INTERVIEWS
In the process of this research, many internet strangers were kind enough to answer a quick interview regarding memes, society, and politics. These people are mostly meme account administrators, or meme experts in some way. The complete interviews are posted bellow. Thank you so much, kind internet strangers.
INTERVIEW #2 - Nationalist Cat
1)first one to collect data- Name age, gender and country of origin
Data: We are basically three people who were born and raised in Switzerland but also have other roots.
Admin 1: Inventor, Facebook Admin 1, 24 years old, from Switzerland, Bosnian-Croatian roots
Admin 2: Facebook Admin, 23 Years old, from Switzerland, roots from Kosovo
Admin 3: Instagram Admin, 23 Years old, from Switzerland, roots from Kosovo
2). - how long have you been working (making curating, sharing massively) with memes ?
Basically, it all started in 2017. At that time, I realized a clear meme trend on Facebook. I observed that many meme pages were published on Facebook. I wanted the feeling of being an admin too. During my vacation 2017 at 2:00 in the night I randomly decided to create a page and thought of a name that could attract people. And the result was this page. However, I could not foresee that the page will be as successful as it is today and that it could create possibly a “timeless” meme trend. I suspected several times that the page would lose the trend and I would have accepted it because it is now often so with pages. But it happens rather the opposite. This growth and the great community motivate to keep going to post memes.
3). are there any types of memes that you do not understand ? what type of meme is this and why do you think yo don't understand them fully
Usually, I have no difficulties to understand memes. Of course, it happens that there is some new meme trend, and you have to inform by myself first but otherwise I have no difficulties. After all, most memes come back to us to be "reseted". So, the knowledge is very good. Especially since fans always send us the latest memes in our version or edit it in our version. So, we are constantly kept up to date thanks to the community.
But I have to say there is one meme trend that I will never understand. And that is the "loss" trend. Often, it's just represented with lines.
4.) how often do you have to explain memes to someone, specially older people or people that don't ususally go into meme spaces
I think by now even older generations know what memes are. Even companies use it as a marketing strategy. I guess it’s also important to mention that there are different “levels” of memes. There are simple ones but also abstract ones as well as different kinds. So, if someone trying to explain memes to a person for the first time then he can easily adapt to his "meme level" and interest. For example, if he is a sports enthusiast, you can show and explain him sports memes & he will it probably understand it at the first time.
5) how do you explain them ?
If I want to explain it to someone, I will define it as a kind of modern art or a way of expression that has different types like art. A other definition for me is that its a “universal language” to show that we share same situations or humor as humans and that’s the beauty of memes.
6) how do you identify politically and how much did the internet and memes influenced in your political formation ?
I never felt that memes influenced me politically. But often I see political arguments wrapped in a funny meme and they come across very well and convincingly. If we go from political left and right compass, I can see interesting memes on both sides and indeed a kind of political tool but not so strong that memes have a strong political influence. I see myself as a centralist.
7) “Do you manage the page bye yourself, or is it community powered by like a group or something?”
I run the site mainly with my friend that is also my neighbor. He's the admin 2 and he also posts memes. We also have admin 3 who is doing the work on Instagram. But the community make an important contribution to the site because we post a lot of memes that come from the fans themselves. So, you can say that the site is actually operated indirectly by the community.
It is a great pleasure for the page to be able to contribute to your project work. We would like to see your results and read about your interesting project about memes if you don’t mind!
That the site is mentioned as a curator is also a great pleasure for us.
INTERVIEW #1 - Memes which are so deep and dank that they return to normal
1)f 1- how often do you encounter memes online that you don't understand ?
Very rarely, i have cultivated such a feed that it is truly a reflection of my inner self, mostly philosophy stuff on a Hegelian emphasis
2 - what's your approach when you find these memes ? Do you try to research them ? How and where ?
If i do, i either ask the page owner a case of this would be @edgyhegel page
Or i do my own research but often both
3 3- 3- do you usually have to explain memes to an older or less digitally literate audience ?
Well i don't really know cuz i do not interact with communities outside philosophy/politics, which means if u check my profile i follow mostly leftists but i follow a lot of fascists and radcaths and stuff like that cuz i like aspects of their accounts and i wouldn't like for my feed to become an echochamber of the same
Since it's philosophy ironically no cuz my mom and stepdad both have a lot of formation my mom a psychologist and my stepdad is a medical doctor with an intensive care specialty, so we talk about philosophy of science and such.
When they encounter the weird memes i generally cannot, they don't find funny the randomness we find funny
I have tried and succeeded in explaining only for them to tell me that isn't funny
4.) 4 Do you think that 21st Century/gen Z humor has some fundamental difference to humor from the past ?
Not really have you ever seen the psychoanalyst strips?
INTERVIEW #3 - COMRADE VOSTOK
INTERVIEW #2 - Nationalist Cat
first one to collect data- Name age, gender and country of origin
F. H., 23 years old, male and from Belgium
2 - tell me a little bit about what you think about memes, as a means of communication, for of art, entertainment, etc
I think memes started out as a form of entertainment, and still are. But as the Internet evolved it has become so much more: now it's a way of communicating, to say what you truly feel with plausible deniability. It's become mainstream in propaganda (see 2016 presidential elections) and art. And I think it's beautiful and an element that will be remembered in the history books (assuming civilization will still survive this century)
3 3- how do identify politically? Do you think social media and memes were important in your political formation? How much ?
I don't have a specific political identity, but I think "conservative socialist" is the closest thing to it. "Populist", "nationalist" and "catholic socialist" are also good.
Social media and memes played a big part in getting me into politics. While the first step into it were the Brussels terrorist attacks of 2015, political memes and social media personalities like Ben Shapiro, Paul Joseph Watson and the like helped me find a group to politically identify with.
Especially the memes and hype surrounding the 2016 US presidential election
I have to admit I spend a long time in a political echochamber, and only got out about a year ago.
4.) how much importance do memes have in your social life, both actual and virtual?
They don't have as much importance in my social life as they used to, but I still use them to entertain my followers online and laugh at them. In real life I use both political and non-political memes for fun, depending on who I'm hanging out with.
5) How long have you been making memes, and what drives you to doing so?
I haven't made that many memes, I just save those of others. But posting memes, I've been driven by ideology and the genuine intention of trying to change people's minds.
About 5 years