Global memes add snark and commentary to politics. Memes have helped citizens around the world express political support and dissent: from the meme that helped a cat run for office in Mexico, to the goats that parodied Obama’s visit to Uganda, to the Myanmar kitten that people used to protest the cost of cellphone service. And sometimes memes are used BY a government against dissent, as is the case in Azerbaijan. Many memes stay within their culture, but advice animals, lolcats, and rage comics often get repurposed in surprising ways outside their origin. What are the barriers for cross cultural memes to spread, and what is special about the ones that do? How are goat and cat memes an easier mechanism for people to begin to engage with international politics in an attempt to understand the LOLs? Presenters: Andres Monroy-Hernandez Ben Valentine Elena Agapie Katy Pearce

1. wow
so panel
amazevery memes
so meme
such lols
wow
very globals
very politics
much nation
#lolnations

2. #LOLNATIONS
Andrés Monroy-Hernández
Ben Valentine
Elena Agapie
Katy Pearce
@andresmh
@bennyv
@elenaagp
@katypearce
UNDERSTANDING
GLOBAL MEMES

4. News media
Political cartoons
Prompt for
collective action
Understanding geopolitical
perceptions
Reveal societal biases
6 REASONS WHY MEMES ARE MEANINFGUL

6. they send him a message to tell
him to run away…
the message is sent via
WhatsApp
1. News media

7. I SUPPORTED PEÑA’S ELECTORAL
FRAUD SO MEXICO GOES ROCK
BOTTOM
AND IT GETS READY TO IMPROVE
MEXICO DOESN’T LIKE ME
I DON’T GIVE A SH*T

8. 3. Political cartoons

9. MORRIS THE CAT

11. 4. Prompt for
collective action

12. Let me see if I understood…
You’re saying you cannot find the
body of “El Lazca”?...hahaha
Maybe they put it
next to Bin Laden’s…
5. Understanding
geopolitical
perceptions

13. 6. Reveal societal
biases
SO YOU’RE TELLING ME THAT IN
MEXICO
A COMPANY NAMED “BIMBO” SELLS
“NEGRITOS”??

14. EAST AFRICAN MEMES
FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE
BEN VALENTINE, @BENNNYV
THE CIVIC BEAT

15. THANK YOU:
-DANIEL
MWESIGWA
@VALANCHEE
-SAMUEL
KAMUGISHA
@SKAMZAC
-AN XIAO MINA
@ANXIAOSTUDIO
#LOLnations
Via: Urban Legend Kampala

17. Via: @DCKehranVia: @Siteiya
#LOLnations

19. Via: Tanzanian Meme Facebook group. #LOLnations

20. Via: Urban Legend Kampala #LOLnations

21. "THE GOAL IS NOT TO
COMMUNICATE, EXPRESS,
OR INFORM, BUT INSTEAD
TO PERFORM ALL THOSE
LOCAL IDENTITIES, VALUES,
WAYS OF LIFE, CULTURAL
PRACTICES, AND FORMS OF
INTERACTION.”
-CLEMENCIA RODRIGUEZ
#LOLnations

22. #LOLnations

23. Via: Tanzanian Meme Facebook group. #LOLnations

24. “SIGNALING OUR
PREFERENCES –
TO OTHERS – IS A
KEY DIMENSION
OF HUMAN
ACTION.”
- ZEYNEP
TUFEKCI
#LOLnations

25. “POWER IS THE ABILITY
NOT JUST TO TELL THE
STORY OF ANOTHER
PERSON, BUT TO MAKE IT
THE DEFINITIVE STORY OF
THAT PERSON.”
- CHIMAMANDA NGOZI
ADICHIE
#LOLnations

26. Via Facebook users from
Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda.
#LOLnations

27. (Kati Kati = Now)
Via: @Wabwire
Via: @jssozi
#LOLnations

28. ELENA AGAPIE, @ELENAAGP
VISITING FELLOW, MICROSOFT RESEARCH
PHD STUDENT, HUMAN CENTERED DESIGN AND ENGINEERING
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
MEMES FOR
POLITICAL DISCOURSE

29. ROMANIAN MEMES
Memes, cultural features
and diffusion channels
during political crisis
#LOLnations

30. MEMES USED TO
HUMORIZE
POLITICAL DISTRESS
Critiquing political
characters
Making fun of situation
with no solution
#LOLnations

31. MEMES USED TO
EXPRESS POLITICAL
DIFFERENCES
Memes show pluralism of
perspectives
Entertainment used to
depict serious issues
#LOLnations
PRIME MINISTER PONTA
as JAMES BOND
PRESIDENT BASESCU
as DIE HARD
MY NAME IS PASTE,
COPY-PASTE…

