Sexist Meme Essay

Recently, memes joking about depression, anxiety and other mental health issues have begun to pop up on sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. Most of these memes could be summarized under the category, “concerning yet funny.” One instance of this is in a popular meme that says, “I keep losing these things,” and features car keys, a wallet, a TV remote and then just a text box that reads, “my will to live.” This one meme has over 285,000 notes on Tumblr. These memes are spread so casually to the point that it is easy to start to wonder how these, typically young, college aged, people can be so free to discuss these problems using comedy on the Internet in front of millions of strangers. When those battling mental health problems such as

Memes have the potential to go viral in minutes. So, a hurtful or embarrassing picture that was never intended to be shared online, can instantly become “internet famous.”

Now, some people may embrace their Internet fame and attempt to broaden their audience and fan base on YouTube or Twitter. Others however, may be completely unaware that a meme with their picture even exists. Though the majority of the time a meme is not created as an outlet to make fun of someone, it inevitably happens. And the opportunity for teasing and bullying is clearly there.

One of the most notable cases is Ghyslain Raza, who is perhaps now better known as “Star Wars Kid.” In 2003, Raza videotaped himself performing Star Wars-style fighting moves for his school’s video club. His classmates found the video and posted it on the Internet without his consent. The video became one of the first videos to go viral online, even predating the launch of YouTube. For Raza, it was a nightmare, he was bullied so incessantly that he eventually dropped out of school and checked into a psychiatric