The Inherent Vice of Internet Memes: The Double Bind of Recognition and the Aesthetic of Haste

Authors

  • Ben T. Pettis University of Wisconsin-Madison

Keywords:

memes, compression, image degradation, aesthetics, online communities

Abstract

Internet memes often feature low resolutions, imprecise editing, and they may be poorly cropped—leaving elements of a platform’s interface within a screenshot. However, these flaws do not inherently diminish their impact. Despite technological advancements in digital image quality, the visual characteristics of memes are secondary to their social resonance. The cultural practices of memes allow for quality degradation, embedding the copying and remixing process into the meme itself. In this article, I apply Lucas Hilderbrand’s description of VHS tape degradation as the “inherent vice” of the medium to Internet memes. I argue that memes contain a tension between mutation and recognizability—which I term the “double bind of recognition.” Memes gain meaning through user recognition, yet their nature involves constant remixing and change. This dynamic is visually represented by an “aesthetic of haste,” marked by pixelation, blurriness, and cropping—evidence of their iterative evolution. Analyzing these visual changes offers insights into a meme’s cultural relevance within its community.

Author Biography

Ben T. Pettis, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Ben Pettis is a PhD candidate in Media and Cultural Studies at the Uniersity of Wisconsin-Madison. His work in platform studies and critical internet studies examines the construction of "Users" by websites, apps, and corporations.

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Published

2024-07-14

Issue

Vol. 18 (2024)

Section

Articles

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