An internet meme is a type of humor online shared between people of the same culture. Internet memes are not just humorous, they should be taken seriously. As a society, we hold comedians to such a high standard because they make us feel good; basically, we pay money to laugh. Internet memes are free, TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram are just a few outlets of endless, humorous material. Why, then, are internet memes considered to be silly? Memes can reflect our personalities, considering one person may laugh at a meme about One Direction while another person about the Yankees. This can lead to many experiences, for example, some brands partake in memes in order to relate to younger audiences as a new form of advertising.

Picking up their order. https://t.co/D7jK2qQO6o

— Wendy's (@Wendys) January 27, 2020

Wendy’s is known for their Twitter full of roasting other fast food places. This quote tweet, in particular, is both advertising and a meme. Wendy’s puts down McDonald’s in a comical way in order to promote their own brand. Someone even responded to the tweet with them in Wendy’s drive-thru showing that advertising through internet memes does have an impact and should be taken seriously.

Here are some #baseballdogs to brighten up your day. pic.twitter.com/ApT7H3LSy8

— MLB (@MLB) January 28, 2020

Another example of advertising on Twitter is this tweet from MLB. The dogs are wearing bandanas for an animal shelter while there is a hat for REP1 and a baseball glove. This is all promotion for these companies through a meme of cute puppies. While this may not seem very comical it is still meme, because dog pictures are internet memes. Memes should be taken seriously because the whole industry of advertising will change as a result.