12
Focus
November 2O21
A TRIP DOWN “MEME”RY LANE Internet memes and trends through the past decade Infographic by Jaidyn Holt and Sarah Lin
NYAN CAT
DOB: April 2, 2011 BY: Chris Torres ON: LOL-COMICS
DOUBLE RAINBOW
SAD KEANU
Man’s reaction to a double rainbow in Yosemitebear Mountain DOB: Jan 8, 2010 BY: Paul Vasquez
PLANKING
DOB:: May 2010 BY:: Paparazzi Ron Asadorian
DUMB WAYS TO DIE
ORIGIN: Nov 14, 2012, Metro Trains Melbourne’s rail safety PSA posted; reached iTunes top 10 chart within days; first game app reached #1 in 22 countries. POP CULTURE:: Most awarded game in history of Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity: 28 Lions, including 5 Grand Prix
FRIDAY
DOB: Mar 14, 2011 BY: Rebecca Black
ORIGIN 1997, Taunton, England, kids ORIGIN: Gary Clarkson & Christian Langdon’s "lying down game," 2007, Daniel Hoppin’s Facebook page for it; 2008, Adelaide, Australia, Sam Weckert, Darcy McCann, & Kym Berry termed “Planking” CULTURE: Sept 2009, Great Western POP CULTURE Hospital employees suspended for planking on duty; May 2011, Australian Acton Beale fell and died planking on balcony CONTROVERSY: Some argue it is related to The Middle Passage
DOGE
GANGNAM STYLE
DOB: Feb 13, 2010 (photo of Atsuko Sato’s dog Kabosu posted), Sept 2012 (reposted) BY: Shiba Confession
DOB: July 15, 2012 BY: PSY
THE CINNAMON CHALLENGE
ORIGIN: Dec 21, 2002, first on web by Michael Buffington & Erik Goodlad; April 2, 2006, oldest YouTube video POP CULTURE: 12th series of Big Brother UK; NBA players Nick Young & JaVale McGee; GloZell Green’s soup ladle got 50 million+ views; 2012, Discovery Channel’s MythBusters cast; 2015 Fox's Family Guy DANGER: Risk of choking, burning, vomiting, pneumonia, liver & kidney poisoning, and lung collapse/damage; 100+ calls to American poison control centers Jan-Mar 2012
THE ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE
ORIGIN: Pro golfer Chris Kennedy challenged Jeanette Senerchia who posted on Facebook; spread to Pat Quin & Pete Frates; July 2014, first media attention when pro golfer Greg Norman challenged NBC Today’s Matt Lauer. POP CULTURE: Aug 7, Copley Square Boston, hundreds publicly challenge New York and Los Angeles; Aug 18, Tonight Show’s Jimmy Falon; Aug 25, Leonardo DiCaprio; Aug 29, donations to ALS Association reach �100 million. DANGER: Cases of injury; at least one indirectly related death.
FLAPPY BIRD
DOB: May 24, 2013 BY: Dong Nguyen
