What Makes A Meme Successful?

By Alex in Blogs & Internet on May 18, 2009 at 2:35 am

You know you’ve made it as a meme when someone put a giant mural up …
Josh Zubkoff did one on the Invisible Bike LOLcat in a building in San Francisco: Link – via MySA Blog Favorite office Time Wasters

John of The Zeray Gazette asks this interesting question: what causes an Internet meme? What gives some web sensation staying power?

What makes some video, idea, or motif a predominant meme? Why do people blog about bacon, zombies, and lolcats, but not so much about pork shoulder roast, mummies, and parakeets? Why does one guy mouthing the words to Numa Numa in front of his PC become famous, while almost all others who do likewise do not?

John went on to explain his theory, which includes penetrability (i.e. how a successful meme crosses niche web communities) and instantaneous comphrehensibility (how easily it can be grasped in under 10 seconds).

Actually, I can answer that question with one word: 4chan.

What do you think? Link

Tags: invisible bike, Josh Zubkoff, lolcat, meme

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N.M.
May 18th, 2009 at 4:54 am
There is no doubt that a meme needs to be simple and appealing.
But almost all memes came from involuntary attemps at being funny… Whenever a forced meme (a meme specifically intended to be a meme) is created – and that happens a lot in 4chan – the creator is ridiculed and the said meme spirals into oblivion.
Who would’ve dreamed that the goofy I Can Has Cheezburger cat would get so popular?

I believe there is no magic recipe for the creation of a meme…

Kinda like the viral videos that once were funny but now that the marketing companies THINK they have our tastes figured they stretch the rope until it snaps and it feels like exploitation. Losing all humor in the process…
ted
May 18th, 2009 at 6:46 am
People are sheep.
Johnny Cat
May 18th, 2009 at 10:58 am
One example of the recipe for a successful meme is Keyboard Cat. For some reason cats rule this department, put setting that aside…the thing about Keyboard Cat is you need to have the frame of mind to “get it.” Not everyone “gets” it, so those of us that do feel like we’re identifying with others who do.

I’ve never been to 4chan, and will most likely never visit, but I like most of the stuff that makes it out.
c0ldfish
May 18th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
IVchan
Larfin Jackarse
May 18th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
ps: 4chan very NSFW
juri
May 19th, 2009 at 6:53 am
People should learn to draw before they start painting walls.
Gauldar
May 19th, 2009 at 8:44 am
@ted

It’s a survival mechanism that has kept this species going, no matter how annoying it is.

@juri

You got to start somewhere, not everybody is a Michelangelo at a young age. Before you start making good pieces of work your bound to crank out a lot of ass.

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