rhetorical remix: memesters make their move

remix: a practice not constrained to music

Rupi Kaur is not the only insta-author slammed for her ‘fake deep’ ethos (Poindexter, Atticus, Lang Leav, and RM Drake are other common targets). But as the genre’s unofficial standard-bearer, she is the most widely mocked. To her fans, she is a patron saint of millennial heartbreak (yes, really); to her detractors, she is the epitome of faux intellectualism. Virtual verse is “nice,” and “relatable,” but its simplicity does not equal profundity. According to the cynics, Insta-poetic turns of phrases are not artistically provocative or intellectually challenging - it’s all been said before and phrased better. Author Soraya Roberts derides this blandness, likening the sparse turns of phrase to confirmation bias: “everything you are thinking, everything you are feeling, everything you are doing, is fine, perfect even.” Any claims to artistic ‘rebellion’ are merely a strategic marketing technique. These criticisms, however scathing, are not unwarranted. While insta-poets shrug the literary establishment, they may be aligning themselves with another: the corporate self-affirmation machine, responsible for churning “life is good” t shirts and hollow Hallmark sentiment.

If post-millennium prose is kiddie-pool shallow, it is only mirroring its home network. In a 2017 interview, Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom referred to his platform as the “one of the nicer places on the internet.” This is only partially true. While spotless facades– symmetrical palms, airbrushed selfies, and posh layouts, and other #art – rake in the likes, comments still can be scathing. Insta-poetry haters do not honor Systrom’s naïve, and in retrospect, laughable dictum, mocking the genre both on and off Instagram. The ease with which an insta-poem can be created and shared invites copy-catting, and satirists have equaled authors in output and visibly. Authored and published through transactional networks, bite-sized verse encourages audience participation. Henry Jenkins, a longtime media scholar and theorist, said it best: “what resonates online will lives on through reposts, remixes, and other conspicuous group engagement.” Why write an article condemning vapid “fidget-spinner” poetry when you could author some parodic prose, thus proving your own point?

accusations of vapidity copycatting abound, but insta-poets type on

Unlike feminist opponents, who restrain their insta-political analysis to journal articles, literary critics have adopted a “if-you-can’t-beat-‘em-join-em” strategy. Infinitely remixable, virtual verse has spawned many a meme. In fact - as I searched image databases and messaging boards, I no longer could tell spoofs from the real thing. The main tenet of insta-roasting is jokesters posing as #intellectuals, stating the obvious through ‘meta’ observations and clunky wordplay. This joke is employed to varying effectiveness, and the dedication of participants also varies. Some make a one-time contribution to a meme page – this is especially common in high school and college students. The infamous "UC Berkeley memes for edgy teens" group magnifies the staccato, first-world tribulations of attending one of the nation’s top-rated universities. Others make accounts to riff on cringey public figures: Trumpi Kaur’s prose pans both the flowery insta-poet and the linguistically chaotic POTUS, complete with vivid line drawings (the soon-releasing “milk and covfefe” is sure to give Rupi a run for her money).

employing Kaur's modus operandi to parody POTUS

The most dedicated satirists take the gag to the extreme, creating parody personas. Tyler Poet appears to be an angsty, flannel-sporting Portland native, but the account’s real owner is an award-winning author and high school English teacher named Thom Young. Unimpressed with what he calls pop poetry, Young created the account as social experiment. In addition to his ‘serious’ output, he pens odes to girls with ocean eyes, his coffee-black soul, and love being akin to a landmine. Most @tylerpoet followers are in on the joke, but a few have no idea that the brooding heartthrob is a farce. Unlike more trollish critics, Young means no ill will towards those who author or enjoy insta-poetry. Instead, he hopes his satire prompts young people to think more about what they read. The jury is still out on whether scrollers leave @tyypoet's page with a refined literary palate. But through his remix, Young has demonstrated that genre is ripe for re-purposing, riffing, and subversion. It is an irony that could only unfold on the internet: counterfeit versions of ‘shallow’ insta-verse rival the popularity and spreadability of the real thing.

The most dedicated satirists take the gag to the extreme, creating faux personas. Tyler Poet appears to be an angsty, flannel-sporting Portland native, but the account’s real owner is an award-winning author and high school English teacher named Thom Young. Unimpressed with what he calls pop poetry, Young created the account as social experiment. In addition to his ‘serious’ output, he pens odes to girls with ocean eyes, his coffee-black soul, and love being akin to a landmine. Most @tylerpoet followers are in on the joke, but a few have no idea that the brooding heartthrob is a farce. Unlike more trollish critics, Young means no ill will towards those who author or enjoy insta-poetry - Instead, he hopes his satire prompts young people to think more about what they read. The jury is still out on whether scrollers leave @tyypoet's page with a refined literary taste. But through his remix, Young has demonstrated that genre is ripe for re-purposing, riffing, and subversion. It is an irony that could only unfold on the internet: counterfeit versions of ‘shallow’ insta-verse rival the popularity and spread ability of the real thing.

the man, the myth, the brooding legend: @tyypoet is a prime study in insta-poetic satire