106 - The Darwinian Nature of Alt-Right Discourse on the Meme App “iFunny”

As the Alt-Right has returned to prominence in the United States, media and communication scholars have attributed their success to the democratic, meme-based communication of the movement (2020). However, few studies have grounded their arguments about Alt-Right mediated communication in their communities. This study investigates the functioning of memes as group communication mode by looking at meme creation, circulation, and user comments on the niche Alt-Right meme app "iFunny." In response to the existing scholarship, I argue that in this context memes function less democratically and more by a Darwinian logic of competition as measured by the prevalence of open hostility against outsiders and competition for attention and recognition in the app. The study concludes by discussing how a Darwinian perspective on Alt-Right meme discourse explains the group’s ability to remain resilient against outside influence.