Memes [edit][edit]

Though a relatively new way of using images, visual memes are one of the more pervasive forms of visual rhetoric. Memes are a style of rhetoric that "combines elements of the semiotic and discursive approaches to analyze the persuasive elements of visual texts." Furthermore, memes fit into this rhetorical category because of their persuasive nature and their ability "to draw viewers into the argument’s construction via the viewer’s cognitive role in completing "visual enthymemes" to fill in the unstated premise." The visual portion of the meme is a part of its multimodal grammar, allowing a person to decode the text through “cultural codes” that contextualize the image to construct meaning (Milner). Because of what is unstated, meme images can hold multiple interpretations (Hahner). As groups create and share a specific meme temple the unstated becomes a fixed reading with “novel expression.” (milner)

Shifman, in an analysis of KnowYourMeme.com, found that popular memetic images often feature juxtaposition and frozen motion (shifman, 89). Juxtaposition frames clashing visual elements in order to “deepen the ridicule” with a large incongruity or diminishes the original contrast by taking the visual object into a more fitting situation (Shifman). Frozen motion pictures an action made static, leaving the viewer to complete the motion in order to complete the premise (Shifman)

Considered by scholars to be a subversive form of communication, memetic images have been used to unify political movements, such as umbrellas during the Umbrella Movement /link/ in Hong Kong or the images of tea bags by the Tea Party Movement /link/ in 2009 /cite mina/. <-- (already transferred and properly cited to main page)

According to a 2013 study by Bauckhage, et al., the temporal nature of most memes and their "hype cycles" of popularity are in line with the behavior of a typical fad and suggest that after they proliferate and become mainstream, memes quickly lose their appeal and popularity. Once it has lost its appeal, a meme is pronounced “dead” to signify its overuse or mainstream appearance (milner).

Among the intrinsic factors of memes that affect their potential rise to popularity is similarity. A 2014 study conducted by researcher Michele Coscia concluded that meme similarity has a negative correlation to meme popularity, and can therefore be used, along with factors like social network structure, to explain the popularity of various memes. A 2015 study by Mazambani, et al. concluded that other factors of influence in meme spread within an online community include how relevant a meme is to the "topic focus" or theme of the online community as well as whether the posting user is in a position of power within an online setting. Memes that are consistent with a group's theme and memes that originate from lower-status members within the group spread faster than memes that are inconsistent and are created by members of a group that are in positions of power.

Scholars like Jakub Nowak propose the idea of popular driven media as well. Successful memes originate and proliferate by means of anonymous internet users, not entities like corporations or political parties that have an agenda. For this reason, anonymity is linked to meme popularity and credibility. Nowak asserts that meme authorship should remain anonymous, because this is the only way to let people make the statements that they want to freely.

note to professor[edit]

@Matthewvetter: **I added all the works from Mina, Shifman, and Milner, I had to do this on my phone, as my apartment's IP is still blocked, but I will be going to my partner's soon to update everything else**

feedback from dr. v[edit]

@Jtenny:

Thanks for this draft of your planned Wikipedia edits to the article on visual rhetoric. This is good work! I don't have any major criticism. And, since you already went live with the edits on the main visual rhetoric page, I will just do a few minor clean-up things there. Really excellent work on this one!

Oh one more thing - did you need help getting the image in the main page?

-DarthVetter (talk) 15:08, 15 March 2021 (UTC)