If you are looking for a deep dive into how meme sounds function, these three papers cover the most significant angles:
: Sounds used to instantly signal a mood (e.g., the "Sad Trombone" for disappointment or "Ba Dum Tss" for a punchline). meme_sound_effects
: First used in the 1951 film Distant Drums , it became an industry "in-joke" before evolving into a quintessential internet meme sound. If you are looking for a deep dive
Researchers generally categorize meme sound effects into a few functional groups: meme_sound_effects
: This paper explores how "audio memes" act as emotional templates . It explains that repetitive sounds immediately inform a viewer’s feelings about a video before they even see the visual content.