From Grumpy Cat to Bad Luck Brian, they have taken over our phones,
computer screens, tablets and for the extremist fans, parts of their walls.
Whether digital media or physical, we have been bombarded. Who is the new
insurgent? That international favourite: the meme.
The concept surrounding memes is an extremely diligent means of
getting across either a really deep (or obvious) and hilarious message using
pictures and captions, two of the most striking elements in the world of
communication. Goa, who boasts of people with mirth and joy as second
nature (if not first), has taken to this trend in a big way. “It’s awesome to see
some of our favourite words in our mother tongue find their way on to the
screen of our phones. Some of them contain a lot of profanity (which is
still acceptable) while others are outright funny. My personal favourite says
‘susegaad rau and eat chorispao’,” says Fabian Mendes of Cansaulim.
Most of the memes out there are the brainchild of generation next. This
is largely because everybody loves to text and has a playful curiosity about
memes. Today, the average age of meme-transmitters has increased, as
users over 30 years old discover the chuckles and humour about forwarding
memes to their friends. One meme fan is Dr Jonathan Gouveia, who believes,
“Memes are the evolution of our expression of feelings and intentions in the
age of social media, and are here to stay.” Be it political, local, or randomly
tweaked for the purpose of relevance, memes have not only caught up but
spread faster than an old wife’s tale in Goa. Currently employed in the field
of social media marketing and IT, Ponda born and raised, Anish Thimanna is
an avid creator of said memes. Memes have spread so fervently in Goa, that
much like celebrities, they now have a Facebook page dedicated to them.
Check out www.facebook.com/GoanMemes for memes with a local twist.
