Peter Fine: The man behind the memes

JORDAN MOSHE

“Jews deal with difficulty and tragedy either by talking about it or finding humour in it,” explains Fine. “I find that creating memes allows me to blow off steam and have a good laugh about a situation.”

The world of South African politics, the exploits of the Gupta family and any other topical subject can serve as a source of inspiration for this meme creator. It was only a few months ago that Fine created his first meme and decided to share it with others who might appreciate it.

“I had a funny thought one day and I wanted to share it. Instead of expressing it in words only, I felt it needed a photo. I shared it on a WhatsApp joke group with a few people, and it was well received.”

He created a few more memes as time passed, and it wasn’t long before he realised that his amusing creations were receiving considerable exposure. Fine continued to share his memes via WhatsApp and then Facebook, and often found that they came full circle.

“I once received my own meme from a friend whose sister-in-law in Australia had sent it to him. He thought I’d appreciate the humour, and I realised that I was looking at my own picture. It was very surprising.”

He continued to generate memes from sporadic thoughts that crossed his mind. Sometimes he would mull them over, considering how best to share them; at other times he would create them in a matter of minutes.

He sometimes has to refine the thought, or even censor it in certain instances, but he never overthinks or dwells on it for too long.

“I’m a cartoonist who doesn’t know how to draw,” he jokes. “All I really do is give expression to an idea that comes into my head and share it with people.

“It’s something along the same lines as a quip I might make to a friend next to me in shul, but with a picture that captures it.”

In his humour, Fine has also been known to grapple with more sensitive and controversial issues, including the Stan and Pete saga that’s played out over the past week. “Like the land expropriation issue, the Stan and Pete story was being discussed by everyone, and so many rumours were doing the rounds.

“Some people don’t like to see a particular issue being made light of, and so my memes about the situation were not well received by a few people. Some of them left the WhatsApp group.

“I also received an admonishing email from a member of the community, expressing displeasure in what I had done. The memes were borne out of the rumours and speculation, and if there was communication, we wouldn’t need speculation.”

Still, Fine explains that his intention is never to offend or hurt anyone who sees his memes. “I make these things to express my feelings about a subject or what people are saying about it,” he says.

“I don’t look to make people upset or anything like that. I have received some negative responses to my memes from time to time, when people say I’ve gone too far or dealt with something too sensitive. I am always willing to offer an apology and step away from a ‘holy cow’ when necessary.”

However, he creates these memes when seized by inspiration, and says he intends to continue until his brain stops having new ideas. “I tried to stop once,” he says, chuckling. “I really did. But my brain wouldn’t let me. The ideas just kept coming. So, I keep on creating the memes and sharing them with others.”

And his efforts continue to be appreciated. “I’ve received a lot of positive feedback,” says Fine. “People respond via WhatsApp with emojis and encouragement, and some like and share the memes via Facebook. Not everyone responds to them when I send them, but it doesn’t matter.

“This is a way for me to express how I feel about a particular issue, add a comedic angle to it and share it with a wider audience. I have no exclusive rights to any subject but try to find a laugh where it may exist.”