Comments on: pre fab culture http://cultureby.com/2002/12/pre_fab_culture.html This Blog Sits At the Intersection of Anthropology and Economics Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:43:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Grant http://cultureby.com/2002/12/pre_fab_culture.html/comment-page-1#comment-8200 Grant Fri, 20 Aug 2004 10:21:45 +0000 http://localhost/wp_culture/?p=1295#comment-8200 Josh, I had a look at this idea when I was writing Plenitude (on this site), and it seemed to be that it had some problems. It told us that ideas traveling but not how. The metaphor is of course a biological one, and the method and the impulse of transmission is pretty clear here. But I think we need to specify how memes work when the transmission takes place between people by word of mouth. In fact, I ended up thinking that the theory of the meme best described itself. The idea spread far and wide, but it was not clear why and exactly how it helped us. But I may have missed something. I often do. Thanks. Grant Josh, I had a look at this idea when I was writing Plenitude (on this site), and it seemed to be that it had some problems. It told us that ideas traveling but not how. The metaphor is of course a biological one, and the method and the impulse of transmission is pretty clear here. But I think we need to specify how memes work when the transmission takes place between people by word of mouth. In fact, I ended up thinking that the theory of the meme best described itself. The idea spread far and wide, but it was not clear why and exactly how it helped us. But I may have missed something. I often do. Thanks. Grant

]]> By: josh http://cultureby.com/2002/12/pre_fab_culture.html/comment-page-1#comment-8199 josh Fri, 20 Aug 2004 10:10:34 +0000 http://localhost/wp_culture/?p=1295#comment-8199 Has anyone else heard of Richard Dawkins' concept of the "meme"? I'm just putting it out there; read his book "The Selfish Gene" to see what I'm talking about. He basically proposes these "clams", or pieces of culture, music, ideas, or whatever else are replicators that live or die in the sea of minds and may prove to be a completely different kind of evolution in its infancy. Has anyone else heard of Richard Dawkins’ concept of the “meme”? I’m just putting it out there; read his book “The Selfish Gene” to see what I’m talking about. He basically proposes these “clams”, or pieces of culture, music, ideas, or whatever else are replicators that live or die in the sea of minds and may prove to be a completely different kind of evolution in its infancy.

]]> By: Nigel Mellish http://cultureby.com/2002/12/pre_fab_culture.html/comment-page-1#comment-8198 Nigel Mellish Thu, 19 Aug 2004 15:35:36 +0000 http://localhost/wp_culture/?p=1295#comment-8198 NP, I found the blog today, and love the site. Than you! NP, I found the blog today, and love the site. Than you!

]]> By: Grant http://cultureby.com/2002/12/pre_fab_culture.html/comment-page-1#comment-8197 Grant Thu, 19 Aug 2004 12:22:43 +0000 http://localhost/wp_culture/?p=1295#comment-8197 Nigel, great post, and an inspiration for my post today (August 19: how to blog like an anthropologist III). Thanks! Grant Nigel, great post, and an inspiration for my post today (August 19: how to blog like an anthropologist III). Thanks! Grant

]]> By: Nigel Mellish http://cultureby.com/2002/12/pre_fab_culture.html/comment-page-1#comment-8196 Nigel Mellish Thu, 19 Aug 2004 10:04:05 +0000 http://localhost/wp_culture/?p=1295#comment-8196 More often than not, clams also serve as a common reference point. Socially, it allows one to say, "I like this aspect of modern culture, do you"? To be successful at this, most people seek the lowest common denominator - a highly successful television show or well known comedy routine. Saturday Night Live, at it's prime, was the worst distributor of clams. I recall in middle school how, on Monday morning, everyone would attempt to be the first to use the newly introduced (or semi-cleverly recycled) clam into conversation. Nothing was worse than picking the wrong sketch "clam" that you thought was particularly funny but no one else found humorous. I guess that was a "bad clam"? More often than not, clams also serve as a common reference point. Socially, it allows one to say, “I like this aspect of modern culture, do you”? To be successful at this, most people seek the lowest common denominator – a highly successful television show or well known comedy routine.

Saturday Night Live, at it’s prime, was the worst distributor of clams. I recall in middle school how, on Monday morning, everyone would attempt to be the first to use the newly introduced (or semi-cleverly recycled) clam into conversation. Nothing was worse than picking the wrong sketch “clam” that you thought was particularly funny but no one else found humorous. I guess that was a “bad clam”?

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