An advertising and media critic takes a deeper look at commercial messages’ cultural impact, using memetics to show how advertising became religion. By Matthew Stanton, Metromemetics (first posted 01/14/2001; revised 01/20/2003) What’s the difference between Mountain Dew and Mello Yellow soda pop? The two beverages taste and cost about the same, and both are available… Read More »
From the Wikipedia entry: Memes, analogously to genes, vary in their aptitude to replicate; successful memes remain and spread, whereas unfit ones stall and are forgotten. Thus memes that prove more effective at replicating and surviving are selected in the meme pool. Memes first need retention. The longer a meme stays in its hosts, the… Read More »
Before the word meant putting sarcastic phrases in big white letters over images of animals and people, the definition of a meme — and its study, memetics — held a very different meaning. Explanation from Richard Dawkins, creator of the word: Further details from the Wikipedia entry: A meme is “an idea, behavior, or style… Read More »
From Skeptic June 1997, Vol 5, #2, 43-49, archived on http://www.susanblackmore.co.uk/Articles/skeptic%201997.htm Why not? The basic idea is very simple. If Dawkins is right then everything you have learned by imitation from someone else is a meme. This includes all the words in your vocabulary, the stories you know, the skills and habits you have picked… Read More »