‘Kim Davis be like  … ’: a feminist critique of gender humor in online political memes

ABSTRACT

In this era of participatory and social media, memes have become a user-generated form of political discussion. The online conversation surrounding Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis who was jailed for refusing to issue gay marriage licenses provides insight into the rhetoric used in political memes. Through qualitative and quantitative analysis using a lens of feminist humor theory, this study of Davis-related memes suggests that users trying to battle anti-gay ideologies resorted to anti-feminist rhetoric by targeting her physical appearance as a woman and using traditional ‘slut humor.’ Additionally, civil rights comparisons illustrate a misconstrued understanding of race and hegemony. Thus, far from serving as an alternative public sphere for marginalized voices, we conclude Internet memes are maintaining the status quo, furthering gendered political and communications systems and virtually ignoring the underlying gay rights issue.

KEYWORDS:

• Gender
• humor
• memes
• political discussion
• public sphere
• social media

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Summer Harlow (PhD, The University of Texas at Austin) is an assistant professor of journalism in the Jack J. Valenti School of Communication at the University of Houston. She researches the intersections of emerging media technologies, social movements, and international journalism. She is the author of Liberation Technology in El Salvador: Re-appropriating Social Media among Alternative Media Projects. Her recent research appears in the Journal of Communication; New Media & Society; Journalism; Journalism Studies; Journalism Practice; and Media, Culture & Society [email: [email protected]].

Jerrica Ty Rowlett is a doctoral candidate in the School of Communication at Florida State University. Her research focuses on social media, identity management, and collective action. She has presented her research at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, International Communication Association, National Communication Association, and Popular Culture Association National Conference. She has published research in the Journal of Relationship Marketing and Visual Communication Quarterly [email: [email protected]].

Laura-Kate Huse is a PhD student in the School of Communication at Florida State University. Her research focuses on marginalized populations’ health, social identity, and media representations. Her research primarily examines the population of Appalachia. Laura-Kate seeks to utilize all of her research to develop culturally relevant community-based participatory health interventions within Appalachia [email: [email protected]].