Why are memes like Pepe the Frog effective tools for spreading hate What other memes have you encountered that appear to be associated racism, sexism, anti-Semitism , or other forms of bigotry?

Question

Can someone please answer that question Thank you

Answer 1

If you're reading this, chances are at some point today you have browsed the Internet or scrolled through one form or another of social media. If you have, then odds are again that you likely scrolled past some memes. Just an average day browsing for a laugh and some entertainment on social media, right? While the original intention of memes is arguably to induce laughter, some groups have other agendas -- religious, political, social... More and more frequently, these "off-brand" memes are showing up in our timelines. Sometimes they're harmless... and sometimes they're not. In the case of the Pepe the Frog memes, the seemingly innocent frog went from pacifist Pepe to radical alt-right racist in a short period of time. In other words, the "feels good" Pepe the Frog meme has been taken over by white supremacists and the alt-right as a symbol of hate. In these alt-right, supremacist memes Pepe the Frog can be seen (1) with emphasized racially-stereotyped facial features with anti-Semitic and racist tones; (2) wearing Klan robes or Nazi uniforms; (3) or even lighting gas chambers and bombing the Twin Towers. You may be asking yourself the same questions I did. To go viral something has to be reposted millions upon millions of times, right? Who is reposting these memes? Upon brainstorming, five main categories of people stand out. The 1st group of people who are posting tarnished Pepe the Frog memes are, of course, those who agree with the alt-right/White supremacist/Anti-Semitic ideologies. The 2nd group includes people who are posting Pepe the Frog memes are doing so without complete information on the hate groups that sponsor him.The 3rd group of people may be using Pepe the Frog as clickbait in order to accrue more likes, comments (whether good or bad), tags, and reposts in order for their account to increase viewership and go viral. These people are posting "for the clout," so to speak. The 4th group of people are those posting to reclaim Pepe the Frog, but these people tend to use the hashtag #SavePepe. The 5th group of people are those repost because they find the content of the memes so absurd, it's almost humorous. Regardless of whichever group most of the public fits in, it's clear that Pepe is still popular is showing no signs of disappearing anytime soon.