We explore why certain cultural productions thrive exclusively online, the debate around meme humor versus emotional resonance, and how memes can serve as a form of social critique. Dr. Cristina Moreno Almeida, from Queen Mary University of London, joins us and discusses her research into internet culture and memes, particularly their role in North Africa. The author of "Memes, Monsters, and the Digital Grotesque," she delves into the unique aspects of Moroccan meme culture, the use of Darija in digital expression, and the political implications of online content in the Arab world, especially in the context of the "Arab Winter" narrative. Dr. Almeida also shares her contributions to the Memememememe exhibition at the media majlis museum.

Download the book 👉 https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.12657/97918/9780197267714.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

00:00 Introduction to Memes, Monsters, and the Digital Grotesque

03:03 The Journey to Studying Memes

05:35 Exclusivity and Globalization of Meme Culture

08:09 Horror and the Grotesque in Memes

16:09 Genres of Memes in North Africa

20:56 Memes as Activism and Crossing Red Lines

25:16 The Diverse Political Landscape of Meme Production

30:57 Darija and Language in Moroccan Meme Culture

38:20 Reception of the Book in Morocco

41:27 The Ephemeral vs. Eternal Nature of the Internet

45:19 Memes as a Litmus Test for Culture

50:59 Contribution to the Meme Exhibition

Dr. Cristina Moreno-Almeida is a Senior Lecturer in Digital Culture and Arabic Cultural Studies at Queen Mary University of London and Fellow at the Queen Mary Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences. Her research interests lie at the intersection of aesthetics, politics, and cultural production. She has published on rap music, memes, the politics of resistance, nationalism, and online far-right cultures. She is the Principal Investigator of the UKRI (ERC nominated) project "Digital Al-Andalus: Radical Perspectives Of and Through Al-Andalus" (2023-2024) which looks at the melding of historical episodes, nostalgia for lost empires, cultural difference, and violent actions on digital media. Her academic journey includes prior posts at the LSE Middle East Centre and the Department of Media and Communications, where she collaborated on the "Personalised Media and Participatory Culture" project (2015-2017) with the American University of Sharjah (UAE). This research centered on young people’s participatory culture, creative production, and internet usage in Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, and the UAE.

Connect with Cristina Moreno Almeida 👉 https://instagram.com/cristinamoralm

Hosted by Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://instagram.com/mikey_mu

Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊

https://spoti.fi/47I59ns

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» Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/media-majlis-museum-podcast/id1763784587
» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3p87MwQuJWOXG9X3h7NBuU
» Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1056900096

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