The A to Z English Podcast Quick Chat 22: Do you speak meme?
In this episode, Kevin, Jack, and Xochitl talk about memes on the internet. Do you speak meme? How do you use them? What are your favorites? How are they different in your country?
Share your answers to the discussion questions in our WhatsApp group chat! https://forms.gle/zKCS8y1t9jwv2KTn7
Website: https://atozenglishpodcast.com/?p=1855
If you could take a minute and complete a short survey about the podcast, we would be very appreciative. You can find the survey here: https://forms.gle/HHNnnqU6U8W3DodK8
We would love to hear your feedback and suggestions for future episodes.
Intro/Outro Music by Eaters: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/eaters/the-astronomers-office/agents-in-coffee-shops/
Discussion Questions:
- What is a meme?
- Have you ever created a meme? If yes, what was the meme?
- Do you enjoy looking at and reading memes? If yes, why? If no, why not?
Full Transcript:
You are listening to the A-Z English podcast.
00:00:09Kevin
Welcome to an A-Z English quick chat. Today we're going to surprise each other with a topic and see where the conversation goes.
00:00:16Kevin
Remember, you can check our website for a study guide with vocabulary notes, discussion questions as more, as well as links to our WhatsApp, Facebook and other social media so you can join in the convo.
00:00:26Kevin
Patience and today, for the first time, as many of you saw or listened to in our live stream, we are joined by socho, our new third and amazing host.
00:00:38Kevin
So we're going to let her introduce a topic.
00:00:40Kevin
For today and see.
00:00:42Kevin
See what the youth of the?
00:00:43Kevin
World want to talk about?
00:00:46발표자 1
OK.
00:00:46Xochitl
OK, so the topic I thought about.
00:00:48Xochitl
Is means and I think I'm sure you guys were around Internet called design.
00:00:54Xochitl
You know, Internet culture wings were first emerging.
00:00:57Kevin
Yeah, I I remember some very old means.
00:00:57Xochitl
You know what I mean?
00:01:01Kevin
I'm on.
00:01:01Kevin
I'm on Reddit a lot.
00:01:03Kevin
Like probably too much.
00:01:05Kevin
And so that's where I get most of my memes.
00:01:08Kevin
I don't do a lot of Facebook or other social media, but but read it's a meme culture as well.
00:01:13Kevin
And so, yeah, that's where I get a lot of mine.
00:01:16Kevin
And I was.
00:01:16Kevin
Definitely around at.
00:01:18Kevin
The beginning of the Internet, the dawn of time.
00:01:21Jack
Yeah, I'm pretty Internet.
00:01:23Jack
I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm a dinosaur, you know, when it comes to this stuff.
00:01:29발표자 1
So, so I'm curious.
00:01:30Kevin
For me means, although I see them online, a lot of people just post them on Reddit as you know this is the thought or whatever and then people comment on them.
00:01:41Kevin
I use memes as as a reply mostly I I don't like create my own means too much, but like if I'm in a chat with a friend, I have a small library of memes that I have saved on my phone, just the ones that I like the best.
00:01:58Kevin
And and I use them to reply.
00:02:00Kevin
So if a friend like Jack not too long ago asked me if I was able to do something to help him and I like Rick and Morty, and there's the the Oh yeah can do meeseeks meme.
00:02:12Kevin
And so I replied with that meme to him instead of, you know, typing out yeah, yeah, I can do that.
00:02:18Kevin
I replied with the meme.
00:02:19Kevin
How do you use memes?
00:02:23Xochitl
I think also like in conversations or sometimes like, I think we make our own names and post them on our Facebook or Instagram or our stories.
00:02:24Kevin
With the same.
00:02:33Xochitl
Like, I'm sorry.
00:02:34Xochitl
Facebook stories, but I do.
00:02:36Xochitl
Use a lot in conversations, but I do tend to make my own for a while.
00:02:39Xochitl
My friends and I had a picture of me.
