Internet memes have existed since virtually the inception of social media and short-form digital content. However, they have changed in meaning, form and purpose over time. Memes were originally purely humorous. For example, the “What’s 9+10?” meme that originated from Vine had no harmful meaning; it was simply absurd and that’s what people liked about it. Now, memes have taken on greater meaning and some have even been used to address social issues and carry more political weight, while others have been dubbed “brain rot,” like “6-7.”
Some memes’ reproductions in short-form content tend to be problematic when originating from Black creators or when rooted in Black stereotypes. The use of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) has been used in many memes and this has further contributed to memes being considered racist. Many of the memes that have come from AAVE or Black creators weren’t originally intended to hurt the Black community. For example, the word “rizz” — which actually means charisma — is an AAVE slang term, yet it has taken root as a popularized meme for being able to ask someone out or simply as a nonsensical word. Even though this word was originally rooted in a marginalized culture and was claimed by popular culture and used in comedy, it doesn’t necessarily mean it was done with harmful intent.
Many African-Americans have critiqued white people’s use of AAVE slang; in my opinion it comes from a place of discomfort or confusion, rather than offense. While some people find these memes to be racist, others don’t and either way, the intent isn’t necessarily an act of hate.
Additionally, meme culture that is rooted in racial stereotypes such as the hot cheeto girl, nonchalant dreadheads or dominicans dancing, has been criticized as generalizing and stereotyping various communities. For as long as comedy has existed, it has used stereotypes; one prominent example is Saturday Night Live, which has been consistently criticized for its use of ethnic stereotypes as punchlines. This type of comedy comes from Black disenfranchisement, where people of color in the U.S. lacked representation or rights. For example, the use of blackface as a form of comedy in the 19th and 20th centuries, which intentionally made fun of people of color, has gone through waves and found new forms of expression. This includes plays to stand-up comedy to modern-day memes such as the ones rooted in racially-coded stereotypes. These have a little more nuance and light-heartedness than the former and many of the people in these communities play into the meme and participate.
So, although stereotyping as a form of humor is rooted in a racist past, I think that the memes that have manifested from this are light-hearted and don’t make a point to hurt these communities. However, these memes should remain light-hearted. Once they are taken from these communities and used as a generalization, which tends to happen, it is important to recognize them as racist and try to critique the trend as a whole.
Another meme that is purely racist and highlights how memes can easily go from light-hearted to destructive, is the George Floyd challenge. After a case of police brutality killed African-American man George Floyd, racist teens and adults created a trend where users would recreate his death. This case of a meme that is trying to hurt a community can never be defined as light-hearted, as it further hurts the reputation and legacy of someone who faced a brutal death. This meme deviates from the stereotype and is, in fact, racist because it aims to make fun of an innocent man purely for his race and the circumstances he faced.
Many people are now comparing this to the “memification” of Charlie Kirk, a far-right podcaster who was shot and killed and then was quickly turned into a meme all over TikTok. However, I think this is a case where people are utilizing it as a political meme, opposed to making fun of his death. Charlie Kirk was someone who lived a life preaching hateful rhetoric and actively hurting communities. The “memeification” of Kirk has been an opportunity for many people in the communities he hurt to make a mockery of him, not necessarily his death.
I think this type of “memeification” is honestly acceptable because it is no different from the way people created memes and humor about politicians for years. Though jokes about one’s death are wrong, Charlie Kirk was a key face of the MAGA movement and the memes around him were in response to the movement and used to critique him and make fun of oppressive politics.
Memes will continue to evolve and adapt to modern-day trends; however, they currently exhibit a wide range of messaging and behaviors. From absurd things like 6-7 to harmful memes like the George Floyd challenge, memes can forever be critiqued and questioned. With the history of racism in the U.S., it will take many changes to the way people deal with racism itself for memes to no longer be racist; if systematic racism is confronted and amended, racist memes will be too.
Anthony Korolos, FCRH ’29, is a political science and international political economy double major with a minor in French from Charlotte, North Carolina.
