30-Second Overview: In 1995, a 486 computer in the male dormitory of National Taiwan University set up PTT, unintentionally opening the prehistoric era of Taiwanese memes. Over thirty years, Taiwanese memes have evolved from subcultural jargon in anonymous discussion boards into social mechanisms for processing collective trauma (e.g., "Jie Ge Bù Yào") and political anxiety. They possess unique "local originality" and "non-confrontational critique," becoming the most delicate pressure valve for Taiwanese society facing systemic stress through classic cases like "Shàng Bā," "Pieris," and "Bù Néng Cè Cè."

Taiwanese Memes: 30 Years of Cultural Evolution from PTT to Social Safety Valve

In 2013, an anti-sexual assault public service announcement by Taiwan's Ministry of Education titled If Only I Had Known Boys Could Be Sexually Assaulted included the line "Jie Ge Bù Yào la." Originally a heavy phrase, it unexpectedly sparked a wave in Taiwan's online communities. This phrase, originally carrying an educational mission, quickly transformed into a long-lasting meme, even surpassing 27 million views on Bilibili by 2021 and being adapted into a Steam game and musical¹. This was not mockery of the victim, but a core mechanism of Taiwan's meme culture: transforming unspeakable social pain into laughter that can be collectively shared.

Historical Origins: PTT and the Alchemy of Language

The roots of Taiwanese memes can be traced back to the mid-1990s with PTT (BBS) and the 2005 establishment of Komica (K Island)^{2 3}. In these anonymous digital spaces, Taiwanese netizens developed a unique language system, laying the foundation for meme culture:

1. Push Culture: Creating maximum humor with minimal text, forming early "text memes."

2. Homophones and Recontextualization: For example, "Dingding is a talent" and "What are you shouting about?"⁴, remixing cinematic material out of context.

3. Collective Intelligence through Anonymity: K Island's format mimics Japan's 5ch, emphasizing "pure anonymity" for pure creation, complementing PTT's social attribute of "netizen culture"^{5 6}.

📝 Curator's Note #1: The origin of Taiwanese memes is not visual imagery, but "language." We excel at capturing the rhythm and absurdity of dialogue, refining it into reusable linguistic tools. This explains why many classic memes are closely tied to "sound" or "tone."

Core Characteristics: Why Taiwanese Memes Are "Different"

Unlike Western memes often derived from "free image macro" (Image Macro), Taiwanese memes showcase strong local originality and social critique⁴. They are not merely image collages, but deep responses to the context of Taiwanese society. The following table outlines the characteristics and classic cases of Taiwanese memes in different development stages:

1. **"Teasing Without Targeting": Gentle Radicalism**

Taiwanese memes often adopt a special strategy: they point to systemic issues but express them in a non-confrontational way. For example, the "Poor" or "Fa Da Cai" directed at politicians, while satirical, more often dissolves political seriousness into everyday conversation⁶. This humor allows critique to spread in a relatively harmonious atmosphere.

2. **The Pressure-Release Mechanism of the Social Safety Valve**

This is a counterintuitive perspective: Taiwanese memes are the main mechanism of the social safety valve. When the public faces authority failure, media absurdity (e.g., Kayu Bo's nonsensical response to street interviews⁷), or economic anxiety, memes provide a "harmless prank" space, allowing social pressure to be released without triggering physical conflict⁶.

Classic Case Analysis: Localization and Social Resonance of Memes

The vitality of Taiwanese memes often comes from their precise capture of local events and contexts. The following classic cases show how memes emerge from specific events and resonate widely in society:

"Hit my Shàng Bā"⁸

In 2018, a news report by Yuan Shih TV on a "land dispute in Taoyuan" featured an interviewee who excitedly said, "He punched my 'Shàng Bā'." This statement, with its local accent and physiological error, became an internet hit due to its absurdity, becoming a classic phrase to describe unexpected shocks or nonsensical events. It is not just a linguistic misplacement, but reflects the interviewee's genuine emotion and local expression in the news event.

"Pieris! Can I keep it as a pet?"⁹

In 2020, a netizen surnamed Lin, while riding at night, encountered a pangolin and excitedly shouted to a friend, "Hey X! Pieris! Wow!" and "Can I keep it as a pet?" This video, with its genuine and absurd reaction and surprise at Taiwan's endemic protected animal, quickly became a meme. It not only showcases the closeness of the Taiwanese to wildlife, but also humorously touches on the boundary between humans and nature through the question "Can I keep it as a pet?"

"Bù Néng Cè Cè"¹⁰

In 2021, an image of a Shiba Inu named PONSAN sitting in a shopping cart, looking pitifully labeled "Bù Néng Cè Cè," quickly dominated Hong Kong and Taiwan's internet. This meme transformed the originally negative term "cè cè" into a "cute" expression through the adorable Shiba Inu image, becoming a humorous reminder or self-restraint. It not only led to a Yu-Gi-Oh! style "Cè Cè Card Battle," but also reflects the online community's light-hearted handling of sexual issues and boundary exploration.

"Something happened, Uncle!"¹¹

This meme originated from a video where a citizen, upon witnessing a car accident, urgently shouted to a seemingly elderly passerby, "Something happened, Uncle!" This phrase, with its urgent tone and local "Uncle" address, quickly spread online, becoming a classic phrase to describe sudden situations or remind others to be cautious. It captures the direct and affectionate interaction mode in Taiwanese society, even in emergencies, maintaining a touch of human warmth.

📝 Curator's Note #2: The "heat endurance" of Taiwanese memes is particularly surprising. Many memes are continuously reshaped after years, not just a simple "comeback after being outdated," but a deeper cultural need continuously speaking out, reinterpreting social issues through memes.

Cultural Function: From Trauma to Healing

The most unique aspect of Taiwanese memes lies in their ability to handle collective trauma. The "Tong Shen Du Huo" phishing link that went viral in 2020, during a period of pandemic tension and increased economic uncertainty, created a collective synchronous sense among netizens across Taiwan through a small prank of "fake link clicking"⁵. This "we were all tricked" resonance subtly dissolved the sense of isolation in real life.

The Dark Side of Memes: The Thin Line from Healing to Division

Although Taiwanese memes have strong healing and social functions, their development also carries potential risks. The entertainment nature of memes may lead to issue drift, shifting public attention from policy issues that should be discussed to fragmented information, masking the seriousness of the problems⁶. In addition, social media algorithms may reinforce echo chamber effects, exacerbating social divisions rather than promoting understanding. When memes are over-commercialized, they may also lose their original healing function, becoming mere consumer symbols⁶.

Conclusion: Memes as a Mirror of Taiwanese Culture

Looking back over thirty years, Taiwanese meme culture reflects the complexity of this island. It is both a creative outburst and a sublimation of helplessness toward structural issues. From PTT's pure text pushes to today's Threads short videos, the form changes, but the core remains the same: we use shared laughter to bear shared vulnerability. In this sense, memes are not just internet jokes; they are the gentlest and most humorous resistance of the Taiwanese people when facing difficulties.

Further Reading

• PTT BBS — The birthplace of most Taiwanese memes and netizen culture

• Ma Ying-jeou Memes — A classic case study of political figure meme-ification

• Senior Citizen Images — Another unique Taiwanese-style online dissemination path

• Taiwan VTuber — Contemporary fusion of virtual characters and meme culture

References