A (Tepid) Defense of "Memes"

An Internet meme (/'mi-m/ meem) is an activity, concept, catchphrase or piece of media which spreads, often as mimicry, from person to person via the Internet. Some notable examples include posting a photo of people lying down in public places (called "planking") and uploading a short video of people dancing to the Harlem Shake.

Digital posters are often confused with internet memes and are often miscited as such, usually by their creators. However there is a key distinction between the two. Primarily this distinction lies within the subjects's recognizably in internet pop-culture. While such a poster may display an existing meme, or in fact a poster itself may even eventually become a meme, it does not qualify as one until it reaches approximately the same level of mass recognition as required for a person to be considered a celebrity. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme)