Know Your Meme

Know Your Meme
Name	Know Your Meme
Type	Website / Database
Founded	2008
Founders	Don Caldwell, Kenyatta Cheese, Elton Tsang
Area served	Global
Languages	English
Headquarters	Los Angeles, California
Parent	Literally Media

Know Your Meme is a digital encyclopedia and research database documenting Internet phenomena, viral media, and memes. It catalogs image macros, videos, catchphrases, viral challenges, and subcultural artifacts while tracing origins, spread, and variations. The site has been referenced by mainstream media, academic researchers, and creators across social platforms.

History

Know Your Meme began in 2008 as a project associated with the community around CollegeHumor, expanding from user-submitted entries into a structured database. Early coverage and partnerships involved outlets such as Wired, The New York Times, Time, BBC News, and The Guardian (Manchester). Founders and early contributors interacted with personalities and platforms including Ben Huh of I Can Has Cheezburger?, Sam Hyde, 4chan, Reddit, YouTube, and Tumblr, shaping the site's documentary role. Acquisition and ownership shifts connected the site to companies like Cheezburger, Inc., and later Literally Media, linking it to sister properties and international branches across markets such as France, Germany, Spain, and Japan. Coverage of meme phenomena often intersected with events such as the 2016 United States presidential election, 2012 United States presidential election, 2014 FIFA World Cup, and internet movements like Gamergate. Academic attention came from researchers at institutions like Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, and University of Oxford.

Database and Content

The database organizes entries for formats, origins, notable examples, and spread metrics, documenting artifacts from creators and communities including Ylvis, PewDiePie, Justin Bieber, Rebecca Black, Rick Astley, Tay (bot), Lil Nas X, and Ariana Grande. It catalogs memes tied to media such as Gangnam Style, Harlem Shake, Dancing Baby, Badgers (animation), Charlie Bit My Finger, Numa Numa, Star Wars, The Simpsons, and SpongeBob SquarePants. Platforms and services frequently referenced include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Vine, Twitch (service), and Discord (software). The site documents political and cultural artifacts tied to figures and events like Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Alexis Ohanian, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Kim Kardashian, and Taylor Swift. It also indexes memes originating in fandoms and niche communities such as My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, Doctor Who, Star Trek, Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Harry Potter fandoms. Multimedia examples reference works by Nirvana, Queen, Rick Astley, PSY, OK Go, and animations from Adult Swim.

Editorial Process and Verification

Editorial procedures combine community submissions with staff verification, drawing on sources like mainstream news coverage from Reuters, AP News, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal; archival resources such as the Internet Archive; and platform metadata from YouTube Data API and Twitter API. Verification efforts consider provenance linked to creators and events involving entities like Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, Conan O'Brien, Ellen DeGeneres, Jimmy Fallon, and production companies such as NBC, CBS, ABC, HBO, and Netflix. Scholarly methods applied by contributors echo practices at Columbia University, Yale University, and Princeton University for tracing memetic diffusion, citation, and archival standards. The site distinguishes between original creation claims and remix culture including derivatives tied to sampling and fan edits referencing works from Disney, Lucasfilm, and Warner Bros..

Cultural Impact and Reception

The site's documentation has influenced journalism at outlets like Forbes, The Atlantic, Slate, Vox, and New York Magazine and informed academic studies presented at conferences including International Communication Association and Association of Internet Researchers. Creators and celebrities—Snoop Dogg, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Kanye West, Drake, Nicki Minaj, Billie Eilish, Ed Sheeran—have seen their content memeticized and indexed. Memes archived there have impacted advertising and politics involving brands like Nike, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, and institutions like The White House and United Nations. The site influenced cultural historiography referenced in books published by Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press and discussed on programs from NPR, CNN, Fox News, and Al Jazeera.

Business Model and Ownership

Revenue streams historically included advertising, sponsored content, partnerships with companies like YouTube, MTV, VH1, and licensing arrangements with media firms including BuzzFeed, Vice Media, and Gawker Media. Ownership and corporate ties moved through entities such as Cheezburger, Inc., Cheezburger Network, and Literally Media, which operates other digital properties and connects to investors and media groups in markets like Israel and United Kingdom. Commercial uses of the database have extended to research services used by agencies, brands, and academics at Oxford Internet Institute and marketing firms including WPP and Omnicom Group.

Criticism and Controversies

Critics have raised concerns about archival bias, labor practices, content moderation, and the commercialization of grassroots culture, citing debates similar to those involving Reddit moderation, incidents on 4chan, and platform governance at Facebook. Legal and ethical controversies involved copyright and fair use questions referencing disputes that echo cases with Viacom and Universal Music Group, as well as moderation controversies comparable to those at Twitter and policy debates in the European Union regarding digital content regulation. Journalistic critiques from outlets such as The Verge, Motherboard, and Wired have examined accuracy, representation of marginalized creators, and the implications of hosting material associated with movements like QAnon or harassment campaigns coordinated on platforms including 4chan and 8chan.

Category:Internet culture