It would be interesting to hear more about memes. Unlike Adorno and other cultural theorists who are critical of popular culture as being comprised of commercial products to placate the masses, there are other theorists (for example, Douglas Kellner) who believe that individuals can play with and comment upon products of pop culture. I think I would argue that memes do just that. Although fleeting ephemera, they give voice to those who rearrange, redo, or literally comment upon the original image, song, or video. The question remains though since they are temporary and easily forgettable, can they ever have a chance of enacting any real political change?
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#1 by Liz Grumbach on April 14, 2011 - 2:43 am
I think memes and meme theory are an important issue in the study of digital cultures as well. Can memes, or do memes, allow for the creation of new online traditions/ways of communicating/methods for teaching critical thinking? The implications of using the meme for political change or pedagogy would be interesting to discuss.