I’m not talking about jokes memes, or cat memes, or memes about ordinary life. Because those are hilarious.
I’m talking about biting political memes. And polemical theological memes. The gotcha meme, the hasty dismissal, the absurdity of it all kind of memes.
These memes…
- have no context
- invite no conversation
- and create no community
A polemic meme (political or theological) usually doesn’t even have as much nuance as a political cartoon.
We say, “It’s funny because it’s TRUE.”
But they usually aren’t.
Polemic memes are more of a stylized fabrication of reality, a distortion of our enemies and opponents, a conflation of issues.
These memes trick us into thinking life is simple and easy to express (just find a meme generator…).
But it is stupid to think that life, faith, religion, and politics are so easily summarized when in fact life, faith, and politics are complicated, requiring conversation, and community.
But I worry the memefication of all things is making us stupid—while making us think we are smart.