Bottom Line: One of the Internet’s oldest memes, Star Wars Kid is also a prime example of how leaked footage, Kazaa and bad luck can transform into an Internet sensation.

On November 4, 2002 the student made a video of himself swinging a golf ball retriever around as a weapon. The video was filmed at his high school studio, and the tape left in a basement. Inadvertently, he taped it over a portion of a basketball game (as seen extremely briefly at the end of the clip). The original owner of the videotape discovered it and immediately shared it with friends. Thinking that it would be a funny prank, one of them encoded it to a WMV file and published it over the Kazaa peer-to-peer file sharing network. It was also hosted on a personal website. Within two weeks, the file had been downloaded several million times. An adapted version of the video was created, adding Star Wars music, texts, and lightsaber lights and sounds to his golf ball retriever. As of November 27, 2006 it was estimated by The Viral Factory that the videos had been viewed over 900 million times, making it the most popular “viral video” on the Internet.

Meme Anatomy: Embarrassment, Kids, Pop Culture, WTF

Urban Dictionary

An overweight Star Wars fan from Quebec. He taped himself pretending to fight a lightsaber battle (every time I try to see it I’m redirected grrr) which is supposed to be so bad it’s funny. Some of his “friends” uploaded the video to the net. Soon 5 million people saw him. Oh dear.

[Link]

Other Sources

Videos: Star Wars Kid

Pictures: Star Wars Kid

Meme Strength

Video Search Results: 10,300 – 4
Photo Search Results: 31,000 – 4
Search Volume: 2,240,000 – 4
Blog Search Results: 67,607 – 3.5
News Search Results: 661 – 3.5

Overall Rating: 3.8 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: Miss Teen South Carolina is a classic embarrassment meme with its basis in television. It has gone down in history as one of the most memorable quotations of 2007 and goes to prove that whenever you combine live television and semi-coherent ramblings a meme is on the horizon.

As part of a question and answer portion of the 2007 Miss Teen USA pageant, Upton was asked by the questioner, Friday Night Lights actress Aimee Teegarden, “Recent polls have shown a fifth of Americans can’t locate the U.S. on a world map. Why do you think this is so?”

Upton responded:

I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uh, some, people out there in our nation don’t have maps and, uh, I believe that our, uh, education like such as, uh, South Africa and, uh, the Iraq, everywhere like such as, and, I believe that they should, our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S., uh, or, uh, should help South Africa and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries, so we will be able to build up our future, for our . . . .

According to YouTube, video clips of her response on the website have had over 40 million views. It was the site’s most viewed video for the month of September 2007. Many YouTube users made their own parodies of the incident. The Yale Book of Quotations designated the response the second most memorable quote of 2007.

[Link]

Meme Anatomy: Pop Culture, Embarrassment

Urban Dictionary

A title associated with Lauren Caitlin Upton, Miss South Carolina in the Miss Teen USA Pageant 2007, made famous by her answer to the following question asked by Amiee Teegarden:

“Recent polls have shown a fifth of American’s can’t locate the U.S. on a world map. Why do you think this is?”

Other Sources

Videos: Miss Teen South Carolina

Pictures: Miss Teen South Carolina

Meme Strength

Video Search Results: 4,320 – 3
Photo Search Results: 17,400 – 4
Search Volume: 63,900 – 2.5
Blog Search Results: 7,660 – 2.5
News Search Results: 250 – 3

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: World of Warcraft has consumed the lives of millions of adoring fans, it was only a matter of time before it become a meme in its own right. Leeroy Jenkins combines the Internet’s love of borderline psychosis with the star power that is WoW.

The video was released by the World of Warcraft player guild “PALS FOR LIFE.” It features a group of players discussing a detailed battle strategy for the next encounter while one of their party, Leeroy, is away from his computer. Their plan is ruined when Leeroy returns and, ignorant of the strategy, immediately charges headlong into battle shouting his own name as a battle cry. His companions rush to help, but Leeroy’s actions ruin the meticulous plan, and all of the group members are killed.

The Internet phenomenon started with the release of the video clip to the World of Warcraft game forum in a thread entitled “UBRS (vid) ROOKERY OVERPOWERED! blue please.,” which jokingly presented the video in a serious context. The thread requested that other players provide help with strategy and that Blizzard reduce the difficulty of the encounter. The video spread as an internet meme, and Leeroy’s response to the other players chastisements, “at least I have chicken,” was also much parodied.

