Emma Carey Cobb (The Ohio State University)
This paper interrogates theoretical models of memes, looking at a collection of single authored memes that have become popular in queer communities on Instagram. Interviewing both meme creators and people who follow these accounts and share these memes, I hope to extend the definition of memetic practice, offering a queer account of how memes are used. I examine not just how memetic texts are altered, but how they are woven into queer vernaculars in a way that allows them to be situated to specific contexts without altering the memes themselves, allowing meme creators authority over the texts.
Part of 03-04 Memes, Humor, and Identity [hybrid], Thursday, October 13, 2:30 pm–4:30 pm