Where do Memes come from? The Meme Factory

I’ve often thought that if I hadn’t left academia to work in web development and consulting, I’d have become a professional analyst of Internet memes. Instead, I get to just be a fan.

A few videos to spark (or reinforce) your interest. First, (via Biella) a two-part series from an event by the Meme Factory, from March 24th of this year, in which they give a ~45 minute overview of internet memes. (Warning: much of the content may be NSFW – remember the Internet is Serious Business).

Part One:

Part Two:

Second, a Berkman Luncheon Series presentation by Tim Hwang (ROFLCon founder) titled “The LOLCat-hedral and the Bizarre: A Memescape Manifesto.”

Although I wasn’t able to make this Berkman luncheon, I did see Tim give a similar talk at SXSW interactive this year, which unfortunately isn’t yet one of the ones they’ve posted audio or video from. During the question and answer period of that talk, an audience member commented on the new circulation of old memes (e.g. 25 things about me no one knows) on Facebook, and noted that some people with less context for the word “Meme” were interpreting it as “me-me” (as in, these things are all about me).