When asked about his actions in the video by National Public Radio, Ben Schultz said: “We were drinking 40s and just yelling at each other.

Meme Anatomy: Pop Culture, Overreactions, WTF

Urban Dictionary

1. Leeroy Jenkins is a character from the game World of Warcraft (WoW). He is the main ’star’ in the leeroy jenkins video, where he apparently was warming up leftover chicken in his microwave, came back and had not payed attention that his Guild (Pals for Life) was not ready to run in and attempt to complete a Raid, and they all ran in after him, and died.

The famous line is “LEERROYYY JEENKIINNSS” while leeroy runs in and makes him and his whole guild die. Some of the other things that are said are: “Goddammit leeroy”, “you do this every time”, “you’re so stupid”, and the ever so famous last bit of the video, “at least I have chicken”, indicating he was heating up the leftover chicken.

The Guild has not yet stated whether or not the video is fake. Some say it is, and you can see certain images showing it was setup, while others believe it is 100% legit.

This video has millions of views on YouTube, and almost every internet user knows of it. The video is famous for it’s randomness and chaos. You really have to watch the video to understand it.

[Link]

Other Sources

Videos: Leeroy Jenkins

Pictures: Leeroy Jenkins

Meme Strength

Video Search Results: 6,310 – 3.5
Photo Search Results: 708 – 2.5
Search Volume: 418,000 – 3
Blog Search Results: 16,481 – 3
News Search Results: 66 – 2.5

Overall Rating: 2.9 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: A classic movie meme that involves overreactions and Samuel L Jackson. What more could you ask for?

The film gained a considerable amount of attention before its release, forming large fan bases online and becoming an Internet phenomenon, due to the film’s title and premise. In response to the Internet fan base, New Line Cinema incorporated feedback from online users into its production, and added five days of reshooting. Before and after the film was released, it was parodied and alluded to on television shows and films, fan-made videos, video games, and various forms of literature.

Many of the early fan-made trailers and later other viral videos and commercials circulated via YouTube, and captured media attention there with such titles as: “Cats on a Plane”(which was featured in Joel Siegel’s review of “Snakes” on “Good Morning America”), “Snakes Who Missed The Plane”, “All Your Snakes Are Belong To Us” (a spoof of the All your base are belong to us phenomenon), and “Steaks on a Train”. Several websites also held contests about the film in fan-submitted short films and posters. On July 6, 2006, the official Snakes on a Plane website started a promotional sweepstakes called the “The #1 Fan King Cobra Sweepstakes”. The contest makes innovative use of the publicity-generating potential of the Internet, requiring contestants to post links on forums, blogs, and websites and collecting votes from the users of those sites. The winner was Max Goldberg, owner of YTMND, who opted to split the prize with the second place winner.

Meme Anatomy: Celebrity, Iconic Catchphrase, Pop Culture, Overreactions

Urban Dictionary

A simple existential observation that has the same meaning as “Whaddya gonna do?” or “Shit Happens”. Taken from the upcoming Samuel L. Jackson movie of the same name, and immortilised by screenwriter Josh Friedman on his blog post of Wednesday, August 17, 2005.

[Link]

Other Sources

Videos: Snakes On A Plane

Pictures: Snakes On A Plane

Meme Strength

Video Search Results: 8,900 – 3.5
Photo Search Results: 120,000 – 5
Search Volume: 7,640,000 – 4.5
Blog Search Results: 1,177,263 – 5
News Search Results: 7,950 – 4.5

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: Rick Rolling is a message board spawned meme that combines the Internet’s love of musical comedy with the joy of getting one over on someone. Add to that the 1980s kitsch of Rick Astley and a meme is born.

Rickrolling is an Internet meme typically involving the music video for the 1987 Rick Astley song “Never Gonna Give You Up”. The meme is a bait and switch: a person provides a web link that they claim is relevant to the topic at hand, but the link actually takes the user to the Astley video. The URL can be masked or obfuscated in some manner so that the user cannot determine the true destination of the link without clicking. When a person clicks on the link and is led to the web page, he or she is said to have been “Rickrolled”.

