Paul's Literature Review
Two main patterns are evident from the meme evolution timelines … The first is a movement from techie to general user texts … later versions [of the meme] are more understandable to the lay user. The second pattern is a zigzag movement - with the masculine versions emerging first, followed by apparently feminine “answers” that are similar to the masculine ones in their structure.
Shifman & Thelwall, Assessing Global Diffusion with Web Memetics: The Spread and Evolution of a Popular Joke