Since the start of the cricket world cup over a month ago,
there’s no stopping the memes. Be it Sarfaraz Ahmed’s yawn, a comparison
between 2019 and 1992 cricket world cups, a cat trying to squeeze into a narrow
wall… Memes have ruled the internet.
So what’s a meme? It’s an image, a video or a phrase or
graphics interchange format (Gif) that’s humorous in nature and is widely
circulated on internet. A meme must “go viral” to be successful.
Remember that cricket fan whose image went viral after the
Pakistan-Australia cricket match, that guy at the right place at the right
time, posturing a complex mix of disappointment, frustration and outrage after
Pakistan lost to Australia? His family and friends call him Muhammad Sarim
Akhtar but his social media followers know him as the Meme Guy.
“To see Muhammad Asif drop David Warner’s catch barely 10
feet from where I sat in the stadium was really disappointing. I stood up in
disbelief, and somehow that expression of mine got caught on camera — and went
viral,” he say.
“Obviously, I was elated,” says Akhtar. “My son made me a
father’s day card with my picture and a caption, ‘My father is in the news’”.
Generally, so far, the sense of humour around the world cup
has been “good natured”. “That doesn’t mean a darker side does not exist. It’s
impossible to generate a meme that someone somewhere will not enjoy,” says
Zainab Durrani, Project Manager at Digital Rights Foundation.
Zainab thinks of the Aunty Gormint meme, where the lady in
question was not pleased with her portrayal. “A person shouldn’t fear instant
popularity or notoriety because they’ve given their opinion online or through
the broadcast media.”
She adds, taking a person’s picture and circulating it
without his or her consent is unlawful (under section 24 of PECA). “The
question of public domain arises if a meme has been made from an already
published picture — and the law is silent on that.”
Hammad Anwar, Co-Founder and Lead Curator Mani’s Cricket
Myths, says “Memes have become a way to express thoughts and energies, but
sometimes they cross the limits.” He mentions the image of three Afghan girls
watching a match with a nasty caption, “During the Pakistan-Afghanistan match,
there were tonnes of sick memes on Afghans after a fight broke out between the
supporters from the two countries.”
Memer Moin Nazim says, “It [meme] can become a disaster.
Still 90 percent of the time, it’s a hit.” He also used Sarim Akhtar as a
character in one of his memes. “Sarim was going viral as he showed what the
match was really about. I couldn’t resist making a meme on him. I respect him
as he took every joke light-heartedly.”
“A meme has to be spontaneous. Otherwise it loses its
relevance. It’s like a chain reaction of emotions, where everything must be
timed well. For a meme on a cricket match of the world cup, one typically has
the last seven overs — to work on the catchy phrases and attractive artwork.”
Another memer, Ahmer Naqvi, known better as @KarachiKhatmal,
says, “To create a meme, a person needs to have an eye for the picture and a
sharp and humourous mind. They must relate with the current scenario – that’s
exactly why Sarim’s picture went viral.”
But, he say, “the interesting thing is… one will never
understand the context if that particular moment has passed.”
‘Rants of a Pakistani Citizen’ is a Facebook page with over
12k followers. The page admin prefers to stay anonymous as he uses an alternative
identity to upload unpopular opinions about society, religion and politics. A
memer since 2011, he says, for an effective meme, “using anything from the Game
of Thrones is easy as people can relate to it, using an extreme expression is
also easy… But before sending out a meme one must ask oneself if it sounds
funny.”
Amber Rahim Shamsi, who is a prolific twitterati, says, “In
this political crisis mode, we’ve developed a sense of humour which makes it
easier to deal with disappointments. And as a picture is worth a thousand
words, people instantly relate to these.”
She thinks humour cannot be censored, even if it is in bad
taste. Still, she adds, “Memers must be mindful of provocation, racism, sexism
and hate.”
In today’s often lonely and bored life, memes offer some
relief from the monotony of mundane life!
This article was published in TNS on 7 July 2019
