Memes have certainly become embedded within our culture. Most people find them to be a humorous, fun way to share jokes, especially over the Internet, though some others find them to be annoying and unamusing. And while some argue memes are dying out, they still have a popular role in our society.
There are instances in which memes were being used for another reason besides humor, such as when the government tried to use them (specifically the Doge meme) a couple years back. The Department of Health and Human Services agreed to “borrow the Doge meme” to sell Obamacare.
And now, Pepe the Frog has made an appearance in rather serious terms. For those who don’t know the meme, Pepe is a green frog (iconically depicted mostly by his head) who is best known for his “feels good man” phrase. The character originated from a comic back in 2006 by Matt Furie; however, he gained popularity through 4chan (and the rest is history).
After Donald Trump decided to use the meme himself about a year ago, an anonymous white nationalist began to utilize Pepe the Frog in hopes that he could “reclaim” the character from mainstream people. It didn’t take long for inappropriate versions of Pepe the Frog to appear.
Cartoonist and creator of Pepe, Matt Furie, said he was upset his character is being deployed for such negative reasons. He never foresaw his character being tied in with politics or hate groups. Furie also said he hopes Pepe the Frog could become a symbol of youth culture and be depicted in positive manners.
No one can predict what other wacky things will arise this election season, but as long as Trump is involved, it’s guaranteed to be truly absurd.