32. MEMES EXPRESS
CULTURAL VALUES
AND STEREOTYPES
East vs West support
#LOLnations
COPY FROM RUSSIA
PASTE TO ROMANIA
− DO YOU KNOW WHY
PONTA WANTS TO
BECOME PRESIDENT?
− NO!
− HE DOESN’T EITHER

33. MEMES EXPRESS
CULTURAL VALUES
AND STEREOTYPES
Mixing political symbols
with entertainment:
Hammer and sickle
vs
Vampires and cemeteries
#LOLnations
HANGING THE OMBUDSMAN
BURRYING THE CONSTITUTION
YOU ARE NEXT!

34. DISREGARD PRIME
MINISTER PONTA
Cultural preferences for
books & politician
stereotypes
#LOLnations
THIEF FOR ONE AND ONE FOR THIEFS
THE 3 BOSCHETEERS

35. IMPEACH THE
PRESIDENT
BASESCU
-
#LOLnations
I JUST GOT A MISSION BASESCU IMPEACHED

36. CHANNEL
DIFFERENCES
#LOLnations

37. CHANNEL
DIFFERENCES
#LOLnations
VS.

38. CHANNEL
DIFFERENCES
#LOLnations
VS.
POLITICAL SUPPORT IN
THE FILTER BUBBLE

39. IMPACT OF MEMES
Social media supported
offline protest
Citizens did not vote
SUSPENDED CITIZEN
#LOLnations

40. MEMES & HUMOR
AS A LAST RESORT
DURING CRISIS
#LOLnationsA ROMANIA TO LAUGH AT
PONTA and COLLABORATOR
Humor to vocalize
opinions
Channel to vocalize
social issues

41. MEMES FOR POLITICAL
DISSENT AND
SUPRESSION
KATY PEARCE, @KATYPEARCE
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON

42. • CHEAP TO PRODUCE
• FUNNY
• SHAREABLE
• ANONYMOUS
• TRACKABLE
• CAN BE USED FOR POLITICAL
PURPOSES, INCLUDING DISSENT
• BUT ALSO CAN BE USED TO SUPRESS
MEMES
#LOLnations

43. THIS AIN’T YOUR
DADDY’S
AUTHORITARIANISM
Being a dictator is tough today!
- No more Soviet sponsorship
- The democracy promotion industry
- Internet and technologies
Today’s dictators are savvier and more nimble than
before and they need legitimacy that only the law can
provide
- Reference democratic concepts
- Don’t steal elections so obviously
- Don’t arrest NGO members, send health inspectors
to the office
- Audit an opposition radio station rather than stop
its broadcasting #LOLnations
But opposing or dissenting
against the regime is just as risky
as it was in the past

44. DICTATOR TOOLS OF CONTROL
BOASTING SUPPORT
CONTROL NON-SUPPORTERS
THROUGH BLACKMAIL,
HARASSMENT, COERCION
CONTROL NON-SUPPORTERS
THROUGH MATERIAL
ENTICEMENT
CONTROL INFORMATION FLOW
STAGE POLITICAL DRAMA TO
UNDERMINE OPPONENTS
#LOLnations Schatz (2009)

45. • 9 million people
• Majority Shia Muslim
• 99% literacy
• Per capita GDP USD 10,000
• Oil wealth
AZERBAIJAN

46. STAGE POLITICAL DRAMA
TO UNDERMINE OPPONENTS
#LOLnations

47. STAGE POLITICAL DRAMA
TO UNDERMINE OPPONENTS
#LOLnations

48. CONTROL
INFORMATION
FLOW
#LOLnations

49. CONTROL NON-
SUPPORTERS THROUGH
BLACKMAIL, HARASSMENT,
COERCION
#LOLnations

50. CONTROL NON-
SUPPORTERS THROUGH
BLACKMAIL, HARASSMENT,
COERCION
#LOLnations

51. COMPETITIVE & SELECTIVE
BOASTING SUPPORT
#LOLnations

52. OPPOSITION MEMES EXIST
Donkey Bloggers Bulistan
Heydar Aliyev
Facebook Page
Harlem Shake
• Anti-government
video
• 24 & 30 months
in jail, 17 months
served
• Satirical YouTube
channel
• Conscription,
harassment,
beatings, family
losing jobs,
asylum
• Parody & meme
Facebook page
• Administrators
arrested a year
ago today, trial
still not over
• Harlem Shake
video
• Identifiable
participant
arrested for
hooliganism
#LOLnations

53. TAKEAWAY
#LOLnations

54. THANK YOU
FOR YOUR
TIME