Neurchi d’algorithmes
In 2017 Mark Zuckerberg decided that he wanted to help Nigerian women and reinvigorate Facebook’s business model. Somehow it triggered a renaissance in French memes.
Beyond-viral marketing, Nike just does it again
On September 3rd, 2018, Nike released their latest ad campaign to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their iconic ‘Just Do It’ brand. To the surprise of many, former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick was the face of the campaign. This...
Shitposting: an analysis of its practices and meanings
Sometimes, when friends comment on my affection for shitposting, I jokingly refer to my Facebook page as “a curation of the finest avant-garde memes”. This overtly pompous and purposefully pedantic way of describing content obviously undeserving of it is...
From Leiden to Livoberezhna: How Memes of a Dutch Statue are Supporting Digital Activism in Ukraine
Introduction: Meeting the Awaiter As the old adage goes: “love makes you do strange things.” On August 18, love compelled me to cycle for over two hours in the sweltering and sweaty summer heat, from Amsterdam to Leiden University....
Has internet worsened our grammar?
Since the advent of the internet and the world wide web, it has never been easier to exchange and share information with people from all around the world. A good part of the technological inventions developed in the last...
Piracy was my shot at equality
Piracy is not theft, let’s make this perfectly clear. Theft, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary of English, is “the felonious taking and removing of personal property with intent to deprive the rightful owner of it”. Piracy, on the other hand, is...
Memeification of the News
Internet memes (specifically image memes) have taken the role of a media format for civic journalism, ever evolving and reproducing cultural/political concerns which reflect our social condition. As an amalgamated entity, memes are constantly integrating themselves within social platforms...
Genes, Memes and Temes: Paradoxes in Meme-Theory and the Dangers of Memes
In March 2012 the animated sitcom South Park aired an episode featuring the potential dangers of memes. Its message: it is impossible to keep up with the latest memes and those who choose to imitate certain memes in public...