History Main / ForcedMeme

* [[http://marvel.toonzone.net/avengersemh/reviews/39spider/ This review]] of ''WesternAnimation/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes'' episode "Along Came a Spider...", the first of three episodes in which the writers hired Creator/JoshKeaton to voice Franchise/SpiderMan, only for the producers to pay ''WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan2012'' star Creator/DrakeBell to dub over all of Keaton's lines, tried to encourage the spread of two Website/{{Twitter}} hashtags, [=#JoshKeatonIsSpiderMan=] and [=#DrakeBellIsNotSpiderMan=], to convince Marvel to include Keaton's lines on the ''EMH'' [=DVDs=]. They apparently didn't catch on, as the [=DVDs=] only include Bell's versions of the episodes. It might not have helped that Keaton himself thought the second hashtag sounded too mean.

* Creator/JohnGreen of the WebVideo/{{vlogbrothers}} is trying to make "French the llama!" into a meme. It has met with limited success within the Nerdfighter fanbase, but elsewhere... not yet.

* Within the ''WebOriginal/OrionsArm'' setting transapients can do this with ease, often with serious side effects. People usually have their mail edited to make it "memetically neutral".

* In later seasons of ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'', the writing seemed to place a focus on meta humor and trying to use trends and memes that were popular at the time with the internet crowd. The most egregious of these was their incessant use of funny faces for the cast. Most of them were directly lifted from other properties and then stitched onto the characters and the intention was almost certainly for use on forums as reaction images. This too failed to catch on.

* ''ComicStrip/{{Drabble}}'' once devoted a week's worth of strips trying to coin the word "Drabbleation" to mean the act of remembering embarrassing moments.

* The story goes that Cycon of ProjectDCK attempted to force "cream them jeans" in some podcast series or other. He tried to force it so hard that it died in record time and even he got sick of it before more than a couple episodes.

* ''WebVideo/BrowsHeldHigh'' parodied this in the review of ''Film/TwilightOfTheIceNymphs'', ending with Kyle announcing his intent to turn a bizarre monologue about trees from the film into a meme.

* In the WebVideo/{{cs188}} video "EVERYTHING'S OUT OF CONTROL (PTC 80's Edition)", in the section focusing on Music/TheHumanLeague's "Don't You Want Me?", the lyrics "I was working as a waitress" prompts the video to repeat "-king as" over and over and declaring "kingas FTW" as if it's in the same vein as the infamous [[WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog PINGAS]] meme. It never got past that video.

* When ''Series/TheMandalorian'' star Creator/PedroPascal posted season two advertisements on Twitter, he accompanied them with an extended version of the Mandalorian's CatchPhrase: "Baby don't play. This is the way." After he asked his fans, "[[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/6c1d63a3_ec7c_4646_ab33_355c6f240edb.png Can we make that a thing?]]", they eagerly agreed to help.

* In the ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' episode featuring ''Film/OverdrawnAtTheMemoryBank'', Crow attempts this with the CatchPhrase "You know you want me, baby!", as he had ordered two million T-shirts with the phrase on it. Mike points out that he's never said this before, despite Crow's insistence that he had. Crow and Tom attempt to get Mike to do his own catchphrase, but fail... [[HypocriticalHumor then think he's failing harder when he says "Pearl's calling"]], which he ''does'' say every episode in the Sci-Fi era. Ironically, these T-shirts are actually for sale. The whole gag comes from Best Brains ordering a set of T-shirts with one of Crow's ''actual'' catchphrases ("Bite me!"), but getting a set with "You know you want me, baby!" instead.

* The word "Booyakasha" in the ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012'' series (itself the CatchPhrase of the protagonist of ''Series/DaAliGShow'').

* ''WesternAnimation/Madagascar3EuropesMostWanted'''s advertising included a scene with a little song called "Afro Circus". At first, it was funny. Then it quickly stopped being funny around the point Nickelodeon aired it during every commercial break of new shows, with an ad consisting ''solely'' of Afro Circus-ing. Especially since it was also done for ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', despite its older than usual fanbase for the channel.
** At least, until Creator/LittleKuriboh [[AscendedMeme found and promoted]] a mashup of it and his then-recently-released parody song 'Pharaoh's Throne' (being a parody of Music/LadyGaga's 'Telephone'). Can be seen [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pq1bjbZD9pI here.]]

