, and Pepe Coin. Meme cryptocurrencies have suggested comparisons between meme value and monetary markets.[\[57\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-57)[\[58\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-58) Politics Internet memes are a medium for fast communication to large online audiences, which has led to their use by those seeking to express a political opinion or actively campaign for (or against) a political entity.[\[14\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Journal_of_Content,_Community_&_Communication_Amity_School_of_Communication-14)[\[59\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-59) In some ways, they can be seen as a modern form of the [political cartoon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_cartoon "Political cartoon"), offering a way to democratize political commentary.[\[60\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-60) [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/15/Meme_that_perpetuates_Irish_slaves_myth.png/250px-Meme_that_perpetuates_Irish_slaves_myth.png)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Meme_that_perpetuates_Irish_slaves_myth.png) Meme image used by white nationalists in the US to perpetuate the [Irish slaves myth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_slaves_myth "Irish slaves myth")[\[61\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-61) Among the earliest political memes were those arising from the viral [Dean scream](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_scream "Dean scream"), an excerpt from a speech delivered by [Vermont](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermont "Vermont") [governor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governor_$United_States$ "Governor (United States)") [Howard Dean](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Dean "Howard Dean").[\[62\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-62) Over time, Internet memes have become an increasingly important element in political campaigns, as online communities contribute to broader discourse through the use of memes.[\[63\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-63) For example, [Ted Cruz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Cruz "Ted Cruz")'s 2016 Republican presidential bid was damaged by [a meme](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Cruz%E2%80%93Zodiac_Killer_meme "Ted Cruz–Zodiac Killer meme") that jokingly speculated he was the [Zodiac Killer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zodiac_Killer "Zodiac Killer").[\[64\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-64) Research has shown the use of memes during elections has a role to play in informing the public on political themes. A study explored this in relation to the [2017 UK general election](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_United_Kingdom_general_election "2017 United Kingdom general election"), and concluded that memes acted as a widely shared conduit for basic political information to audiences who would usually not seek it out.[\[65\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-The_British_Journal_of_Politics_and_International_Relations-65) They also found that memes may play some role in increasing [voter turnout](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voter_turnout "Voter turnout").[\[65\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-The_British_Journal_of_Politics_and_International_Relations-65) Some political campaigns have begun to explicitly taken advantage of the increasing influence of memes; as part of the [2020 US presidential campaign](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_United_States_presidential_election "2020 United States presidential election"), [Michael Bloomberg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Bloomberg "Michael Bloomberg") sponsored a number of Instagram accounts (with over 60 million followers collectively) to post memes related to the Bloomberg campaign.[\[66\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-66) The campaign was faulted for treating memes as a commodity that can be bought.[\[67\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-67) Beyond their use in elections, Internet memes can become symbols for various political ideologies. A salient example is Pepe the Frog, which has been used as a symbol for the [alt-right](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alt-right "Alt-right") political movement, as well as for [pro-democracy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pro-democracy "Pro-democracy") ideologies in the [2019–2020 Hong Kong protests](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019%E2%80%932020_Hong_Kong_protests "2019–2020 Hong Kong protests").[\[68\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-68)[\[69\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-69) [![A person stands still and winces as a bucket full of ice and water is poured onto their head by another.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/John_Maino_performs_the_ALS_Ice_Bucket_Challenge.jpg/250px-John_Maino_performs_the_ALS_Ice_Bucket_Challenge.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:John_Maino_performs_the_ALS_Ice_Bucket_Challenge.jpg) A person performing the Ice Bucket Challenge Internet memes can be powerful tools in social movements, constructing collective identity and providing platform for discourse.[\[3\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-BBC-3)[\[70\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-70) During the 2010 [It Gets Better Project](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Gets_Better_Project "It Gets Better Project") for [LGBTQ+](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT "LGBT") empowerment, memes were used to uplift LGBTQ+ youth while negotiating the community's collective identity.[\[71\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-71) In 2014, the viral [Ice Bucket Challenge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_Bucket_Challenge "Ice Bucket Challenge") raised money and awareness for [Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/Motor Neurone Disease](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amyotrophic_Lateral_Sclerosis "Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis") (ALS/MND).[\[72\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-72) Furthermore, internet memes proved an important medium in the discourse surrounding the [Occupy Wall Street](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupy_Wall_Street "Occupy Wall Street") (OWS) movement.[\[73\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-73) Religion Internet memes have also been used in the context of [religion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion "Religion").[\[74\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-74) They create a participatory culture that enables individuals to collectively make meaning of religious beliefs, reflecting a form of [lived religion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lived_religion "Lived religion").[\[75\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Information,_Communication_&_Society-75) Aguilar et al. of [Texas A\&M University](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_A%26M_University "Texas A&M University") identified six common genres of religious memes: non-religious image macros with religious themes, image macros featuring religious figures, memes reacting to religion-related news, memes deifying non-religious figures such as [celebrities](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celebrity "Celebrity"), [spoofs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parody "Parody") of religious images, and video-based memes.[\[75\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Information,_Communication_&_Society-75) Healthcare Social media platforms can increase the speed of dissemination of evidence-based health practices.[\[76\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-76) A study by Reynolds and Boyd found the majority of participants (who were healthcare staff) felt that memes could be an appropriate means of improving healthcare worker's knowledge of and compliance with infection prevention practices.[\[77\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-77) Internet memes were also used in [Nigeria](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigeria "Nigeria") to raise awareness of the [COVID-19 pandemic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic "COVID-19 pandemic"), with healthcare professionals using the medium to disseminate information on the virus and [its vaccine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_vaccine "COVID-19 vaccine").[\[78\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-78) Copyright Since many memes are derived from pre-existing works, it has been contended that memes violate the copyright of the original authors. However, some view memes as falling under the ambit of [fair use](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use "Fair use") in the United States.