Memes

For this blog post I am going to be discussing the popularized “Pepe the Frog” meme. The one I specifically chose shows Pepe crying because “mom says no” and then drinking a glass of champagne because “dad says yes.” I chose this meme because it is incredibly relatable, although it is often the other way around in my house

Origins:

Although Pepe the Frog became popular in the realm of memes in 2014 when Katy Perry tweeted an image of him, the character itself dates back to 2005. Pepe the Frog is an anthropomorphic frog character on the comedy series “Boys Club.” The character became viral on the internet in 2008 when he pulled down his pants to urinate and was used with the quote “feels good man” (Know Your Meme).

Spread:

Although the origins of the character date back to 2005, the true popularity began in 2008 with the “feels good man” photographs. At the time, meme culture wasn’t as prevalent however, it still gained a lot of traction on the internet because @fart posted the comic to their site. A year later a new rendition of the “feels good man” became popular, however, this time it was “feels bad man.” Fast forward to 2014 and there was a Tumblr account created called “PepeTheFrogBlog” and an Instagram “Pepe the Frog.” In addition, a Facebook page was created (Know your meme).

Notable Usage:

Throughout the time since the meme was created, it has gained a lot of attention from celebrities and popular influencer accounts. Below are a collection of the most famous instances of Pepe as a meme. Celebrities who have posted the meme include Katy Perry, Donald Trump, and Nicki Minaj. Further, Weny’s and the Russian Embassy have also posted the meme.

Message:

The message behind this meme is most definitely up for interpretation. However, in looking at its most popular usages, it is clear that Pepe is a depiction of various emotions: exhaustion, laughter, stress, happiness, and sadness to name a few. Further, the meme is also used as a means to translate messages to the public about serious topics in a less serious way.

Controversy:

As per the nature of memes, Pepe the frog is often viewed as humorous. However, it is important to note that the meme also caused some cultural controversy. In September of 2016 the meme became a part of the Anti-Defamation Leagues database of hate symbols. Pepe was depicted as Hitler and a member of the white supremacist group, the KKK with graphics of swastikas and the blood cross of the KKK (BBC, 2016). This example shows how memes have cultural implications beyond just humor

Conclusion:

Looking at the history of Pepe the Frog and his journey from cartoon character to popularized internet meme shows how the internet as a form of mass media enables us to take something such as an character and make it applicable to different facets of daily life. The creator of the character did not realize that his cartoon frog would become such a popularized and copied internet phenomenon.

My Own Meme: