The Meme as the Message

This book sheds light on the phenomenon of memes, covering everything from pandemic humour to far-right propaganda, from feminist memes to algorithmic censorship. It will interest digital media, visual communication, cultural studies, media and politics, and digital culture.

Joanna Nowotny is a researcher at the Swiss Literary Archives (SLA) at the Swiss National Library in Bern, Switzerland, and holds a PhD in Literary and Cultural Studies. Julian Reidy works as a teacher in Bern, Switzerland, and holds a PhD in Literary and Cultural Studies.

1. Introduction - Digital Culture and "Real Life" 2. Referentiality - Memetic Cultures between the Local and the Global 3. Humour - Coping and Joking, Empowerment and Oppression 4. Politics - Memes between Activism and Sabotage 5. The Mainstream - Technology, Economy, and Ideology 6. Canonisation - Pixelated Power and Trolling 7. The End? Main Takeaways - and New Perspectives Index