ComeDY in DYsfunction: An Insincere Defence Mechanism?

Written By: Sia Sirish Karanth

Edited By: Malaika Noorani

Graphic Design By: Vedant Gunda

An Internet meme, or meme, is a cultural item (such as an idea, behaviour, or style) that spreads across the Internet, now primarily through social media platforms. Internet memes manifest in a variety of formats, including images, videos, and other viral content. Memes have quickly turned into a key communication tool on the Internet, as a way to connect with other people on the basis of humour and shared experiences. Modern society and popular culture are partially shaped by content like memes, which are widespread and easily accessible and understandable to a large audience. That being said, dark humour is a big sub-category of memes. Themes like war, politics, crime and natural disasters are often made into a consumable format through memes. 

When it comes to natural disasters, memes are often divided into the following broad themes:

Firstly, tolerance and indifference to seemingly serious disasters, regional inside jokes and political commentary on the handling of disasters by governments. The discourse over dark memes is very divided, with many believing them to be harmless and actually a way to unite people with shared experiences, while others believe that the lives lost and devastating real-world impact natural disasters have on communities and nations should take precedence over silly jokes. Psychologically, dark memes rely on cognitive dissonance, emotional numbing (by removing any emotional aspects related to the topic) and shared trauma in order to be effective.

Here are some examples of memes pertaining to natural disasters:

This meme represents a classic example of how societies evolve to adapt to frequent natural disasters. Rather than always seeking an escape or rehabilitation, many communities choose to remain on the land they own and have settled in. 

This meme is an example of satire and shows the failure of governments in dealing with natural disasters instead of issuing advisories that are nowhere near helpful enough to deal with the disasters. The line in the text box says, "Thank god, I got an umbrella from the house, otherwise

I would’ve gotten wet!” emphasising the absurdity of being grateful for an umbrella during a flood.

 This meme shows a dark twist on a popular desire many students have to avoid going to school. Many students wish for a disaster or accident that may cancel school. However, this meme frames the disaster as a comrade that comes in to help the student get a day off from school. The question remains whether wishing for a disaster to happen for a measly day off is worth the potential lives lost and harm to property. 

This meme is a political satire that explains US President Donald Trump’s stance on climate change and how it affects his policies and natural disasters in America. The dialogue in quotations uses a typical saviour trope, while the image depicts a villain who wants to destroy the environment. 

This meme is a commentary on climate change and how it has changed the experience of the four seasons, moving to extreme weather conditions that have ruined the perception of these seasons for the newer generations. The meme shows how each of the seasons has now been replaced with four different natural disasters, thus exposing a dark truth and acting as a reminder of just how extreme the impact of climate change has gotten all over the world.