Revolution by other memes: on the playful subcultures of r/PoliticalCompassMemes

Abstract

Based on an analysis of 300k opening posts to the popular image-based discussion forum r/PoliticalCompassMemes, in this paper we offer an empirical analysis of how the ‘political compass’ meme template is used to playfully work out speculative political imaginaries that reconfigure existing ideologies into niche political subcultures. We observe various dynamics over time, including how participants self-identify with different ‘quadrants’ of the compass via meme characters and ‘flair’ metadata. To analyze these dynamics, we revisit a classic argument of the ‘Birmingham School’ of culture studies, concerning the latent relationship between revolutionary politics and youth subcultural styles. While finding value in the latter, we identify a fundamental shift in digital political subcultures from style as a proxy for politics to politics as a kind of style.