30 Memes Memetically Memeing Along

Emmy Pratt • Writer and Editor

Feb 17, 2024 7:00 AM EST

I think it's about time we read up on our meme history a little bit. I'm sure most scholars know that the term "meme" was initially coined by Richard Dawkins. If you didn't know that, surprise! He's to blame for all of this madness. Meme, by Dawkins's definition, doesn't only encompass the phenomenon of internet memes.

"A meme is an idea, behavior, or style that spreads by means of imitation from person to person within a culture and often carries symbolic meaning representing a particular phenomenon or theme."

The reason why the most popular internet memes are memes at all is that the same format gets imitated again and again and again, carrying different meanings with each iteration. Some internet memes stand independently, but the most pervasive ones are pure memes, by Dawkins's definition. If you can't wait to bring out this fun fact at parties, these memes will fortify your knowledge further.

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