00:02:42Xochitl
Where I looked like I was giving like I was like what the heck like this like what the heck look on my face and.
00:02:49Xochitl
We would use it.
00:02:50Xochitl
For like Redis is mean of me ever like weird happened so like please.
00:02:53발표자
No, no.
00:02:56Xochitl
Use our own face.
00:02:58Xochitl
Sometimes we just make.
00:02:59Xochitl
Their own names and then also.
00:03:00Kevin
And do you still put text on them like you often see with with more traditional Internet means?
00:03:05Kevin
Or is it just the image of you?
00:03:06Kevin
Was that itself the mean?
00:03:09Xochitl
I think they just the.
00:03:10Xochitl
Image was in teams, yeah?
00:03:10Kevin
It was just the.
00:03:11Kevin
Image so just confused right?
00:03:14Xochitl
Like, yeah, so yeah, and.
00:03:17Xochitl
Then we do often, just like take.
00:03:19Xochitl
Names from the Internet like download it on her phone.
00:03:23Xochitl
And then I'm sure you see this a lot, but you black out like the word.
00:03:25Xochitl
And put a new one on top of it.
00:03:27Jack
Sure. Yeah, kind of building.
00:03:28Kevin
Oh, OK.
00:03:29Kevin
So it's not like it's like subtitles.
00:03:30Jack
On an idea, right, like, yeah.
00:03:33Xochitl
Like the famous bringing words like I am once again asking for financial support and we would like blacking out.
00:03:40Xochitl
But I am once again asking for your emotional support and once again asking.
00:03:44Xochitl
For whatever, like, yeah, yeah.
00:03:47Kevin
Yeah, OK.
00:03:48Kevin
I've I've seen those, though.
00:03:49Kevin
Mean there's so many meme.
00:03:50Kevin
Generators online as well.
00:03:53Kevin
I have made some of my own as well, like just copying the format of 1 but you know changing it to fit the context and sending it over.
00:04:02Kevin
Yeah, means are a cool part of Internet culture.
00:04:06Jack
When when do you think that they started like when did when was the first?
00:04:10Jack
Because I know the first meeting was like the one of the first means.
00:04:15Jack
Is like the kind of dirtbag guy, you know, he's had these sideways and he's kind of a a scumbag, you know?
00:04:24Jack
So anytime, is that what it is that you?
00:04:24Kevin
Scumbag Steve.
00:04:26발표자 1
Yeah, yeah.
00:04:26Jack
Is that him?
00:04:28Kevin
That you ask.
00:04:29Xochitl
So something like that.
00:04:30Kevin
It's scumbag, scumbag Steve.
00:04:30Jack
Yeah, so like what would be like a situation where you would use scumbag?
00:04:35Jack
He would be like if somebody.
00:04:37Jack
Did something kind of rude to you or whatever.
00:04:41Jack
You would reply with a picture of scumbag Steve and that would that.
00:04:46Jack
I mean essentially that's is that I mean, how right?
00:04:49Jack
Am I using the memes correctly?
00:04:50Jack
I'm I'm I'm not really sure.
00:04:52Kevin
You know what I would see a lot of times is like for those memes because they usually have text.
00:04:58Kevin
On them, and you can put your own text on them as well.
00:05:01Kevin
And So what would be an example of a a scumbag Steve thing?
00:05:05Xochitl
I remember 1 words like.
00:05:08Xochitl
There's hand towels in the bathroom, but he uses your, she told.
00:05:12Xochitl
Like, wipe his hands and I remember that it.
00:05:15Xochitl
Was just like scumbag Steve.
00:05:16Kevin
Yes, that's great.
00:05:18Kevin
So so maybe Jack you come over to my house and you use.
00:05:21Kevin
The wrong towel.
00:05:23Kevin
And so then, like in our group chat, you know of, of everyone, you come over and I reply later with that.
