Re: Mooning

From: Philip Jonkers (P.A.E.Jonkers@phys.rug.nl)
Date: Fri Jun 15 2001 - 14:30:54 BST

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From: Philip Jonkers <P.A.E.Jonkers@phys.rug.nl>
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To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Subject: Re: Mooning
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Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2001 15:30:54 +0200 (CEST)
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    Interesting anecdote,

    > Sociologists would argue that the word, the act, and its meaning are
    > strongly tied together. Most memeticists probably agree that these
    > three
    > spread together as a meme complex.

    Members of a meme complex (memeplex) do have strong mutual
    ties too, right? At least they shouldn't be incompatible or
    mutually conflicting as the memeplex otherwise would disintegrate.
    Therefore both interpretations are mere
    reformulations of the same statement I would say.

    >The meme may get its fitness from pushing a sexual button, according to
    >Brodie's theory (2).

    De act defies or breaks a sexual taboo and therefore has an
    impression on observering bystanders likely to share the same
    sentiments as the actual mooning-initiators. This may help the
    mooning-wannabe's to cross the threshold imposed by the taboo,
    thus promoting the adoption of the same provocative taboo-breaking
    behavior by means of memetic transmission (imitation).

    Is this an example of a more general type of behavior?
    Once someone breaks a taboo (temporarily) as a provocative
    act of defiance. Its observers and bystanders, perhaps en masse,
    imitate the actor and as such break the taboo as well.
    A memetic avalanche effect by means of taboo-breaking?

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