i(Not)Funny

Writing is very important when it comes to the effectiveness of a meme. If the writing is poor or unclear, the meme is virtually useless. For example, in the article about atheism and memes, the very first meme they present is poorly written. This can turn the viewer away completely from the meme. This is especially true in a time where you can consume an unbelievable amount of content on the internet in one sitting. If the writing is too long or not written precisely, the average user will just scroll past it. If the writing is good, however, the meme has a much higher chance of going viral. The most popular memes and meme formats feature simple and clever writing. Many meme formats only have a few words. In those few words, the creator has to write a clear, witty, and meaningful meme. 

Visual rhetoric is also very important in the effectiveness of a meme. Whatever image or images are used must serve a connected purpose. Memes are not just writing alone; they are a combination of writing and visuals. There is a lot of creative freedom in the visual rhetoric of a meme. The images in a meme can be related or even unrelated to the text to create layers in the message. The font of the text itself can even create a layer of meaning; many memes use Comic Sans to add to the joke. Because memes typically have so little text, the creator relies heavily on the visual aspect to add depth.

What is your favorite place to look at memes and why? Instagram, Twitter, TikTok (would they even be considered memes)? 

I have caught myself saying “cram on my jams” on more than one occasion…