We spoke to uniofmanchestermemes about what it’s like to run a uni meme page

And finally aired our grievances

2 years ago

Sure, memes haven’t been cool since 2017, but who among us can say they haven’t been drawn to a scatter chart that guesses one’s political persuasion based off of UoM library choice?

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Today we interviewed a student who has mastered the art of procrastination. Instead of work, @uniofmanchestermemes dedicates her time to creating humorous memes poking fun at the minutiae of student life in Manchester.

We may not get to reveal her identity but the student behind the account has given us the crucial information that they are a second year in the school of social sciences and that they are a woman. An elusive start.

Despite being a busy social scientist, she is the brains behind what is “the original and best UoM meme page”, a self-bestowed title that some may argue undermines the credibility of her argument. That is, until you get to scrolling.

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How (and why?) does one go about starting a uni meme page?

The account was born in lockdown and, in a touching tribute to her Fallow fanbase, the student tells the Manchester Tab: “I started the page just to entertain people and provide a bit of a sense of community I guess.”

A further indication of the good natured spirit of our meme creator, @uniofmanchestermemes is an account for the people: “I’ve also found that it’s a pretty good way of making people aware of issues like with online learning and what’s going on around campus. Recently, I’ve been talking a lot about the SU elections because I think I have the opportunity to encourage people to take an interest in things happening in uni that aren’t just their studies.”

But how are the SU candidates getting in touch? How is our anonymous admin making her money?

“People DM me [about election endorsements] but I make the decision based off manifestos rather than seeing who DM’d me first. They don’t pay me for it though.

“Otherwise, sometimes I get paid for promoting pages or events but I don’t earn enough for it to be a part time job or anything. It’s just for a laugh really but I would like a job in marketing after uni so it might help.”

Where do your memes come from?

Apparently the account’s memes are not a product of divine inspiration but are rather born from a list of Manchester specific scenarios in the admin’s notes app. She says she makes most of the content herself but, if people send her stuff she really likes (or sees it on other meme pages), it’s fair game to steal.

It follows that we had to ask @uniofmanchestermemes if she has had any beef with other Manchester meme accounts. “I did a while ago when someone was stealing my content.”

Which are the ones you’re proudest of?

“I’m proudest of the longer ones like the I’m a Celebrity one and they do tend to do the best, but they also take me the longest to make.”

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Here there was a frosty turn in the interview. Scrolling through the meme page as I ignored her responses, I spotted a few memes that were out of place. I had been a wreck of chortles and guffaws until spotting this distasteful example:

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Anti-Tab propaganda, eh? Whoever this Murdoch chap is I’ve never heard of him. If he truly owned any part of The Tab (spoiler: he doesn’t) would I be allowed to say that? Unlikely. Well @uniofmanchestermemes, I challenge you in your own area of expertise.

Credit: Meg

Still, upon confrontation @uniofmanchestermemes, quivering on the floor, told me her jests were all in good faith.

I held out a hand and helped her to stand. So, one final question: What makes a truly comedic Manchester meme?

“I think the best ones are the ones that just most accurately reflect the experiences of UoM students. The little things like getting lost on the way to your lecture in Sam Alex or the weekly (or daily) trip to NZ wines for drinks.”

Boasting 7.2k followers at the time of writing, @uniofmanchestermemes is sticking around for the foreseeable future. Though once producing memes about her plans to take a year abroad, the admin has told us her travel plans are no longer. With a few years left of her degree, and clearly nothing better to do with her time, it seems a follow might be in order.