As the practice has spread, two of the various Rickrolling videos available online have been viewed more than 39 million times combined. These figures track the total number of visits, not individual viewers. Rickrolling has extended beyond Web links to playing the video or song disruptively in other situations, including public places; this culminated when Astley and the song made a surprise appearance in the 2008 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, a televised event with tens of millions of viewers.

Meme Anatomy: Musical, Pop Culture, Celebrity

Urban Dictionary

To send someone a link to 80s pop star Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” video, making them believe that they’re gonna see something completely different. The meme originated in 4chan’s /v/ (videogame) board, when the official “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas” trailer was coming out on the game’s website but couldn’t be watched due to heavy traffic. Playing a prank on everyone who was reading, an anonymous 4chaner said that the trailer was on YouTube and posted a link to Astley’s song. Since then, the Rick Roll has been made countless times, not only on 4chan but on the whole of the Internet.

[Link]

Other Sources

Videos: Rick Roll

Pictures: Rick Roll

Meme Strength

Video Search Results: 78,000 – 4.5
Photo Search Results: 79,100 – 4.5
Search Volume: 425,000 – 3
Blog Search Results: 28,800 – 3
News Search Results: 247 – 3

Overall Rating: 3.6 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: Another movie based meme that spawned a wave of doctored photos and video mashups. This one is based on the fact that over the top movie antics have struck a cord with the public since we started letting Carrot Top act in movies in the early 90s.

Some fans of the film believe Daniel Plainview’s memorable quote “I drink your milkshake” will join the ranks of other famous film lines within pop culture. That particular quote has been used in other media repeatedly. In season 24 of Jeopardy, “I Drink Your Milkshake” was the title of a category about milkshakes. Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show and the 80th Academy Awards (for which There Will Be Blood was nominated for eight Oscars), has referenced the phrase “I drink your milkshake” several times on his show in response to news involving oil drilling, including during interviews with Ted Koppel and Nancy Pelosi. In February 2008, the night before the 80th Academy Awards, a Saturday Night Live skit featured a Food Network show starring Daniel Plainview (played by Bill Hader) and H.W. Plainview (played by Amy Poehler) called “I Drink Your Milkshake” in which Daniel and his son travel from state to state looking for the perfect milkshake. “I drink your milkshake” has inspired a There Will Be Blood fansite of the same name, as well as a YouTube video called “There Will Be Milkshakes” which features a montage of scenes from the film with the song “Milkshake” by Kelis playing in the background.

Meme Anatomy: Iconic Catchphrase, Pop Culture

Urban Dictionary

Line used by Daniel Day Lewis (Daniel Plainview) in the movie “There will be Blood”.

This line is used to insult opposition in the moment of victory or revenge.

[Link]

Other Sources

Videos: I Drink Your Milkshake

Pictures: I Drink Your Milkshake

Meme Strength

Video Search Results: 570 – 2.5
Photo Search Results: 14,300 – 4
Search Volume: 661,000 – 3.5
Blog Search Results: 130 – 1
News Search Results: 63 – 2.5

Overall Rating: 2.7 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: The meme that launched a sea of memes.

YTMND originated in 2001 from Max Goldberg’s original website, “yourethemannowdog.com”, which he registered along with “dustindiamond.com” after seeing a trailer for the movie Finding Forrester in which Sean Connery says the line “You’re the man now, dog!”. Originally, the website featured the text “YOURE THE MAN NOW DOG.COM” drawn out in 3D ASCII text with a sound loop from the Finding Forrester trailer of Sean Connery reciting the phrase “You’re the man now, dog!”. The advent of zoomed text currently on the website was seen in the following months, where the website also featured a photograph of Sean Connery. Goldberg’s new creation inspired others to make similar sites with other movie and television quotations (or any other sound clip they wished to use). At first, Goldberg maintained a list and mirror of these sites, but the list soon became exceptionally long.

In 2004, Goldberg wrote a press release after winning a lawsuit filed by Dustin Diamond for the “fan page” at the aforementioned dustindiamond.com. He mentioned yourethemannowdog.com, as well as a new website, YTMND, that would be ready by April 10. The website opened that day after a rushed coding and design process. The site caught on in popularity and became an Internet phenomenon when major weblogs and Internet forums began linking to the Picard Song YTMND.

Meme Anatomy: Pop Culture, Iconic Catchphrase, Celebrity

Urban Dictionary

A general statement of praise intended for a male. Popularized by the film “Finding Forrester” in which Sean Connery triumphantly and uncharacteristically exclaims that his pupil is now ‘the man’. Subsequently immortalized on the website www.yourethemannowdog.com. One of the most bizarre ‘tributes’ on the internet.

