For those of you who are not familiar with the article by Heidi Huntington, “Subversive Memes: Internet Memes as a Form of Rhetoric,” it is an extensive research paper highlighting the underlying impacts of memes on the viewer. This article agues that memes are in fact a form of rhetoric. Within the text, you can find the three proposed theoretical approaches to use when analyzing the persuasive elements of visual texts. Whether an individual decides to use a semiotic, discursive, or rhetorical approach, all three vary in their comprehensive critique of the text. Huntington declares that memes draw the viewer in, meanwhile prompting an individual’s cognitive function. A meme serves as a “unstated premise” that the viewer must interpret and then decipher in order to comprehend the message. Furthermore, the three approaches above assist researchers in understanding the impact of memes in rhetoric.
As an meme fanatic myself, I found this article to be exceedingly engrossing. I have only ever been exposed to memes in the realm of comedy, but after reading this research paper I find myself intrigued. In my own experience when I am exposed to a remarkably funny meme, it has had the tendency of staying with me. Often times I share this type of meme with my friends or save it to my camera roll to keep and refer to in the future. In relation to rhetoric, one may question the appropriateness or relevance of a meme, but I believe that its impact if constructed properly is both impactful and effective as a visual text for the viewer.
Continuing to dive deeper into the subject matter, I have decided to analyze a meme for myself. You can find my meme attached.
The audience of this meme is definitely directed towards students in both high school and college, conceivably even middle scholars. The message that this meme is aiming to transcend to the audience is an experience that is relatable to the target viewer. This meme is effective because it puts forth an experience that most people have had, but would not dare to admit; the meme above is trying to create a sense of relatability while also providing a foreground for openness. Urging the viewer to embrace their embarrassing moments, the meme aims to foster acceptance. Moreover, this meme unquestionably reflects pop culture through its blunt approach in captivating the viewer.
This meme is one of my favorites because I have personally had a rather tumultuous relationship with math in my educational experience. I think this meme is very effective in capturing its message through the use of both words and images.
Composing The Self 
Hi Hannah! Great summary of the reading we had to do. I like how you clearly outline the three approaches to analyzing memes. I totally agree with you that if a meme is super funny, it stays with me longer and I love saving memes to look back at later. I also love sharing them with friends that will also enjoy them. I have seen many iterations of the meme you analyzed. I think it is so popular because it is so relatable for many students. Memes can be targeted towards a large audience, such as students in math classes. But they can also have a very niche audience, referencing very specific media content or platforms. Either way, memes are very amusing to create and look at.
Clarissa
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