Memes vs Comedians

[zaj]

Liberal views have dominated comedy forever.

Conservatives are better at memes.

Why?

I think it has to do with values. Liberals unite the weak. Conservatives protect the strong.

Comedy is social. It's shared and personal, delivered by people. It's never funny to "punch down". The audience wont laugh in front of other people if they are seen picking in the weak.

Memes are indivdual. Silent, consumed alone, anonymous and relatively impersonal. It's perfect for conservative "punching down".

Also, liberals over complicate messaging. Here on DU, every meme created on the front page is packed with words, details and information. We suck at memes.

Just my observation on media forms and why we are great at comedy but Conservatives are better with memes.

[rurallib]

1. maybe it is my mood right now, but could you give some examples of

so-called "better" "conservative" (jeez I hate that word) memes, please.

There are few conservatives in America any more, just radical right wingers.

[EarlG]

2. I don't consider the DU homepage graphics to be memes

Do you?

[zaj]

4. Yeah, definately

Memes are shareable images showing an idea to be spread.

[EarlG]

6. Fair enough

I always thought that the power of memes came from the way that people alter them as they spread. That’s why you have thousands of different variations of Scumbag Steve or what have you. They’re designed to be riffed on as they are passed around, which is what makes them funny.

I don’t think an image is considered a meme simply because it has been shared online — or even if it is designed to be shared. Sometimes the DU homepage pics are infographics, sometimes they are political cartoons. Rarely (if ever) are they memes, IMO.

I suppose it comes down to how you define these things.

[zaj]

7. You just explained exactly why liberals suck at memes...

We can't keep it style l simple enough to be modified and replicated.

[EarlG]

12. Allow me to attempt to sum up your argument on DU's homepage graphics with a meme I just made

I expect you're right that the graphics would be more shareable if they had fewer words in them. I just make them that way cuz I like them that way. As I said, I'm not trying to make memes. There are many, far more talented people than me who could do a much better job in the meme department.

Hmm, maybe DU should have a meme contest... see if liberals can make memes after all.

(Although FWIW I do also agree with you that conservatives have the upper hand with memes because conservative "humor" tends to rely on "punching down," and memes are real good for that.)

[murielm99]

3. I don't agree that liberals unite the weak.

[zaj]

5. Really? That's exactly our constituency.

It doesn't directly define liberalusm, but it's very much the outcome.

[Rambling Man]

11. You consider the Democratic constituency

(whatever that is, as if it's one single, monolithic entity) to be weak.

Is there something you REALLY want to say?

What is so strong about the white reich con artist conservatives? That they can hate stronger and melt like snowflakes in July?

What are you actually trying/wanting to say? Please elaborate your theory.

What is your definition of "liberalusm?" Whatever the hell that is. Define please.

[Solomon]

8. A conservative comedian is an oxymoron.

[lame54]

9. In Rush's case...

A moron on oxy

[treestar]

10. I see a lot of good liberal ones

The right wing ones are patently illogical most of the time.

[zaj]

13. Good means viral, not factual or logical

[WhiskeyGrinder]

14. Completely disagree. A good meme requires cultural literacy, intense understanding of semiotics and

a flair for art and design. Left memes routinely excel at all three. The vast majority of memes you see on DU are definitely 2000-2010 style, geared toward older people.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

15. When liberals do come up with a good meme, there'll be a conservative version of it out in 24 hours.