Thinking Through Memes

Thinking Through Memes is an introductory, interdisciplinary project that brings together authors from a wide variety of disciplines to discuss and explore issues surrounding the popular culture phenomenon known as memes. This anthology looks at the cultural, ethical, philosophical, and societal influence that memes have. Questions as to the nature of memes as art, the rhetorical influence of memes, how memes operate at a psychological and cultural level, and why memes are important across a variety of areas in our lives are discussed in various ways throughout the chapters. Attention has been paid by the authors to avoid jargon and make their text as accessible as possible, encouraging readers to explore and think further on the issues. The text includes vocabulary terms and learning objectives for easy navigation.

Examines memes' cultural, ethical, philosophical, and societal influence Offers perspectives from scholars across media, communication, rhetoric, psychology, and philosophy Considers issues such as incel memes, boomer memes, memes and propaganda, memes and art, etc

Autorentext

Mike Cundall is Professor of Philosophy at North Carolina A&T University.

Liz Sills is Associate Professor of Communication at Northern State University.

Inhalt

1. Editors' Introduction.- 2. What Is an Internet Meme? A Very Brief Answer.- Part I Form 3. The Meme-ing of Life.- 4. Memes and Rhetorical Identification: Playfully Serious Social Critique and the Tide Pod Challenge.- 5. Are Memes Art?.- 6. Memetic Genes from the Paperwork Empire: Finding Memes in Xeroxlore.- 7. Memes as Technologized Folk Wisdom: Cross-Cultural Reflections.- Part II Function.- 8. Never Gonna Give You Up: The Psychology of Meme Sharing.- 9. Viral Culture: How I Learned that Memes Are Here to Stay.- 10. Ethics of Representation in Memes.- 11. Pepe and Beyond: Incel Memes (and Why Most of Us Aren't Laughing).- 12. Philosophy Through Memes: Significant Teaching Tool or Suspension of Seriousness?.- 13. Memes, Medicare, and Me, or Angry Boomer Says Get Your Memes Off My Wall.- 14. Editors' Conclusion.