{"href":"http://player.captivate.fm/services/oembed?url=http%3A%2F%2Fplayer.captivate.fm%2Fepisode%2F31b131f7-69d6-4787-b202-eda508117d30","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Captivate.FM","provider_url":"https://www.captivate.fm","width":600,"height":200,"type":"rich","html":"","title":"The End Justifies the Memes","description":"What is the deeper, symbolic meaning of an overturned alms bowl? What reasoning goes into the decision as to whether a protest sign is written in English or Burmese, or as pictograms, or emojis? And how and why has General Min Aung Hlaing\u2019s height become a focus of the protest messaging?\n\nThese are just some of the concepts that \u201cBrad\u201d and \u201cMay\u201d (not their real names) have begun to explore on their new Facebook page, \u201cBurmese Protest Memes and Signs Translated and Explained: Translating and explaining Burmese memes and protest signs for an English audience.\u201d\n\nUnlike in other countries, where internet connectivity has been available for a much longer time, in Myanmar, \u201conline culture\u201d is relatively new. As May succinctly explains, \u201cWe're the generation that has grown up with internet and social media. And memes are a way to communicate with each other, to share not just jokes, but also feelings\u2026 So yeah, memes are perhaps a symbol of what our generation is.\u201d\n\nBrad and May felt that much of the outside world was missing the subtle messaging that protesters were trying to communicate by their signs, and hoped that their new page would help in this regard. It has developed to explaining the deeper, underlying meaning of the many Burmese memes that are now proliferating, both online and in real life today. In doing so, they reveal the many themes that protesters are connecting to their movement, including British colonialism, Burmese Buddhism, ethnic identity, numerology and astrology, and specific events both in the protests as well as recent political incidents connected to the coup.\n\nIf you would like to engage beyond merely listening about this crisis, please considering contributing a donation to the nonviolent protest movement in Myanmar. Any donation made on our website goes immediately to those in need.","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/85c76e62-225b-47f6-a9a4-946280b20205/0vUAHBhXlN6g_hFPmAhOALZ3.jpg"}