In a desperate attempt to get the attention of young voters, the Biden for President campaign is looking to hire a full-time manager of meme pages for up to $85,000 a year.
Job requirements include “deep expertise of the digital media landscape” and the capability to “identify internet trends and/or opportunities for content.” In other words: be good at memes. Though Cockburn wonders whether the move is more innovative or absurd.
The political meme game between Biden and Trump up to this point has been both ironic and noteworthy. “Let’s Go Brandon” was countered with “Dark Brandon” — which was also a response to the “dark Trump” meme. The numerous videos of Biden getting lost or falling down (especially his fall on the Air Force One Steps, now at 10 million views) were rebounded with his Instagram caption on his eighty-first birthday: “Turns out on your 146th birthday, you run out of space for candles!” Outcries and accusations surrounding Trump’s attempt to overturn election results were combatted with the meme-ing of his iconic mugshot.
In some cases, making fun of yourself isn’t a bad idea. But this meme war simply seems to be between Biden and Trump. Like any common language, Cockburn’s nieces will tell you, memes only stick when they come from the ground up. This is part of the reason why Biden’s job posting is so cringe.
In a recent article covering Biden’s meme-hire on TechCrunch, digital communications strategist Annie Wu Henry said that we “need to continue to be strategic and intentional and mindful, even if it’s a meme.” Unfortunately being strategic, intentional and mindful with messages imposed from above — which is exactly what managers of campaign meme pages would have to be — goes against the very nature of a meme.
Memes grow when they have grassroots, especially pedestrian and common ones. Numerous professionals and PhDs have tried to sophisticate and understand memes. Books have been written, studies have been done and research centers have been established.
When it comes to defining what a meme is, descriptions are often vague and majestic (especially for political memes). Explanations from experts call to mind heroic World War One recruitment posters rather than crass and simpleminded Pompeii graffiti. The supposed first American meme evolved into the classic “Don’t tread on me” flag with the rattlesnake motif — but that’s less of a meme, and more just a flag. The real meme of this flag is a Cockburn favorite depicting a cartoon snake with the words: “no step on snek.”
But professionals discussing memes is about as ridiculous as two-year-olds discussing state income tax. Memes are like any good joke; if you have to explain it or analyze it, you’ve ruined the joke.
Based on the history of the vulgate of memeship, memes are tacky when imposed with specific agendas from above, and by their very nature are flippant, ridiculous and often counterculture. When it comes to political campaigns — you know, the future state of the nation — that’s about as serious as it can get.
Cockburn therefore has a tip for Team Biden: your candidate cannot impose agendas from above using a language that was developed to make fun of him. Most likely Biden’s meme-hire is a desperate attempt to grab young voters and will fall flat.
