Why Does Twitter Meme? An Analysis Of The Platform's Role In The Meme Ecosystem Through Popular Formats

Out of all legacy social media, there have always been obvious frontrunners in developing online humor, but some have remained consistently prevalent. Where the influence of other platforms has fluctuated, Twitter has maintained a considerable hold on internet culture throughout its lifespan. This has allowed it to develop an instantly recognizable memetic identity, heavy on reaction images, interactivity and wordplay.

However, while its content is distinctive, the role it plays in the complex ecosystem of meme virality is less clear. It does produce plenty of its own memes, but it’s not quite at the trendsetting level of something like TikTok, or even the heyday of 4chan. It’s also not yet where memes go to die, as with somewhere like Facebook.

As meme life cycle charts experienced their peak a few years ago, the platform rarely warranted a mention. When it was included, it was often dismissed as the beginning of the end for a fresh new format — alongside Instagram, the other awkward middle child of meme sharing.

Recent weeks have proved fruitful for memes on Twitter, with three formats circulating widely. All represent different aspects of the platform’s identity as a meme distributor and provide insight into how it works. Let's take a look and break each format down to see how they fit into Twitter's unique meme identity.

The Mortifying Ordeal of Being Known

Summary:

An image comparison meme, The Mortifying Ordeal of Being Known includes an image on the left captioned "the rewards of being loved" and one on the right with "the mortifying ordeal of being known." The images usually feature a pop culture figure or cute animal looking happy in the image on the left and overwhelmed or angry on the right.

Origin:

This meme quotes from the conclusion of a 2013 New York Times essay that reflected on the definition of unconditional love. It wasn’t until 2018 though, that Tumblr picked it up and turned it into a half-joking, all-caps text post that soon became edited into comics and screencaps galore.

It appears there was a Tumblr veteran out there who decided it was due to make a comeback. The phrase became repurposed for this ever-popular Twitter format, which can be personalized to your interest of choice.

Impact:

With its complex meaning and cultured background, The Mortifying Ordeal of Being Known appeals to the discourse-loving, know-it-all Twitter user who likes to think of themselves as self-aware — i.e., a pretty high proportion of its most dedicated users. It helps to know the context of the quote, but standalone, it's comprehensible enough to get its basic meaning with the help of some choice images.

The use of this meme reflects Twitter’s ability to absorb and build upon content from other platforms, melding it to fit its requirements. It shows a commitment to recycling, if within limited structural boundaries.

I Wish I Was At Home / They Don’t Know

Summary:

A comic showing a Wojak character standing alone in the corner at a party, I Wish I Was At Home has been around for over a decade. Wojak’s thoughts are shown around him in the meme, and in the original version, this includes a long spiel about how he wishes he wasn’t there for whatever reason. In the newer reappearance of the format, it’s a one-liner in which he expresses something that supposedly makes him superior to the other partygoers, which only he knows about.

Origin:

It’s the oldest meme here. The template was first shared in 2009 on the humor site Sad and Useless, before spreading across various sites a few years later. The “They Don’t Know” remix was started on Twitter, its first-known iteration pointing to a gap between being popular on "Left" Twitter and being popular in real life.

Impact:

Wojak comics have been inescapable in 2020, with several formats enjoying a rise in popularity this year. Twitter has helped in spreading many of these variants, including Doomer Girl and My Parents at Age 29. It has even created some, like Money Printer Go Brrr.

They Don’t Know builds on the legacy of these previous memes, but the way it mocks Wojak’s superiority complex feels a lot more Twitter-specific. While others took aim at targets like themselves or people with a worldview at odds with their own, this format feels more direct in its judgment. This could be directed at the meme creator, but it could just as easily be a snide comment on their mutuals.

Other platforms engage in an equivalent — Reddit being a prominent example here. However, with its more explicit ties to credibility, public image and, in some cases, careers, this format shows us how Twitter can use memes as a form of critique as well as entertainment (even if they’re just making fun of a guy who thinks he’s better than everyone). Wojak tends to get shared across a wider selection of platforms, so this is probably the meme that has had the most currency outside of Twitter. Unsurprisingly, its image-conscious, insecure protagonist has been embraced by Instagram as well.

Sue Sylvester (I’m Going To Create An Environment That Is So Toxic)

Summary:

A blackout meme that uses a screengrab from a Glee episode, the original where Sue Sylvester states “I am going to create an environment that is so toxic” has been used in a multitude of new ways recently.

Origin:

The most recent meme on the list, it first became popularized in June 2020. In its early form, this meme was cultivated as a versatile reaction image, mostly used for stan culture tweets. In contrast, in its present use, the closed caption is often manipulated to such an extent that the original line is unrecognizable. This allows it to be used for any manner of topics, which shares many similarities to the meme I Am Once Again Asking for Your Financial Support.

Impact:

As a comparatively recent, "in-house" meme with a lot of versatility, it has also proved to be the most popular of the three. It is a prime example of Twitter’s ability to take something shared within a niche community and transform it into something that can be used for almost every scenario imaginable.

While it has been exported, Sue Sylvester is a style of meme that is hard to imagine getting big anywhere but Twitter. It’s buoyed by the kind of mass hysteria that the platform is best at, which expands the meme in a larger amount of directions at a faster rate than would be possible elsewhere.

Conclusion: The Middle Ground is Bigger Than We Think

Twitter is home to a userbase that has an enduring belief in its role as interpreters of the internet. This is something that encourages two distinct but sometimes overlapping ways of meme sharing. The first plays the role of social commentary, with the meme acting as a more eye-catching conduit for what might have otherwise been a less successful tweet.

The second is more particular to the algorithm, and best digested with several other takes on the format in quick succession.

Part of the reason that Twitter retains its influence in the meme world is that it’s "listicle friendly" and creative enough to stop that from getting boring. Add a propensity for all things topical and it’s a guaranteed recipe for more widespread attention.

It’s ironic given its argumentative, overzealous and often political-laden reputation, but Twitter plays an important function in mediating content, making it more palatable for different audiences both on and off the platform. In this way, it remains true to the double-edged sword of memes: their accessibility.

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