Who and what was the first meme? What does meme mean?
I might already know this, but I actually want to know it, you can't trust the internet, well except for you guys
meaning slang questions history
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Meme boiMeme boi
12
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I might already know this, but I actually want to know it, you can't trust the internet, well except for you guys
meaning slang questions history
asked yesterday
Meme boiMeme boi
12
New contributor
Meme boi is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
3
"Meme" is a fairly vague term, covering a range of overlapping senses. Arguably the "first" one predates language itself. I think the actual word was coined by Dawkins in 1976, when he said examples of memes are tunes, ideas, catch-phrases, clothes fashions, ways of making pots or of building arches.
– FumbleFingers
yesterday
Thank you for answering my question, that helped a lot
– Meme boi
yesterday
I didn't think I was "answering" your question - I assumed you were asking something along the lines of "What was the first Internet-borne meme to be generally assigned that label?" (probably cat-pics, or that coffee pot under a web-cam in some US university). So my comment was intended to "explain" my close-vote (as "not an answerable question" :)
– FumbleFingers
yesterday
Welcome to EL&U. While you can't trust everything on the Internet, there is plenty that is authoritative, and so we do expect questions to demonstrate a modicum of initial research effort. I strongly encourage you to take the site tour and review the help center for additional guidance.
– choster
yesterday
1
This could be allowable if we consider the question to be about etymology and the word.
– DJClayworth
yesterday
|
show 2 more comments
I might already know this, but I actually want to know it, you can't trust the internet, well except for you guys
meaning slang questions history
asked yesterday
Meme boiMeme boi
12
New contributor
Meme boi is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
I might already know this, but I actually want to know it, you can't trust the internet, well except for you guys
meaning slang questions history
meaning slang questions history
asked yesterday
Meme boiMeme boi
12
New contributor
Meme boi is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked yesterday
Meme boiMeme boi
12
New contributor
Meme boi is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked yesterday
Meme boiMeme boi
12
New contributor
Meme boi is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked yesterday
Meme boiMeme boi
12
asked yesterday
Meme boiMeme boi
12
12
New contributor
Meme boi is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
Meme boi is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Meme boi is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
3
"Meme" is a fairly vague term, covering a range of overlapping senses. Arguably the "first" one predates language itself. I think the actual word was coined by Dawkins in 1976, when he said examples of memes are tunes, ideas, catch-phrases, clothes fashions, ways of making pots or of building arches.
– FumbleFingers
yesterday
Thank you for answering my question, that helped a lot
– Meme boi
yesterday
I didn't think I was "answering" your question - I assumed you were asking something along the lines of "What was the first Internet-borne meme to be generally assigned that label?" (probably cat-pics, or that coffee pot under a web-cam in some US university). So my comment was intended to "explain" my close-vote (as "not an answerable question" :)
– FumbleFingers
yesterday
Welcome to EL&U. While you can't trust everything on the Internet, there is plenty that is authoritative, and so we do expect questions to demonstrate a modicum of initial research effort. I strongly encourage you to take the site tour and review the help center for additional guidance.
– choster
yesterday
1
This could be allowable if we consider the question to be about etymology and the word.
– DJClayworth
yesterday
|
show 2 more comments
3
"Meme" is a fairly vague term, covering a range of overlapping senses. Arguably the "first" one predates language itself. I think the actual word was coined by Dawkins in 1976, when he said examples of memes are tunes, ideas, catch-phrases, clothes fashions, ways of making pots or of building arches.
– FumbleFingers
yesterday
Thank you for answering my question, that helped a lot
– Meme boi
yesterday
I didn't think I was "answering" your question - I assumed you were asking something along the lines of "What was the first Internet-borne meme to be generally assigned that label?" (probably cat-pics, or that coffee pot under a web-cam in some US university). So my comment was intended to "explain" my close-vote (as "not an answerable question" :)
– FumbleFingers
yesterday
Welcome to EL&U. While you can't trust everything on the Internet, there is plenty that is authoritative, and so we do expect questions to demonstrate a modicum of initial research effort. I strongly encourage you to take the site tour and review the help center for additional guidance.
