As we approach the end of Season 1 of The Memes by @punk6529, I want to share my thoughts. A 🧵...
The Memes were announced waaaay back in June (which in NFT time is like a decade back) with this tweet from 6529. twitter.com/punk6529/status/1534965126901682181?s=20&t=XKROop-Olsp04mhZW6FsCQ
Those first 3 memes - the genesis collection - were all designed by one of the absolute best in the biz, @6529er and they all belong to the Memes category called "Seize the Memes of Production". This phrase might sound familiar... It should!
It is one of the fundamental principals upon which the whole collection is built. But, before we get there, let's talk a bit about memes.
So, what is a meme? Put simply, a meme is a way to quickly and effectively transport an idea around the world.
This is a meme. It is, perhaps, one of the most well known and controversial memes ever created.
To some, it represents freedom and a chance at a better life, and to others it represents oppression and aggression.
Regardless of what it means to you, it does mean something & I have communicated that idea just by posting it.
This is the power of a meme: shorthand communication of complex ideas.
You can read 6529's take on the meaning of memes and their importance in our fight here.
twitter.com/punk6529/status/1424127515476598796?s=20&t=XKROop-Olsp04mhZW6FsCQ
Now that we understand the basics of memes, let's jump back to the genesis collection.
These memes ask you to seize the "memes of production". Two of them use imagery that should be very familiar to anyone who knows even a little about the history of the US and workers' rights and revolutionary movements.
We have the Uncle Sam meme based on this poster created to recruit men (yes, only men at the time the poster was created) to the US Army during WWI.
Then, we have the fist holding a jpeg poster that is clearly inspired by the raised fist poster first created for the workers' rights and unionization movement all the way back in 1917, then adapted over the years by several other movements.
nicolagreen.com/blog/struggle-solidarity-power-the-history-of-the-iconic-raised-fist
These meme cards are perfect in every way. They are based on memes that are powerful, well-known, & that cary strong meanings. By co-opting the originals for the purposes of seizing the memes, 6529er has made the mission clear: seize the memes because memes are powerful.
As I said above, seizing the memes of production is one of the fundamental principals upon the collection is built. Why do we want to encourage seizing memes and specifically THESE memes?
These memes come with lessons and we want to share those lessons around the world as quickly as possible. The lessons, which I'll explain below are fundamental concepts to our future.
So, everyone is encouraged to seize the memes. But not just that, everyone is also encouraged to share them.
Like seizing the memes, sharing them is fundamental to the collection and that is why the entire collection is CC0 (creative commons zero), meaning that anyone can do whatever they wish with the memes - create derivatives, copy them, put them on t-shirts, whatever.
Being CC0 gives the opportunity for the message of the memes to catch fire and be shared far and wide.
As I wrote in the thread linked below: "CC0 works, through derivatives speed of light communication, will be the basis for many of the memes - the myths that underpin society - moving forward. CC0 creations are the new paradigm of culture."
Here's the whole thread:
twitter.com/exlawyernft/status/1531404372420067328?s=61&t=og0PoZaAuNwo0TFseKgiSg
In other words, the collection seeks to teach fundamental concepts to our future through the use of visual memes and by encouraging people to seize and share those memes as widely as possible.
That's cool, exlawyer, but what are those fundamental concepts? Great question! And one that is answered by the categories.
Meme 1: Seize the Memes of Production - I explained this one above, so we'll move on.
Meme 2: WAGMI
We're all gonna make it. Represented here by "Play the Game" by
@simonemonte. To me, this meme means that we're all gonna make it if we win the fight for an open and decentralized metaverse.
I don't want to go too far down this rabbit hole, but part of the promise of web3 is true, verifiable ownership of digital assets on a decentralized blockchain, as opposed to on the private servers of Meta or some other giant corp. While we may not all become rich...
winning that fight means that humanity wins and is gonna make it. We see some hint of this in the description of the card: "You'll never win if you never play: Web3 learnings from the beautiful game". In other words, we can't win a better world unless we play the web3 game.
Meme 3: Don't Let the Institution Steal Your JPEGs
Don't let the institutions steal your jpegs, but really don't let the institutions steal the future. Represented here by "The Institutions are Coming" by @6529er.
This isn't really about jpegs; It's about all digital property. It's also not really about letting the institutions literally steal your jpegs; it's about not letting the digital future be controlled by centralized entities like Meta. This meme links directly to meme 2.
Meme 4: GM
We always say gm. Represented here by "GM Indonesia" by @JordHammond. You're here, you know that we say gm. But why is it a meme? gm is how we form community. It is how we identify ourselves. GM is a meme because we must build a community to win the fight.
Meme 5: Use a Hardware Wallet
Protect your digital assets. Represented here by "FTXPepe" by @punk6529 and @6529er.
While Meme 3 isn't actually about literal theft, this one is! USE A HARDWARE WALLET. NOT YOUR KEYS, NOT YOUR CRYPTO. Seriously.
Meme 6: Open Metaverse / OM
Our way forward is open and decentralized systems. Represented here by "Beyond the Horizon" by @tommy_wilson_.
Here's another meme about the importance of ensuring that our digital property is stored on an open & decentralized...
blockchain rather on the servers of a private company. Digital property & the metaverse ARE coming. Our choice is between allowing the giant tech companies to own & control it, or freeing the world from a path that likely leads to dystopia by ensuring decentralized control.
Meme 7: Freedom to Transact
The freedom to transact is essential to our general freedom. Represented here by "Sgt. Pepe" by @@Ars0nic.
At our core, people want to be free. We want to be free to learn, to speak our minds, to build relationships, and to travel wherever we wish. The freedom to transact - to spend our money however we wish - touches each of these.
Without the right to spend money as we wish:
a. our freedom to learn is limited to those subjects approved by government;
b. our freedom to speak widely in the modern digital world can be restricted by cutting us off from the internet;
c. our freedom to build relationships is hindered through the fear that our relationships will be used to exclude us from commerce; and
d. our freedom to travel can be dissolved by cutting us off from the means of travel.
The Freedom to Transact is central to all other freedoms and will become even more important as our world transitions to digital currency. The Freedom to Transact is the freedom to think, speak, and live as we wish.
Those are the memes. 7 categories of lessons that will help us achieve a better future for all of humanity, communicated in shorthand through art.
The Memes are about art, yes. They have given many people the opportunity to collect wonderful art by a diverse group of artists including people like @aylaelmoussa @lphaCentauriKid and @XCOPYART.
But, they are so, so much more than just art. The Memes are lessons designed to be shared far and wide, that will help us craft a better future for all.