[\[79\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Duke_Law_&_Technology_Review-79)[\[80\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-80) This dilemma has caused conflict between meme producers and copyright owners; for example, [Getty Images](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getty_Images "Getty Images")' demand for payment from the blog *Get Digital* for publishing the "Socially Awkward Penguin" meme without permission.[\[81\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-81) United States Under United States copyright law, copyright protection subsists in "original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression, now known or later developed, from which they can be perceived, reproduced, or otherwise communicated, either directly or with the aid of a machine or device". It is disputed whether the use of memes constitutes copyright infringement.[\[79\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Duke_Law_&_Technology_Review-79) [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ac/Farmer_meme_with_apostrophe.jpg/250px-Farmer_meme_with_apostrophe.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Farmer_meme_with_apostrophe.jpg) This [image macro](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_macro "Image macro") is in the [public domain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domain "Public domain") in the United States as the background was taken by the [Department of Agriculture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Agriculture "United States Department of Agriculture"). Fair use is a defense under US copyright law which protects work made using other copyrighted works.[\[82\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Journalism_&_Mass_Communication_Quarterly-82) Section 107 of the [1976 Copyright Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_Act_of_1976 "Copyright Act of 1976") outlines four factors for analysis of fair use: 1. The purpose and character of the use, 2. The nature of the copyrighted work, 3. The amount and substantiality of the portion used, and 4. The effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.[\[79\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Duke_Law_&_Technology_Review-79) The first factor implies the secondary use of a copyrighted work should be "transformative" (that is, giving novel meaning or expression to the original work); many memes fulfil this criterion, placing pieces of media in a new context to serve a different purpose to that of the original author. The second factor favors copied works drawing from factual sources, which may be problematic for memes derived from fictional works (such as films). Many of these memes, however, only use small portions of such works (such as still images), favoring an argument of fair use per the third factor. With regards to the fourth factor, most memes are non-commercial in nature and thus would not have adverse effects on the potential market for the copyright work.[\[79\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Duke_Law_&_Technology_Review-79) Given these factors, and the overall reliance of memes on appropriation of other sources, it has been argued that they deserve protection from copyright infringement suits.[\[82\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Journalism_&_Mass_Communication_Quarterly-82) Non-fungible tokens Some individuals who are subjects of memes (and thus the copyright holders) have made money through sale of [non-fungible tokens](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-fungible_token "Non-fungible token") (NFTs) in [auctions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auction "Auction").[\[83\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Wired-83) Ben Lashes, a manager of numerous memes, stated their sales as NFTs made over US\$2 million and established memes as serious forms of art.[\[84\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Fazio-84) One example is *[Disaster Girl](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disaster_Girl "Disaster Girl")*, based on a photo of Zoe Roth at age 4 taken in [Mebane, North Carolina](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mebane,_North_Carolina "Mebane, North Carolina"), in January 2005.[\[84\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-Fazio-84) After this photo became famous and had attained widespread usage on the Internet, Roth decided to sell it as an NFT for US\$539,973 (equivalent to \$641,562 in 2025),[\[85\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-inflation-US-85) with an agreement for a further 10 percent share of any future sales.[\[86\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_note-86) See also - [List of Internet phenomena](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Internet_phenomena "List of Internet phenomena") - [Remix culture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remix_culture "Remix culture") - [Short-form content](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short-form_content "Short-form content") - [Memetic warfare](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memetic_warfare "Memetic warfare") (Meme Warefare) References 1. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-1)** Benveniste, Alexis (January 26, 2022). ["The Meaning and History of Memes"](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/26/crosswords/what-is-a-meme.html). *The New York Times*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230128093855/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/26/crosswords/what-is-a-meme.html) from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023. 2. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-2)** Shifman, Limor (April 2013). ["Memes in a Digital World: Reconciling with a Conceptual Troublemaker"](https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fjcc4.12013). *Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication*. **18** (3): 364. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1111/jcc4.12013](https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fjcc4.12013). [hdl](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hdl_$identifier$ "Hdl (identifier)"):[11059/14843](https://hdl.handle.net/11059%2F14843). [S2CID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S2CID_$identifier$ "S2CID (identifier)") [28196215](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:28196215). 3. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-BBC_3-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-BBC_3-1) [***c***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-BBC_3-2) Brown, Helen (September 29, 2022). ["The surprising power of internet memes"](https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220928-the-surprising-power-of-internet-memes). *BBC*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230128093847/https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220928-the-surprising-power-of-internet-memes) from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023. 4. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-MIT_Press_4-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-MIT_Press_4-1) [***c***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-MIT_Press_4-2) Shifman, Limor (2013). *Memes in Digital Culture*. MIT Press. pp. 2–4, 20–22\. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0-262-31770-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-262-31770-2 "Special:BookSources/978-0-262-31770-2") . 5. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-First_Monday_5-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-First_Monday_5-1) Miltner, Kate M. (August 1, 2014). ["'There's no place for lulz on LOLCats': The role of genre, gender, and group identity in the interpretation and enjoyment of an Internet meme"](https://doi.org/10.5210%2Ffm.v19i8.5391). *First Monday*. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.5210/fm.v19i8.5391](https://doi.org/10.5210%2Ffm.v19i8.5391). 6. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-6)** Knobel, Michele; Lankshear, Colin (2018) \[2007\]. ["Online memes, affinities, and cultural production."](https://books.google.com/books?id=4Gjs8uT6dxIC&dq=Online+memes,+affinities+and+cultural+production&pg=PA199). *A New Literacies Sampler*. [Peter Lang Publishing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Lang_Publishing "Peter Lang Publishing"). pp. 201–202\. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [9780820495231](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780820495231 "Special:BookSources/9780820495231") . [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230405041905/https://books.google.com/books?id=4Gjs8uT6dxIC&dq=Online+memes,+affinities+and+cultural+production&pg=PA199) from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved March 19, 2023. 7. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-7)** Castaño Díaz, Carlos Mauricio (September 25, 2013). ["Defining and characterizing the concept of Internet Meme"](https://revistas.ces.edu.co/index.php/psicologia/article/view/2642). *CES Psicología*. **6** (2): 97–98\. [ProQuest](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ProQuest "ProQuest") [1713930915](https://www.proquest.com/docview/1713930915). 8. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-8)** Bauckhage, Christian (August 3, 2021). ["Insights into Internet Memes"](https://doi.org/10.1609%2Ficwsm.v5i1.14097). *Proceedings of the International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media*. **5** (1): 42–49\. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1609/icwsm.v5i1.14097](https://doi.org/10.1609%2Ficwsm.v5i1.14097). [S2CID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S2CID_$identifier$ "S2CID (identifier)") [16629837](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:16629837). 9. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-9)** Wang, Lin; Wood, Brendan C. (November 2011). ["An epidemiological approach to model the viral propagation of memes"](https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.apm.2011.04.035). *Applied Mathematical Modelling*. **35** (11): 5447. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1016/j.apm.2011.04.035](https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.apm.2011.04.035). 10. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Wired_temes_10-0)** Zetter, K. (February 29, 2008). ["Humans Are Just Machines for Propagating Memes"](https://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2008/02/ted_blackmore?currentPage=all). *[Wired](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wired_$magazine$ "Wired (magazine)")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20140202123609/http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2008/02/ted_blackmore?currentPage=all) from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved March 7, 2017. 11. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-CosciaHarvardCID2013_11-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-CosciaHarvardCID2013_11-1) Coscia, Michele (April 5, 2013). "Competition and Success in the Meme Pool: a Case Study on Quickmeme.com". [arXiv](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ArXiv_$identifier$ "ArXiv (identifier)"):[1304\.1712](https://arxiv.org/abs/1304.1712) \[[physics.soc-ph](https://arxiv.org/archive/physics.soc-ph)\]. Paper explained for laymen by Mims, Christopher (June 28, 2013). ["Why you'll share this story: The new science of memes"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130703055640/http://qz.com/98677/why-youll-share-this-story-the-new-science-of-memes/). *[Quartz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartz_$publication$ "Quartz (publication)")*. Archived from [the original](http://qz.com/98677/why-youll-share-this-story-the-new-science-of-memes/) on July 3, 2013. 12. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-WashingtonPost20130705_12-0)** Basulto, Dominic (July 5, 2013). ["Have Internet memes lost their meaning?"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130705202602/http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2013/07/05/have-internet-memes-lost-their-meaning/). *The Washington Post*. Archived from [the original](https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2013/07/05/have-internet-memes-lost-their-meaning/) on July 5, 2013. 13. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-cream_13-0)** [Dawkins, Richard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Dawkins "Richard Dawkins") (1989). [*The Selfish Gene*](https://books.google.com/books?id=WkHO9HI7koEC&pg=PA192) (2 ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 192. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0-19-286092-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-19-286092-7 "Special:BookSources/978-0-19-286092-7") . [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20150316114026/http://books.google.com/books?id=WkHO9HI7koEC&pg=PA192) from the original on March 16, 2015. Retrieved June 16, 2015. 14. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Journal_of_Content,_Community_&_Communication_Amity_School_of_Communication_14-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Journal_of_Content,_Community_&_Communication_Amity_School_of_Communication_14-1) Kulkarni, Anushka (June 3, 2017). ["Internet Meme and Political Discourse: A Study on the Impact of Internet Meme as a Tool in Communicating Political Satire"](https://www.amity.edu/gwalior/jccc/pdf/jcc-journal-december-2017-13-17.pdf) (PDF). *Journal of Content, Community & Communication Amity School of Communication*. **6**: 13. [SSRN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SSRN_$identifier$ "SSRN (identifier)") [3501366](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3501366). 15. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-godwin_15-0)** Godwin, Mike (October 1, 1994). ["Meme, Counter-meme"](https://www.wired.com/1994/10/godwin-if-2/). *[Wired](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wired_$magazine$ "Wired (magazine)")*. Retrieved January 31, 2023. 16. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Wired20130620_16-0)** Solon, Olivia (June 20, 2013). ["Richard Dawkins on The Internet's hijacking of the word 'meme'"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130709152558/http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2013-06/20/richard-dawkins-memes). *Wired UK*. Archived from [the original](https://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2013-06/20/richard-dawkins-memes) on July 9, 2013. 17. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-17)** Shifman, Limor (April 2013). ["Memes in a Digital World: Reconciling with a Conceptual Troublemaker"](https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fjcc4.12013). *Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication*. **18** (3): 367. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1111/jcc4.12013](https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fjcc4.12013). [hdl](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hdl_$identifier$ "Hdl (identifier)"):[11059/14843](https://hdl.handle.net/11059%2F14843). 18. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-18)** Keep, Lennlee (October 8, 2020). ["From Kilroy to Pepe: A Brief History of Memes"](https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/blog/from-kilroy-to-pepe-a-brief-history-of-memes/). *Public Broadcasting Service*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230306192623/https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/blog/from-kilroy-to-pepe-a-brief-history-of-memes/) from the original on March 6, 2023. Retrieved January 31, 2023. 19. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Wired-2018_19-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Wired-2018_19-1) [***c***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Wired-2018_19-2) [***d***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Wired-2018_19-3) Watercutter, Angela; Grey Ellisby, Emma (April 1, 2018). ["The WIRED Guide to Memes"](https://www.wired.com/story/guide-memes/). *Wired*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20190201164321/https://www.wired.com/story/guide-memes/) from the original on February 1, 2019. Retrieved November 30, 2018. 20. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-20)** ["We who spoke LOLcat now speak Doge"](https://gizmodo.com/we-who-spoke-lolcat-now-speak-doge-1481243678). *Gizmodo*. December 11, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2024. 21. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-21)** Boutin, Paul (May 9, 2012). ["Put Your Rage Into a Cartoon and Exit Laughing"](https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/10/technology/personaltech/rage-comics-turn-everyday-stress-into-laughs.html). *[The New York Times](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times "The New York Times")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210314141449/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/10/technology/personaltech/rage-comics-turn-everyday-stress-into-laughs.html) from the original on March 14, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2020. 22. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-22)** Denisova, Anastasia (2020). *Internet Memes and Society: Social, Cultural, and Political Contexts*. New York, NY: [Routledge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Routledge "Routledge"). pp. 9–11\. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0-429-46940-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-429-46940-4 "Special:BookSources/978-0-429-46940-4") . [OCLC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OCLC_$identifier$ "OCLC (identifier)") [1090540034](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/1090540034). 23. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-23)** Beran, Dale (2019). *It Came from Something Awful: How a Toxic Troll Army Accidentally Memed Donald Trump into Office*. St. Martin's Publishing Group. p. xi. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [978-1-250-18974-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-250-18974-5 "Special:BookSources/978-1-250-18974-5") . 24. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-24)** Michaels, Sean (March 19, 2008). ["Taking the Rick"](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/mar/19/news). *[The Guardian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Guardian "The Guardian")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230131140850/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/mar/19/news) from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved January 31, 2023. 25. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-25)** Nieubuurt, Joshua Troy (January 15, 2021). ["Internet Memes: Leaflet Propaganda of the Digital Age"](https://doi.org/10.3389%2Ffcomm.2020.547065). *Frontiers in Communication*. **5** 547065: 3. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.3389/fcomm.2020.547065](https://doi.org/10.3389%2Ffcomm.2020.547065). 26. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-SAGE_26-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-SAGE_26-1) Hanlon, Annmarie; Tuten, Tracy L., eds. (2022). *The SAGE Handbook of Social Media Marketing*. SAGE. p. 10. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [978-1-5297-4378-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-5297-4378-4 "Special:BookSources/978-1-5297-4378-4") . 27. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-27)** ["Dank meme"](https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/dank-meme/). *[Dictionary.com](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dictionary.com "Dictionary.com")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20181130071447/https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/dank-meme/) from the original on November 30, 2018. Retrieved November 30, 2018. 28. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-28)** Hoffman, Ashley (February 2, 2018). ["Donald Trump Jr. Just Became a Dank Meme, Literally"](https://time.com/5130384/donald-trump-jr-dankness-tweet/). *Time*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180501012644/http://time.com/5130384/donald-trump-jr-dankness-tweet/) from the original on May 1, 2018. Retrieved May 19, 2018. 29. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-29)** Griffin, Annaliese (March 9, 2018). ["What does "dank" mean? A definition of everyone's new favourite adjective"](https://quartzy.qz.com/1221995/dank-is-the-new-umami/). *[Quartz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartz_$magazine$ "Quartz (magazine)")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180519121617/https://quartzy.qz.com/1221995/dank-is-the-new-umami/) from the original on May 19, 2018. Retrieved May 19, 2018. 30. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-30)** Plaugic, Lizzie (January 10, 2017). ["How a group of Redditors is creating a fake stock market to figure out the value of memes"](https://www.theverge.com/2017/1/10/14223264/meme-economy-reddit-stock-market). *The Verge*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20181211010109/https://www.theverge.com/2017/1/10/14223264/meme-economy-reddit-stock-market) from the original on December 11, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2018. 31. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-31)** Günseli, Yalcinkaya (November 11, 2022). ["Deep-fried memes: what are they and why do they matter?"](https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/57422/1/deep-fried-memes-surveillance-capitalism-instagram-reddit-censorship). *[Dazed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dazed "Dazed")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230212190723/https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/57422/1/deep-fried-memes-surveillance-capitalism-instagram-reddit-censorship) from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023. 32. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-32)** Matsakis, Louise (August 30, 2017). ["How to Deep-Fry a Meme"](https://www.vice.com/en/article/how-to-deep-fry-a-meme/). *[Vice](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vice_$magazine$#Website "Vice (magazine)")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230212190722/https://www.vice.com/en/article/zmm885/how-to-deep-fry-a-meme) from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023. 33. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-33)** Hathaway, Jay (November 5, 2018). ["The 'E' meme shows just how weird memes can get"](https://web.archive.org/web/20190326134655/https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/lord-farquaad-e-meme/). *[The Daily Dot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Daily_Dot "The Daily Dot")*. Archived from [the original](https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/lord-farquaad-e-meme/) on March 26, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2019. 34. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-34)** Bruenig, Elizabeth (August 11, 2017). ["Why is millennial humor so weird?"](https://web.archive.org/web/20190507081349/https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/why-is-millennial-humor-so-weird/2017/08/11/64af9cae-7dd5-11e7-83c7-5bd5460f0d7e_story.html). *[The Washington Post](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Washington_Post "The Washington Post")*. Archived from [the original](https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/why-is-millennial-humor-so-weird/2017/08/11/64af9cae-7dd5-11e7-83c7-5bd5460f0d7e_story.html) on May 7, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2019. 35. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-35)** Lee, Bruce Y. (December 2, 2018). ["They Did Surgery On A Grape: What Is This New Viral Meme?"](https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2018/12/02/they-did-surgery-on-a-grape-what-is-this-new-viral-meme/). *Forbes*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230201134300/https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2018/12/02/they-did-surgery-on-a-grape-what-is-this-new-viral-meme/) from the original on February 1, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2023. 36. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-36)** Ktena, Natalie (September 28, 2018). ["Why does everybody love moth memes?"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/45ce5960-31a2-4223-a426-c3414df5ec79). *BBC Three*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20181021104953/https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/45ce5960-31a2-4223-a426-c3414df5ec79) from the original on October 21, 2018. Retrieved February 1, 2023. 37. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-37)** Bryan, Chloe (February 6, 2019). ["Surreal memes deserve their own internet dimension"](https://web.archive.org/web/20190327090359/https://mashable.com/article/surreal-memes/#dBMHaD8Josqt). *Mashable*. Archived from [the original](https://mashable.com/article/surreal-memes/#dBMHaD8Josqt) on March 27, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2019. 38. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-38)** Andaloro, Angela (July 22, 2024). ["Origins of the Thousand Yard Stare meme"](https://www.dailydot.com/memes/thousand-yard-stare-meme/). *The Daily Dot*. Retrieved January 25, 2025. 39. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-39)** Bain, Ellissa (September 10, 2021). ["9/10/21 meme explained: What is happening today?"](https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2021/09/10/9-10-21-meme/). *[HITC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HITC "HITC")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230202140436/https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2021/09/10/9-10-21-meme/) from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2023. 40. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-40)** Herrman, John (February 22, 2020). ["Vine Changed the Internet Forever. How Much Does the Internet Miss It?"](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/22/style/byte-vine-short-video-apps.html). *[The New York Times](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times "The New York Times")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20221226154458/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/22/style/byte-vine-short-video-apps.html) from the original on December 26, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2023. 41. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-41)** Carman, Ashley (April 29, 2020). ["TikTok reaches 2 billion downloads"](https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/29/21241788/tiktok-app-download-numbers-update-2-billion-users). *[The Verge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Verge "The Verge")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20200729003408/https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/29/21241788/tiktok-app-download-numbers-update-2-billion-users) from the original on July 29, 2020. Retrieved February 2, 2023. 42. