The meme election

Oct 31

Episode

The meme election

Are the issues in the US presidential election getting lost in the memes?

On Wednesday, October 31 at 19:30 GMT / 3:30 EST:

Internet memes have taken off in popularity the past few years, and many argue they’ve also overtaken the US presidential election. With “empty chair”, “binders full of women” and Big Bird, 2012 has become the first meme election. Although sharing memes is considered fun and offers comic relief, how does it translate into discussing difficult and often complex political issues? We look at whether memes are dumbing down the American electorate or allowing citizens authentic expression in an otherwise staged contest.

In this episode of The Stream, we speak to:

Chris Geidner @chrisgeidner
Senior Political Reporter, Buzzfeed
buzzfeed.com

Amanda Hess @amandahess
Co-founder, Tomorrow Magazine
amandahess.tumblr.com

Google+ hangout guests @sarahkendzior and @nathanjurgenson.

What do you think? Do memes raise substantive points or are they just obscuring the real issues?

View the story "The meme election" on StorifyThe meme electionAre the issues in the US presidential election getting lost in the memes?Storified by The Stream · Wed, Oct 31 2012 10:25:01The presidential debates have sparked the creation of many memes, with social media pouncing on phrases from both Mitt Romney and Barack Obama. This video explains how a meme goes mainstream:What Makes a Meme Go Mainstream?ROCKETBOOMPolitical campaigns try to use memes to help voters formulate opinions. This Salon Magazine article explains why so many manufactured political memes seem to fall flat, while organic memes go viral:But nearly any attempt on the part of the campaigns to manufacture virality fails. The memorable memes are those that seem to authentically emerge from the bottom up, their very spontaneity serving as evidence of something genuine. When Obama mentioned Big Bird in the second debate, it fell flat. Another round of Sesame Street images didn’t go reviral, and new hashtags didn’t begin to retrend. The idea of something going reviral is almost a self-contradiction.What makes a meme - Salon.comFollowing the vice presidential debate between Joe Biden and Paul Ryan, the Republican National Committee used the "Laughing Joe Biden" meme in a campaign ad:RNC Web Ad: "Laughing at the Issues" (Official Version)rncIn the second presidential debate, Mitt Romney was asked how he would end income inequality between men and women. He responded with an anecdote from his time as governor, recalling how he tried to appoint more women to his cabinet. When he responded that he was given "whole binders full of women" to consider for jobs, a meme was born.

In response, a Tumblr was created mocking Romney's use of the phrase with women sending pictures of themselves dressed in binders. The phrase also caught fire on Twitter with many using "#binders" to poke fun at Romney. The below video shows users how to make a binder costume for Halloween:DIY Binder Full of Women Halloween Costume! - The Daily Stir - 10/18/12cafemomstudiosWeeks later, netizens are still reacting to Romney's "binders" moment, combining it with news of Hurricane Sandy:Until the hurricane passes Mitt Romney is urging all women to stay in their binders.tom jamiesonMake sure all your binders of women are up high from flood waters and locked secure from high winds #Sandy #MittsStormTipsRepublican TipsI have binders full of evacuation plans #MittStormTips #SandySarah BurrisDuring the first debate, Romney was mocked by netizens after he said he would cut funding to the Public Broadcasting Service to reduce the federal budget and get rid of Big Bird, a character in the popular children's programme Sesame Street. Online users continue to satirise Romney's statement:Dear American teachers, one thing to remember is that when Romney says he loves someone, he usually means to murder them #BigBirdSlava MalamudSupporters of Sesame Street and PBS are planning a Million Muppet March on Nov. 3rd in Washington DC. #BigBirdStrikesBackMichael SkolnikRomney 2012.Soft on Wall Street.....Tough on Sesame Street.Big BirdWhile the rest of the developed world progresses toward egalitarianism, the Republican Party #GOP argues the rationality of #BigBird.Alex Garcia ‏During the third presidential debate, Obama chided Romney for saying the US military had fewer ships than a century ago, responding with "we also have fewer horses and bayonets". President Obama: We Have Fewer Horses and BayonetsdncclipsMany felt the line was well-rehearsed and netizens continue to respond:#Obama2012slogans: “Bayonets, Betrayal, Benghazi, Birth-control, Binders, Big Bird, and BS!"Janie JohnsonDems are ok with Booing God, giving drug cartels guns, and the execution of a US Ambassador..They worry about Binders,Bigbird,and BayonetsTracy JeffordsObama keeps talking about #BigBird #Bayonets and #Binders....how about talking about #JOBS #ECONOMY #NationalSecurity!CONSERVATIVE DIVAObama has officially lost the coveted Civil War re-enactor demographic. #finaldebate #bayonetsRex HuppkeDamn, son. You've just been Barack'd. #bayonetsEmilie AriesOh and #Obama -the Marines still use #bayonets✩ Megan ✩Some have criticised the media's obsession with the latest political memes. Amanda Hess contributed a piece to the media analysis site Poynter calling out reporters for covering "every wrinkle" of the meme:No matter how the tactic hits, political reporters and commentators are covering every wrinkle, chasing a wild trajectory of phrases that would have previously gone unnoticed. Some of these memes don’t even begin as substantive critiques before they take off.Binders full of Big Bird: The risk & benefits of reporting on memes | Poynter.While some find memes to be a distraction, others appreciate their creativity as a source of comedy:I knew you wouldn't let me down, Internet. #bayonets #debates http://instagr.am/p/RG5H48mBLS/Charreah JacksonDuring a campaign stop in the US state of Virginia, Obama claimed that Romney suffers from "Romnesia," accusing him of changing his positions. While the new phrase did make headlines, it did not reverberate across social media: Instead, meme politics often actively resist the campaigns’ intentions. The memes that proliferate, on and offline, are not what any of the campaigns planned. Obama gave “Romnesia” a hard sell but failed to spark a fire.Speaking in Memes – The New InquiryA campaign ad referencing "Romnesia":#ObamaSwagFacebookI can't remember if #BigBird is the most pressing campaign issue right now, or #binders. Wait, is it #Seamus? Dunno. I must have #Romnesia.Jim TreacherHere are some of the political memes making the rounds on social media:Credit: Jacob ...FacebookOhh Clinton! http://whatdoumeme.com/meme/8n6ql1Facebookhttp://whatdoumeme.com/meme/iome47Facebook#RomneyLogic http://whatdoumeme.com/meme/754695Facebookhttp://whatdoumeme.com/meme/3anx2uFacebookhttp://whatdoumeme.com/meme/ias4aaFacebookMany of the Internet's most famous memes are spin-offs of real situations. Here's a video that showcases many of them:The Origins Of Meme.duffbeer96xOne famous meme example is the Nyan Cat introduced to the Internet in 2011. It has been a phenomenon ever since with millions of views and many spin offs. Nyan Cat [original]saraj00n