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I’m a bit bored of “Cats that look like Hitler.” What makes a good meme?
The more surreal the better. The more it looks like some drunk people stumbled home at 4 AM and thought it was really funny, the better. What do you think the next hot meme will be?
Otters that look like Tom Daly. Daniel, 28: You’re probably talking to the wrong person there, darling. I have no clue what you’re talking about. Do you love memes?
Nong, 26: Not really. Why?
I don’t go online a lot. When I do use email or Facebook, it’s usually for work. Why is that?
I prefer to interact in person. What’s the IRL equivalent of a meme?
Someone who is outgoing, talkative, funny. You know, fun to hang out with. Meme party at my house this weekend. Wanna come?
No. Glen, 31: A memm? Meme. MEE-M.
Internet meme? What like, at the end of an email or something? I’ve no idea what that is.



That one where you say “I’m a doctor, my parents think I do this, my friends think I do this…” is dreadful. There’s no actual humor or common thread to tie it together. It’s terrible. Can you imagine a world without internet memes?
I can. I think the internet would be a very sad and boring place. Sara, 28 (left) and Karin, 23. Sara: I used to really like the Google ones But I think they changed it based on the seasons or something. I also like Facebook, or Twitter, but I don’t use them so much. Maybe I’m not up on the internet trends these days. How much do you love memes?
Ricky, 23: Not a lot. I’m not really into social networking. Got a favorite meme or viral vid?
The one where the man is on the skis, and he goes down the Angel tube. It was probably seen by over ten million people. That’s viral, right?



Laura: Like a music video? Viral videos, maybe. Not just a music video. Actually, maybe a music video could spawn a meme.
Marcus: I don’t know. I saw a David Attenborough documentary on YouTube the other day. That is my answer.
Laura: YouTube? You look like you might love memes.
Simon, 31: I do! My favorite of all time is Dombo.com, it’s a very old one, like ten years ago. And my favorite at the moment very @50shedsofgrey on Twitter? It’s very funny. Not sure that's a meme, but hey! Who gives a shit. How would you define a meme?
I think the word was coined by Richard Dawkins, as an idea that spreads almost like evolution, that sort of evolves as it moves along. And that works really well on the internet, because these things pop up and some of them aren’t great and no one repeats them but the really good ones people pass along and adapt, and they can sort of take on a life of their own. I think the evolutionary comparison works really well. It’s kind of like modern popular culture, isn’t it? You’ve got people spending more time on the internet than they do on television, and so people have found ways to entertain themselves. How do you know so much about memes?
I’m the CEO of [redacted in the interests of not giving free publicity], a local technology company and I’m an internet nerd. Can you recommend any memes to the aspiring nerds or CEOs of local technology companies out there?
Well, the place where the memes all come from is a website called 4chan, which no one should ever visit because it’s horrific, but it’s got this amazing capability of inventing new things and having them bubble up. 4chan, I think I heard about that on Newsnight [sarcasm face]. Olu, 25: Memes are great—haters gonna hate! Previously - What's the First Thing You Think About When You Wake Up in the Morning?

