An "Internet meme" is often defined as "a
concept that spreads via the Internet" (Wikipedia),
though of course everything that travels around in the Internet is,
technically, a meme. It's the ones that get madly popular, or "go
viral", that get called "Internet memes".
I had fun learning about them when making
the Radio 4 programme "What's
in a meme?" in March 2011. I was completely ignorant of
Rickrolling, Old Spice Man, and Dramatic Chipmunk when I began.
I wrote a bit about this for the
Guardian's
Commentisfree
and talked to
The Pod Delusion.
I did, however, already love Ceiling Cat,
who is always looking down on me when I'm working but then the
moment I turn my head she disappears up into the ceiling leaving no
trace of the hole she peered through, only to pop out again when I'm
not looking.
Here - courtesy of my own cats, are some
of my own versions of Ceiling Cat. I'm not sure I've quite got the
hang of LOLspeak (but then really why would I?)
I wonder whether anyone will ever copy
any of these on? Have they got what it takes to join the Internet
memes out there?
