Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id OAA10399 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Mon, 18 Dec 2000 14:27:07 GMT Message-ID: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D3101745B9B@inchna.stir.ac.uk> From: Vincent Campbell <v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk> To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Subject: candid camera memes Date: Mon, 18 Dec 2000 14:25:07 -0000 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21) Content-Type: text/plain Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Hi everyone,
Over the weeken on TV here in the UK there was a themed night of programmes
around candid camera and its derivatives.
One old stunt struck me as interesting for memetics (possibly)- the lift
stunt, where one person is joined by actors who face away from the door.
The joke is whether people will copy then or not.
The clip shown the other night saw a young man joined by one person facing
the wall. When a second joined the man began to waver, and when a third
joined he turned to face the wall. On subsequent floors the group turned to
face the sides, and then, since the young fella was wearing a hat, they took
their hats off. He copied them every time.
This has much to do with pressures for social conformity, I guess, but what
is the mechanism compelling people to do as others do in such a situation?
Is it memetic?
Or is this simply the tendency_'when in doubt copy others'_that allows memes
to exist and spread?
Vincent
===============================================================
This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Mon Dec 18 2000 - 14:28:35 GMT