We all come across our fair share of pop culture trends on social media. Most of us look at them for a few seconds, maybe laugh a little (or get annoyed) and continue scrolling. But what lies beneath the surface?
On the 20th and 21st of February, 2021, we asked our followers on Instagram to send us memes, slangs, or trends in popular culture. Article 19 correspondent Sharanya Kannan then wrote up some bite-sized, HS-style analyses of them and posted her responses. Without further ado, here’s our Pop Culture Analysis.
(Note: Questions have been paraphrased for the purpose of clarity.)
@sameer.n.soni says: Self-deprecating humour has become too ubiquitous and too many people have started using it.
Self-deprecating humour: The type of humour in which you’re the butt of your own joke.
Response: Gen Z’s coping mechanism is humour. We’re the generation most likely to report having mental illnesses. We’re a little nihilistic and face a future with global catastrophe on the horizon. So maybe the only thing we can do is laugh at our own struggles.
But it’s hard not to internalize repeated, negative self-talk. It becomes really harmful if being sad is seen as the “trendy” thing to do. Mental illnesses are serious issues, and while they must be talked about, they shouldn’t become the punchline of a “relatable” joke.
@prithviram_0616 wants the concept of cringe explained.
For a lesson in cringe humour: Watch Season 6, Episode 12 of The Office US.
Response:
WARNING: SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM AHEAD!
Sociologist Erving Goffman said that humans are terrified of embarrassment. Social interaction is carried out with both sides doing their best to ensure that no one is embarrassed. Which, of course, explains why we’re so fascinated with cringe humour. Cringeworthy situations take the rules of social interaction and turn them on their head, and in the process, generate amazing comedy fodder.
@shatabdideori says: The pranks YouTubers play on each other, such as “cheating pranks” or “breaking up” pranks. They’re extremely toxic.
Watch this atrocious phenomenon: Kurtis Conner — YouTube Couples Are Getting Out Of Hand
Response: Are people who make prank videos secretly sadists? Or do they just like drama? There’s more to prank culture than meets the eye. A need for attention, combined with a desire to assert superiority (especially in the case of couple pranks) makes people go to extreme lengths for a laugh. These videos definitely glamourize the idea of a toxic relationship to a young, impressionable audience — but YouTubers get some ✨ sweet cash ✨ out of it, so these videos will probably never stop.
@devika.dee and @s_h_e_e_b_u ask us about the Shweta and Binod memes. @_pranav._p fears that people named Binod and Shweta will be ridiculed for no fault of their own.
Origins of Binod: This video.
The Shweta mishap: In a truly excruciating incident, a girl named Shweta forgot her mic was on during Zoom class and ended up sharing a private conversation with her friend to her whole class, and by extension, all of the internet.
Response: To people named Swetha or Binod — our hearts go out to you if you’ve endured hardship and suffering due to the newfound meme status of your names. The Swetha situation is a textbook example of schadenfreude: taking pleasure in other people’s misfortune. It’s funny only because we aren’t Swetha. And plenty of us have come close enough.
On Binod: No studies have been conducted (yet) about why exactly Indian comment sections are a flaming dumpster fire. Maybe the sheer simplicity of the Binod meme is what made it so appealing. Maybe we found it funny only because of our collective decline in sanity during the lockdown. Maybe we are ALL Binod.
@aditya.m_says: The “ask me anything” model, such as ask.fm or even this event.
Ask me Anything (AMA): People ask other people to send them questions. That’s it.
Response: Although AMAs have their roots in Reddit, they have grown into an integral part of managing the social media experience (which is why we’re doing it here!) But what makes the format unique? There’s a feeling of closeness in answering the questions people send you. There’s no middleman, no journalist. Along with the personal touch comes a frankness and candor that only the best interviewers can bring out. And of course, you get to ask the question that you always wanted to ask.
@_thecutewildin_ says: How people judge others for their activity or lack thereof on social media
Response: Social media is truly a double edged sword — you feel like you’re getting judged no matter how active or inactive you are. People who post less are anxious about being judged if they do post, and so they hesitate to do so. Heavy users are also judged, by people who think that they’re “fake”, or think that they’re bragging. And still others have negative mental health effects due to comparing themselves to the people they see on social media. Unfortunately, judging people is just one of the many things that social media has made a lot more accessible.
@reeya_559 challenges us to explain “Your Mom” jokes without referencing Freud.
A deeply educational example: Image
Response: There have been a lot of attacks against this long-standing meme. Saying “Your Mom” could be sexist, because a) the mom is reduced to an object for two men to fight about, and b) girls don’t really make “Your Dad” jokes. “Your Mom” is also accused of being an unfunny, lazy and often fatphobic joke. But even Shakespeare made “Thy Mother” comments in his play Titus Andronicus! It’s become one of those enduring jokes which people know are stupid, but find funny anyway.
It was very hard not mentioning Freud. Did we pass? 🙂
@lara_m_thomas asks about deep fried memes.
Deep fried meme: A meme that’s been run through a large number of filters to make it look grainy and washed out.
Response: One one level, this meme is very meta and ironic. Memes get naturally “fried” from being reposted so many times — so creating a fried effect on purpose adds a layer of humour and irony. This meme can also be viewed as an example of absurdist or surreal humour, a category of humour that has become a staple of modern or millenial comedy, seen on TV shows like BoJack Horseman. Some have theorized that absurdist humour arises from people being disillusioned with the way the world works and seeing it for the absurd, irrational phenomenon it truly is.
@meanaxe wants to know about the Pawri meme.
Origins of Pawri: A humble Instagram post
Response: The most notable feature of this meme — arguably what made it go viral in the first place — is the accent in which the word “party” is spoken. This meme, however, is deeper than it looks! It was created to poke fun at “burgers”, Pakistani elites who shun their mother tongue and prefer to speak in accented English instead. No doubt the lasting effects of colonialism and Western supremacy, we see this phenomenon even in India, with many people deeming English superior to their own local language.
@the.hsm asks about TikTok dances. (written by Sadhana)
Response: Tiktok has become one of the more accessible social media platforms of late, even for the not-so-tech-savvy. While its userbase does largely comprise of rich white kids, Tiktok also serves as a safe space for queer content creators as well as other users across the globe. Tiktok dances going viral is an indicator of the way the Internet has democratised the content creation space, as literally anyone who publishes content on the app has the potential to influence millions of people.
@_myselfdevika_ and @the.hsm want our take on K-Pop worship. (written by Sadhana and Abhirami)
Response: K-pop is an incredible cultural phenomenon through which South Korea has lately been able to exert some soft power. It can be seen as a way of globalisation going beyond westernisation, as people move away from worshipping Friends and How I Met Your Mother.
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