Semiotic Analysis of Memes on Imgur App

Abstract

Meme is an idea, behaviour, or style that spreads through imitation from person to person within a culture. Memes are frequently based on a recognizable format that can be modified and personalized with different captions, images, or variations. This can lead to the creation of new meanings with multiple interpretations. They can be humorous, satirical, or thought-provoking. Memes are full of signs and symbols, such as the image itself, text captions, any visual elements, pop culture references, and so on, and semiotics can helps understand how these individual signs and symbols interact to create a broader meaning. The purpose of this study is to understand the meaning through Roland Barthes’ semiotic theory. This study focused on analyzing the verbal and nonverbal signs, denotative and connotative meaning. The data used in this analysis is meme pictures that have been collected from an app. The method used in this study is qualitative because there is no numerical value. The findings revealed that there are 58 different types of signs, including 36 verbal and 22 nonverbal signs. Additionally, there are 22 denotative and connotative meanings in the memes. According to the findings of this study, verbal signs are more dominant than nonverbal signs.