Humor is a tool that can be used to make light of situations, usually for good, but it can be abused for evil.Â
The majority of people consider certain subjects to be too serious to be joked about. Joking about topics such as sexual violence and hate crimes had previously been labeled as insensitive. However, certain internet trends have started mass producing memes: a form of internet media intended to be seen as humorous, that centered on recent major sexual exploitation cases. Â
The Epstein files were released Jan. 30, starting a massive amount of public discourse, fear and anger. The files led many to conclude that CEOs, celebrities, politicians and upper-class individuals had engaged in pedophilia, sexual exploitation, murder and ritualistic behaviors. While the evidence seems solid to the public, governments have yet to prosecute those mentioned in the files and who have been associated with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
These are all actions that should be taken seriously, especially since real people were victims of these heinous criminal actions.Â
Yet the internet has exploded with memes making light of the situation, some posters joking that they wish they were on Epstein’s island, and other appalling sentiments.Â
As a result, when someone calls out how insensitive these jokes are, they are labeled as “lame,” “too woke” or “pretentious.”Â
It is not the person calling out the jokes who is the “lame” one, but the one making them. Some of the meme creators may have just made them to seem edgy or troll internet users, but many use them as a method of psychological warfare known as memetic warfare.Â
Memetic warfare is when propaganda is spread through internet jokes or memes. This method of propaganda is so successful because users do not expect government officials or corporations to be tech-savvy or be lurking on the internet. Users have convinced themselves that they are interacting solely with other members of the general public and that their opinions are formed of their own accord. Â
If government officials and CEOs can desensitize the public to the Epstein case, people will begin to see those who call out the crimes as uptight and overly sensitive. Essentially manipulating the masses into shaming one another until the situation blows over or is seen as humorous.Â
Memetic warfare is studied with many government agency departments, including NATO’s Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence, Russia’s Internet Research Agency and within the Taiwanese government.Â
Over a decade ago, in 2014, Russia spent just under 20 million dollars on producing bot accounts that would spread propaganda supporting their annexation of Crimea. When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Russia’s IRA began producing propaganda memes and spreading lies through the internet to attempt to convince the public to side with them.
The Taiwanese government created memetic engineering teams to combat disinformation being posted by Chinese agencies. During the American 2024 Presidential election, Iranian officials supporting Harris’ campaign and Russian officials supporting Trump’s campaign both used generative AI to create memes that were used to spread libel about the opposing candidate.
Memetic warfare has been around for years and continues to thrive because the majority of the public is ignorant of the idea that they are not immune to propaganda and that they can not trust who is on the other side of their screens.Â
The next time you see or make a dark humor joke and someone calls it out, do not just label them as sensitive and unfunny. Think about whether that joke invalidates the experiences of victims and if that joke is desensitizing you to serious matters.