Book Chapter

‘Meme M:)eme: Making Ditto Laugh’
in
Arkenbout, C. and Gilip, I. eds. 2024. Critical Meme Reader III: Breaking the Meme. INC: Amsterdam.

I am honoured to be part of the latest (and, for now, the final) installment of the Critical Meme Reader series of books published by Institute of Network Cultures in Amsterdam. The editors, Chloë Arkenbout and İdil Galip, write:

“When you want to say something about memes, it is impossible to escape having to situate them. What usually happens is that meme makers and thinkers fall back on two definitions: Dawkins (1976), Shifman (2014). How can memes be defined beyond their work in a way that is better suited to our current time? Building on this work – yes of course – but in a way that leaves space for the meme to breathe. Honoring its transgressive everchanging nature, instead of limiting it into a static framework it never chose to be in the first place. For meme studies to truly theoretically evolve as a field, the meme needs many expanded definitions. The goal of Critical Meme Reader III is to break its definition open with different visions, and to keep it open – letting the meme choose for itself what it wants to stay, be and become.”

The book brings together many fantastic contributions. My own chapter is on reconceptualising memes using Ditto (yes, the Pokémon!).

You can download the PDF or order a free paper copy here