The Birth of Internet Memes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1Y73sPHKxw

Yes, it's really that shocking, a new blog on the web phenomenon that is internet memes! The above video is of an extremely popular internet meme called Dramatic Chipmunk. The footage of the video was taken from a Japanese TV Show Hello! Morning which featured a bright eyed prairie dog. Youtube user magnets99 proceeded to cut the video footage to a short 5 seconds and put the music from Young Frankenstein over it. The result was a viral video which spread all over the world and has accumulated over 5 million hits. The bacteria-like spread of internet memes has fascinated and entertained users the world over, but where did it all begin?

The term meme was first used by scientist Richard Dawkins in his publication on evolution: The Selfish Gene, 1976. Dawkins referred to memes as a unit of human cultural evolution analogous to the gene. This defines memes as building blocks with variation much like the gene does for human characteristics.

Internet Memes have existed since the world wide web was launched, and has no defined roots, much like the internet itself. One of the earliest internet memes was the emoticon.

: - )

Coined by Scott E. Fahlman, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University in 1982, the emoticon has since evolved to include the tongue face :P and the sad smiley. :-(

Emoticons have since taken off in cyber space, and have graphic representations such as the ones above. They are the quintessential internet meme because of how they have evolved from the basic concept of symbolizing a smiling face to representing various facial features. Now, emoticons are ubiquitous and most people wouldn't have guessed that the simplicity of a smiley kicked started an internet revolution.

Here is a timeline of internet memes for reference.

http://www.dipity.com/tatercakes/Internet_Memes/