Personally I believe that all memes created are neutral and that no meme can truly become a hate symbol. I still see the Pepe the frog meme occasionally but I never see it in political settings today. Today there are almost no memes that are being used as hate symbols because memes just don't make good hate symbols it isn't easy for something that was made to laugh at to be changed into a symbol of hate. One individual meme can be used to display hate but it doesn't mean that the thousands of other memes using the same image also display hate.
Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Memes as hate symbols?
While I was reading the Room for Debate article titled "Can a Meme Be a Hate Symbol" by authors Whitney Phillips and Ryan M. Milner, I asked myself how exactly something that is originally meant for comedy can be changed into something as bad as a hate symbol. The authors of this article use the example of Pepe the frog which some people associate with white supremacy because this meme was used by the alt-right frequently and eventually became rebranded as a white supremacy symbol. The authors also argue in favor of memes not being hate symbols as they take the meaning of people using them and can mean literally anything that the user wants it to mean which makes all memes neutral.
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Hello Daniel! When thinking about the chances of a meme becoming a hate symbol, you can look at it at different perspectives. All over social media, memes can fall into several categories, whether it is relatable, or a culturally-relevant idea. However, with the current political issues some memes can be viewed as racist or offensive, making some to believe memes are a hate symbol. I do strongly believe that memes should have the intention to make others laugh, and not do the exact opposite. I disagree with your statement that all memes created are neutral and no meme can truly become a hate symbol. A meme can be viewed in different perspectives and can easily be manipulated into something viewed as offensive. Sure, the creator of a meme could have no intention on making it perceived as offensive, but that does not mean it isn't harmful to others.
ReplyDeletePersonally, When I absolutely DOMINATE in a round of a game, my squad would say "PogChamp". When we say that, We are Expressing how GOOD the play was, such as Acing. "pog" meaning Play Of Game. Obviously, It does not mean I am a white supremacist, i am just expressing how good i am at Valorant. The same goes for other memes; it is created for good intentions. It can be used for bad purposes, but many things can.
ReplyDeleteI Totally agree with Bailey and Michelle here. When I think of a meme, I think of a funny picture or saying that is enjoyable with my friends or others. Memes can be twisted and be used to call out people or to make fun of them but it isn't what they were meant for and can only controlled by the person before sharing it.
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