Wholesome memes aren't just cute, they're subversive as h*ck
There's a meme going around called "Savage Patrick." The image features Patrick Star from Spongebob in the middle of an evil laugh, and the caption alongside the picture is generally something mildly diabolical. ("Me kicking ice under the fridge" is an early, safe-for-work example.)
But on the popular Facebook page Wholesome Memes, Savage Patrick isn't diabolical at all. Yes, he's still making that conniving face, which is disturbing coming from such an earnest fan of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. But this caption is really encouraging! Maybe even... inspiring?
Such is the beauty of the wholesome meme, in which the meme-r employs the usually snarky format to convey a message of love and support. Wholesome internet content is generally seen as a way to escape the harshness, the coldness, and (especially) the politics of standard memes, which can be pretty brutal -- even harmful -- in the wrong hands.
Wholesome memes are not harmful. They are helpful.
But the line between wholesome and political isn't as stark as it appears. In fact, wholesome memes centered on self-care and compassion are the perfect microcosm of the personal as political: the idea that caring for ourselves and others can move humanity's needle.
Consider, for example, this nice meme of a cat "celebrating the little successes." It posits, earnestly, that self-care is wholesome.
Surprise, surprise: we live in a stressful era. And as the news piles up every day, self-care -- which can and should include taking pride in completing everyday tasks -- is important. It's particularly important for marginalized communities. And therein lies the radical act. Caring for oneself -- or caring for others, as the wholesome Patrick does -- is inherently political. (Worth noting: it's also a practice maligned constantly by the far right.)
Memes that center on compassion and self-preservation are, if in a small way, altering the way we speak to one another online.
The poet Audre Lorde famously wrote that self-care is "not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare." While there are certainly, uh, way better ways of making Audre Lorde proud than spending time on a Facebook page, wholesome memes aren't divorced entirely from the idea of radical self-care. In fact, memes that center on compassion and self-preservation are, if in a small way, altering the way we speak to one another online.
The proof is in the comments section:
And the wholesome meme community is certainly aware of its bent. In fact, members actively cultivate an atmosphere that favors socially progressive values. If a meme goes up that people don't think is wholesome, someone will usually add a comment to that effect.
Take the below meme, for example. It's true that male puppies do often let female puppies win during playtime. (As with any meme, it's always best to fact check.) But several commenters didn't find the meme's "implication" -- that letting someone win because they're a girl is good -- wholesome.
"Letting someone win because they're a girl isn't respectful, it's sexist," wrote one commenter. "Bad boy."
"This is cute but ... patriarchy," said another.
In this case, -- and many others -- the definition of the word "wholesome" has changed from "pleasant" to "progressive." It is not enough for the meme to be cute. It must also be on the right side of history ... even if the source material is not.
Think this all sounds a little wild? It is! The internet is mostly bad, and evaluating whether a dog photo would please the Women's March organizers is not going to elicit sweeping societal change.
But we'd be remiss if we ignored the impact memes have on our political reality. After all, the alt-right was basically memed from a fringe group into a mainstream nightmare.
Maybe we can meme the wholesome stuff into reality, too.
Chloe was the shopping editor at Mashable. She was also previously a culture reporter. You can follow her on Twitter at @chloebryan.
