What Does It All Meme?

Even though the terminology was coined by an evolutionary biologist in 1976, the idea and actual existence of memes has been around since cave paintings. According to Wikipedia, a meme (pronounced mēm) is an idea, behavior, or style that spreads from person to person in a culture. Since the web is worldwide and many cultures see images and ideas, the speed in which these things get integrated into our social consciousness is head spinning.

Scumbag Steve, Woman Screaming At Cat, The Most Interesting Man, Bad Luck Brian, Grumpy Cat, and Spider-Man Pointing at Spider-Man are all in our subconscious thanks to the many different captions that were added by the Dank Meme Lords. What it boils down to is that we all are on different walks through life. Some are beginning, some are in the middle, and some at the end of the road. What unifies us in this thing called life is the shared experiences, which memes have a great way of encapsulating a feeling or moment that everyone can relate to.

One of the most famous memes before memes literally became a word was ‘Kilroy’. The graffiti drawn during World War II featured a bald man with a long nose peeking over a wall with “Kilroy was here” written under it. The picture could be found on tanks, ships, and walls in towns where fighting had taken place. It became a welcome image to the overseas G.I.s that other Americans had already passed through the area. It was such an important cultural touchstone to them that not one, but two Kilroys are etched on the World War II Monument in Washington, D.C.

Take that, Twitter.

It is far from what a lot of people would call art, but it is a creative outlet for the one who makes it and, usually, a funny boost to those who see it. Sometimes they hit the right nerve and go viral, causing a cultural sensation ‘round the world. But somehow, I sincerely doubt ‘VSCO girls’ is ever going to be engraved on anything anywhere. Ever.

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