Offline with Jon Favreau 203: How Trump, Memes, and Algorithms Transformed The Way We Speak
28 snips
Sep 25, 2025 
Adam Aleksic, also known as Etymology Nerd, dives into the fascinating ways algorithms and memes shape our language and politics. He explores how viral incentives drive emotional, attention-grabbing political language and why Trump's syntax is tailored for the algorithmic age. Discussing trends and the engagement economy, Adam highlights the challenges of misinformation and incivility in today's discourse. He also advocates for TikTok literacy in schools to enhance understanding of algorithmic influence. Memes, he argues, serve as both cultural commentary and political statements.
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The Engagement Treadmill
- Trends accelerate because creators must 'perform for the algorithm' by using trending words and audios.
- That creates an engagement treadmill where influencers amplify and exhaust each meme rapidly.
Memes as Trojan Horses
- Memes act as Trojan horses that can carry serious ideas into mainstream spaces via humor and remixing.
- Post-ironic shifts can turn joke language into sincere rhetoric with real-world consequences.
Trump's Language Is Memetic
- Trump's phrasing contains repeatable phrasal templates that make his language highly memetic online.
- Irony and imitation spread those templates until they become normalized everyday speech.
