meme

Coined by biologist and (in)famous atheist Richard Dawkins, a meme refers to a basic unit of a social organization (aka idea, belief), much as a gene is a basic unit of a biological organism. Memes replicate and mutate, much as genes do, and collectively form the meme complex of a culture.

Much of the kyriarchy is spread and supported by memes: the belief that women’s bodies are inferior and insufficient; that persons of color are less worthy or less intelligent than white people; that men are incapable or ill-suited to nurturing or housework; that feminists are men-hating, baby-killing, ugly hairy angry women who seek to subjugate men and steal women’s razors and high heels.

One way feminists oppose the kyriarchy is by highlighting and refuting and attempting to replace its ill-conceived memes; this is part of why we are often considered humorless.