originally posted in:The Dead Treehouse
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I often hear people talking about "memes", dank memes, and all that jazz. I see a lot of fuss over this word, but I just don't get it. I've never heard of this word before. So tell me, Offtopic: What is a "meme"?
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A meme, traditionally, is an idea or phrase that passes on from person to person on the Internet. These memes normally take form in images, but some might be phrases as well. Memes can then be edited for different purposes and situations, allowing them to be used as a joke or punchline. One of the more recent, if not cancerous, examples of a widespread meme is "Damn, Daniel!" It started out as a vine and, over time, spread from individual to individual as an inside joke. It gradually grew into a multicultural phenomenon and transcended into a meme. All around, people would take their own spin on Damn Daniel to suit their needs. There are generally accepted categories of memes as well. The most defined of these categories is the "dank meme," which has evolved into its own form of genre, if you will. Examples of dank memes include MLG, Mountain Dew/Doritos, and loud obnoxious Dubstep music. Another genre of meme is the "rage comic." In these short comic strips, various poorly-drawn characters would trade banter with each other until one of them began to rage. Perhaps the most popular meme of all time, the Trollface, originated from these comics. TL;DR - A meme is an Internet fad that is spread from person to person until it becomes famous.