00:05:29Kevin
Like Jack comes over to my house and uses the wrong towel and I use this scumbag Steve meme and I and I post that.
00:05:32Jack
Or I drank your last beer or something like that.
00:05:36Jack
Like I take the last beer out of your fridge and then you go to get your beer and I'm already drank.
00:05:41Jack
It so I'm scumbag Steve, you know?
00:05:46Kevin
Yeah, those are, yes.
00:05:47Kevin
Kind like Steve is definitely one of the older means not not super old, but it's one of the older, older memes for sure.
00:05:54Xochitl
That was one of the first means because that was like the first one that is exposed to that one in awkward Penguin and the little kid that does like.
00:06:02Xochitl
The fish thing.
00:06:02Xochitl
Like, yeah.
00:06:03Jack
Yeah, that's right. I.
00:06:04Kevin
Awkward Penguin.
00:06:05Kevin
An awesome Penguin.
00:06:06Kevin
Remember like where they switched the colors and switched the sides?
00:06:08Kevin
Yeah, those are definitely older and it it's really fun seeing memes.
00:06:13Kevin
Come back because.
00:06:15Kevin
Scumbag Steve, awkward Penguin.
00:06:17Kevin
You don't see those too often these days, actually, but you know, ten years ago that was.
00:06:25Kevin
You know, almost every everything on Reddit was one of those, one of those memes.
00:06:30Kevin
And sometimes people bring them back and fill them back, and it's always great when they're when they're used correctly.
00:06:36Jack
Yeah, I I remember another meme of is it like a nerdy kid named Brian or something and he's got braces?
00:06:45Jack
And he just has bad luck all the time.
00:06:48Jack
Like, you know you, Brad.
00:06:48Kevin
Bad luck, Brian. Yep, that's.
00:06:50Jack
Like Brian.
00:06:51Jack
Is that what he is?
00:06:51Jack
Is am I right?
00:06:52Xochitl
Yeah, good memory.
00:06:54Xochitl
Oh my God.
00:06:55Xochitl
Said that like Brian.
00:06:56Kevin
I'm, I'm.
00:06:56Kevin
I'm reading a lot.
00:06:57Jack
Brian he's got bad luck.
00:06:58Jack
What's his name again?
00:07:01Jack
Yeah, so like he he shows up at 10:30, but the test started at 9:30 or something like that, you know? So there's some some horrible luck situation. Yeah, bad luck, Brian. Scumbag Steve.
00:07:01발표자 1
Give it to me.
00:07:12Kevin
I think one of my favorites of the old names was overly attached girlfriend.
00:07:17Kevin
Do you remember that one?
00:07:17Xochitl
Oh yeah.
00:07:18Kevin
It was like the girlfriend who's like got this like this look up.
00:07:21Kevin
Just like I love you look.
00:07:22Kevin
And and it was always just, yeah, like everything you do, she's just overly attached to you.
00:07:29Kevin
She's an interesting example of of meme culture as well.
00:07:33Kevin
The the woman who was that because most of those means it was just some random.
00:07:38Kevin
It was like the picture of Socho.
00:07:39Kevin
That her friends use.
00:07:41Kevin
But then it.
00:07:41Kevin
Slowly just goes out into the actual Internet and people.
00:07:44Kevin
Just start to.
00:07:45Kevin
Use it.
00:07:46Kevin
And so it was like, oh, that's me.
00:07:47Kevin
Like there's there's confused social that yeah, so the the girl who did overly attached girlfriend, she actually used it to make a bit of a a social media presence.
00:07:49Jack
You're famous, it went, it goes viral, I mean, yeah.
00:08:00Kevin
She got a bit famous from it.
00:08:02Kevin
I think she had like a pretty famous Instagram account and Facebook page and things for for a while.
00:08:07Kevin
I think she's calmed down now.
00:08:08Kevin
I never really followed her, but I.
00:08:09Kevin
Just saw things occasionally.
00:08:11Kevin
Come up. Yeah, she yeah.