– choster
yesterday
1
This could be allowable if we consider the question to be about etymology and the word.
– DJClayworth
yesterday
3
3
"Meme" is a fairly vague term, covering a range of overlapping senses. Arguably the "first" one predates language itself. I think the actual word was coined by Dawkins in 1976, when he said examples of memes are tunes, ideas, catch-phrases, clothes fashions, ways of making pots or of building arches.
– FumbleFingers
yesterday
"Meme" is a fairly vague term, covering a range of overlapping senses. Arguably the "first" one predates language itself. I think the actual word was coined by Dawkins in 1976, when he said examples of memes are tunes, ideas, catch-phrases, clothes fashions, ways of making pots or of building arches.
– FumbleFingers
yesterday
Thank you for answering my question, that helped a lot
– Meme boi
yesterday
Thank you for answering my question, that helped a lot
– Meme boi
yesterday
I didn't think I was "answering" your question - I assumed you were asking something along the lines of "What was the first Internet-borne meme to be generally assigned that label?" (probably cat-pics, or that coffee pot under a web-cam in some US university). So my comment was intended to "explain" my close-vote (as "not an answerable question" :)
– FumbleFingers
yesterday
I didn't think I was "answering" your question - I assumed you were asking something along the lines of "What was the first Internet-borne meme to be generally assigned that label?" (probably cat-pics, or that coffee pot under a web-cam in some US university). So my comment was intended to "explain" my close-vote (as "not an answerable question" :)
– FumbleFingers
yesterday
Welcome to EL&U. While you can't trust everything on the Internet, there is plenty that is authoritative, and so we do expect questions to demonstrate a modicum of initial research effort. I strongly encourage you to take the site tour and review the help center for additional guidance.
– choster
yesterday
Welcome to EL&U. While you can't trust everything on the Internet, there is plenty that is authoritative, and so we do expect questions to demonstrate a modicum of initial research effort. I strongly encourage you to take the site tour and review the help center for additional guidance.
– choster
yesterday
1
1
This could be allowable if we consider the question to be about etymology and the word.
– DJClayworth
yesterday
This could be allowable if we consider the question to be about etymology and the word.
– DJClayworth
yesterday
|
show 2 more comments
1 Answer
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The term 'meme' was coined by Richard Dawkins in his 1976 book "The Selfish Gene". He used it to describe the way certain ideas are spread around by being 'fitter' for their environment (the human mind) than other versions. His chief example is the Hamlet misquote "Alas poor Yorick, I knew him well", (which is correctly "Alas poor Yorick. I knew him, Horatio."). His claim is that the incorrect version is better suited for the environment of the human mind, being more memorable and not requiring knowledge of any other part of the play (Who is Horatio?). It therefore persists in human conscousness better than the correct version. His argument is that the survivability mechanism of such 'memes' is analogous to the mechanism of survivability of genes.
The word "meme" was chosen to be deliberately similar to "gene".
The use of the word to mean an internet cliche was by extension of the original meaning.
answered yesterday
DJClayworthDJClayworth
11.3k12535
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The term 'meme' was coined by Richard Dawkins in his 1976 book "The Selfish Gene". He used it to describe the way certain ideas are spread around by being 'fitter' for their environment (the human mind) than other versions. His chief example is the Hamlet misquote "Alas poor Yorick, I knew him well", (which is correctly "Alas poor Yorick. I knew him, Horatio."). His claim is that the incorrect version is better suited for the environment of the human mind, being more memorable and not requiring knowledge of any other part of the play (Who is Horatio?). It therefore persists in human conscousness better than the correct version. His argument is that the survivability mechanism of such 'memes' is analogous to the mechanism of survivability of genes.
The word "meme" was chosen to be deliberately similar to "gene".
The use of the word to mean an internet cliche was by extension of the original meaning.
answered yesterday
DJClayworthDJClayworth
11.3k12535
add a comment |
The term 'meme' was coined by Richard Dawkins in his 1976 book "The Selfish Gene". He used it to describe the way certain ideas are spread around by being 'fitter' for their environment (the human mind) than other versions. His chief example is the Hamlet misquote "Alas poor Yorick, I knew him well", (which is correctly "Alas poor Yorick. I knew him, Horatio."). His claim is that the incorrect version is better suited for the environment of the human mind, being more memorable and not requiring knowledge of any other part of the play (Who is Horatio?). It therefore persists in human conscousness better than the correct version. His argument is that the survivability mechanism of such 'memes' is analogous to the mechanism of survivability of genes.
The word "meme" was chosen to be deliberately similar to "gene".
The use of the word to mean an internet cliche was by extension of the original meaning.
answered yesterday
DJClayworthDJClayworth
11.3k12535
add a comment |
The term 'meme' was coined by Richard Dawkins in his 1976 book "The Selfish Gene". He used it to describe the way certain ideas are spread around by being 'fitter' for their environment (the human mind) than other versions. His chief example is the Hamlet misquote "Alas poor Yorick, I knew him well", (which is correctly "Alas poor Yorick. I knew him, Horatio."). His claim is that the incorrect version is better suited for the environment of the human mind, being more memorable and not requiring knowledge of any other part of the play (Who is Horatio?). It therefore persists in human conscousness better than the correct version. His argument is that the survivability mechanism of such 'memes' is analogous to the mechanism of survivability of genes.
The word "meme" was chosen to be deliberately similar to "gene".
The use of the word to mean an internet cliche was by extension of the original meaning.
answered yesterday
DJClayworthDJClayworth
11.3k12535
The term 'meme' was coined by Richard Dawkins in his 1976 book "The Selfish Gene". He used it to describe the way certain ideas are spread around by being 'fitter' for their environment (the human mind) than other versions. His chief example is the Hamlet misquote "Alas poor Yorick, I knew him well", (which is correctly "Alas poor Yorick. I knew him, Horatio."). His claim is that the incorrect version is better suited for the environment of the human mind, being more memorable and not requiring knowledge of any other part of the play (Who is Horatio?). It therefore persists in human conscousness better than the correct version. His argument is that the survivability mechanism of such 'memes' is analogous to the mechanism of survivability of genes.
The word "meme" was chosen to be deliberately similar to "gene".
The use of the word to mean an internet cliche was by extension of the original meaning.
answered yesterday
DJClayworthDJClayworth
11.3k12535
answered yesterday
DJClayworthDJClayworth
11.3k12535
answered yesterday
DJClayworthDJClayworth
11.3k12535
answered yesterday
DJClayworthDJClayworth
11.3k12535
11.3k12535
add a comment |
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3
"Meme" is a fairly vague term, covering a range of overlapping senses. Arguably the "first" one predates language itself. I think the actual word was coined by Dawkins in 1976, when he said examples of memes are tunes, ideas, catch-phrases, clothes fashions, ways of making pots or of building arches.
– FumbleFingers
yesterday
Thank you for answering my question, that helped a lot
– Meme boi
yesterday
I didn't think I was "answering" your question - I assumed you were asking something along the lines of "What was the first Internet-borne meme to be generally assigned that label?" (probably cat-pics, or that coffee pot under a web-cam in some US university). So my comment was intended to "explain" my close-vote (as "not an answerable question" :)
– FumbleFingers
yesterday
Welcome to EL&U. While you can't trust everything on the Internet, there is plenty that is authoritative, and so we do expect questions to demonstrate a modicum of initial research effort. I strongly encourage you to take the site tour and review the help center for additional guidance.
– choster
yesterday
1
This could be allowable if we consider the question to be about etymology and the word.
– DJClayworth
yesterday