A meme (/ˈmiːm/ meem)[1] is “an idea, behavior, or style that spreads from person to person within a culture”.[2] A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural ideas, symbols, or practices that can be transmitted from one mind to another through writing, speech, gestures, rituals, or other imitable phenomena with a mimicked theme. Supporters of the concept regard memes as cultural analogues to genes in that they self-replicate, mutate, and respond to selective pressures.[3]
Or more specifically in the current case, Internet meme:
An Internet meme (/ˈmiːm/ meem) is an activity, concept, catchphrase or piece of media which spreads, often as mimicry, from person to person via the Internet.[1] Some notable examples include posting a photo of people lying down in public places (called “planking”) and uploading a short video of people dancing to the Harlem Shake.
Or even still yet more specifically: The image of Emilia Clarke laughing at poor Jon Snow, which I did not immediately recognize as photoshoppery, but which my son did, proving that being older doesn’t make one wiser, at least not in my particular patrilineal line:
You’d think I’d have learned enough to stop being taken in by droll knavery on the Internet, but not so far. I can only say,
So hey, could this guy’s face be canon? Like he’s part of the #jily #ishipit movement, and he just posts pictures of himself reacting to his irl otp? This particular photoset would be in reaction to the AoGG trailer on the day it’s released.
THE FACE OF THE FANDOM. i love it.
Haha.
1) Yes, awesome.
2) I love how it continues to put the pressure on Yulin in terms of what she does and doesn’t canonize. Like, is it cool to canonically hoist an actual person in-world and fictionalize him? Not just a fic or a piece of fanart, but an actual person? I realize that’s what happens to actors all the time, but does a fan who posts a picture of himself automatically grant the same kind of license to fictionalize his actual face?
I assume Ricky would be all over it, and like I said, awesome! But still, funny to me that this whole thing continues to be a never-ending series of wormy can openings for Yulin. :-)
