Meme Theory

I found this fantastic blog post on Memetic Theory and Pop Culture.

Memetics

Wiki Entry

Wiktionary Definition:

meme (plural memes)

1. Any unit of cultural information, such as a practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another. Examples might include thoughts, ideas, theories, practices, habits, songs, dances and moods and terms such as race, culture, ethnicity etc.
2. A self-propagating unit of cultural evolution having a resemblance to the gene (the unit of genetics).

Popular Culture is the most successful memes, joined together. Preexisting memes affect how we judge new memes, like our conception of race and how it might affect what music we listen to, or our concept of gender and how that effects what clothes we like to wear.

On this page, I don't want to talk about Meme Theory in depth, I am going to concentrate on the content and context of specific memes as they have changed and evolved. But is is important to understand that each individual is a product of two main factors: their genes and their memes. This reminds me of the nature vs. nurture debate, as in what defines our personal identity more: our genetic makeup or the unique combination of experiences that we percieve.

I like to think of personal identity as a club (mostly because I love to dance). Stick with me here, this sounds a little crazy, but I like the metaphore. Our genes are the club itself, the foundation and structure, the owner who calls all the shots and gets to boss around the rest of the employees, the bartenders who keep the customers satiated, the bouncer who gets to decide who is in and who is not. Our memes are the customers themselves. A popular club will be swarmed with customers of all types, but it is the bouncer that regulates who gets in. Sometimes customers sneak in the back, not officially chosen for the makeup of the club, but there nonetheless. Some will get along really well, in fact, that's the goal of the bouncer. Some will not get along well, and conflict arises.

As individuals, we are the owners of our own clubs, our bodies. We can decorate as we see fit, act how we want, and regulate our input based upon what we know about ourselves. Take for instance a romance novel lover who sees a new book by her favorite author. Metaphorically, that author has just arrived out front in a limo and cut in front of the rest of the line.

Say that same individual was given a Thomas L. Friedman book for her birthday, and she has absoutely no interest in economics whatsoever. Now he is standing in line, deemed too geeky by the bouncer to be let in (though he's welcome in my club any day!). On a slow night (lack of many other memes, i.e. boredom) he might get let in. If the owner likes him, he might get let in again, but if he leaves a bad impression, he'll be put on the boot list.

This metaphore doesn't only extend to dance clubs, but a club of any kind. Like high school science club. A certian level of intelligence is needed to get in, and stupid people are likely to be rejected (unless they're hot, geeks don't get much action). Like a geek who only reads books on physics but watches Britany Spears music videos on a regular basis.

Yacht Clubs/ Country Clubs regulate input based on income level, you have to have so much money to join. Like a conservative asshole who doesn't take anyone's opinions into account unless they have money to spend at his company.

We are each our own club, our own genre, our own makeup of genes and memes that make us each unique. A club isn't a club unless it has the structure and the participants.

I want to look at different types of memes, and how they've changed, or the evolution of the customer at the club, and how that changes the club as a whole.

Tune in soon for some cartoony analysis.

Sarah