Big Bird and binders: Election memes explained

If you’ve been on Facebook recently, you’ve heard the term “binders” bandied about. A lot. ”Whether it’s a quote or a video clip or an advertisement, any media that gets passed around on the internet — when that media changes in form or meaning, that would be considered an internet meme,” says Brad Kim, editor at Know Your Meme, a website devoted to explaining and charting memes. As a tight election race winds to a close, the presidential and VP debates launch a new meme just about every week: first Big Bird, then laughing Joe Biden, and now “binders full of women.” Check out just how far these memes have traveled — and how they might impact the campaigns.