Micorowaved memes...

[cheeni]

This was me wondering to myself a few minutes ago: "Why are memes so popular?". In case you've been under the blogging world equivalent of a rock, you will know, the word, quite unknown to the unwashed masses until a few years back is now memetically popular.


meme
(noun)

1 : a pervasive thought or thought pattern that replicates itself via cultural means; a parasitic code, a virus of the mind especially contagious to children and the impressionable

2 : in blogspeak, an idea that is spread from blog to blog

3 : an internet information generator, especially of random or contentless information


I posit that memes (in the blogging sense, and with a little help in most other contexts) exist because they give people something to write about. Most bloggers find that their fingers don't move as fast on the keyboard as the technology will allow them to. Given the general paucity of thought in the Universe (I'm not talking just of the bloggers who can't hold two ideas in their head at the same time (note how I resist calling such beings the orphaned offspring of retarded sperms that got lucky)), or even the sheer amount of time it takes to form coherent thoughts on a keyboard, many will settle for the blog-post-in-a-wrap; (i.e.) the meme. It's the blog world's equivalent of alcohol induced air-head talk at a socialite gathering.

Given that someone will skewer me in the comments for saying this anyway, I would like to ride the fast food analogy a little longer. If fast food is bad for the nation, can meme filled blogs be any better?

P.S. You will note that I'm being in an especially wicked mood today, and forgive me. I hope the gentle readers of this blog will rise above petty finger pointing at memes that this blog may have featured in the past ;-)

Comments

[arucard2.livejournal.com]

-5
you really should post this on /. :)

It's the blog world's equivalent of alcohol induced air-head talk at a socialite gathering.
a necessary evil. :D I speak for the alcohol here. Doesn't it make social gatherings tolerable?

definition 3: is the best.

[teemus.livejournal.com]

Memes are for fun. That's about it. But most of the memes I have written are statistical. (Memes like this are shitty!)

When I wrote friendsCollage, I was awestruck at the rapid pace at which memes spread in the blogosphere. That's more fun!

Hi

[smalltownjourno.livejournal.com]

Hi, I just added you to my friend's list. Have a lot more interesting movies at my place....
Am a journo who writes movie reviews for the paper I work for. That should explain the fascination for good films.
By the way, the name is Prathibha

Re: Hi

[sriniram.livejournal.com]

Ah interesting, I've always wondered if people really get paid to write movie reviews, and now I know of someone who actually does that for a living :-)

I love movies too; in fact I'm resuming my movie watching after a while - I bought a reasonably large stash of DVDs a few weeks back.

And, I'm Srini or Cheeni as friends call me.

Re: Hi

[smalltownjourno.livejournal.com]

well, dont remind me of the peanuts that i get paid for my reviews and the huge amounts i shell out for the tickets. in any case, am an ardent movie-goer. Work for Deccan Herald in Bangalore and watch at least two movies every friday, even if I am reviewing only one of them.
In fact, even do the review page most often. So get to read and edit other reviews also.
as for collecting movies. that's something that's been started recently. Trouble is that my bro is always on a buying spree and has most of the best titles available. It makes no sense having the same. So have to pick those that he doesnt have.
Am on night shift this week... lota work...

Re: Hi

[sriniram.livejournal.com]

Interesting, I thought the press would get free tickets or something. Anyway, it's really nice that you watch movies every week. Most people are in this cycle of work - life - work, that it's incredibly hard to find interesting people who take the time out to catch a movie.

I work days, but I'm usually up nights as well as you can see :-) I was really hoping to catch a movie the last week, since I was in Madras - Madras has some really nice theaters, and lots of movies. I grabbed an old friend, and the two of us made it to the theatre for the last show at 10, only to find out that our reserved tickets had been umm... stolen by the counter clerk - he forwarded the clock on his PC by 25 minutes, so that our tickets were released by default. Anyway, after making a fuss, we were seated in one of the other screens for free - little consolation, we only agreed because my car was stuck in the middle of the parking lot.

The movie, "House of wax" turned out to be about as brain dead as possible. Well, what do you expect from a movie that includes Paris Hilton in its cast.

[skarra.livejournal.com]

Memes generate feedback. People like to have comments on their blogs; I suppose it makes them feel 'noticed' and good.