Internet Influences 2/? - Memes: I'mma let you finish...

Internet memes can be created from any number of things and if they are good enough they can be surprisingly long lasting. And even if they don't last forever on the internet, they can last in our hearts and minds right? Okay maybe not, but they're good for some laughs. Let's take a meme created from a current event. In 2009, Kanye West caused a media uproar by interrupting Taylor Swift's acceptance speech at the MTV Music Video Awards: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z8gCZ7zpsQ

Of course, the internet (I speak of the internet as those people who never seem to leave the internet) jumped on this story and used it to create hilarious photoshopped images, as they are wont to do:

The more people made them, the more ridiculous they became. The sheer amount of them that I was able to find surprised me. The image board 4chan, infamous for the sheer depravity that can often be found on its countless pages of discussions, is often the culprit for the creation of these types of image-heavy memes. Someone creates a picture about a current event, posts it onto 4chan or any site, people see it and like it, and then everyone else tries to make their own version. Creating a successful meme I imagine can give a person a boost in self-esteem, even being a part of it makes you feel like you are popular for a moment, even if it is just on the internet and no one knows your true identity. You know something you created has entertained people and it makes you feel good. I believe this is the basis for most internet memes. It's similar to being an artist or performer, except there is no chance of ever getting money out of internet memes. In a way that makes it a purer form of digital media, no corporations are involved just a person on the internet, like you, created something funny and wanted to share it.

And the more fluent a person is in memes and media in general, the better chance a person has of creating content that people on the internet will enjoy. It is almost like a status symbol, showing off knowledge of the internet to make yourself look cooler. I am always impressed by the amount of time and effort people must put into creating some of these memes, and the cleverness involved in them. However, if they are created or used on 4chan, the potential for them to become horribly offensive high. Even for this little meme poking fun at Kanye I found some offensive, black humor type versions that I could not repost. With the anonymity that the internet gives, people will not hold back in the least, so you have to be careful where you surf.