Re: virus: Will the real meme please stand up.

Tim Rhodes (proftim@speakeasy.org)
Fri, 8 Aug 1997 11:42:09 -0700 (PDT)


On Thu, 7 Aug 1997, Brett Lane Robertson wrote:

> "Nike" on the other hand may or may not be relevant to my life. If I am an
> African villager (example), "just do it" would have a good chance to infect
> me..."Nike" would not. The content of the jingle--"Nike"--must be
> transported. Is not viable. Is not a meme
[snip]

Lets get this straight. The meme *is* <Nike--just do it>. <Just do it>
has been around for a long time on its own. The new meme seeks to link
(and has quite sucessfully) "Nike" to this phase. Building on existing
structures is much more effective than trying to create new ones. (Welcome
to the wonderful world of Post-Modern Art!) Now, as a result of an
effective advertising campaign, "just do it" invokes "Nike" in the mind.

If an African villager was exposed to this same advertising (unlikely)
they would develop this same link, regardless of what they thought this
"Nike" thingy was.

-Prof. Tim