Meme Report 1/19
Elmo vs Rocco, cont.
It is so hard to be the Cassandra of memes. I can see these things coming from a thousand miles away. Anybody can hate a meme, anybody can call something annoying. But to do what I do? To accurately predict what demographic is going to get too attached to something, giving it a meteoric rise that will burn too bright too quickly and be immediately exploited, is hard. I am well practiced and well versed. I’ve seen it all before and I see it coming again but no one ever listens. If you’re looking to avoid this, I’m always available for private consultations. Don’t make the same mistakes as others before you. Don’t wait until it gets this bad.
Ye with Julia Fox, Madonna and Floyd Mayweather
Everyone needs to get better at recognizing what it looks like when people are on drugs. I am not accusing anyone specific in that video of being on any specific drug. I don’t know and simply cannot say anything for sure. However when you see a video of people sitting around a room and nothing is really happening and the “vibe is off” chances are, at the very least, a couple people smoked weed. There is the added element of the camera. We want celebrities to be more fun in private but nothing kills the vibe faster than whipping out a camera. In addition, Madonna seems like she could be a real buzzkill. This video is not surprising or particularly perplexing to me the way it is to most. I’ve been enjoying the Julia Fox/Kanye press cycles but this was a low point, mostly because it was boring. It feels like we’re supposed to be hungry for more content on them but I’m going to need them to hold back for a while. There’s news every day and they’ve only been dating for three weeks.
Lady Gaga Roundtable
It is awards season. It’s a big one since last year things were a bit deflated. We are gifted with a strong Best Actress race and we get to see some of our favorites celebrities do awards season press. This week that culminated in two of my favorite things, Lady Gaga lying and Roundtables. These are the chocolate and peanut butter of awards season. Combining beautifully to make incredible content. Every year a roundtable clip goes viral and they remain my favorite thing about this season. Upwards of six actors, directors, and writers talking about the craft of filmmaking, but more importantly coworkers with minor beef having to interact. Here it is clear, who is a real artist, who is a moron, and who is both. Lady Gaga adds a new element to these because she is first and foremost a singer. She is absolutely entitled to her Cher/Madonna/Tim McGraw awards play acting career and she’s doing a great job. She’s killing it. She’s exactly the kind of celebrity she wants to be and I’m all the more charmed by her trying so hard and wanting it so bad.
Tiktok
There Was No Other Way…. The World Had To Be Fixed
Not every cultural reset is for the better. We get to the heart of that idea here. If we could all go back in time, and stop whatever major event with a disastrous butterfly effect from happening, we would. The world has to be fixed. There are many pieces of content that remain in the online parlance and one that will never leave, is Deathnote. It provides a wealth of content for both backdrop and detail. This is another great addition to the internet on behalf of deathnote. It’s also fun how creative people are being with this trend. Usually TikToks develop an identical visual style. If a background or filter is associated with a sound and meme, most people use the same one. This meme, however has a wide range of backgrounds and rather than detract from a cohesive narrative that the collective can engage with, allows for creativity within the forms. I’d like to see more of that.
Smash…. Wait What Was The Game
This meme is in its infancy. There’s still time to mold what it will become. I want to urge us to take into account all this sound has to offer. It is not just about being attracted to someone or something weird. It is about misunderstanding the rules and also being a little bit horny. Smash or pass was never on the table but you still needed to specify that you would smash. Context is important and should be emphasized. This sound is a little different than just a straightforward “I’m attracted to this cartoon character.” We’ve done enough of that and it’s so basic. Let’s up the ante a little bit.
This meme feels like something that has to happen. It is neither good nor bad. Just a part of the scenery. People who love to cry and talk about how much they love crying and how often they do it need something to do between all that crying. I’m glad they have this meme to talk about it. Not my personal favorite or even generally enjoyable but it’s less offensive to me than the brain dead Euphoria discourse which I actually engage with and willingly participate in.
When [x] Starts Laughing A Little Too Hard
This is a meme for my people, Meanies. People who are calculating in their attacks and have their ammo ready to go when things get a little too personal. They are subtweets about the creator's real friends and acquaintances and we are all now privy to the drama. This meme shows how far we’re willing to go. What's the worst thing someone could think to say? What’s the wound we’ve yet to rub salt in? How many people are willing to admit to this behavior or at least admit that it’s funny? I certainly am and enjoying seeing just how bad we all are.