The Over-Memeification of Celebrities
Holding some of the most fitting expressions of the night, it was not a huge surprise when Selena Gomez’s reactions during the VMAs were made into memes. Her look of utter disgust when Chris Brown’s name was called (emulating exactly how I feel whenever I hear his name), the shock on her face when Olivia Rodrigo’s set began to fall apart, and just clips of her looking bored were expected to be used as reaction memes that went on to be spread across Twitter and TikTok. After all, who doesn’t love a good laugh? But her thoughts about her face and expressions being used as a meme, however, were far less entertaining.
Images Courtesy: iconiksongs via twitter
“I will never be a meme again. I’d rather sit still than be dragged for being myself. Much love.” Written on her Instagram story after memes of her reactions went viral, Selena was less than amused by her simple existence being turned into a joke. While being made a meme during an unexpected moment is a harmless joke to some people, it's less funny to others. It has to be exhausting to have an image of you simply existing being turned into a viral joke that can be taken out of context and used in ways you don't want. We all know how a small joke can quickly spiral out of control and how easy it is to lose ownership of your image on the internet.
This sparks the question: why the hell are we so obsessed with meme-ifying everything?
It’s not just major celebrities who have to watch how they act and speak but even random people on the street who can be quickly recorded if they do anything remotely intriguing. Now, there are plenty of people who aren’t opposed to being a meme; in fact, they go out of their way to make sure they go viral on all social media platforms. But as many people want to go viral, plenty are against the idea. So why are we so obsessed with capturing these private moments to make a meme that’s only funny for about five minutes but remains borderline insulting for far longer?
There’s a simple answer: people just like a good laugh, even at the expense of others. If you say that you have never laughed out loud at some meme that your friend sent you, then I have to say that you’re probably smudging the truth. And to be fair, memes are fun! It’s fun to have pictures of an outlandish reaction that says how you feel or to send funny TikToks to your friends that make you smile. And people, especially when unintentional, are pretty damn funny in a way that just has to be shared.
The internet is a dark place with news of tragedies around the world and in your own backyard; it can be seriously overwhelming to be bombarded with constant news of how awful the world can be. So why not add a few light jokes? Most people can tolerate being made a viral laugh, even when a moment of unawareness made them a meme. And for those who are posting and creating these memes . . . well, the dopamine hit that comes when you see a post of yours be liked and shared shouldn’t be underestimated.
But like Selena Gomez, not everyone is alright with being turned into a meme. We can’t entirely blame them; it’s easy for a single moment to be taken out of context, and once the internet sticks you with a label, it’s almost impossible to escape. As the world becomes less and less private, and more and more invasive, how do we keep the memes alive while respecting others’ right to privacy?
For one, maybe it’s time to stop taking pictures of random people on the street. Stick to your friends and family, people who you can ask if it’s okay to post online with the possibility of them becoming a meme. Celebrities will always have less luck in that regard (sorry, Selena!). However, we can still respect their wishes when they say they are less than amused with being made a meme. With the constant doom and gloom that runs a news cycle, it is no wonder we turn to making anything we can a meme to add some lightheartedness to our lives.
Strike Out,
Rameen Naviwala
Boca Raton
Rameen Naviwala is a content writer for Strike Magazine Boca. A water sign that enjoys rom-coms and reading melodramatic novels, she spends most of her time with headphones on and scribbling down whatever thought comes to mind. You can reach her at rameen.naviwala@outlook.com.
