In this episode, we explore the fascinating history and cultural impact of the Internet meme, a unit of culture that spreads virally through imitation and intertextuality. We trace the concept from Richard Dawkins’ original 1976 coinage regarding cultural transmission to Mike Godwin’s 1993 adaptation of the term for online communities.

Join us as we discuss:

• The Evolution of Formats: How memes grew from early emoticons and the "Dancing Baby" to "lolcat" image macros, eventually morphing into "dank" surrealism and the short-form videos of TikTok.

• Modern Slang & Trends: The rise of "brain rot," a term used to describe low-quality content associated with Generation Alpha slang like "skibidi" and "rizz".

• Real-World Impact: How memes have moved beyond ...