(Old) Memes

[Memory]

Memes. They existed then, called 'image macros' or simply as popular content online. Still, they are ubiquitous and a part of new and old internet culture alike.

I'd say that memes underwent a distinct three- or four-phase history:

1. Naive memes (not intended to be a meme): funny videos oe pictures with captions, rick roll, shock images, references to legendary chat quotes,...
2. Structured memes (intended to be a meme, follows a format): Rage comics, pepe, advice animals, demotivational posters,...
3. Absurd memes: The letter E, deepfrying, 🅱️, dat boi,...
4. Neo-traditional memes (reinventing and remixing old structures in new contexts): Wojaks, ironic memes, self referential memes,...

Interestingly enough, this maps perfectly onto the general traditional/modern/postmodern eras of art, just with a far faster evolution.

I intend this thread to be both a place for discussion about the history of memes, and to share old memes or even freshly made old memes in the vein of the retro aesthetic web revival.

[Nippo]

imo my favorite form of meme has to be structured ones. Kinda miss how accepted that old format was even if half the time the memes weren't all that funny. But that was the charm of it at least, they were stupid jokes. Absurd memes are too absurd for my liking and they have just been everywhere (especially after amogus )

Neo-traditional is pretty good and I look forward to it. I tend to see some neo-traditional memes mix some absurdity in them which makes them kinda funny ngl. Puts a new twist on a format that was exhausted to death.

[Memory]

imo my favorite form of meme has to be structured ones. Kinda miss how accepted that old format was even if half the time the memes weren't all that funny. But that was the charm of it at least, they were stupid jokes. Absurd memes are too absurd for my liking and they have just been everywhere (especially after amogus )

Oh they were there way before amogus. :O
The B meme, the Markiplier meme with the letter E, surreal memes, and all. But I agree with you.

What's your thoughts about rage comics? When I was a kid they were all the rage (lmao). I even remember downloading an app called Rage Box to my iPod touch which... delivered daily rage comics. I loved it. Most of them are a bit dated today though.

I wonder whether we can revitalize rage comics.

[Nippo]

Haha yeah I know among us definitely wasn't the first. I'm just saying that I feel that's when I started to get burnt out on the format. Like yeah I get it funny red sus guy among us blasting in my ears. Got old after a while.


I used to find the rage comics funny. I remember those stick figure comics that had the infamous faces like the cereal guy and the FUUUUUUUUUU meme. Those stick figure faces were always so funny to me. I remember as a kid I tried drawing them myself in my own comics, they didn't look as good but it still was a fun time. I also had some crazy wallpaper on my iPad that had all the faces in a collage and all my friends thought I was weird x)

I also miss the unironic top text bottom text memes where they were actual jokes. Despite this, I think out of the absurd memes the top text bottom text ones were my favorite whether ironic or not. They would always make me chuckle a little.

[Memory]

I suppose this goes here then.
Found on /r/f8u12

[Joker]

Memes. They existed then, called 'image macros' or simply as popular content online. Still, they are ubiquitous and a part of new and old internet culture alike.

I'd say that memes underwent a distinct three- or four-phase history:

1. Naive memes (not intended to be a meme): funny videos oe pictures with captions, rick roll, shock images, references to legendary chat quotes,...
2. Structured memes (intended to be a meme, follows a format): Rage comics, pepe, advice animals, demotivational posters,...
3. Absurd memes: The letter E, deepfrying, 🅱️, dat boi,...
4. Neo-traditional memes (reinventing and remixing old structures in new contexts): Wojaks, ironic memes, self referential memes,...

Interestingly enough, this maps perfectly onto the general traditional/modern/postmodern eras of art, just with a far faster evolution.

I intend this thread to be both a place for discussion about the history of memes, and to share old memes or even freshly made old memes in the vein of the retro aesthetic web revival.

Don't forget the email-chain. Back when your only forms of internet communication were IRC, forums, or email chains would be sent from person to person. My parents used to send them to me all the time back in the 2000s.

I uploaded one of the email chains to my drive account if anyone wants to read what they were like: https://drive.proton.me/urls/6X1A4W901C#7gkpxR42n5Am. Pretty cheesy, but we were not in a post-ironic world yet...we weren't even in the ironic stage. Rage comics weren't even around. Honestly, I miss email chains. There are cybersecurity concerns with them, but at the same time I miss when we sent this kind of thing to each other.

[debleb]

I suppose this goes here then.
Found on /r/f8u12

haha this one is quite funny!

i loved rage comics as a kid lol, they’re… kinda dated now but i spent a lot of time googling “rage comics”. i even made a few but they’re long lost.