Memes

February 22, 2012

'Meme' is a short version of mimeme, meaning an imitation. It's a replicating concept, idea, or style that is propagated and evolves along the way. It usually takes the form of a parody or involves using a recognizable image/phrase/etc. and playing with it (a mutating imitation). One great example is the meme involving variations on the Uncle Sam 'We Want You For U.S. Army' poster.  Another example involves variations on 'Keep Calm & Carry On'. College memes are popular right now. Have you seen this unofficial MIT memes Facebook page? (Thanks Nancy Duvergne Smith at the MIT Alumni Association for finding it.) For the record, this is not an official MIT Facebook page; its creator is presently unknown.