this post was submitted on 13 Jul 2023
72 points (97.4% liked)

Antique Memes Roadshow

6140 readers
417 users here now

Giving you the backstory and appraisals of vintage memes!

Submissions should be vintage memes or commentary about vintage memes. Commenters are advised to appraise the internet value and provenance meme antiquities.

Rules:

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 
top 13 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] An_Zombie@lemmy.world 6 points 2 years ago

All hail the father of memes

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago

When you say antique, you mean it!

[–] CeruleanRuin@lemmy.one 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)
[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 4 points 2 years ago (1 children)

That we know of, anyway. Do you think literacy is required to spread a meme? If not, who knows what the legionaries had going.

[–] CeruleanRuin@lemmy.one 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

There is graffiti in Pompeii that definitely suggests a memetic type of replication. Hell, one could argue that putting your handprint on a stone wall is a meme.

[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Which graffiti is that? Did they find more bread making references?

Most of it was people's names and crude comments IIRC. The more things change the more they stay the same

[–] CeruleanRuin@lemmy.one 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Quite a few of these seem like the sort of things people have been writing on walls throughout history.

[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

IMO to be a meme it has to have learned symbolism. Kilroy was the guy always in front of you in the strange new lands you visited, Drake indicates which thing is preferable to the other. Neither are intrinsic. Maybe it has to be somewhat humorous or ironic too, because I don't think a crucifix or the Latin letter "A" qualifies.

The hand print example could work if it was actually a rude gesture in the original culture, the intent was to troll all future generations and they were added to gradually over time.

[–] THEDAEMON@lemmy.ml 1 points 11 months ago

Who is kilroy ? Is this something i am too young to understand ?

[–] Nobody@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

OG Triple OG

[–] MrKilroy@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago
[–] snor10@lemm.ee 1 points 2 years ago

One of the OG memes!

[–] ProcurementCat@feddit.de 1 points 2 years ago

Geez grandpa. You're this close to telling us, how the 1911 is the best pistol ever, aren't you?

load more comments
view more: next ›