This document discusses how memes and subcultures that were once niche have become mainstream. It notes that memes allow Gen Y to express themselves in fun and irreverent ways when words alone don't suffice, creating their own subcultures and in-jokes that give them a sense of community. However, it warns that some brands have tried to co-opt memes but this usually fails because memes lose their meaning when incorporated into mass media and marketing.

1. MAINSTREAM SUBCULTURING
MEMES
SUBCULTURE MAINSTREAMING

2. FIRST, WTF IS A MEME?

3. WIKI

5. BUT WHAT CAN THEY TEACH US ABOUT GEN Y

6. LIFE IS GETTING PRETTY DULL AT THE MO

7. THERE IS STILL ONE EASY WAY TO BE IRREVERENT

8. IN A VERY SPECIAL PLACE

9. TO GET AWAY FROM MAINSTREAM CULTURE

10. AND BE LISTENED TO

11. SHARING UNIVERSAL LIFE SCENARIOS

12. THAT PEOPLE CAN RELATE TO

13. IT HAS NEVER BEEN SO EASY TO CREATE

14. EVERYONE CAN DO IT

15. LAUGHING AT HOW ABSURD ‘OTHER’ PEOPLE CAN BE

16. BECAUSE IT NEVER FELT SO OK TO BE SUBVERSIVE

17. CONSIDERING YOU’RE DOING IT COLLECTIVELY

18. WE* CALL THAT CROWDSOURCED CONTEXTUAL CONTENT
*MARKETERS

19. THEY CALL THAT DEMENTIA

20. IT’S THEIR OWN REFLECTIONS OF POP CULTURE

21. BUT WHY USE MEMES YOU MIGHT ASK?

22. IT’S THE EASIEST WAY THEY’VE FOUND TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES

23. WHEN WORDS ALONE DON’T DO THE JOB

24. THEY JUST NEED SOMETHING NEW

25. OR THEIR TAKE ON SOMETHING OLD

26. JUST NICK A PICTURE AND ADD LOLZ CONTEXT

27. THE WEB IS FULL OF STUFF YOU CAN USE

28. THEY’VE DEVELOPED THEIR OWN TOOLS

29. PLACES TO UNDERSTAND THE LATEST PHENOMENON

30. WITH THEIR OWN RULES

31. AND THEIR OWN LANGUAGE

32. TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES IN A WAY ONLY THEY CAN UNDERSTAND

33. CREATING THEIR OWN SUBCULTURE

34. THEY’RE INCREDIBLY OBSERVANT

35. AND EXCEPTIONALLY INSIGHTFUL

36. THEY’VE FOUND A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE GET IT

37. GETTING RECOGNITION FOR BEING FUNNY

38. FEELING SAFE IN THIS COMMUNITY

39. COULD BRANDS JUMP ON THE BANDWAGON?

40. SOME HAVE

41. BUT...

42. BECAUSE
“When I see a LOLcat online I laugh, when I
see one on TV, I change the channel”

44. NOW DO YOURS

45. THANKS FOR LISTENING
@folktalks