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-42)** Jennings, Rebecca (February 4, 2020). ["The most popular dances now come from TikTok. What happens to their creators?"](https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2020/2/4/21112444/renegade-tiktok-song-dance). *[Vox](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vox_$website$ "Vox (website)")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230202140435/https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2020/2/4/21112444/renegade-tiktok-song-dance) from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2023. 43. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-43)** ["Parents and Gen Alpha kids are having unintelligible convos because of 'brainrot' language"](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/gen-alpha-kids-parents-brainrot-language-rcna162227). *NBC News*. August 10, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024. 44. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-44)** Roy, Jessica (June 13, 2024). ["If You Know What 'Brainrot' Means, You Might Already Have It"](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/13/style/brainrot-internet-addiction-social-media-tiktok.html). *The New York Times*. [ISSN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSN_$identifier$ "ISSN (identifier)") [0362-4331](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). Retrieved August 26, 2024. 45. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-45)** ["Dictionary.com picks "67," a "nonsensical and playfully absurd" slang term, as the 2025 word of the year - CBS News"](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dictionary-67-2025-word-of-the-year-meaning/). *www.cbsnews.com*. October 29, 2025. Retrieved December 17, 2025. 46. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-46)** Bremner, Broom (April 2, 2025). ["The Great Meme Depression and "SlimeTok" - Binghamton Review"](https://binghamtonreview.org/the-great-meme-depression-and-slimetok/). Retrieved December 30, 2025. 47. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-47)** Watercutter, Angela (November 19, 2025). ["The 'Great Meme Reset' Is Coming"](https://www.wired.com/story/the-great-meme-reset-is-coming/). *Wired*. Retrieved November 28, 2025. 48. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-memetic_marketing_48-0)** Flor, Nick (December 11, 2000). ["Memetic Marketing"](http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=19996). [InformIT](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InformIT "InformIT"). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120114180653/http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=19996) from the original on January 14, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2011. 49. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-49)** McCrae, James (May 8, 2017). ["Meme Marketing: How Brands Are Speaking A New Consumer Language"](https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2017/05/08/meme-marketing-how-brands-are-speaking-a-new-consumer-language/). *Forbes*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180315134855/https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2017/05/08/meme-marketing-how-brands-are-speaking-a-new-consumer-language/) from the original on March 15, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2018. 50. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-50)** Carr, David (May 29, 2006). ["Hollywood bypassing critics and print as digital gets hotter - Business - International Herald Tribune"](https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/29/business/worldbusiness/29iht-carr.1839216.html). *[The New York Times](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times "The New York Times")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120703071008/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/29/business/worldbusiness/29iht-carr.1839216.html) from the original on July 3, 2012. Retrieved February 4, 2023. 51. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-51)** Pegolo, Valentina; Carpenter, Lucie (February 6, 2021). ["Why Memes Will Never Be Monetized"](https://jacobinmag.com/2021/02/memes-never-monetized-corporate-advertising). *[Jacobin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacobin_$magazine$ "Jacobin (magazine)")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210225142149/https://jacobinmag.com/2021/02/memes-never-monetized-corporate-advertising) from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved February 7, 2021. 52. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-52)** Whitten, Sarah (January 4, 2017). ["A Wendy's tweet just went viral for all the wrong reasons"](https://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/04/wendys-saucy-tweets-are-hit-and-miss-on-social-media.html). [CNBC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CNBC "CNBC"). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20211104214557/https://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/04/wendys-saucy-tweets-are-hit-and-miss-on-social-media.html) from the original on November 4, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2020. 53. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-53)** Rossolillo, Nicholas (September 23, 2021). ["What Are Meme Stocks?"](https://www.fool.com/investing/stock-market/types-of-stocks/meme-stocks/). *[The Motley Fool](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Motley_Fool "The Motley Fool")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20211113155252/https://www.fool.com/investing/stock-market/types-of-stocks/meme-stocks/) from the original on November 13, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021. 54. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-54)** Phillip, Matt; Marcos, Coral M. (August 4, 2021). ["Robinhood's shares jump as much as 65 percent, like the meme stocks it enabled"](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/04/business/robinhood-stock-price.html). *[The New York Times](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times "The New York Times")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20211018143905/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/04/business/robinhood-stock-price.html) from the original on October 18, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2023. 55. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-55)** Popper, Nathaniel; Browning, Kellen (January 29, 2021). ["The 'Roaring Kitty' Rally: How a Reddit User and His Friends Roiled the Markets"](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/29/technology/roaring-kitty-reddit-gamestop-markets.html). *[The New York Times](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times "The New York Times")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210129100713/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/29/technology/roaring-kitty-reddit-gamestop-markets.html) from the original on January 29, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2023. 56. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-56)** Chohan, Usman W.; Van Kerckhoven, Sven (2023). *Activist Retail Investors and the Future of Financial Markets*. pp. 99–101\. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.4324/9781003351085](https://doi.org/10.4324%2F9781003351085). [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [978-1-00-335108-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-00-335108-5 "Special:BookSources/978-1-00-335108-5") . [S2CID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S2CID_$identifier$ "S2CID (identifier)") [257228199](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:257228199). 57. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-57)** Nani, Albi (December 2022). ["The doge worth 88 billion dollars: A case study of Dogecoin"](https://doi.org/10.1177%2F13548565211070417). *Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies*. **28** (6): 1719–1721\. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1177/13548565211070417](https://doi.org/10.1177%2F13548565211070417). [S2CID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S2CID_$identifier$ "S2CID (identifier)") [247685455](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:247685455). 58. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-58)** Yozzo, John (April 2023). "Meme Stock Values Can Persist in Bankruptcy, but Cannot Prevail Without Business Justification". *American Bankruptcy Institute Journal*. **42** (4): 36–37, 70–71\. [ProQuest](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ProQuest "ProQuest") [2794896398](https://www.proquest.com/docview/2794896398). 59. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-59)** Seiffert-Brockmann, Jens; Diehl, Trevor; Dobusch, Leonhard (August 2018). "Memes as games: The evolution of a digital discourse online". *New Media & Society*. **20** (8): 2862–2863\. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1177/1461444817735334](https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1461444817735334). [S2CID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S2CID_$identifier$ "S2CID (identifier)") [206729243](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:206729243). 60. