Memes as Resistance - Faaria

Arbitrary categories decide real lives.

This meme criticizes the current situation in this country and how the law enforcement are racially profiling people and dehumanizing them in broad daylight. The meme explains deeply about how ICE officials are simply arresting people of color and throwing them in prison cells just on the basis of their color. This also directly links to bell hooks' discussion of patriarchy as a political system that is based on submission and unquestionable authority. People who interfere or ask questions or simply record their interactions face violence and unthinkable consequences.

 How can memes act as a form of resistance and advocacy?

 "Memes aren’t an innocent process—they carry serious political weight, and not always of the activist variety."

Memes in today's age are a very strong way of showing resistance and spreading a message. It is a very convenient way of connecting with multiple people digitally. The visuals and bold texts can strike many people's minds and force them to think about the things happening around them. This encourages people to resist protest and raise their voices. Even a quick scroll on social media platforms can convey a message and influence people in forming their opinions. 

"They can help bring attention to issues of injustice. They circulate in a way that keeps up with that social media flow of information."

It is difficult to manipulate or control memes. It circulates quickly while giving out essential information that people need to know. It uses humor as a 
channel to connect with people. While many people may not understand complex topics, memes simplify activism and make it accessible to anyone with a device. Awareness is spread among people of all ages, races, and ethnicities, and it also brings people together to exercise activism and resistance.

What is patriarchy? 

According to Bell Hooks, patriarchy is a social system built by men to dominate other weaker people of the society. The weaker people could include women, children, and other men who do not display the supposed aggression that is required to be a man. Patriarchy is a way of men dominating and controlling other people, and it's been a part of society forever. Many patriarchal households do not deem women as equals to men and often dominate them or make them feel inferior. It is not a trait of a single person, but it exists everywhere, like in households, workplaces, culture, religion, movies, etc. It is also a political tactic that promotes white supremacism and capitalism, forming various rungs of a ladder, where definitely the topmost rung would be a man. A powerful and dominant man, devoid of any emotions, is deemed as an ideal, whereas other men who aren't necessarily toxic or are easy-going are considered feminine or fragile. In modern culture, the word "alpha male" has become an inspiration for young men growing up, and anyone less is considered a "beta," often used as an insult or labeled as "submissive" in the hierarchy.

Together, these systems influence how we see ourselves, how we relate to others, and what kinds of suffering are normalized. As bell hooks explains, these structures depend on silence; for example, women over the decades have been giving in to the dominance of men and submitting without questioning authority, which is why creative resistances like the usage of memes are important.