A Semiotic Approach to Internet Memes: Trump as a Case Study | ||
| مجلة الدراسات الإنسانية والأدبية | ||
| Article 15, Volume 18, Issue 1, July 2018, Pages 501-527 | ||
| Document Type: المقالة الأصلية | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/shak.2018.145299 | ||
| Abstract | ||
| The present study aims to examine the memes that have globally been publicized through various social media. It draws upon the semiotic theory to analyze randomly selected internet memes concerning the US president Donald Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia. The study tackles the signifier-signified relationship between images, texts and meanings. In this regard, Internet memes not only communicate various meanings but also impart expressive political and cultural messages. Moreover, they display common reactions to the humor and entertainment created by the users on social media networks. By assessing what Internet memes mean and function, the study creates and delivers universally political and cultural messages and emotions. More specifically, the present study examines five randomly selected Internet memes to establish a connection between images, texts and meanings by adopting a semiotic analysis. It concludes that Internet memes affect the political standing, cultural concepts and thoughts of any nation. تهدف هذه الدراسة إلى دراسة "الميمات" التي تم نشرها على مستوى العالم من خلال وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي المختلفة. وهى تعتمد على النظرية السيميائية لتحليل الميمات المختارة عشوائياً من شبکة الإنترنت فيما يتعلق بزيارة الرئيس الأمريکي دونالد ترامب إلى المملکة العربية السعودية. کما تتناول الدراسة علاقة الدال والمدول بين الصور والنصوص والمعاني. وفي هذا الصدد، لا تنقل "ميمات الإنترنت" معاني مختلفة فحسب ، بل تنقل أيضًا رسائل سياسية وثقافية معبرة. علاوة على ذلک، فإنها تعرض ردود فعل مشترکة على الفکاهة والترفيه التي أنشأها المستخدمون على شبکات التواصل الاجتماعي. و بتقييم ما تعنيه "ميمات الانترنت" ووظائفها، تقوم الدراسة بانشاء وتوصيل معانى ومشاعر سياسية وثقافية تتصف بالعالمية. تتناول هذه الدراسة خمسا من "ميمات الانترنت" تم اختيارها عشوائياً لإقامة صلة بين الصور والنصوص والمعاني من خلال تبني منهج سيميائي. وتخلص الدراسة الى أن "ميمات الإنترنت" تؤثر على الاوضاع السياسية والمفاهيم الثقافية والافکار المتعلقة بأى أمة. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| captions; images; Internet memes; political message; semiotics; Trump; King Salman | ||
|
Supplementary Files
|
||
| References | ||
|
Works Cited Bradley, S. (2018). An Introduction to Semiotics: Signifier and Signified. Retrieved March 14,
2018, from https://vanseodesign.com/web-design/semiotics-signifier-signified/
Burman, J. (2012). The Misunderstanding of Memes: Biography of an Unscientific Object,
1976–1999. Perspectives on Science, 20 (1), 75–104.
Calimbo, A. C. (2016). Deconstructing Myths via Humor: A Semiotic Analysis
of Philippine Political Internet Memes. CASS Langkit Journal, 1(6), 1-20.
Cannizzaro, S. (2016). Internet Memes as Internet Signs: A Semiotic View of Digital Culture.
Sign Systems Studies, 44 (4), 562–586.
Chandler, D. (2007). Semiotics: The Basics. London: Routledge.
Danesi, M. (2004). Messages, Signs, and Meanings: A Basic Textbook in Semiotics and
Communication Theory. Studies in Linguistic and Cultural Anthropology (3rd ed., Vol. 1).
Toronto: Canadian Scholars’ Press Inc.
Davison, P. (2012). The Language of Internet Memes. In M. Maniberg (Ed.), The Social Media
Reader (pp.120-134). New York: New York University Press.
Dawkins. R. (2006). The Selfish Gene (30th Anniversary ed.). New York: Oxford University
Press.
Díaz, C. M. C. (2013). Defining and Characterizing the Concept of Internet Meme. Revista CES
Psicología, 6(2), 82-104.
Grundlingh, L. (2018). Memes as Speech Acts. Social Semiotics, 28(2), 147-168. DOI:
10.1080/10350330.2017.1303020
Hatim, B., & Munday, J. (2004). Translation: An Advanced Resource Book. London and New York: Routledge.
Heylighen F. & Chielens K. (2009) Evolution of Culture, Memetics. In R. A. Meyers
(Ed.), Encyclopedia of Complexity and Systems Science. New York: Springer.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-30440-3_189
Huntington, H. E. (2013). Subversive Memes: Internet Memes as a Form of Visual Rhetoric.
Selected Papers of Internet Research, 14.
Huntington, H. E. (2017). The Affect and Effect of Internet Memes: Assessing Perceptions and Influence of Online User-Generated Political Discourse as Media (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Colorado State University, Colorado. Kariko, A. T. (2013). Analysis on Internet Memes Using Semiotics. Binus University. Retrieved
February 12, 2017 from www.english.binus.ac.id
Kavitha. G. (2018). A Study of Memes Using Semiotics. Research Journal of Humanities and
Social Sciences, 9(1), 219-224.
Knobel, M. & Lankshear, C. (2007). Online Memes, Affinities, and Cultural Production. Retrieved October 15, 2017 from
Meme. (n. d.). In Merriam-Webster online. Retrieved from
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meme
Milner. R. M. (2012). The World Made Media: Discourse and Identity in Participatory Media. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Kansas, Kansas. | ||
|
Statistics Article View: 270 |
||
