Magic in the Air: Memes, Esoterica, and the Internet
Magic in the Air: Memes, Esoterica, and the Internet
Shira Chess. "Magic in the Air: Memes, Esoterica, and the Internet." The Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR). October 20, 2023, Philadelphia, PA.
Abstract: This paper interrogates the use of "meme magic" as a form of political activism leading up to the 2016 US election. By tracing the historical intersections between memes and esoteric thinking, I argue that the two share an intellectual history through the 20th century into the 21st century. At the same time, the entry of the term into popular vernacular came at a moment when American culture was broadly anxious about post-truth and mutable realities in politics.
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