Origins

Origins / Meme theory

Why are they like this? Where do they come from? Where do they go? Where –

Memevolution – A timeline of memes!

The meme’s evolution is one that is unceasing. Even with regard to a single template, the message it evokes can be drastically different from the parent source. Join us as we take a look at classical paintings turned memes, campy aesthetics from the 90s, the cringe of the 2000s, the feverish entropy of the 2010s, and finally the contemporary moment – the 2020s.

How do we meme?

The meme is a cultural artefact that uses humour to form critiques and rhetoric to convey ideas. How do they adapt? How do they multiply? How do they catch you by surprise every time?

Cat-hartic content

LOLcats, Nyan cat and even diplomat cats – read on as Ambika Lambah explains why we can’t stop watching them!

Meme as a germ v/s meme as a gene

“…what Maya attempts to scoff at and laugh upon and turn into meme leads to Maya’s repulsion becoming a unit that germinates, recodes, imitates, and therefore – becomes a meme itself.” Laxmi Krishnan does a deep reading of the Sarabhai vs Sarabhai meme to explain the longstanding rift between the germ and the gene approach in meme theory. Time for a faceoff?

The language of memes

“….someday, The Professor might just look at Casa La Padta Baher and well… just Bella Ciao (tr. Goodbye, Beautiful) himself out!” Laxmi Krishnan writes about how memes aren’t solitary units but embedded in cultural webs of meaning.

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How do you meme?

Did you sneer at memes for the edge as a young adult? Were you stumped by their boom in every digital circle of your life? Has your professor started bringing them to class to explain esoteric theories with even more esoteric memes? Fret not! Kshiti S.V. has you covered with the 101 of meme-making.

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Do re meme: the meme music playlist

“…Are we laughing at Taher Shah and his erratic costume changes, or are we laughing with him? Are we laughing at all?” Ambika Lambah takes you through some highlights from our Meme Music Playlist.