Simple adjustments can shift the entire intention of a meme. The first meme that I studied and modified is on the left, featuring Reese Witherspoon. The original version of this meme was just the calendar collection of her face expressing pain related to the corona virus. As an adjustment, I changed the character from Reese, to “Karen”; the internet phenomena stereotyping demanding and high maintenance personas. This changes the content of the meme dramatically. I also added wigs and ice coffee to Reese’s photos to further emphasize this shift of content. To change the form, I decided to add text to the top and bottom of this meme. The text pokes fun at this whole “Karen” label, while also drawing a pun from “Corona virus” to “Karenovirus”. Although the addition of text does change the form, it also shifts the stance/ voice this meme encompasses. This meme is now much lighter hearted, and instead of it being relatable, it’s targeting a specific audience to make fun of. The meme on the right displays a confused woman doing math. The original meme is just the 4-square visual, but I added the text and glasses to give it new meaning. Although the base of the meme’s form still exists in my new creation, I added to it by creating text that adds retable, comedic insight. This text changes the voice/ perspective as well: most people who like and share this meme will be students who are used to being distracted and have mastered the art of procrastination. By adding the glasses in the fourth picture, the content of this meme becomes goofy and gives the meme a hint of sarcasm. Throughout the duration of these modifications, I learned that even just one adjustment can change many parts of Shiftman’s frameworks.
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