Memes have been a part of our culture for quite a while now. It’s rare to find someone who doesn’t use memes or understand their concept. In this internet age, memes are more popular than ever. A show, quote, influencer, or whatever you name it, can be memed and spread like wildfire. And 2023’s Ramadan season was no exception.
One of the reasons why shows like Gaffar EL Omda, Taht EL Wesaya, and EL Sofara were extremely popular this Ramadan season was because of the memes being made and shared on social media.
Gaffar EL Omda’s memes were inescapable, Taht EL Wesaya's memes made us cry, and El Sofara's memes made us wonder what happened in Gamasa.
Beyond this Ramadan season, Memes are not a regional phenomenon, they are global, with each country using memes to express something regarding its culture. But before we dive deep into the impact of memes on pop culture and arts, let us first understand what memes are.
Merriam-webster.com define memes as “an amusing or interesting item (such as a captioned picture or video) or genre of items that is spread widely online, especially through social media”
The term originated by Charles Darwin, but to keep the article concise, let’s stick to the definition and explain further how memes work.
Memes can be universally understood, think of the famous “one doesn’t simply walk into Mordor” meme, and they can have a specific meaning that is understood by a specific group or culture, for example, El Nazer memes are understood largely in Arabic speaking countries and are highly relatable to Egyptians due to its context and its Egyptian-rooted references.
Regardless of its origins or how other cultures use them, one thing is for certain: Memes can make or break art and media.
Since memes come from media or any pop culture event that happened, heir virality and shareability are a direct reflection of the overall quality and humor.
It’s also worth noting that not everything can be turned into a meme, people like memes and share them quickly because it made them laugh. That’s why some talk shows or ads when they try to jump on a trend or recreate a funny meme, seem disingenuous.
So back to memes and arts, how do they affect each other?
When a work of art or any sort of media is made, it’s going to be viewed by millions and thousands of people. Whether the content itself is good or bad, doesn’t matter. If it can be used for humor, it will be everywhere.
There are tons of examples in that sense
The Positive Impact
For instance, social media went wild after Greta Gerwig's newest film, Barbie, released its trailer and memes were everywhere. From recreating the poster to quoting the tagline “She’s everything. He’s just a Ken.”
To keep it local, the resurgence of “El Ha2ee2a wel Sarab”, A show that aired 20 years ago, has found its place in the millennial's and Gen Z's hearts as people started to create Facebook groups dedicated to the show and make memes about every single scene, Literally!
Or “Hob El Banat” Ahmed Barada’s song, ‘Naseyeny Wana Ganbak’, has spread quickly, made into memes, and even used in TikTok.
The Negative Impact
When Sonic the Hedgehog's trailer was released, people were outraged that the animation was something out of a horror film. The memes and controversy were so loud that the studios changed the entire character design.
If any sort of media (film, show…etc.) is executed poorly or without sincerity, people will use memes to voice their opinion and express their feelings to cancel or alter the original content.
Main Takeaway
Memes aren’t just for entertainment, some can be used to raise awareness about certain issues or help in uncovering hidden gems and cult classics that audiences might not have seen or heard about.
Long story short, memes are here to stay and probably will remain a reason for art to live and resonate into audiences’ minds.
Comments
Leave a Comment