Memes existed a long time before the internet. The term ‘meme’ was introduced by British evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in his 1976 book, The Selfish Gene. Derived from the Greek word "mimema," meaning "imitated," Dawkins used "meme" to describe units of cultural information that spread through imitation, paralleling the way genes propagate biological information.
Internet historians have zeroed in on some two-panel cartoons from early 1920s periodicals as proto-memes. In one of them, the left panel shows a dapper gent, with the caption “How you think you look when a flashlight is taken.” On the following panel is a very goofy cartoon version of the same fellow, captioned “How you really look.” This “expectation vs. reality” format is still widely used today.
Bored Panda reached out to pop culture expert Mike Sington to ask him a couple questions about memes. When we asked him what it is that makes internet memes so popular, he had this to say, "Internet memes are so popular because they offer a unique blend of humor, relatability, and shareability."
Sington goes on, "They often tap into current events, social trends, or common experiences, allowing people to express themselves and connect with others in a concise and often funny way. The visual nature of memes makes them easily digestible and their ability to be remixed and reinterpreted allows for endless creativity and evolution, keeping them fresh and engaging."
When we asked Sington whether he thought internet memes were an accurate reflection of society today, he responded, "While internet memes offer a fascinating and often hilarious snapshot of current events, social trends, and shared experiences, it would be an overstatement to say they're the most accurate reflection of the world."
Sington concluded, "Memes are inherently subjective and selective, often prioritizing humor or emotional impact over nuanced representation. They can simplify complex issues, perpetuate stereotypes, or reflect a limited perspective. Though they capture the zeitgeist in a unique way, memes shouldn't be mistaken for a comprehensive or objective account of reality."
With the advent of the internet, the concept of the meme evolved to represent the digital content we recognize today—typically funny images, videos, or text that spread virally online. This modern interpretation retains the core idea of replication and transmission, but emphasizes the speed and reach facilitated by today’s digital platforms.
ASCII art might be considered some of the earliest internet memes. As a concept, ASCII art, or making images out of numbers and letters, has been around since the late 1800s when people started making pictures with typewriters. In the '90s, this art form realized further spread online and is the ancestor to today's emoji.
In 1996, the "Dancing Baby" became one of the first mainstream memes, based on a widely spread animation of a baby in a diaper spinning around on the spot. AKA the Oogachaka Baby, this meme was transmitted through email chains and became so popular that it was even included in the TV show Ally McBeal and referenced on The Simpsons.
Early memes were undoubtedly much more basic than the memes we see going viral these days; however, they paved the way for what comedy looks like on the internet today. It was a time of experimenting and playful learning, and a lot of the elements that made these memes prevalent on the web remain visible in today's most iconic meme formats.
Another powerful meme design, the “image macro,” showed up in the early 2000s. Most people online today will recognize the form, which is essentially a captioned picture. Early image macros fell into a few different genres, like LOLcats, which are just captioned pictures of cats, typically in amusing situations.
“Advice animal” image macros featured different animals that each had their own theme, like Courage Wolf or Awkward Penguin. They didn’t need to be animals, either - advice animal meme designs featuring Morpheus from “The Matrix” or Boromir from “The Lord of the Rings” became so popular they’re still easy to recognize today.