‘This Great Stage of Fools’:
Memeifying the Monster
By Olivia Thorne
The term ‘meme’ has its etymological roots in sociology. Richard Dawkins coined ‘memetics’ in his groundbreaking 1979 work The Selfish Gene. Put simply, Dawkins’s theory spawns from the Darwinian notion of all evolutionary principles being copied, varied, and selected. In his book, Dawkins proposed that cultural evolution is also driven by the same principles, and these are known as ‘memes’.
Memetics, according to some, sees ideas as a virus, propagating despite truth and logic. Essentially, good or bad, memes are infectious. This can span from a catchy jingle to vicious disinformation. It is the meme’s use in an almost Shakespearian ascent to power that is a fascinating cultural phenomenon.
‘This Tyrant Was Once Thought Honest’
The memeifying of Donald Trump has dominated social media since his announcement that he was running for Office in 2016. These images were often lampooning his physical appearance, ridiculing his patchy orange fake tan and extreme comb overs. There was thus a chariciature quality to Trump, and actor Alec Baldwin famously parodied the candidate on Saturday Night Live.
The ease of Trump’s satirising is unsurprising, given his status as a pop culture figure long before his presidency. His business persona earned him a cameo in Home Alone 2, ownership of the renowned Miss Universe pageant, and a successful run as the host of The Apprentice (2004–2017), where he popularized the catchphrase "You're fired." By the time he launched his 2015 campaign, he was already a household name, fostering a sense of familiarity among the public.
As a result, when the memes began to circulate, he was easier to mock and dismiss rather than being taken seriously as a potential threat to liberal democracy.
Opinions of Trump since his entrance into politics are largely shaped by his ‘outspoken’ approach, and ‘IDGAF’ attitude which, to many seems refreshing and to others is obscene and improper.
In a ‘meme-able’ moment, Trump recently responded to rumours that he wanted to extradite Prince Harry, commenting that he would not do so as ‘[Harry]’s got enough problems with his wife’.
While some in the comments section expressed disapproval at this arguably sexist remark, deeming it to be unpresidential, many were more amused than anything else. One user claimed the jibe made Trump’s presidency ‘almost worth it’, with ‘it’ presumably being the threat to modern democracy.
This is on the milder end of the President’s controversial statements, which his supporters put down to mere ‘trolling’, meaning when words are said to cause upset rather than expressing genuine sentiments with intent. Polarizing American commentator Ben Shapiro named Trump as the ‘master of trolling’, which dampens Trump’s inflammatory statements and trivialises their harmful nature. ‘Trolling’ is therefore too benign a term for some of the ideologies that Trump spouts, and carries the same dangerous dismissal as the meme.
For example, many thought his announcement to run for President in 2015 was only ‘trolling’, and was just a way to stir publicity and controversy. 2025 marks the businessman’s second term in office which signifies that this man is more than just a provocateur.
‘Copy Now to Men of Grosser Blood’
Social media’s response to Trump draws stark parallels with the memeifying of Boris Johnson, or simply ‘Boris’ as he came to be known, who was elected as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom three years into Trump’s first term. The two were often compared to one another in their eccentricity, as well as their right-wing politics.
Realising that clownery could muffle the serious chatter criticising their intentions and political standpoints, both Johnson and Trump leaned into the buffoonery celebrated by ‘memers’ and their followers.
In 2018, prior to the General Election, Johnson found himself in hot water after comparing Muslim women wearing the burka to letterboxes and bank robbers. As such, journalists gathered outside his house in Oxfordshire asking for comment. Rather than acknowledging the scandal, Johnson appeared with scruffy hair, a casual hoodie and a pair of ludicrous floral shorts. Lumbering with a tray of tea, Johnson stated, ‘I have nothing to say about this matter except to offer you some tea’.
The footage was viewed more than 3.8 million times 24 hours after it was posted, with many taking to Twitter to compare him to beloved Father Ted character Mrs Doyle in his tea-pushing tactics. Others saw the action as quintessentially British, that his tray of tea was a charming nod to tradition and that to scoff at it was to insult Britishness itself.
This was one of many moments where Johnson’s strategy was to play the public as puppets, leading them to believe that they were the ones holding the strings. One year later, Johnson became Prime Minister and controversially secured ‘Brexit’, leading the country out of the European Union.
‘Study what you Most Affect’
In 1998, Robert Greene released his bestselling work, The 48 Laws of Power, which explores the dynamics of power and influence by reference to successful historical rulers and their tactics.
Law 21 states ‘Seem Dumber than your Mark’. This section encourages a counterintuitive approach to power, to make others falsely feel in control so they don’t see you as a threat. This will allow for ulterior motives to stay hidden and to facilitate blind faith.
In the age of social media and celebrity culture, memes are an excellent political tool to enact Greene’s 21st Law, to rise to power in the wings while jesters entertain the crowd.
Johann von Goethe writes: ‘none are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free’. The danger with parodying and ‘memeing’ politicians like Donald Trump, is assuming we’re the ones who will have the last laugh.
