Memes – love them or hate them?
Hi Heather,
good to see you are back from your holidays. Are you still doing that blogging topics thing on your blog where people can anonymously ask questions without feeling like a numpty? If you are can I ask, what do people think about memes (and how do you pronounce it anyway)?
I’ve noticed that you don’t do them and I was wondering if there was a reason for it. I’ve been given some recently but I don’t know if I want to do them but I don’t really know the etiquette to it all either.
Thanks, P.
________
Memes (pronounced ‘meem’ to rhyme with theme and not ‘mem’ to rhyme with pen, as I always do) are a bit like marmite, are they not? You either love them or you hate them.
Personally, I’m not so keen. That’s the main reason I don’t do them. I’m not a massive fan of reading them on other peoples blogs, if we are being honest about these things, and I can’t for the life of me think why anyone would be interested in my favourite songs, what’s in my handbag or what my favourite colour of nail polish is.
It’s all just kind of dull, isn’t it?
But then some people seem to really love them.
And it does make me sound like an ungrateful cow to all those people that have tagged me, doesn’t it?
Perhaps what we need is more interesting memes (I’m still pronouncing it to rhyme with pen). Like a vlog of your best party trick. Or the story of your most embarrassing moment. Or showing us the most embarrassing photo of yourself, or…well…something fun and interesting and not another list post of dull facts we never knew and had no interest in anyway.
Christ, I’ve got my bitchy hat on today, huh?
Apologies to all those I’ve just offended.
So what about you, what do you think of memes? Love em or hate em? And what is the correct etiquette for turning them down? Cause I’m pretty sure my standard response of just not doing them is rather incorrect.
**If you have a question you’d like to ask anonymously, about blogging or not, feel free to email me at heather@rukakuusamo.com.
I'm Heather, an ex expat, now back in blighty and living in Lancashire. Which is just like Lapland only less snowy...and stuff.
I agree! I'm always flattered when I get them but have stopped doing them for the most part. I think the best thing to do is just to say thank you to the person who tagged you, end of story.
Funny that you mentioned doing VLOG ones that are humorous as I have something up my sleeve! Watch out!
Cheers,
Chrissie
I'm more ambivalent towards them. I don't like feeling that I “have” to write a blog post to order. But there are times when I want to write a post but can't think of what to write about… then a meme can be a wonderful tool for getting rid of the mental block. I guess a good meme is there to be used and abused.
I tend to use them also when I've got a big of a blog block. I pick and choose them a bit more now and only do the ones I find a bit more interesting. Some people however, are really good at doing memes and always manage to make them interesting or humorous. Some memes are better than others obviously, I only read a few of 'what's in your bag' 'cos lets face it, we pretty much all carry the same crap about, but the Plastic Joy one was very funny, there are some very strange minds out there…
The worst ones are the 'list 7/10/12 things about yourself blah blah blah', and any that ask you to tag anymore than a few people are just irritating, they just take too long.
And I always (wrongly) pronounce it me-me.
Some times I do them and sometimes I don't, most of them sit in my drafts folder for ages and I get fed up of looking at them and delete them.
Most of the time I think i'd like to do my own kinda spin on them…but I've never really got around to that either…I'm really good at this bloggin thing arent I lol
xx
Heather,
I pondered the meme dilemma nearly three years ago on my blog:
http://wwwtheothersideofparis.blogspot.com/2007…
I didn't do memes but then towards the end of last year I did do one.
http://wwwtheothersideofparis.blogspot.com/2007…
So, never say never!
Oops, that last link is the same as the first. It should be:
http://wwwtheothersideofparis.blogspot.com/2009…
I actually quite like them, especially the more unusual ones. I must admit I don't always read them, especially when every post in my Google reader is the same thing but from different people but I do enjoy the posts where people have put their own spin on it and made it a bit different.
You should start you own fun one x
I was really excited when I was tagged for the first time! It gave me something to post about as a newbie. I do understand what you mean about lists of things & the need for interesting memes maybe. Those folk I've tagged who are not going to reciprocate usually just tweet a comment (yes, politely of course
I've been saying it 'mem' all this time… now I know! I have to say that I am of the same opinion, but have been guilty of participating in a few when I've been stuck for other post ideas :$
As this blogging lark is still quite new to me, I do still get excited at being tagged – guess it's the novelty of it. However, as it happens more and more, I do find myself struggling to complete them (and also struggling to remember who tagged me!). Some I just haven't got round to, and probably realistically never will if I haven't done them by now. On the other hand, they are always there on the back burner if I ever find myself “lost for words”. I don't think it's too much of a big deal if you don't want to do them. Just a comment and a thank you is ok I think.
Ooh I'm glad this conversations out in the open. It's one I've already had privately once or twice. What can I say – it's lovely to be tagged and I always feel grateful to the person who's tagged me – but memes themselves are a pain. They distract me from what I really want to write about and they can be seriously inane aswell. Occasionally though, I find that they are a bit of light relief after a few serious posts and that they can also be a useful store for when you really can't think of anything to write about. So for me it's not a no never, but it is a no most of the time. Having said that I've just done one – but I feel almost like I should apologise to the people I've tagged! I do sometimes feel bad for not doing them, but you know, fuck it.
