Internet Memes

[Matthias720]

WARNING: This topic is for the discussion of internet memes, not for spamming meme-related pictures. If a post is deemed to contain off topic or spam-ish content, it may be deleted without warning.


One of the defining characteristics of the internet in recent years has been the proliferation of internet memes. To quote Wikipedia:

An Internet meme is an idea that is propagated through the World Wide Web. The idea may take the form of a hyperlink, video, picture, website, hashtag, or just a word or phrase, such as intentionally misspelling the word "more" as "moar" or "the" as "teh". The meme may spread from person to person via social networks, blogs, direct email, news sources, or other web-based services.

An Internet meme may stay the same or may evolve over time, by chance or through commentary, imitations, parody, or by incorporating news accounts about itself. Internet memes can evolve and spread extremely rapidly, sometimes reaching world-wide popularity and vanishing within a few days.

Their rapid growth and impact has caught the attention of both researchers and industry.[3] Academically, researchers model how they evolve and predict which memes will survive and spread throughout the Web. Commercially, they are used in viral marketing where they are an inexpensive form of mass advertising.

These memes often are found here on the forum, and I felt we should have a place to discuss them. Let's try to stick to actual conversation about memes, favorite memes, and how they impact culture, and try to avoid posting things like, "Yeah, lol" and "I like that one too". Proper conversation only. Thanks! ^_^

[DanielofRedwall]

Well, my favourite meme would have to be "Nope, Chuck Testa!" I can really annoy my friends doing this one. But then they watched that video and they started saying it as well! Also, I obviously love Whaleware, but that is only starting to grow, if you know what I mean. I also sometimes use "This is Sparta!", despite the terrible movie it came from. I also like "Imma firen mah lazer!" aka "Shoop da whoop". Then, of course, there is "the cake is a lie" and "Philosoraptor".

Now, one that really gets on my nerves is "I took an arrow to the knee". I used to think it was funny, then it just got really annoying. It is used on every single YouTube video possible!

As a guide for people, a good website to explain how memes started is the Internet Meme Database. It explains quite a bit.

One thing I find funny is that some people use memes in conversation etc without actually knowing where they came from or even that it is a meme! For example, people at my school became obsessed with planking, but they would have no clue what a meme is!

Finally, I think we should try make "Death Defying Beavers" in to an Internet meme. Spread it to all the forums your on! Kinda like Whaleware. I think it would be cool to say you helped develop the "Death Defying Beavers" meme, or at least say you were on the forum it was created on. Just an idea.

[Taggerung_of_Redwall]

I was thinking about posting here, but then I took an arrow to the knee.

The phrase "I used to be an adventurer like you, then I took an arrow to the knee" came from Skyrim. The Minecraft community picked it up, my guess due to the lawsuit case between Bethseda Softworks and Mojang, the creators of both games. Mojang's new game Scrolls (which will very, very soon hit Alpha), was deemed by Bethseda to be a copyright infringement on their trademark, the Elder Scrolls. Mojang won the case, and have kept the name Scrolls.
Countless youtube videos, mostly Elder Scrolls or Minecraft related, hold tons of "I took an arrow the knee".

[Tiria Wildlough]

I don't get memes.

[Lutra]

Without looking at any lists, I wouldn't be surprised if the RickRoll was an internet meme.  It even caught on to the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade one year because of the popularity online.

[DanielofRedwall]

Yes, Rick Rolling was a meme. A very annoying one, at that. Apparently, not sure how truthful it is. On an April Fool's day one year YouTube linked all it's videos to that one stupid song.