Memes

1. 

Depression Dog

2.

2meIRL4meIRL

3.

Anxiety Cat

1. How does each meme relate to your topic and target audience? Or how does this meme relate to a topic we’ve covered during the semester?

The first meme is one of the earliest memes on the internet (as well as #3); it features a dog with a saddened expression with text above and below it. This meme has been dubbed “Depression Dog” because the meme is usually used for some tragic situation. All of the memes I have selected are reflections of people’s mental health or states of mind- Depression Dog is one that can be relatable for those who are struggling with feelings of hopelessness or loneliness. The second meme is one called “2meIRL4meIRL” which is a whole category of memes “that explore the subject of clinical depression and other mood disorders in a humorous manner,” according to Know Your Meme.  The past few years, more than ever, I have seen people I follow online, as well as friends, post memes regarding mental illness and mental health- usually in a humorous manner, making light of a topic that is usually regarded as something taboo. The final meme is similar to the first, “Anxiety Cat” usually represents instances of social anxiety or general anxiety disorder.

2. What are the “behaviors” of your identified memes? Where do they originate, and how do they spread? (Cite the Know Your Meme database)

Depression Dog

Behaviors: “The captions typically present bleak situations with a downtrodden outlook, similar to Forever Alone image macros,” according to Know Your Meme.

Origin: The image was posted to 4chan in 2007, then was made into an early form of the meme in 2009 and reposted onto the site.

Spread: A website called DepressionDog. info was created with a custom caption generator in 2009.

2meIRL4meIRL

Behaviors: A slang term for a group of memes that relate to mental illness. Also referred to as “depression memes” or “crippling memes” according to Know Your Meme.

Origin: The name was formed by two other internet slang terms, “me IRL” and “2edgy4me.”  A Redditor, AhrmiintheUnseen, created the term as well as a thread with the same name in 2016, according to Know Your Meme.

Spread: Started in Reddit and then was slowly used as a hashtag on other social media sites, like Twitter, for memes about depression.

Anxiety Cat

Behaviors: Very similar to Depression Dog, features a picture of a scared cat with captions “related to paranoia and social distress,” according to Know Your Meme.

Origin: Was featured on a popular “demotivational poster” in 2007 with the caption, “What has been seen cannot be unseen.” By 2013 the meme was on meme generator with more than 300 different manifestations according to Know Your Meme.

Spread: The meme gained popularity on Tumblr and then was used on other platforms like Reddit; eventually it need up on Complex Magazine’s “15 Funniest Cat Memes Ever.”  

What are the “manifestations” of your chosen memes, and how are they different from other possible manifestations?

The manifestations of my chosen memes are all related to mental health- but the images themselves don’t. Technically these images could be used to express a number of things. This past election we saw memes being changed dramatically in order to facilitate the alt-right’s agenda. Douglas Maddow  discusses the idea of “meme warfare” in “Meme warfare: how the power of mass replication has poisoned the US election.” He refers to the memes used by the Alt-Right as “political ones meant to trigger paradigm shifts that would upend the prevailing logic of late capitalism,” (Maddow, 5). Slap on any hateful symbols or captions on a meme and it can be used for a purpose far from what it was intended.

 

5. Conclude by considering how the specific manifestations you have chosen can appeal to your target audience or your peers.

While I believe these types of memes can sometimes go too far and almost be considered a cry for help at times, I do think they are beneficial to my target audience. One of the main goals of my website and social movements like World Mental Health Day is to spread awareness and start the conversation. Usually people who are negatively affected by their mental illness feel like they can’t talk to anyone. Having discussions about mental health and mental illness- even if it is brought about by a humorous meme- is a good thing.