Think about it. You are citing a piece of internet history that might disappear tomorrow. That’s wild. You’re essentially freezing a moment in time. And you’re doing it without knowing who created it.
It’s like finding a message in a bottle. You don’t know who wrote it. But you still know it’s from the ocean. Your citation is the map that shows where that bottle floated.
Every anonymous website is a tiny mystery. You are the librarian-sleuth who solves it. You give it a proper home in your paper.
The "Clickbait" Exception
Let’s get real. Some websites are pure clickbait. "Top 10 Cats Who Look Like Albert Einstein." No author. Ever. But you still need to cite it if you use it.
Imagine citing that. Your teacher reads it. They chuckle. It’s a weirdly human moment. MLA format brings you closer to the chaotic mess of the internet.
And yes, you can cite a meme page. As long as it has a title, a date, and a URL. No author required. Your professor might raise an eyebrow. But the rule is the rule.
MLA Citations
