When evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins coined the word meme in 1976, he couldn’t have imagined how deeply it would infiltrate our daily lives. Fast-forward to today’s hyperconnected world of the Internet and social media, and we’re bombarded by memes. These clever, often cheeky creations have become the currency of modern communication, distilling complex ideas or events into bite-sized snippets of humour or critique.

The latest meme-frenzy was sparked by Larsen & Toubro’s Chief Executive SN Subrahmanyan, who set meme factories humming after he told his staff he regretted not being able to make them work 90-hour weeks or slave away on Sundays. But it was his jaw-dropping kicker that set the Internet ablaze: “How long can you stare at your wives?” To his credit, he followed it up with, “And how long can your wife stare at you?”

Meme creators wasted no time. Within minutes, the Internet was flooded with sharp, often hilarious takes. Artist Raja Ravi Varma’s iconic painting Stolen Interview — depicting a man gazing at his lover — was reimagined with the caption: “Staring at my wife.”

Another meme altered the Larsen & Toubro logo to read: “Let’s not Stare at Wife.” Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy, who famously suggested a mere 70-hour workweek, made an appearance too. One meme, showing him and his wife Sudha gazing at each other, was captioned: “Been caught staring.”

Meme fest

The meme war escalated when Subrahmanyan was humorously placed on a winner’s podium alongside Murthy and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Murthy, advocating for 70-hour workweeks, was pushed to third place. Subrahmanyan, with his 90-hour proposition, claimed second. Modi, ever the workaholic, stood victorious in first place with the caption: “18 hours a day.” Modi, for obvious reasons, is probably the target of more memes than anyone else, at least one or two daily.

When Dawkins first introduced memes in The Selfish Gene, he envisioned them as an idea or behaviour that spreads from person to person similar to how genes spread biological traits: a kind of cultural evolution. Internet memes, by contrast, are less Darwinian and more deliberate.

“Instead of mutating by random change and spreading by a form of Darwinian selection, they are altered deliberately by human creativity,” Dawkins observed about his idea’s mutation. Memes have become a way to spotlight societal moments, reflecting collective sentiments that demand commentary or just a good laugh.

There was a time when the average citizen’s best shot at sharing an opinion was through a painstakingly written letter to the editor, sent off with the faint hope it might be published. Today, anyone with a smartphone and a sense of humour can broadcast their views to the world in seconds. And what better way to grab attention than by pairing sharp observations with a generous dose of wit?

Political satire

In India, like elsewhere, the government remains meme-creators’ favourite target. Most recently, Jawaharlal Nehru memes have flooded social media, poking fun at the BJP’s tendency to blame the first prime minister for nearly every mishap. In one meme, Nehru jokes: “I’m vouching for India to win the Asia Cup, Jinnah’s backing Pakistan, and Savarkar’s not watching — his team isn’t playing.” Though Nehru memes aren’t new, their resurgence speaks volumes about their relevance in political discourse.

This week’s other meme-worthy moment? The crashing stock market. Investors were depicted in scenarios ranging from absurd to painfully relatable. One meme showed a group perched on the edge of a rollercoaster, bracing for a steep plunge. Another had investors wading into ankle-deep water, only to suddenly disappear beneath the surface. One biting creation showed a man and woman staring despairingly at stock numbers on a computer. The caption read: “She said her favorite colour was red. So I showed her my portfolio.”

What makes memes so effective and addictive is their universality. As one writer put it, “Memes have become not just one language, but a countless constellation of languages – appealing to every possible subculture, interest, identity, and topic. If they don’t make sense, that’s okay. Someone, somewhere, totally gets it.”

Yet memes are more than just a tool for humour in this world where freedom of expression is increasingly under threat. Their brevity and wit allow them to fly under the radar, delivering sharp critiques without openly challenging the establishment.

India’s no stranger to this phenomenon. From satirical jabs at leaders to biting commentary on economic woes, memes have become digital diaries of public sentiment. As we navigate these uncertain times, memes may go beyond just entertainment and become a way to communicate sentiments that might otherwise find no expression.