Socially critical mememakers

– a new voice in the debate

Authors

  • Tina Thode Hougaard Aarhus Universitet

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52610/rhs.v28i89.316

Keywords:

memes, meme profiles, Instagram, humor, satire

Abstract

Memes can be described as a humorous, sometimes satirical, post with intertextual or implied effects that work in conjunction with the visual appeal. Central to memes is the repetition and use of templates. Reading and producing memes is for many people an everyday practice, often mostly done for fun, but some memes also contribute with a politically socially critical commentary. The article examines how three Danish meme profiles started and developed their account into having special characteristics. In order to assess how they constitute a new voice in the public debate, selected memes are analyzed. By virtue of social media, meme makers gain a speaking position and thus rhetorical agency, whose scope and volume are unpredictable and accelerating because of social media.

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Published

2024-12-18

How to Cite

Hougaard, T. T. (2024). Socially critical mememakers: – a new voice in the debate. Rhetorica Scandinavica, 28(89). https://doi.org/10.52610/rhs.v28i89.316