Memecry: Tracing the Repetition-with-Variation of Formulas on 4chan/pol/
2022; RELX Group (Netherlands); Linguagem: Inglês
10.2139/ssrn.4225709
ISSN1556-5068
Autores Tópico(s)Music Technology and Sound Studies
ResumoDownload This Paper Open PDF in Browser Add Paper to My Library Share: Permalink Using these links will ensure access to this page indefinitely Copy URL Memecry: Tracing the Repetition-with-Variation of Formulas on 4chan/pol/ 31 Pages Posted: 16 Nov 2022 See all articles by Sal HagenSal HagenUniversity of Amsterdam - Department of Media StudiesTommaso VenturiniCentre Internet et Société CNRS Date Written: August 7, 2022 Abstract Like their genetic counterparts, memes are supposed to embody in culture the two main forces of Darwinian evolution: replication and mutation. These two functions, however, have not received equal scholarly attention, particularly as concerns the most popular and studied type of memes: Internet memes. While the circulation of these texts, images, and videos across online spaces has become a favourite object of computational social sciences, the study of their transformation through time remains scant. In this paper, we introduce the notion of 'memecry' to conceptualise the dynamics of repetition-with-variation of Internet memes. We propose a large-scale operationalisation using 341 million posts made since 2014 on /pol/, the far-right politics subforum of the imageboard 4chan. We draw from literature on primary and secondary orality to relate memecry to the dynamics of online subcultures and to operationalise its study through formulas: mnemonic phrases encapsulating important elements of oral cultures, which have arguably regained prominence in ephemeral online environments like 4chan. While Internet memes have often been studied as single images or words, the phrases provide a more complex unit of analysis which allows investigating variation and not only circulation. We offer a quali-quantitative protocol to identify formulas and map their memecry. Finally, we apply our protocol to the 4chan/pol/ archive, visualising the spread and variability of 65 prominent formulas. By discussing several cases, we demonstrate how 4chan can indeed be seen as a secondary oral culture and how the memecry of its formulas is entwined with a subcultural struggle for distinction. Keywords: memecry, memes, oral culture, formulas, 4chan, /pol/ Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation Hagen, Sal and Venturini, Tommaso, Memecry: Tracing the Repetition-with-Variation of Formulas on 4chan/pol/ (August 7, 2022). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4225709 Sal Hagen (Contact Author) University of Amsterdam - Department of Media Studies ( email ) Netherlands Tommaso Venturini Centre Internet et Société CNRS ( email ) 59-61 rue PouchetPARIS, 75849France HOME PAGE: http://www.cis.cnrs.fr Download This Paper Open PDF in Browser Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN? Place Job Opening Paper statistics Downloads 41 Abstract Views 143 PlumX Metrics Related eJournals Cognition & Culture: Culture, Communication, Design, Ethics, Morality, Religion, Rhetoric, & Semiotics eJournal Follow Cognition & Culture: Culture, Communication, Design, Ethics, Morality, Religion, Rhetoric, & Semiotics eJournal Subscribe to this fee journal for more curated articles on this topic FOLLOWERS 1,329 PAPERS 2,514 This Journal is curated by: Todd Oakley at Case Western Reserve University - Department of Cognitive Science Writing Technologies eJournal Follow Writing Technologies eJournal Subscribe to this free journal for more curated articles on this topic FOLLOWERS 870 PAPERS 1,283 This Journal is curated by: David C. Logan at California Medical Association (CMA) WellnessUniversity of Southern California - Marshall School of Business Applied Computing eJournal Follow Applied Computing eJournal Subscribe to this fee journal for more curated articles on this topic FOLLOWERS 227 PAPERS 4,301 Communication & Computational Methods eJournal Follow Communication & Computational Methods eJournal Subscribe to this fee journal for more curated articles on this topic FOLLOWERS 53 PAPERS 1,492 Computational Sociology eJournal Follow Computational Sociology eJournal Subscribe to this fee journal for more curated articles on this topic FOLLOWERS 14 PAPERS 396 Feedback Feedback to SSRN Feedback (required) Email (required) Submit If you need immediate assistance, call 877-SSRNHelp (877 777 6435) in the United States, or +1 212 448 2500 outside of the United States, 8:30AM to 6:00PM U.S. Eastern, Monday - Friday. Submit a Paper Section 508 Text Only Pages SSRN Quick Links SSRN Solutions Research Paper Series Conference Papers Partners in Publishing Jobs & Announcements Newsletter Sign Up SSRN Rankings Top Papers Top Authors Top Organizations About SSRN SSRN Objectives Network Directors Presidential Letter Announcements Contact us FAQs Copyright Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy We use cookies to help provide and enhance our service and tailor content. To learn more, visit Cookie Settings. This page was processed by aws-apollo-4dc in 0.171 seconds
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