discoursedrome:

Shower thought: the style of meme that consists of a library of stock characters applied in different circumstances – the one you see especially in reddit ragefaces and in the alt-right’s memeing style, but to a lesser extent here as well – represents a convergent evolution of the Commedia dell’Arte style of comic performance. In a world with more local-level culture and less literacy and internet, I could definitely imagine a lowbrow performing tradition where performers are identified as recognizable archetypes like Forever Alone Guy and Chad on the basis of their iconic masks and outfits.