The Delegitimizing Potential of Internet Memes in Political Communication: A Case Study of the 202 US election

Internet memes are artifacts of digital culture that are created and shared for a range of purposes, typically involving humour. In particular, memes are often utilized as a vehicle for the communication of political beliefs and attitudes. In doing so, creators have a tendency to engage in the discursive practice of delegitimization by mocking or criticizing the target. In this chapter, I focus on Internet memes as delegitimization via a case study of a selection of memes created and shared during the 2020 US election campaign targeting then-candidate Joe Biden. The examples shown highlight the potential for memes to simply and quickly convey a delegitimizing message of view within the domain of political communication and discourse.