• Rodeo@lemmy.ca
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    1 year ago

    Actually the term was coined all the way back in the 70s, by Richard Dawkins in his book The Selfish Gene.

    It means a cultural gene. It’s a piece of culture that is so pervasive it can be said to be a part of the genetic code of the society. Examples are the smiley face, tic tac toe or other simple common games, that S thing we all drew as kids, etc.

    Not all jokes are memes, and not all memes are jokes.

    • solstice@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      It bugs me when people call any stupid little picture or comic a meme. It also bugs me when people say they are making a meme. One does not simply “make” a meme. It must become a meme on its own. Now if you’ll excuse me I’ve got some clouds to yell at.