A meme (pronounced me-em) is an Internet sensation that goes viral. It comes in the form of photos, videos, catchphrases, and more. There are several websites dedicated to these memes, such as Memebase.com and 9GAG.
The first one I thought I'd feature is one of the most recent ones that have tickled the world. It is an original fresco of Jesus Christ entitled "Ecce Homo" or "Behold The Man" that hung in a church in Borja, Spain. The left features the original fresco, the middle shows how deteriorated it became due to age and moisture, and the right shows the 'restoration' of the fresco, with a decidedly monkey look.
The first one I thought I'd feature is one of the most recent ones that have tickled the world. It is an original fresco of Jesus Christ entitled "Ecce Homo" or "Behold The Man" that hung in a church in Borja, Spain. The left features the original fresco, the middle shows how deteriorated it became due to age and moisture, and the right shows the 'restoration' of the fresco, with a decidedly monkey look.
Authorities initially thought it was a case of vandalism, till an elderly woman stepped up to claim responsibility. She said that she had attempted to restore the fresco, as she was upset with the deterioration of what was her favourite painting. She tried to paint over it, but ended up with a half-beard.
The Internet quickly picked up on it, spawning plenty of parodies.
Even British street artist Banksy picked up on the meme. Banksy is a graffiti artist and political activist, who creates very satirical street art.
It struck especially well with fans of the Mr Bean movie, where the plot included something very similar. Mr Bean ruins an expensive painting and attempts to draw over it with hilarious consequences.
With the sudden boost in popularity of the fresco, tourists have actually flocked to Borja to see the painting and take photos. The town has actually seen an economic boost in trade and tourism.
Not bad, eh?
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