RNPS IMAGES OF THE YEAR 2011 - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton checks her PDA upon her departure in a military C-17 plane from Malta bound for Tripoli, Libya October 18, 2011. KEVIN LAMARQUE/REUTERS/Newscom. Find it on Newscom: rtrlfour928488
I’m still finding the word “meme” really hard to say. Besides it just being an odd word, I haven’t used it enough to have become familiarized with it. And I’m finding that a lot of people (and maybe there’s a possibility that my friends are just sheltered) have no idea what I’m talking about when I say meme. So if you are one of those people (not trying to accuse you of being sheltered), my explanation to you would go something like this: “Oh you know those funny things people post all over the internet with a picture and words.” Which in my defense does sum it up, however Urban Dictionary defines it as “an internet information generator, especially of random or contentless information.”
If you have used the internet at all in the past week, it would be hard to miss the new phenomenon that is Texts From Hillary. Stacy Lambe and Adam Smith started Tumblr posts that took the image of the Secretary of State aboard a transport plane to Tripoli and matched it with images of other celebrity, or political figures and wrote the potential texting conversation that may have gone on between both parties. Was it a totally silly idea? Of course. However the response was tremendous. The post got 83,000 shares on Facebook, and 45,000 Tumblr followers, and I can only imagine that number is growing.
Hillary Clinton even jumped on the bandwagon and wrote her own meme, which subsequently ended Stacy and Adam’s attempts of writing anymore. After all, who could top a Text From Hillary meme from Madame Secretary herself?
As for the Reuters photographer, Kevin Lamarque, who took the now infamous sunglass-wearing, blackberry-ing, Clinton… Well he had no idea that image would become what it did. In fact, he thought it would be the images he shot in Tripoli, not on the flight there, that would be of any importance.
So my thoughts have been occupied with one question: How can an insignificant picture, become a national sensation?
What is wonderful about photography is that it captures life as it is; bad moments, good moments, awkward moments, sad moments. Photography can amaze us, inspire us, and potentially change us. We live in a day and age where these images are right at our fingertips, and it’s made for interesting discoveries on the internet. And only made even more interesting by the people who find the hidden (and sometimes obvious) humor in a photo and then can add a witty, well written remark that can make us all LOL.
So check out these memes and the stories behind some popular ones. You never know what image that you find on Newscom, could become an internet sensation.
U.S. President Barack Obama (L) and first lady Michelle Obama react as the car carrying Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, arrives at Winfield House in London, May 25, 2011. LARRY DOWNING/REUTERS/Newscom. Find it on Newscom.com: rtrlfour601433
The Obama’s became the new face of the O Rly meme when this shot was released.
London, England, United Kingdom - One of two official portraits that PRINCE WILLIAM and Miss KATE MIDDLETON have chosen to release to mark their engagement taken in the Council Chamber in the State Apartment in St James's Palace. ZUMA Press/Newscom. Find it on Newscom.com: zumawirewestphotosfour984826
We’ve all seen the Royal Engagement photos, but have you seen them with Kate Middleton sporting one tiny hand?
July 27, 2007 - RALPH FIENNES as Lord Voldemort in Warner Bros. Pictures' fantasy ''Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Globe Photos/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom. Find it on Newscom.com: zumaglobetwo162303
Throw some glasses on Voldemort, and he’s really just like another hipster out there.
The most interesting man in the world, Dos Equis beer commercial Jonathan Goldsmith, arrived at the 137th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs May 7, 2011. ZUMA Press/Newscom. Find it on Newscom.com: zumawireworldphotosfour304463
You should really get to know the most interesting man in the world.
"Tron" beauty Olivia Wilde is seen leaving a gym in Studio City. Wilde carries a gym bag wearing an orange shirt with the caption "Honey Badger Don't Care," which is related to a viral nature video. Sam Sharma/Jeff Steinberg, PacificCoastNewsa/Newscom. Find it on Newscom.com: pacificphotos611528
Who doesn’t support the honey badger who just don’t care?
April 11, 2012: Zeddie Little at Good Morning America to talk about his likeness being used on the photo meme, Ridiculously Photogenic Guy all over the Internet. infusny-146/Roger Wong/INFphoto.com/Newscom. Find it on Newscom.com: infphotos508442
He’s a ridiculously photogenic guy, even when he’s running a marathon.
TITLE: NOTEBOOK, THE. RELEASED: 2004. PEOPLE: RYAN GOSLING;. DIRECTOR: NICK CASSAVETES;. NEW LINE CINEMA / MOSELEY, MELISSA / Album/Newscom. Find it on Newscom.com: apaphotos081862
You may also be interested in these other posts on FocalPoint:
Athletes in Focus: Martin Brodeur
Celebrity Picture Profile: Maria Menounos
Tags: hey girl, meme, most interesting man in the world, o rly, obama, really photogenic guy, ryan gosling, texts from hillary