Political meme analysis

Memes, as suggested by Shifman, fulfill three functions:

1. As form of persuasion or political advocacy
2. As grassroots action
3. As modes of expression and public discussion

The meme I chose for this assignment falls under third category. It was created with intent to humiliate both of the candidates for last President election. It clearly does not fall in favor of left or right wing, and is surely not a call for grassroots action. It seems like whoever created it did not like both of them, and perhaps the meme gained popularity because it became viral and it suggests that many users are discussing it, perhaps agreeing with the creator of it.

Memes gain popularity because of people who think like-wise and people who react to it and share it with their communities. Therefore memes closely correlate with pop culture. As Shifman puts it, “As pop culture is part of people’s everyday lives and cultural identities, using it to talk about politics makes the latter more approachable. Pop culture thus serves as a platform through which individuals can communicate with each other about politics in a playful and engaging way” (136). Both Trump and Clinton became big figures in pop culture, with their faces distributed on all sorts of media outlets. This meme serves as public’s response to their media portrayal and their actions, and people created it in means of expression and public discussion.