Anastasia Denisova speaks to LA Times about Halloween costumes and memes

From Australian Olympic star Raygun to pygmy hippo sensation Moo Deng, Internet meme-based costumes dominated Halloween 2024.

To discuss the matter, the LA Times tapped Westminster Senior Lecturer Anastasia Denisova to explore the holiday’s latest costume evolution.

Dr Denisova advised the paper that the rise of meme costumes “can be seen as a desire for relevance…giving ‘a sense of camaraderie and exclusivity’ to those who unite around them.”

However, meme costumes can also be problematic, Denisova warned: “Memes have been known to ruin people’s reputations. Anyone can grab a picture, add a caption, post online and things can spiral out of control quickly…[Memes] are ironic and often sarcastic, which can sometimes make them mean, inappropriate or offensive.”

Read the full article in the LA Times here.

Photo by Tucker Joenz on Unsplash