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#2

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#3

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Bored Panda got in touch with Matthew Ponesse, Professor of History at Ohio Dominican University who created and still runs the page. Given that it has thousands and thousands of followers, we wanted to hear his opinion on what makes it so popular.

“I think humor is the main attraction. There is so much stress and anxiety in our daily lives. I think my page offers a bit of relief from the daily challenges that we all face. Secondly, the nature of communication has changed drastically in the last decade. People value memes not only as a source of entertainment, but for how they respond to current events or social phenomena.”

#4

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“Memes provide a light-hearted or irreverent commentary on the issues of our day. I try to stay on top of current affairs and cultural changes, and occasionally respond to them through my memes. Lastly, I think people are fascinated by the unknown. There is much about the Middle Ages that people are unfamiliar with. When brought into contact with our culture, medieval ideas and images can appear bizarre, strange, and hilarious, especially when taken out of context.”

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#8

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#9

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Naturally, we wanted to hear more about why he chose to focus on the Medieval ages in particular. “When I was younger, I was fascinated by the differences of medieval life. Castles and knights, serfs and peasants, pilgrims and heretics. It all seemed so fantastic and otherworldly. However, as I came to learn about the Middle Ages, I began to notice how very little humans have changed over time.”

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