00:08:11발표자 1
She had a.
00:08:12Xochitl
GQ but I remember seeing YouTube video and then and it was just funny because like the the means are cultural too, right?
00:08:20Xochitl
And then so like a lot of the things that like she.
00:08:22Xochitl
Said like she would she?
00:08:24Xochitl
Would name herself as like examples of overly attached girlfriend and I'm thinking and this is confirmation I get into with my friends.
00:08:28Kevin
Right. OK.
00:08:32Xochitl
A lot.
00:08:32Xochitl
In Mexico, like, those things aren't considered like overly attached girlfriend. In the US, it's like.
00:08:37Xochitl
It's really weird.
00:08:38Xochitl
Like casual dating here is really formal compared to the US like US is really casual here. Like you could go on a casual date and the person will.
00:08:47Xochitl
Take you out to eat.
00:08:48Xochitl
And pay for.
00:08:49Xochitl
Everything involving and like in the US it's like.
00:08:51Xochitl
Hey, you wanna Netflix and chill?
00:08:53Xochitl
Like it's just it's weird to see the differences between like and.
00:08:57Xochitl
It just goes back to me.
00:08:58Xochitl
It's like the.
00:09:00Xochitl
There's means in Spanish language and names in Korea and using English.
00:09:05Kevin
Means definitely are very cultural.
00:09:08Kevin
Yeah, it's it's interesting to see how how the same thing.
00:09:12Kevin
It's like, this is funny, right?
00:09:13Kevin
And someone in other countries like, no, but what do you mean?
00:09:16Kevin
I don't, I don't understand.
00:09:18Jack
Yeah, what's the joke, right?
00:09:18Kevin
Like, I mean, this doesn't.
00:09:20Kevin
Yeah, exactly, but that's humor.
00:09:20Jack
Yeah, yeah.
00:09:22Kevin
I mean, that's actually something that would be.
00:09:24Kevin
Interesting to talk about, maybe in another episode later on is is humor types and what works in America?
00:09:31Kevin
I mean, even in English speaking countries, it's different.
00:09:33Kevin
American humor is different from British humor and it's famous.
00:09:37Kevin
There's there's British.
00:09:39Kevin
And that's the same with means, of course, as as well, my favorite for means.
00:09:44Kevin
I don't know if you guys ever use it like I we're on WhatsApp, of course, right?
00:09:49Kevin
And WhatsApp is A is a pretty good app for chat. And my favorite chatting app though is discord.
00:09:55Kevin
Because Discord has an amazing mean library, you can basically type it.
00:09:59Kevin
They've got like thousands and thousands and thousands of memes to to send.
00:10:03Kevin
It's basically the emote acan of of WhatsApp. So instead of sending a little sticker or whatever, instead of sending a modicon, you send me to everyone. And so yeah, discord is great.
00:10:13발표자 1
For for that.
00:10:14Kevin
You have an entire conversation in meme only.
00:10:18Kevin
Well, so for everybody listening out there, what's your favorite meme?
00:10:22Kevin
And even if it's in your language, actually, maybe try and reply to us in our WhatsApp chat or on our web page and actually send us a meme.
00:10:29Kevin
I would love to see some some non-english means, although please if it's in your language translate it to English and then we can see if we can actually understand.
00:10:37Kevin
What the joke itself is because I I.
00:10:41Kevin
I think it would be interesting to see both the meme and how it's used, so please share your memes with us here on the A-Z English podcast.
00:10:52Kevin
So thank you everybody for listening.
00:10:54Kevin
Remember, you can join our WhatsApp group.
00:10:56Kevin
Check our web page, tell us what you think, and if you're on Apple Podcasts, you know, click that.
00:11:01Kevin
Five star button and leave us some comments that will be very helpful.
00:11:04Kevin
So we'll see you all next time.
00:11:06발표자 1
All right. Bye, bye.
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-a-to-z-english-podcast/donations
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy