ISSN: 2302-920X

Jurnal Humanis, Fakultas Ilmu Budaya Unud

Vol 16.1 Juli 2016: 219 – 225

Semiotic Study In Minion Memes

Ni Putu Dentisna Krisnayanti1*, I Nyoman Aryawibawa2, Yana Qomariana3 123English Department Faculty Of Letters And Cultures Udayana University 1[[email protected]] 2[[email protected]] 3[[email protected]]

*

Corresponding Author

Abstrak

Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk menganalisa makna dan juga fungsi dari beberapa popular minion memes yang terdapat pada despicablememinions.org dalam bahasa Inggris. Penelitian ini menggunakan dua teori semiotik untuk menjawab dua pokok permasalahan. Adapun teori yang digunakan adalah teori dari Saussure (1983) mengenai signifier (tanda) dan signified (pertanda) serta teori dari Chandler (2001) mengenai fungsi dari tanda. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukan bahwa perbedaan fungsi dan makna dalam memes diakibatkan karena adanya perbedaan tanda dan pertanda dalam karakter dan juga ungkapan yang digunakan pada setiap post. Bahwa setiap karakter memiliki makna dan fungsinya masing-masing apabila dipadukan dengan ungkapan yang tertulis pada meme tersebut.

Kata kunci: minion, meme, makna dan fungsi

  • 1.    Background

The development of entertainment toward internet is unlimited nowadays, especially memes. Memes can be ideas, symbols or practices formed in various forms, such as melodies, catchphrases, clothing fashion or architectural (Shifman, 2011:101). In the beginning when memes appear in media, their characters are not as much as today. Now, people are able to use various types of pictures as memes and usually there are quote on it. One of the interesting characters to discuss is Minion. Since it emergence in the movie “Despicable Me” in 2010 a lot of creative people bring unique characters in the development of the memes. Minions have a lot of expression such as angry, sad, silly, happy, mad and many more.

Internet memes covers very wide scope, therefore it is limited to understanding about (a) the signifier and signified of minion memes and (b) the meaning and function

of minion memes. These are “Kevin”, “Dave“, and “Bob”, five of the most popular character who are emergence in despicablememinion.org as memes then get their fame spread toward many memes website like 9gag.com, memecenter.com and also some social media like Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook etc.

This study is very important because in order to find out the meaning and function of minion memes. Therefore, this study focuses on analyzing the signifiers and signified of each minions meme used in despicablememinions.org by using 3 minion characters to find out the meaning and function of each post.

  • 2.    Problem

  • 1.    What are the signifiers and signified of each minion meme used in despicablememinions.org?

  • 2.    What is the function of each minion memes used in despicablememinions.org?

  • 3.    Aims

This research analysis focuses on finding the language used on memes of minions found in website despicablememinions.org,

  • 1.    To identify the signifiers and signified of each minion meme used in despicablememinions.org

  • 2.    To explain and analyze the function of each minion meme when they are used in despicablememinions.org

  • 4.    Research Methods

    4.1    Data Source

Data source of this study was one of minion meme websites which is www.despicablememinions.org. This study focused on 3 memes as explained before in the background that contain 3 minion characters, they are “Kevin”, “Dave“, and “Bob” characters.

The reason why only these 3 minion characters are used, because they are the most popular in despicablememinions.org and often shared via social networks such Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook etc.

  • 4.2    Methods and Techniques of Collecting Data

In collecting data, library and documenting method were applied. First, library documentation was used to obtain information about semiotic theories, the concepts of signs, and meaning theory. Next, this documenting method was applied to collect the data from despicablememinions.org.

Data were collected from despicablememinions.org were the picture of 3 minion memes characters: “Kevin”, “Dave“, and “Bob” . The two posts in each characters were then selected which ones are appropriate for the study.

  • 4.3    Method and Technique of Analyzing Data

The collected data was used qualitatively, analyzed meaning and function from each symbol and icon that used in minion memes based on theory of semiotics. First, the theories used to analyzing this study are the theory of semiotics from Saussure were used to analyze and find out the signifiers and signified of 3 minion meme characters; “Kevin”, “Dave“, and “Bob”.

In analyzing the signifiers and signified of the minion memes, the features of each characters were analyzed using semiotic theory from Saussure (1983) about signifier and signified. The signifiers of each memes were analyzed to get the signified. Next, the function of each minion memes in the post was analyzed using the theory of semiotics and signs by Chandler (2001).

  • 5.    Result and Discussion

    • 5.1    The Signifiers and Signified of Each Minion Memes Used in despicablememinions.org

This chapter presents the analysis of 3 minion characters in minion memes which post in despicablememinions.org.

  • 5.1.1    Kevin

Kevin meme is one of the Minions which is the protagonist. Kevin has wise performance in the movie. So, that is why Kevin is usually called by Sir Kevin because every minion respects and honours him. This minion character is used quite often in despicablememinions.org posts. Kevin usually appears by looking-up his eyes and chin, the tallest minion, has two-eyed minion, yellow skin and uses blue jeans jumpsuit and black gloves also shoes.

From the signifiers and signified for each features of “Kevin” minion character above, it can be concluded that “Kevin” character indicates facial expression of someone who has confidence and intelegence. With his intelegence this character always feels curious with kind of issues.

  • 5.1.2    Dave

“Dave” character meme is the form of facial human being expression which is used quite often found in despicablememinions.org posts. Dave has two eyes, nice combed hari, flat and have centerparted, yellow skin and uses blue jeans jumpsuit, black gloves also shoes.

From the signifiers and signified for each features of “Dave” memes above, it can be concluded that “Dave” meme indicates a facial expression of someone who is an intelligent, kind, caring, and funny, but sometimes very sloppy.

  • 5.1.3    Bob

  • “ Bob” a minion who is more childish and immature than most. This also character meme is the form of facial human being expression which is used quite often in despicablememinions.org posts. The characterististics and appearance of this meme is described he is two-eyed minion, has yellow skin, bald head small body, uses blue jeans jumpsuit and black gloves also shoes.

From the signifiers and signified for each features of “Bob” memes above, it can be concluded that “Bob” meme indicates a facial expression of someone who childish and immature. This character represent someone innoncent and sincere .

  • 5.2    Analysis the meaning of function in each minion memes

    5.2.1    Kevin Post 1


(5-1)

There are two utterances in Post 2 they are What it says: “Do not touch” and What I read: “Touch when nobody is looking”. The two utterances are actually dialog within the character’s mind. Specifically, his mind talks about the nature of human curiosity. So, he wants to break the rules whenever nobody know. That state in the second utterance "touch when nobody looking". It seems like in our daily life for example, doodling in a wall that have a clear sign stating a prohibition to do so or, pressing a red button that clearly no one allowed, except under certain command.

So, the message is that the post is to represent human curiosity towards forbidden things, describing about how a forbidden sign encouraging our mind to do anything opposite from the rules. And this meme, actually inspired by the popular quote from Douglas MacArthur (general of army AS, 1950) which said "Rules are meant to be broken."

  • 5.2.2    Dave Post 2

I’m still waiting for the day my parents will say, “It’s all fake, we are OO millionaires, . this was just

⅛


to teach you to be humble”

LitspicailtMcMinwiisxrg

(5-2)


There are two utterances in Post 3 they are I’m stil waiting for the day my parents will say, and “It’s all fake, we are millionaires, this was just to teach you to be humble” The two utterances are self conversation in character’s mind. From both utterances state unsatisfying life tend to make us dreaming about a better life, such as the poor want to be wealthy.

So, the message in the post is to remind us about human bad habit which is always complaining because unsatisfying life. This meme tells us to stop complaining since it cannot change anything unless we change our self to be a better person. This meme also serves as a joke and entertainment purposes.

  • 5.2.3    Bob Post 3

I am in competition with no one. I have no


desire to play the game of being better anyone.

I am simply

trying to be than the


person i was yesterday.

There are three utterances in Post 9. They are "I am in competition with no one" , "I have no desire to play the game of being better than anyone". and I am 224

simply trying to be better than the person I was yesterday " . All utterances are actually perspective within the character’s mind. Specifically, his mind says that he declares do not want to have competition with anyone . He prefers to try to be a better person than he was yesterday.

So, the message in the post is to represent about the measurement of success based on the comparison between who we are today with our past. Everyone should challenge to be better person than they were in past by focusing on theirself first. \

  • 6.    Conclusion

This study has discussed the three minion characters which are post as minion memes in despicablememinions.org, Kevin, Dave and Bob. From the feature or the signifiers of each minion meme characters, can be known the meaning and function of each memes. Every character on the post give different meaning and also function. Kevin showing general function about curiosity memes, Dave showing function of satirical but in entertainment purposes memes, and the last Bob showing function of motivational memes.

  • 7.    Bibliography

Chandler, Daniel. 2001. Semiotics for Beginners. (Accessed in October 4, 2015, from

http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/S4B/sem01.html)

Dawkins, Richard. 2006. The Selfish Gene. New York: Oxford university Press

Hornby, A. S. 2005. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary: yth Edition. London: Oxford University Press

Rakhmat, Jalaluddin.2007. Psikologi Komunikasi. Bandung: PT Remaja Rosdakarya Publisher

Despicablememinions.org

225