This viral meme was started by a Reddit user by the name of No_Reason27 on July 14th of 2018, when he posted a bizarre picture of a moth outside his window. Following the post, the internet community began to post comics and images regarding the “moth” between July 29th and August 9th of the same year, when the meme started to become viral.
Although different, the “Lamp Meme” shares characteristics from both Spreadability and Stickiness, and this is what particularly makes this meme and all memes successful.
Firstly, the “Lamp Meme” is very much spreadable and follows the model of spreadability. Based on the definition of “motivating and facilitating fans to “spread” the word”, this meme is very spreadable because of the platforms you can find it in. It’s safe to say that the most effective medium of communication is the internet since it’s extremely easy to access and because of the sheer amount of people that use it. Part of the success of the “Lamp Meme” was due to the various platforms that made it spread like a “virus”. The meme was featured in various youtube videos, famous websites such as Reddit, and through social media.
Not only were the platforms responsible for the spread of the meme, but the consumers and viewers played a big role as well. Through “participatory culture”, the audience acted more as a contributor than as the consumer, and spread the meme by their own means, sharing the various moth memes through youtube, facebook, Reddit, etc.
On the other hand, the “Lamp Meme” is very sticky and follows the opposing model of stickiness. Following its definition of “attracting and holding the attention of the audience”, this meme pulls viewers because of its humour, and because it’s relatable since all of us have experienced this situation before. Everyone has had that moment in their life when you leave your window open, and a moth flies in, bumping repeatedly against your lamp or any source of light in the room.
This meme emphasizes how much the moths love lamps and whenever someone reads the meme, it’s automatically funny because it’s true. The bizarre aspect of the meme is also what makes it so sticky, the face of the moth and the funny situations that people place the moth in are funny because they’re original and unusual.
The “Lamp Meme” and all memes, in general, are proof of how Spreadability and Stickiness compliment, rather than oppose each other, since both concepts have characteristics that are vital for a media object to succeed. In addition, a media object needs people to “spread the word”, “participatory culture” is important because it pretty much serves as a free advertisement for creators.
Bibliography:
Jenkins, Henry et al. Spreadable Media: Creating Value And Meaning In A Networked Culture. NYU Press, 2013, pp. 1 – 37.
Caldwell, Don. “Moth Lamp”. Know Your Meme, 2018, https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/moth-lamp. Accessed 30 Sept 2018.
Jenkins, Henry, and Henry Jenkins. “If It Doesn’t Spread, It’s Dead (Part One): Media Viruses And Memes”. Henry Jenkins, 2009, http://henryjenkins.org/blog/2009/02/if_it_doesnt_spread_its_dead_p.html. Accessed 30 Sept 2018.
Jabar, Cynthia. “Sticky Vs Spreadable: If It Doesn’t Spread, It’s Dead By Henry Jenkins”. TransMedia Kids, 2011, http://www.transmediakids.com/2011/09/sticky-vs-spreadable-if-it-doesnt.html. Accessed 30 Sept 2018.
Memebase. These Weird AF Moth Memes Are Completely Taking Over Reddit. https://memebase.cheezburger.com/tag/moth-lamp-memes. Accessed 30 Sept 2018.