On the transmission of memes in the Greater RGC

"Memes" are defined as a units of cultural information that can be transmitted from one mind to another. The term was coined by Richard Dawkings in 1976. Examples would be tunes, catch-phrases or styles of clothes. Some meme theorists use evolutionary theory to describe the way memes propogate themselves, much as a virus would. Certain memes would spread more efficiently and therefore survive, whilst others would die out.

I would like to focus, if I may, on the transmission of certain memes in a well-defined area, that is the greater RGC (Rylands Gatesville Cravenby).

In the late 1980's, a fast-food shop in Rylands used the words "Great Gatsby" to refer to a sandwich made up of a french loaf filled with potato chips and deep-fried cold meats, seasoned and covered in sauce. It is unclear how the name of a literary character came to be used to for a food item, but due to the popularity of the product, the name stuck. It was interesting that it was not just a new word which was born, but a completely new meaning for an old term. Gatsby lovers would have their favourite stockists depending on their particular preferences. Super fisheries in Athlone added mango atchar (pickle) to their formula, whilst the Golden Dish in Gatesville produced the UberGatsby, the mother of all Gatsby's, with a combination of sauteed beef steak and eggs in addition to the standard chips and sauce. The price and size of one Gatsby meant that it would usually be shared amongst 2-3 individuals. The liquid accompaniment to this hearty but dietetically unsound meal was usually an ice cold coke, but some Gatsby purists would argue that this was too harsh, and that a fruit juice and dairy cocktail called Fiesta (pronounced "Fees Ta" by the locals) was the only way to compliment the dish. It is important to note that advertising was limited to the shop-window at that time, so most clients came in based on the recommendation of others, conditions perfect for viral advertising, and the transmission of memes.

It is worth noting that, even within a seemingly homogeneous group, sub-groups exist within which certain memes are dominant. Rylands and Cravenby are separated geographically by a very small distance, and famiilies living in the two areas may seem to share common ancestry, and therefore one would assume that there should be very few cultural differences. This is not the case. Take clothing for example. The average male Cravenby-dweller of the late eighties and early nineties could often be seen in a pair of formal trousers, dress shoes and a long-sleeved shirt, (frequently very vividly coloured, sometimes paisley) while Rylanders were more comfortable in casual attire. English was more commonly spoken by Rylanders while Cravenby-dwellers spoke Afrikaans or spoke English more commonly (ahem) One needs to question why this apparent isolation of meme pools existed. I believe that the fact that Cravenby exists North of the Boerewors curtain has led to meme contamination by the population of Parow and Belville. Indians in Rylands believed that their cousins in Cravenby were a backward lot who dared to continue to grind their spices by hand and cooked tough cornish hens for their gatherings. Their counterparts in Cravenby probably thought the Rylanders were too damned liberal, had the gall to pay others to work in their shops and were to blame for everything subversive from "the boycotts" to PAGAD.