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-60)** Grygiel, Jennifer (May 17, 2019). ["Political cartoonists are out of touch – it's time to make way for memes"](https://theconversation.com/political-cartoonists-are-out-of-touch-its-time-to-make-way-for-memes-116471). *[The Conversation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Conversation_$website$ "The Conversation (website)")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20211006222817/https://theconversation.com/political-cartoonists-are-out-of-touch-its-time-to-make-way-for-memes-116471) from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved March 6, 2021. 61. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-61)** ["How the Myth of the "Irish slaves" Became a Favorite Meme of Racists Online"](https://www.splcenter.org/resources/hatewatch/how-myth-irish-slaves-became-favorite-meme-racists-online/). April 19, 2016. 62. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-62)** Murray, Mark (January 18, 2019). ["As the 'Dean scream' turns 15, its impact on American politics lives on"](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/meet-the-press/howard-dean-s-scream-turns-15-its-impact-american-politics-n959916). *[NBC News](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBC_News "NBC News")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20220519033105/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/meet-the-press/howard-dean-s-scream-turns-15-its-impact-american-politics-n959916) from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2023. 63. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-63)** MacLeod, Alan (February 2019). "Book review: Kill all normies: Online culture wars from 4chan and Tumblr to Trump and the alt-right". *New Media & Society*. **21** (2): 535–537\. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1177/1461444818804143](https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1461444818804143). [S2CID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S2CID_$identifier$ "S2CID (identifier)") [67774146](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:67774146). 64. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-64)** Stuart, Tessa (February 26, 2016). ["Is Ted Cruz the Zodiac Killer? Maybe, Say Florida Voters"](https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/is-ted-cruz-the-zodiac-killer-maybe-say-38-percent-of-florida-voters-89135/). *[Rolling Stone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_Stone "Rolling Stone")*. Retrieved July 22, 2020. 65. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-The_British_Journal_of_Politics_and_International_Relations_65-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-The_British_Journal_of_Politics_and_International_Relations_65-1) McLoughlin, Liam; Southern, Rosalynd (February 2021). ["By any memes necessary? Small political acts, incidental exposure and memes during the 2017 UK general election"](https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1369148120930594). *The British Journal of Politics and International Relations*. **23** (1): 78–79\. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1177/1369148120930594](https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1369148120930594). [S2CID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S2CID_$identifier$ "S2CID (identifier)") [225602095](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:225602095). 66. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-66)** Lorenz, Taylor (February 13, 2020). ["Michael Bloomberg's Campaign Suddenly Drops Memes Everywhere"](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/13/style/michael-bloomberg-memes-jerry-media.html). *The New York Times*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20200213060905/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/13/style/michael-bloomberg-memes-jerry-media.html) from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2020. 67. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-67)** Tiffany, Kaitlyn (February 28, 2020). ["You Can't Buy Memes"](https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2020/02/bloomberg-memes-instagram-ads/607219/). *The Atlantic*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20211114232707/https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2020/02/bloomberg-memes-instagram-ads/607219/) from the original on November 14, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2020. 68. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-68)** Placido, Dani Di (May 9, 2017). ["How 'Pepe The Frog' Became A Symbol Of Hatred"](https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2017/05/09/how-pepe-the-frog-became-a-symbol-of-hatred/). *[Forbes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbes "Forbes")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230208142119/https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2017/05/09/how-pepe-the-frog-became-a-symbol-of-hatred/) from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2023. 69. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-69)** Victor, Daniel (August 19, 2019). ["Hong Kong Protesters Love Pepe the Frog. No, They're Not Alt-Right"](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/19/world/asia/hong-kong-protest-pepe-frog.html). *[The New York Times](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times "The New York Times")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20190819145229/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/19/world/asia/hong-kong-protest-pepe-frog.html) from the original on August 19, 2019. Retrieved February 8, 2023. 70. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-70)** Harbo, Tenna Foustad (December 2022). "Internet memes as knowledge practice in social movements: Rethinking Economics' delegitimization of economists". *Discourse, Context & Media*. **50** 100650: 8. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1016/j.dcm.2022.100650](https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.dcm.2022.100650). [S2CID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S2CID_$identifier$ "S2CID (identifier)") [252906293](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:252906293). 71. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-71)** Gal, Noam; Shifman, Limor; Kampf, Zohar (September 2016). "'It Gets Better': Internet memes and the construction of collective identity". *New Media & Society*. **18** (8): 1698. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1177/1461444814568784](https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1461444814568784). [S2CID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S2CID_$identifier$ "S2CID (identifier)") [206728484](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:206728484). 72. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-72)** Sample, Ian; Woolf, Nicky (July 27, 2016). ["How the ice bucket challenge led to an ALS research breakthrough"](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/jul/27/how-the-ice-bucket-challenge-led-to-an-als-research-breakthrough). *[The Guardian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Guardian "The Guardian")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20171108035419/https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/jul/27/how-the-ice-bucket-challenge-led-to-an-als-research-breakthrough) from the original on November 8, 2017. Retrieved February 11, 2023. 73. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-73)** Milner, Ryan M. (October 2013). ["Pop polyvocality: internet memes, public participation, and the occupy wall street movement"](https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/1949). *International Journal of Communication*. **7**: 2357. [Gale](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gale_$publisher$ "Gale (publisher)") [A352494259](https://go.gale.com/ps/anonymous?id=GALE%7CA352494259). 74. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-74)** Haden Church, Scott; Feller, Gavin (January 2, 2020). "Synecdoche, Aesthetics, and the Sublime Online: Or, What's a Religious Internet Meme?". *Journal of Media and Religion*. **19** (1): 12. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1080/15348423.2020.1728188](https://doi.org/10.1080%2F15348423.2020.1728188). [S2CID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S2CID_$identifier$ "S2CID (identifier)") [213540194](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:213540194). 75. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Information,_Communication_&_Society_75-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Information,_Communication_&_Society_75-1) Aguilar, Gabrielle K.; Campbell, Heidi A.; Stanley, Mariah; Taylor, Ellen (October 3, 2017). "Communicating mixed messages about religion through internet memes". *Information, Communication & Society*. **20** (10): 1502–1509\. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1080/1369118X.2016.1229004](https://doi.org/10.1080%2F1369118X.2016.1229004). [S2CID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S2CID_$identifier$ "S2CID (identifier)") [151721706](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:151721706). 76. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-76)** Cawcutt, Kelly A.; Marcelin, Jasmine R; Silver, Julie K (August 27, 2019). "Using social media to disseminate research in infection prevention, hospital epidemiology, and antimicrobial stewardship". *Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology*. **40** (11): 969–971\. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1017/ice.2019.231](https://doi.org/10.1017%2Fice.2019.231). [PMID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PMID_$identifier$ "PMID (identifier)") [31452490](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31452490). [S2CID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S2CID_$identifier$ "S2CID (identifier)") [201757947](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:201757947). 77. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-77)** Reynolds, Staci; Boyd, Shelby (July 2021). "Healthcare worker's perspectives on use of memes as an implementation strategy in infection prevention: An exploratory descriptive analysis". *American Journal of Infection Control*. **49** (7): 969–971\. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1016/j.ajic.2020.11.019](https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.ajic.2020.11.019). [PMID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PMID_$identifier$ "PMID (identifier)") [33249101](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33249101). [S2CID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S2CID_$identifier$ "S2CID (identifier)") [227234896](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:227234896). 78. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-78)** Msughter, Aondover Eric; Iman, Maryam Lawal (March 15, 2020). ["Internet Meme as a Campaign Tool to the Fight against Covid-19 in Nigeria"](https://globaljournals.org/GJHSS_Volume20/4-Internet-Meme-as-a-Campaign.pdf) (PDF). *Global Journal of Human-Social Science*. **20** (A6): 27. 79. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Duke_Law_&_Technology_Review_79-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Duke_Law_&_Technology_Review_79-1) [***c***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Duke_Law_&_Technology_Review_79-2) [***d***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Duke_Law_&_Technology_Review_79-3) Scialabba, Elena E. ["A Copy of a Copy of a Copy: Internet Mimesis and the Copyrightability of Memes"](https://scholarship.law.duke.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1358&context=dltr). *Duke Law & Technology Review*. **18** (1): 340–341, 344–346\. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230213134645/https://scholarship.law.duke.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1358&context=dltr) from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023. 80. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-80)** Schwartz, Benjamin D. (August 5, 2022). ["Who Owns Memes?"](https://www.natlawreview.com/article/who-owns-memes). *[The National Law Review](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_National_Law_Review "The National Law Review")*. Retrieved August 20, 2023. 81. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-81)** Iyer, Aishwaria S.; Mehrotra, Raghav (February 26, 2017). ["A critical analysis of memes and fair use"](https://pure.jgu.edu.in/id/eprint/3233/). *Rostrum's Law Review*. **4** (1): 2–3\. 82. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Journalism_&_Mass_Communication_Quarterly_82-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Journalism_&_Mass_Communication_Quarterly_82-1) Mielczarek, Natalia; Hopkins, W. Wat (March 2021). "Copyright, Transformativeness, and Protection for Internet Memes". *Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly*. **98** (1): 53–55\. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1177/1077699020950492](https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1077699020950492). [S2CID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S2CID_$identifier$ "S2CID (identifier)") [225023573](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:225023573). 83. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Wired_83-0)** Pritchard, Will (April 16, 2021). ["They were ancient internet memes. Now NFTs are making them rich"](https://www.wired.co.uk/article/nft-memes-2010s). *[Wired UK](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wired_UK "Wired UK")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20211114232648/https://www.wired.co.uk/article/nft-memes-2010s) from the original on November 14, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2021. 84. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Fazio_84-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-Fazio_84-1) Fazio, Marie (April 29, 2021). ["The World Knows Her as 'Disaster Girl.' She Just Made \$500,000 Off the Meme"](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/29/arts/disaster-girl-meme-nft.html). *[The New York Times](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times "The New York Times")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210429155019/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/29/arts/disaster-girl-meme-nft.html) from the original on April 29, 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2021. 85. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-inflation-US_85-0)** 1634–1699: [McCusker, J. J.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_J._McCusker "John J. McCusker") (1997). [*How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda*](https://www.americanantiquarian.org/proceedings/44525121.pdf) (PDF). [American Antiquarian Society](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Antiquarian_Society "American Antiquarian Society"). 1700–1799: [McCusker, J. J.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_J._McCusker "John J. McCusker") (1992). [*How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States*](https://www.americanantiquarian.org/proceedings/44517778.pdf) (PDF). [American Antiquarian Society](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Antiquarian_Society "American Antiquarian Society"). 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. ["Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–"](https://www.minneapolisfed.org/about-us/monetary-policy/inflation-calculator/consumer-price-index-1800-). Retrieved February 29, 2024. 86. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme#cite_ref-86)** Howard, Jacqueline (April 30, 2021). ["'Disaster girl', now aged 21, sells original meme photo as an NFT for an eye-watering \$650,000"](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-30/disaster-girl-meme-sells-for-500-000/100106366). *ABC News*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230214133900/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-30/disaster-girl-meme-sells-for-500-000/100106366) from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023. Further reading Books - Blackmore, Susan (2000). *The Meme Machine*. OUP Oxford. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0-19-157461-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-19-157461-0 "Special:BookSources/978-0-19-157461-0") . - Distin, Kate (2005). *The Selfish Meme: A Critical Reassessment*. Cambridge University Press. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0-521-60627-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-521-60627-1 "Special:BookSources/978-0-521-60627-1") . - Mina, An Xiao (2019). *Memes to Movements: How the World's Most Viral Media Is Changing Social Protest and Power*. Beacon Press. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0807056585](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0807056585 "Special:BookSources/978-0807056585") . - Shifman, Limor (2013). *Memes in Digital Culture*. MIT Press. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0-262-31770-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-262-31770-2 "Special:BookSources/978-0-262-31770-2") . Articles - Wiggins, Bradley (September 22, 2014). ["How the Russia-Ukraine crisis became a magnet for memes"](https://theconversation.com/how-the-russia-ukraine-crisis-became-a-magnet-for-memes-31199). *The Conversation*. - Wiggins, Bradley E; Bowers, G Bret (December 2015). "Memes as genre: A structurational analysis of the memescape". *New Media & Society*. **17** (11): 1886–1906\. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1177/1461444814535194](https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1461444814535194). [S2CID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S2CID_$identifier$ "S2CID (identifier)") [30729349](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:30729349). External links - [![Wikimedia Commons logo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/20px-Commons-logo.svg.png)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Commons-logo.svg) Media related to [Internet memes](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Internet_memes "commons:Category:Internet memes") at Wikimedia Commons

