The Meme Page That Made Hong Kong
THE CHOW speaks to legendary memer Nancy Lim of @hkmehmeh, discussing her media tastes within and beyond social media, how she started making content, and why she keeps returning to the internet.
What are our cities if not for their meme pages? In global metropoles, like Bali, London, Amsterdam, and (of course) Hong Kong, meme pages take “a role similar to the one once occupied by largely defunct alt-weekly publications,” writes Kyle Chayka in The New Yorker. It is something akin to the local bulletin board, where a city or town’s archetypes are defined, norms are determined, and urban phenomena are uploaded online for the world to see. When I first moved to Hong Kong, meme pages were how I first read and understood the city that I would soon call home: I learned minibus etiquette (before I ever rode one), Hong Kong secondary school lore (despite having never attended one), and what the 港女 was (before ever meeting one). And @hkmehmeh was the first page I followed.
Started by Nancy Lim, @hkmehmeh is a English-language meme page that has been a defining force in Hong Kong’s culture for years. Started in 2017 and now with over 70k followers on Instagram, @hkmehmeh uses memes to poke fun at realities and stereotypes in the city. Key features of her humor include teasing expats and acting as her 港女 alter ego named Carmen Lam. During the city’s pivotal moments over the last few years—particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic—Nancy’s page has been a central page to voice grievances and discuss public issues. In 2020, she also started a Nike sweatshirt spin-off by the name of “Just Diu It.” Nancy’s memes have been widely-recognized, earning profiles in LifestyleAsia, TimeOut, and #legend, and brand partnerships with city staples like Nutrition Kitchen. She’s currently working on a new comedy event in the city, so stay tuned.
THE CHOW sits down with the legendary meme-r to discuss her media tastes within and beyond social media, how she started making content, and why she keeps returning to the internet.
PATRICK KHO: What were the first memes that really made an impact on you? How did they shape your sense of humor and internet tastes?
NANCY LIM: 7 years ago, there were only a few sets of standard meme templates that people were using — unlike today, where a new meme format pops up every week or every other week. With the slower pace back then, it was easier to spot the lack of content for Cantonese culture and Hong Kong-related memes or posts. That’s what really pushed me to start the @hkmehmeh page, seeing that gap in the market. Now, after the introduction of Reels, everyone has access to the same tools to share more information about Hong Kong in their own way, but it was quite different then.
What’s your Instagram explore page full of these days? (I won’t judge, promise!)
I am embarrassed to say that when I open up my explore page now, I don’t really see many memes like I used to several years ago, when I first started. Now, it’s full of home interior content as well as lots of fuzzy round animals. I think my explore page screams typical 30-something-year-old lady. Boring, boo!
What kind of media do you consume outside the internet?
I was pretty late to hop on the Ted Lasso bandwagon. A brilliant, well-written TV show — light-hearted but full of great stories. Haven’t laughed so hard watching something in a long time.
If I’m not watching TV, I spend most of my day watching YouTube videos. Recently, I’ve been obsessed with the ‘Kill Tony’ show, which is the most American and most unhinged podcast I’ve listened to in a long time. It is a competitive comedy showcase that prides itself on being a space where comics can be as crass, nasty and rude as they want to be.
The internet is a wild and scary place sometimes. But besides the crippling internet addiction facing many millennials and Gen Z, what keeps you coming back?
As someone who doesn’t take anything too seriously, the online world is my safe space. Even with the recent headlines and subsequent memes surrounding the United Healthcare CEO incident, the internet remains for honest and unfiltered expression. There’s a lot of grim stuff happening around the world, and it doesn’t hurt to just laugh a little.
My feed’s been looking a little dry lately. Recommend an Instagram page for me?
@pomkori – why? Just because. I laugh-cry every time I visit that page.
It’s always en vogue to support local businesses. Any Hong Kong brands or restaurants you want to give a shoutout to?
Oh, I might hate myself for sharing this but I’ve been obsessed with this local brand called ‘Lemon King’. They sell dried lemon slices that you put into hot water to drink as lemon tea. I KNOW I SOUND LIKE A BORING OLD OFFICE LADY, but it is THE bomb! I bulk buy whenever stock is replenished (it sells out most of the time).