(i) Source:
Page Title: “Uni Memes”
Date Meme Published: March 28, 2012
Page Stats: 13,354 likes & 13,359 following
Descriptive Blurb: “Uni Memes for all!”
Webpage: https://www.facebook.com/Uni-Memes-227306634030889/?ref=page_internal
(ii) Text:
(iii) Texture:
The base image for this meme is known as the “J. Jonah Jameson Meme,” commonly used to mock whomever the meme’s creator wishes to poke fun at. He is a character from Marvel Comics who runs a smear campaign against Spider-Man, though sometimes he reluctantly allies with him. The question-and-answer format of this meme is ideally suited for jokes, and Jameson’s laughter clearly implies derision and the dismissal of the target individual or group. In this case it has been put to use in the classic cool kids vs. nerds tradition, though the meme’s creator likely did not intend to be truly malicious.
(iv) Context:
“Uni Memes” is a Facebook community for college students in general, with no direct connections to any one university or geographical region. While not stated anywhere on the page, “uni” is more often used in Europe, particularly in the United Kingdom, indicating that this might be where the page’s founder is from. The 66 comments linked to this meme were mixed at best, with the comment section providing a space for students to poke fun at engineers, for engineers to poke fun at themselves, and for criticism from engineers who took umbrage at the post. Interestingly, Jameson’s hatred of Spider-Man is due (at least in part) to envy, adding another layer of meaning to the meme for fans of Marvel. This has the potential to change the meaning of the meme into that of thinly veiled envy directed at a more “practical” major by those majoring in supposedly useless majors like medieval literature, art, or gender studies.
(v) Interpretation:
Memes provide an easy way to anonymously “rag” on students with majors commonly associated with social ineptitude, usually in a joking and not truly critical way. Negative stereotypes tend to dog STEM majors, particularly those with a focus on technology, and sometimes there is a grain of truth to them. We can’t assume that the author of this meme is not an engineer, but based on its tone, it’s much more likely that they aren’t. Singling out and picking on engineers allows the meme’s creator and those who liked it to elevate themselves as a result of putting the former down. This is how online folklore can loosely and temporarily foster the formation of ingroups and outgroups, and in this case it would seem that “picking on the nerds” has found a home on the internet. However, the students being ragged on aren’t without voices, and many of the comments were the result of their negative reactions. Here are a few examples of these: “bet I’ve slept with more girls than u though…whoever posted this photo #notlettinganyonedissengineers,” “at least we don’t have to complain about min. wage,” etc. A sizable portion of engineering majors were amused by the meme, seeing some of themselves and their peers in it and leaning into the stereotypes as a mark of pride. Majors are an easy way to divide and classify students, and cyberlore carries this onto the internet for good or ill.