Exploring the world of meme characters often leads us to the pivotal decision: to Smash or Pass. This age-old internet game has us deciding if we favor or disfavor popular meme icons based on various criteria, ranging from their comedic value to their cultural impact. Let's dive into some classic and emerging meme characters to determine our verdicts.
Classic Meme Icons
Grumpy Cat
Smash for her unparalleled contribution to meme culture. Grumpy Cat, with her eternally disgruntled expression, has become a symbol of cynicism and sass. Originating from a 2012 Reddit post, she quickly ascended to meme royalty, spawning countless memes that highlight the everyday frustrations of life with her iconic frown. Grumpy Cat's impact is measurable: she has a book deal, a range of merchandise, and even a movie, showcasing the vast reach of her meme legacy.
Pepe the Frog
Pass due to the controversial appropriation by various online communities. Pepe began as a harmless character in Matt Furie's "Boy's Club" comics in 2005 but was hijacked by different internet factions in the mid-2010s, leading to his symbolization in various unsavory contexts. Despite this, Pepe's image as a meme transcends these appropriations, embodying a wide range of emotions and situations in internet culture.
Rising Meme Stars
Doge
Smash for the sheer joy and positivity this Shiba Inu brings to the meme landscape. Doge, with its internal monologue captions in Comic Sans, encapsulating thoughts of wonder, amazement, and silly contemplations, has been a beacon of light-hearted humor since its rise in 2013. Doge's impact includes sparking the creation of a cryptocurrency, Dogecoin, initially started as a joke but which has seen real financial transactions.
"Woman Yelling at a Cat" Meme
Smash for the meme's ability to encapsulate dual emotions perfectly. This meme combines an image of a distressed woman from "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" with a picture of a confused cat sitting at a table. The juxtaposition has led to its use in depicting humorous contrasts and has been applied in various contexts, from pop culture commentary to lighthearted personal anecdotes.
Niche Favorites
Longcat
Smash for Longcat's contribution to the early internet meme culture. Originating from a simple photo of a white cat whose body seemed impossibly elongated, Longcat became a symbol of absurdity and whimsy online. The meme's simplicity and adaptability have made it a lasting figure in meme history, often invoked in discussions of internet nostalgia.
Dat Boi
Pass for its relatively short-lived impact compared to others. Dat Boi, a 3D-animated green frog on a unicycle, became popular in 2016 with the catchphrase "Here comes dat boi! O shit waddup!" Despite its initial popularity, Dat Boi's appeal was fleeting, and it didn't have the lasting cultural impact of other meme characters.
In the realm of meme characters, the decision to Smash or Pass often hinges on personal taste, the character's cultural impact, and their adaptability to various contexts. These characters, from the classics to the newcomers, illustrate the diverse and evolving nature of internet meme culture.