Sometimes I do them, sometimes I don't. If I can 'interpret' the idea and put it another way then I do, but if I can't make it interesting (even for myself) then I don't try. I throw one in every now and again, if it is fun or interesting but I largely ignore them. There are so many doing the rounds that it would be hard to keep up. What I do, by way of saying thanks to the people that tag me, is put up the little picture with a permanent link to their blog on my 'Awards & Memes' page. Not sure, but I *think* the link is helpful if they are on Technorati or take part in Tots100? Anyway, that is how I say thank you and acknowledge them for thinking of me:) It is great to see other peoples opinion, thanks Heather:) Jen.
I actually count your vlog competitions the same as memes (I say me me).
Funnily enough, I blogged a list of my five most embarrassing moments only a few weeks ago, as part of the Friday5 thing that a few of us do. It was a great subject, and made for some of the funniest blog posts I've ever read, I actually ended up crying with laughter in front of the computer.
Generally, I don't dislike memes, and always feel a bit flattered if I'm tagged to do one (clearly that person is interested in what's in my handbag/in my make up drawer/on my kitchen worktop or whatever – God knows why!) – but some are better than others.
I must admit to not being a massive fan of them, but there have been a few that have inspired me to have a good laugh with them.
I'm not a fan of memes either. I particularly dislike the whole tagging thing – I feel left-out when I don't get tagged but obliged to do the meme if I am and then guilty when I still haven't done it after weeks.
I saw a 'my 5 most embarrassing moments' meme recently (the Thrifty Chick's was hilarious) and think I'll do my own, but no meme (or me me as I like to call it).
I let a lot of them drop unfortunately but there is one books meme I do every Tuesday because I do a lot of books posts anyway and Tuesday always seems to be a day I never have energy for a 'real' post. Oddly enough my top days for visitors are always Tuesdays…..
I do some of them but not others. Usually when I'm struggling for ideas for a post, if I'm honest.
I always like to be tagged but don't actually enjoy having to post to order, so I tend to thank the lovely person who thought of me then put it on my pile of 'things I should do before I die'. I thought it was pronounced me me, as in 'it's all about me' ?
I don't like them as a rule, but there are a couple of alright ones about. I've only done one so far, though. In a year. So, no – not a big fan.
Well I thought it was either pronounced mee-mee (as in me) or maybe with a french accent like mai-mai. When you first start blogging it's like the most welcome present ever, you feel validated and I nearly pee-d myself when I got my first. Maybe it's one of those things that you get a bit more jaded when you're an old hat. Well, not like o-l-d, but you know what I mean. I'll stop digging now.
oooh, I can't wait to see it…
I can't help groaning inwardly when I use them though. Most of them are rather inane.
A me-me. It does sound like it ought to be pronounced that way, huh? Some are funny, it's true, and some people just have that skill for turning them around into good entertainment.
you're the best :p
Never say never. Always a good philosophy to have.
That's something that puts me off reading them too, I'll admit. By the time you've read one or two of that meme on that day you can't stomach any more.
Oh, you're supposed to reply politely? shit! :p
I still say mem – tis a habit too hard to break. lol.
That is the other thing, remembering who tagged you. Especially when a new one goes round and everyone's doing it, if I do the meme I'll likely forget which people tagged me for it and upset someone.
Fuck it, indeed! A very fine approach I think.
It is super to see what people think, and to know that largely, people are all pretty much of the same opinion. Yeah, i think if they dont even interest you then chances are they are going to be pretty dull for others reading too. lol
You do? That's interesting…I guess they are really huh?
there's nothing quite like admitting your embarrassing moments for a good laugh, huh?
I have seen some great posts made out of a meme that's been twisted around a bit. Some people are very good at that.
I can't wait to read that one! I should do my own…trouble is narrowing it down to just a few moments!
I quite enjoy book ones cause I'm always looking for new reading material.
Seems to be the way of most people really.
It is nice to be tagged and know people are thinking of you, huh?
lol, not a big fan at all, huh?
You calling me old? bah. I'm only 87!
I'm not really.
No, honestly.
I'm 85.
Don't like them? Don't do them. One thing to remember is that the links these unwanted tags give keep blog ranking up.
There are alot of 'Super Memes' out there at the moment, Vlog It, Secret Post Club, The Gallery, The Writing Workshop to name but a few. IMHO they're just the same as a regular meme but with the added benefit that the originator gets a huge amount of links regularly out of it.
I sometimes do them, sometimes don't but aren't going to get precious about people who do them because it's their blog to do with as they will.
That's very true, the links coming in from them do help.
It's funny, until I read the comments here i never really thought of secret post and vlog it as memes. what have I done?! Argh!! lol
Hmmm-so are you saying that you didn't like the way I did the same meme 5 times in different ways. Oh well, too bad.
Sometimes I like them, sometimes I don't.
I've been tagged in memes quite a lot, but have to admit to only taking part in a very small number of them. They can become a bit repetitive unless used sparingly. One meme which made the rounds a while back was having to post a photo of yourself, first thing in the morning. I mean the very first thing you had to do after scraping yourself out of bed was take that photo. At least it produced some funny results, though thankfully I was never tagged.
really? i never saw that one thank goodness. *wipes brow*