Reading 3 - Truc Le

a meme's process
(source)

In “Memes: The New Replicators”, Richard Dawkins (2006, pp. 189-201) uses the concepts of genes to explain those of memes and examines the importance as well as the affects of memes in human cultures. I feel that anything, especially any work of art, as long as it is simple and appealing to the mind (for example, catchy tunes or funny GIFs), has the potential to go viral and become memes. In my opinion, straightforward ideas and art pieces can easily become memes because people can interpret a simple piece in many different ways that suit their existing interests. Because it is easier for people to create their own interpretations out of simple things, people are more likely to favor and remember these things. For example, PSY’s Gangnam Style was once a huge meme on the internet. Having memorable tunes and funny short horse dances, Gangnam Style easily caught the public attention and went viral on the internet. Although PSY stated that this song’s message is to mock the Gangnam district people’s extravagant lifestyles, the internet community extracted different meanings from the song (such as the Gangnam style doomsday prophecy) and spread these fan-made versions, thus maintaining the song’s popularity for months. Simplicity worked for Gangnam Style and numerous other memes. Therefore, I think the artists should keep simplicity in mind when creating arts if they want their work to be ‘spreadable’.

At the end of the essay, Dawkins expressed his fear of the uncontrollability of memes and his hope for human’s alertness when spreading memes. I sympathize with Dawkins only if the meme being examined is an indoctrination or a conservative idea that people are forced to learn. However, if it is a short-duration meme such as a catchy tune, a hilarious image, or even an addictive game like Flappy Bird, I do not think that these memes are going to cause any negative long-term consequences. Although it can be annoying to encounter these memes so many times, I feel that it is natural and sometimes necessary for humans to share their memes. Having seen that each person can have his or her own interpretations of memes, I think that through spreading memes, a person can be expressing their thinkings and characteristics as well. Therefore, I think that sharing memes is a social need, and because memes pass by, they should not be considered as threats to human minds.