Gen Z’s (the generation roughly identified to be born between 1997 and 2012) meme culture is a phenomenon that can’t be explained or understood; the meaning of it is hidden in the feelings it invokes. Memes can be absolutely absurd and senseless at times but can also provide strong emotions and be inexplicably hilarious. As a member of Gen Z, I often find that jokes that are funny to me are completely misunderstood by my parents (Gen X born between 1961 and 1981) or my sister (Millennial). But I believe that is the beauty of Gen Z culture - our humor doesn’t need to, or rather cannot, be understood.
Recently, I saw a lot of articles popping up on the internet comparing memes to dadaism. Dadaism is the artistic and intellectual movement formed after WWI. It revolves around humor based on “whimsy and nonsense”, which invokes strong emotional reactions. Dadaism art is also irrational and spontaneous with seemingly no motivation behind its existence. Sounds familiar, right? Invoking a reaction is the essential purpose of a meme; without it, its existence is unfulfilled and its power lost. A meme has to feel absurd and illogical while carrying a message understood on a spiritual level. So I am proposing meme culture as a religious movement. Who’s with me?
I write without a hint of sarcasm (okay, maybe with just a tiny bit) that Gen Z meme culture is a contemporary art movement. Who knows, in a few decades we might discover images of memes on the pages of art history textbooks.
Meme culture is so extensive that it can take years of background knowledge to understand the joke. Memes converge into one another, creating a monstrosity that we all love and hate.
Memes are often senseless to an outsider. For example, the infamous comic “Loss” centers around a young man entering the hospital, talking to a receptionist and doctor, and then discovering the loss of his unborn child. This comic was widely criticized at the time and thus became a legendary internet meme. I can type:
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and the first reaction would be “Loss”. It became a movement to encrypt the joke in any way possible. I can scroll through my home feed on Instagram and encounter a senseless collection of images aligned together and the moment I realize that it’s “Loss”, I feel ambushed but happy, as if I am a member of a secret society trusted with its confidence.
Meme maestros love creating memes with references to previous creations. You have to be initiated into the internet culture to understand it. Miss a month on the Internet and the fast-moving meme culture will turn you into an outsider, totally unfamiliar with its ways. Eat or be eaten, as they say.
Another interesting trait of memes is that the worse and jankier they look, the funnier they are. We don’t strive for quality anymore. What is it, if not the capitalistic ideal of perfection? On the internet, we rule in anarchy. Here we don’t judge.
Looking at the beauty that my generation tirelessly creates and posts day and night, I believe that this art wave requires its own name. The absolute mayhem that some internet trends create doesn’t fit under the criteria of Dada’s absurdity. It is just too illogical, powerful, spiritual, and alleviated from the mortal realm to be classified as an old movement from the 20th century. So let’s stand our ground and be remembered on our own.
And while the world seems to collapse around us and we get to rebuild it anew, we can continue coping with our troubles with humor. This technique was used by generations before us and will be continued being used centuries after. Let’s go down in history as the most nihilistic but hopeful, straightforward but sarcastic, intelligent but illogical generation.
And, finally, here’s a link to my favorite collection of memes. Check it out :)