“The Revolution will be televised” is a phrase coined in 1970 by influential American poet, musician, and author Gil Scott-Heron. The phrase became an anthem for the movement called the “Black Liberation.” The phrase critiqued the consumer culture and emphasized that change can only begin within communities and individuals. The phrase had its resurgence recently in the form of political memes.
Memes are often a form of a digital culture that reflects and shares social or cultural experiences or simply humor with the use of text, videos, gifs, photos, and other content.
With recent events, memes have surged in popularity. Many memes satirize the Trump Administration.
A selection of memes were shown to several people.
A meme of an AI-generated video shows Donald Trump running away from a chasing polar bear. The text reads, “Greenland’s polar Bears are ready to defend Greenland against any threat from the US.” This text is of course pointing out Trump’s attempt at acquiring Greenland with military or economic measures.
Another meme shows a background with a clear green screened edit of Lord Farquaad, an evil character in the popular film “Shrek,” giving his famous speech.
Farquaad tells his loyalists and followers, “Some of you may die, but it’s a sacrifice I am willing to make.” The implication is that it is Trump and implying that every Trump speech so far can be summarized to just this one meme.
A meme of George H.W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States, shows him standing awkwardly alone in a park. Smiling slowly over time as the meme video keeps playing, the text reads, “Me watching Trump supporters lose their jobs, health insurance, and EBT thinking they were exempt from his BS.”
Ryen Alpert, a student at Bucks, said, “As much as I don’t like Republicans, I hate Trump.” He added, “I think the Farquaad one was better.” Cole Montgomery is another student who said, “the memes are funny, they were easy and understandable for me to laugh at.”
Bucks Journalism Professor Tony Rogers said, “I just think the clever ones are creative and are form of political satire in the age of Trump.” He picked the polar bear as the best meme.
Graphic Design Professor Michael Kabbash was asked his views on the memes. “It’s a mixed bag, memes like George H.W. Bush seems out of context. The meme may include George H.W. Bush, but the context of the joke is lacking if the viewer has no clue who the person is. The Farquaad one works the best though, because it takes its context and applies it into a political one. The easier ones, with less text, are just better to digest.” Memes with a clear and small text, with certain context in the meme that is widely known, can weld a perfect meme and deliver its joke or point.