A Structural Analysis of American Political Memes in Online Discourse

open_access
Open Access
Author:
English, Seth
Area of Honors:
Philosophy
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Désirée Lim, Thesis Supervisor
Uygar Abaci, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
semiotics
memes
politics
irony
memetics
Abstract:
For many Americans, the internet, particularly social media, is one of the most important sites of political discourse. Frequently, this discourse takes the form of “memes,” or media (in the form of text, images, sounds, etc.) that makes fun of ongoing political events, usually through stereotype, irony, and absurdism, and often meant for specific online subcultures with the knowledge to decode them. What was once a hallmark of niche internet culture is now a vital component of political messaging, employed by both Democratic and Republican parties, agencies like the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, and even the President of the United States, alongside many more. Considering this phenomenon, I embark on a structural analysis of memes in American political discourse and examine how they push discourse towards meaninglessness and extreme ideologies, obfuscate political reality, and disseminate conspiracy theories.