ML Classification

ML Categories

/Arts_and_Entertainment		43.5%
/Online_Communities		34.9%
/Online_Communities/Social_Networks		28.6%
/Internet_and_Telecom		23.8%
/Arts_and_Entertainment/Humor		22.8%
/Internet_and_Telecom/Web_Services		20.7%
/Internet_and_Telecom/Web_Services/Other		14.3%
/Arts_and_Entertainment/Humor/Spoofs_and_Satire		12.7%

Raw JSON

{
    "/Arts_and_Entertainment": 435,
    "/Online_Communities": 349,
    "/Online_Communities/Social_Networks": 286,
    "/Internet_and_Telecom": 238,
    "/Arts_and_Entertainment/Humor": 228,
    "/Internet_and_Telecom/Web_Services": 207,
    "/Internet_and_Telecom/Web_Services/Other": 143,
    "/Arts_and_Entertainment/Humor/Spoofs_and_Satire": 127
}

ML Page Types

/Article		99.7%
/Article/Wiki		83.0%

Raw JSON

{
    "/Article": 997,
    "/Article/Wiki": 830
}

ML Intent Types

Informational

99.9%

Raw JSON

{
    "Informational": 999
}

Content Metadata

Language

Author

null

Publish Time

not set

Original Publish Time

2013-08-08 17:56:02 (12 years ago)

Republished

Word Count (Total)

7,867

Word Count (Content)

6,857

Links

External Links

208

Internal Links

616

Technical SEO

Meta Nofollow

Meta Noarchive

JS Rendered

Redirect Target

null

Performance

Download Time (ms)

1,433

TTFB (ms)

1,411

Download Size (bytes)

66,818

Shard

152 (laksa)

Root Hash

17790707453426894952

Unparsed URL

org,wikipedia!en,/wiki/Internet_meme s443