Global warming, body image, sexual orientation, feminism, divorce, anti-Semitism, intellectual disability, domestic terrorism. What do you think this list represents? Major issues in the upcoming election? Or maybe the most covered news topics of 2019?
\nDid you guess Google image results for \u201ccringy memes?\u201d If so, maybe you should take a break from Reddit for a day or two. But seriously, I\u2019m sure most of us have seen one or more of these topics \u201cmemeified,\u201d whether or not we went looking. We all know what\u2019s out there on the internet, and we all know it can be dark and mean and kind of grim. The topics listed above are just the tip of the iceberg.
\nMy question is, why do we laugh at issues that aren\u2019t funny? There is real evil in the world \u2014 real tragedy and shame and heartbreak. Maybe we make jokes about it because it\u2019s easy. Maybe laughing at something sad makes us feel like it isn\u2019t our problem, or like it isn\u2019t really a problem at all. I know I\u2019ve caught myself laughing when I should be asking, \u201cWhat can I do to help?\u201d or \u201cDo I need to make a change?\u201d
\nOf course, not all memes are bad. Even some cringy memes fall into the category of satire, calling us to ask hard questions and seek societal change. On the other hand, sometimes there isn\u2019t anything we can do about an issue but laugh, and that\u2019s okay. I\u2019m not some radical anti-meme petitioner. I\u2019m a sucker for a good Arthur meme like anyone else, and I\u2019ll admit the groovy Kermit filter got me. What worries me is when we start laughing at things we should be mourning.
\nIt\u2019s hard to take injustice seriously when you\u2019ve spent 10 minutes scrolling through posts that make fun of it. It\u2019s even harder to take action on a problem your friend turned into a \u201cdistracted boyfriend\u201d meme. Is it worth the cry-laugh emojis we get from a group chat when we share an image that makes our gut clench a little?
\nWe can do better than this. We don\u2019t have to laugh at things that aren\u2019t funny, and we don\u2019t have to use cheap jokes to distract ourselves from true pain in the world. It\u2019s worth the effort to recognize what\u2019s wrong and try to fix it. I really believe that; I have to.
\nSo, next time you see a meme that makes your hair stand on end, ask yourself, \u201cIs this really funny?\u201d and \u201cIs there something I can do here that\u2019s better than laughing?\u201d Just be thoughtful. If we all do that, it will be a step in the right direction. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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