Memes have become a real mainstay of internet culture in the past ten years or so. They first became popular as sites like 9Gag and I Can Haz Cheezburger (which basically just posts pictures of cats with funny captions written in a strange form of English known as ‘lolcat’ because it’s supposed to be how a cat would speak) rose to prominence.
These days, memes are everywhere online and they can be about just about anything, from Game of Thrones to the weird experiences people have had, telling stories in the form of ‘rage comics’.
What Is a Meme
A meme is generally a macro of an image and words that is intended to be funny and to be shared. On sites like Facebook, memes are one of the most popular ways to share humor and they are also used as reactions to things in comment sections.
Making your own memes is easy, whether you want to caption a funny picture of a cat or a screenshot from a TV show or movie, or you want to make more elaborate memes like ‘rage comics’ using sites like RageMaker.net. But, are memes a good way to make a point or should they be reserved for humor only?
The Web Reacts Badly To Unfunny Memes
Memes are ultimately designed to be a source of fun and internet culture savvy people tend to react badly when the format is appropriated for something that doesn’t feel like a joke.
Memes used for political messages or causes such as feminism or animal rights without a joke included can, therefore, backfire. However, if you have a way to make your point in a joke form with the meme, then this can be a great way to get it shared.
Memes with points that are less serious, for instance, if you are trying to make a point about something that happened in a movie or TV show using the format – e.g. why you don’t like a given character – can work well, again, as long as they are funny.
Where To Use Memes
If you want to make memes, then there are lots of places you can share them and hopefully make people laugh. There are many Facebook groups dedicated to memes about all kinds of different topics, from dinosaurs to video games, and if you like making memes in a certain niche then these can be a good place to start.
There are also highly popular meme sites such as 9Gag where people post all kinds of funny things on all sorts of topics, from cute animals to sports and topical news stories.
Additionally, you can, of course, use your memes on your own social media accounts or in comments on things other people have posted.
Memes can be a fun way to make a joke, and as long as they are funny, they can also be an interesting way to make a point.