Meme Famous

Before analyzing memes in class I always thought that they were pictures that people from the internet copied and put a funny caption on.  After reading Knobel and Lankshear's chapter in A New Literacies Sampler, I know that it is much more than that.  Memes can be popular tunes, catchphrases, fashion, actions, icons, jingles and anything else that can be uploaded.  They are "contagious patterns of 'cultural information' that get passed from mind to mind and directly generate and  shape the mindsets and significant forms of behavior and actions of a social group."  New memes pop up everyday and with social media like Facebook and Twitter, they are getting around faster than ever before.  Memes usually center around a specific person or group of people.  Knobel and Lankshear used the example of The Star Wars Kid to explain that many subjects of memes receive unwanted attention.  In the case of the Star Wars Kid, internet users put his name online and many contacted him in ridicule and bullying.  He and his family did not appreciate the extra attention and saw it as an invasion of privacy.  Knobel and Lankshear went on to explain that not not all attention that subjects from memes are welcomed.

The famous meme "confused black girl" starring Keisha Johnson.

A remixed picture of Keisha as a meme.

The meme, confused black girl, began with a picture of a friend that went insanely viral and appeared on many news feeds.  Kiesha Johnson is pictured making a face and putting up a hand gesture.  This picture was remixed and is now used in meme's and in people's daily conversations.  Initially, it was assumed that Keisha hated people using her picture.  It was my first time acknowledging that those who participate in memes, may not actually be participating voluntarily.  A video emerged of Kiesha asking people to stop posting her face everywhere.  Then a rumor went out saying that she was suing Instagram for using her photo.  Then suddenly I came across a video of her embracing it! This vulgar comedic Youtube video shows Keisha using the gesture multiple time for comedic value. The Youtube channel she is featured on knew that having her would have benefits for his video.  She was using the attention that she gathered from the internet meme to benefit.

Keisha is not the only one who has been benefiting from their fame as a meme star. Antoine Dodson is another individual who used his stardom from internet memes to land him on the George Lopez show.  Sweet Brown, another meme star, did an interview on the View.  These may be very popular memes, but they all show aspects of thee stars using their stardom to benefit.

Antoine Dodson's news interview that went viral.

Antoine Dodson a guest on Lopez tonight.

The Star Wars Kid did not benefit from his meme according to Knobel and Lankshear, but I do believe that most stars of memes do benefit, it just depends on whether they accept it or not.  Keisha initially appeared to disapprove of internet users taking her picture, but then she made parody starring herself and doing the famous gesture.  It seems as though she merely made the most out of a situation, but she used her meme as a foundation for this parody.  She was able to benefit from this parody simply because of the meme.  The same could be said for the Star Wars Kid. Knobel and Lankshear mentioned that the Star Wars Kid was offered an Apple IPOD from internet users, but he declined.  That was potentially a benefit, that he and his family did not accept.  Meme stardom, in some cases, may not be the ideal type of fame that people are looking for, but it does not insinuate that there is no benefit to be gained.