Attached is a selection of examples the internet meme known
as "Ordinary Muslim Man" from the website know your meme. Stemming
from the dissemination of personal computers and freedom of internet autonomy,
internet meme's have become a new way cultural expression. Internet memes take
form in pictures, written expressions, hyperlinks and websites. Due to their
anomimity of the internet these meme are sometimes expressing thoughts and
ideas that might not be expressed in public.
This meme follows the form of a "Image Macro",
which is a image with accompanying text. The picture in the foreground was
taken by Pakistani Photographer Aman Kahn of a unidentified fifty-year-old
Pashtun Muslim. The text that typically is placed with this meme follows the
"bait and switch" format with the first line making a remark that
follows the stereotypes of Muslims and the second line explaining the statement
as normal situation. This meme first developed in the social news website Reddit
in January of 2011 and spread in other social media sites such as Facebook and
Tumblr.
This meme brings up many questions about how stereotypes are
developed and reinforced. What does this Meme express about the underlining stereotypes
about Muslim in America? How does the feeling of Internet Anonymity effect what
people create and express online?
This picture is a screen shot from http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/ordinary-muslim-man