[Link]

Other Sources

Videos: YTMND

Pictures: YTMND

Meme Strength

Video Search Results: 2,020 – 3
Photo Search Results: 263 – 2
Search Volume: 94,000,000 – 5
Blog Search Results: 2,042 – 2
News Search Results: 63 – 3

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: This is another combination meme, bringing together the Internet’s love of World of Warcraft and its fascination with adult entertainment. Add in a jazzy tune by Avenue Q and you have a homerun.

Avenue Q is a musical conceived by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, who wrote the music and lyrics, and directed by Jason Moore. The book is by Jeff Whitty. The show was produced by and opened at the Off-Broadway Vineyard Theatre in March 2003. The production transferred to Broadway in July 2003 and won several Tony Awards, including the award for Best Musical. The show has spawned a 2005 Las Vegas production, a 2006 West End production and various international productions. An Australian national tour began in June 2009 and will end in June 2010.

The show is largely inspired by (and is in the style of) Sesame Street; most of the characters in the show are puppets (operated by actors onstage), the set depicts several tenements on a rundown street in an Outer Borough of New York City, both the live characters and puppet characters sing, and short animated video clips are played as part of the story.

Meme Anatomy: Pop Culture, Iconic Catchphrase, Musical

Urban Dictionary

1. Song from Broadway play Avenue Q

2. The Internets unofficial anthem

3. A fact that will never change

Other Sources

Videos: The Internet Is For Porn

Pictures: The Internet Is For Porn

Meme Strength

Video Search Results: 9610 – 4
Photo Search Results: 681 – 2.5
Search Volume: 2,120,000 – 4
Blog Search Results: 126,110 – 3
News Search Results: 294 – 4

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: Another music meme, Group X mixes a vaguely “foreign” cast with pop culture references and as good a mastery of the English language as you will find this side of a text message. Let’s not forget that they are also responsible for the now classic “Mario Twins” video.

Self styled “Arabian Rap Sensations,” this band is actually composed of four people from Marietta, Georgia and is best known for its mangled English and its satirical anti-American lyrics. One of their most famous videos is Mario Twins. While they did not actually participate in making the animations, they did inspire these popular videos and provided the soundtrack.

Meme Anatomy: Musical, Pop Culture, Vaguely Foreign

Urban Dictionary

The opposites of sellouts, they say whatever they want no matter how stupid most trendy squares will think it sounds.

Originating from Cramshananteen Arabia, they rap about peanuts, good girls and bad girls, sch55, Mario Twins, and Sh7-Eleven.

Rag on bands like Backshotte babies, Wink 152, Katt Rock, Puff Doggy, and britney spanks. Also covered a MC Hammer song.

Sadly since the vocalist Hashmeer Shashmeer quit, no new albums have been seen for some time.

Other Sources

Videos: Group X

Pictures: Group X

Meme Strength

Video Search Results: 23,400 – 4
Photo Search Results: 54,300 – 4.5
Search Volume: 897,000 – 3.5
Blog Search Results: 17,297 – 3
News Search Results: 352 – 4

Overall Rating: 3.8 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: There really is nothing you can’t do if you set pop culture icons of the 80s to music. Lemon Demon is a brilliant example of music as a meme driver.

This is an absolutely incredible summary of mostly 1980s pop culture put together by Neil “Lemon Demon” Cicierega. The video was a breakout success on the flash animation site Newgrounds, and has been referenced in a number of parodies.

Meme Anatomy: Musical, Pop Culture

Urban Dictionary

Lemon Demon is a band that has a large following, mostly on the internet. They are most famous for the song The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny, which is in turn most famous for the popular flash animation that achieved high fame on the website Newgrounds. They are also famous for being pioneers in the anti-eBaum’s World movement, by alerting the general public with an informative song, with flash animation to go with it. [link]

Other Sources

Videos: Lemon Demon

Pictures: Lemon Demon

Meme Strength

Video Search Results: 3,450 – 3
Photo Search Results: 676 – 2.5
Search Volume: 163,000 – 3
Blog Search Results: 7,400 – 2
News Search Results: 8 – 2.5

Overall Rating: 2.6 out of 5 stars