Remix culture: the best memes are never finished
Every great meme is a remix of a remix. Why the second version is often funnier than the first — and how Remix works on trololo.tv.
Nobody invented the meme you laughed at this morning. Somebody made the first version, somebody else changed one word, a third person put it in a new setting, and by the time it reached you it had been passed through a hundred hands. That's not a flaw of meme culture. That's the whole engine.
The second version is usually funnier
The first version of a joke has to do two jobs: set up the premise and land the punchline. Every version after it gets the premise for free. The audience already knows the format, so the remix can go straight to the twist.
That's why formats — templates, sounds, "POV" setups, duets and stitches — outlive any single post. They're not jokes so much as joke machines.
What makes a good remix
A remix that works changes something that matters. A few reliable moves:
- New setting, same character. The pigeon inspector, but in space.
- Same setting, new character. The rooftop, but now it's a seagull who doesn't care.
- Continue the story. What happens the day after the last episode?
- The opposite ending. The heist succeeds. Nobody is happy about it.
- Escalate. Whatever the original did, do it with forty of them.
What doesn't work: changing nothing and reposting. That isn't a remix, it's a copy, and the audience can tell.
How Remix works on trololo.tv
Every show on trololo.tv has a Remix button next to like, save and share.
- Press Remix on a show you like.
- Pick one of its scenes.
- A new show of yours opens with that scene's text and pictures already in the composer.
- Change what you want — the character, the place, the line — and generate.
- When you publish, your show's page says Remix of … and links back to the original.
The original stays exactly as it was. Its page lists the shows remixed from it, so people who liked it can follow where it went.
Remix etiquette
- Credit travels with it. The link to the original is automatic; mentioning the author when you share is a nice touch.
- Make it yours. The best remixes are the ones the original author wishes they'd thought of.
- Rights still apply. Remixing a show on the site is what the button is for. Copying footage, music or characters you have no right to use isn't. See the content rules.
Make something remixable
If you want your show to be remixed, make it easy:
- A premise anyone can explain in one line.
- A character with a clear look — a character sheet helps others keep it recognisable.
- Scenes written clearly, because the scene's text is what a remix starts from.
The best memes are never finished. Publish yours, and see where other people take it.
