Memes as Resistance [Post]-Nelson Nunez

 How can memes act as a form of resistance and advocacy?

        With the rise of the internet, meme culture has become more common in our lives. From humorous pictures that poke fun at experiences that happen to most people, to ridiculing or coping with political ideals, memes serve various purposes that only the creator can determine. Memes have also become a form of resistance; their humor and satire make it easy to challenge the established power structure. In today's world, memes are so prevalent that even our political leaders try to use them. In 2018, the first lady, Melania Trump, famously wore a green jacket with the question "I don't really care, do you?" written on her back. She would later explain to CNN in an exclusive interview that the jacket was aimed at the left-wing media, which had criticized her. However, this backfired because in the time between her wearing the jacket and giving her interview, many people wondered who the message was aimed at, and some took it personally. The writer Charlotte Clymer even went as far as to create a meme of the jackereplacing the original writing to, "November is Coming." The meme was clearly sending the message that the first lady and Trump were going to have a hard time during the midterm election. Like the writer Alice Bucknell said in her "What memes owe to History" article, "Like performance art of the ’60s, memes are hardwired with an unpredictability and a 'hackable' interface or template that can be easily appropriated and overwritten—anyone can make a meme."  Art is the most common way of resistance across time and around the world, and this is thanks to how quickly it can be made by those who understand a form of art. Memes take this principle and bring it to the masses. A person does not need to have talent to make a meme; they just need an idea, a template, and the most basic editing skills. 

Chapter 1 Quotes:

Quote 1: "If knowledge is power, and knowledge is now so freely available, then why does power still remain firmly in the hands of a few? Something is wrong with the equation."

Quote 2: "Yes, because of the dangers of misrepresentation, but also perhaps because God realizes that one of the greatest powers is the power of creation, and if people can create, then they too will have godlike powers (including the power to create the concept of God in the first place)"

Short Response: In the book The Art of Activism by Steve Duncome and Steve Lambert, the question of what the causes were that led a person to take their first steps off the curb is asked by the authors. When examining activist leaders, it's easy to assume that the reason they promote their ideals is that they have conducted extensive research, which has led them to their current position. However, the authors determine that individuals have their own unique stories that tell the experiences that led them to take their first steps. They describe those experiences as deeply personal and powerful, feeling more profound than what can be explained.  Short Response: In the book The Art of Activism by Steve Duncome and Steve Lambert, the question of what the causes were that led a person to take their first steps off the curb is asked by the authors. When examining activist leaders, it's easy to assume that the reason they promote their ideals is that they have conducted extensive research, which has led them to their current position. However, the authors determine that individuals have their own unique stories that tell the experiences that led them to take their first steps. They describe those experiences as deeply personal and powerful, feeling more profound than what can be explained.