->''"Joey, stop trying to turn 'Brooklyn rage' into a catchphrase, it's never going to work." [[note]][[BrooklynRage It actually worked.]][[/note]]''

* The former Malaysian forum troll Fanduber, courtesy of the defunct [[VideoGame/MegaManMaker Mega Man Maker Forums,]] tried to make an NightmareSequence from an episode of ''Anime/{{Hamtaro}}'' an meme, to the point that he used [[[[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/hamtaro/images/e/e6/Screenshot_2015-06-21-23-02-30.png/revision/latest?cb=20150624185536 a frame from that scene]] as a reaction (or for trolling purposes) and even several Fanduber-controlled channels once posted the clip on [=YouTube=] (to without success).

* The former Malaysian forum troll Fanduber, courtesy of the defunct [[VideoGame/MegaManMaker Mega Man Maker Forums,]] tried to make an NightmareSequence from an episode of ''Anime/{{Hamtaro}}'' an meme, to the point that he trolled others with that picture and even several Fanduber-controlled channels once posted the clip on [=YouTube=] (to without success). [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/hamtaro/images/e/e6/Screenshot_2015-06-21-23-02-30.png/revision/latest?cb=20150624185536 Here's the scene in question.]]

* WebAnimation/{{YouTube Poop}}s basically exist as a concept to create forced memes through an ADHD approach to editing. Some do become small-form memes within their respective communities ([[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog PINGAS]], [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Gay Luigi]], and "the [=JoJ=]" for instance) whereas most... most are just there to be purely bizarre and nothing else.

* In ''Webcomic/UnwindersTallComics'', Unwinder tries to [[http://tallcomics.com/comic?sort=3 force a meme]] by [[http://tallcomics.com/comic?sort=4 mentioning it in webcomics he draws]]. Webcomics that he started ''solely to spread said meme''.

Forcing a {{Meme}} is the act of trying to intentionally raise the popularity of something to memetic status. It can involve mass repetition of a phrase or trying to convince someone else that it is already memetic.

* In ''Videogame/FinalFantasyVIII'', NewTransferStudent [[GenkiGirl Selphie]] tries to force "Booyaka" into being cool. It fails.

* ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' is an interesting variant - while the creator tends to be hands-off when it comes to fandom, [[Memes/TouhouProject a wide-ranging fanbase ranging from artists, fangame makers, writers, and hangers-on make their own memes.]] Some of them catch, but others are rejected before they can get off the ground. Still others (Cirno's "[[UsefulNotes/JapanesePronouns Atai]] = Eye" translation, for example) keep getting flogged, [[DiscreditedMeme despite most of fanon ignoring the meme's existence]].

** [[AluminumChristmasTrees This is real Northern California slang]], occasionally sprouting up elsewhere. It [[HilariousInHindsight later actually did]] gain memetic status [[Webcomic/SweetBroAndHellaJeff without South Park's help]].

* When ''Series/TheMandalorian'' star Creator/PedroPascal posted season two advertisements on Twitter, he accompanied them with an extended version of the Mandalorian's CatchPhrase: "Baby don't play. This is the way." After he asked his fans, "[[https://twitter.com/pedropascal1/status/1305883292810567681?s=21 Can we make that a thing?]]", they eagerly agreed to help.

-->''"This is all falk's fault."''

* During [[Wrestling/DwayneJohnson the Rock's]] run in 2013, he seems to speak to Wrestling/CMPunk and Wrestling/PaulHeyman almost exclusively in these, mixed with the Twitter trending mentioned above. He succeeded with the "Fruity Pebbles" and "Boots 2 Asses" with Wrestling/JohnCena, and seemed to try to recreate it the very forced-seeming "Cookiepuss" for Punk and "Walrus" for Heyman, neither of which were taken very far by anybody aside from Rock himself, the commentators, and a handful of fans (mostly kids). Punk for his part, refused to engage and even attacked the Rock for wasting time coming up with catchphrases instead of preparing for their matches.

* Many accuse Music/{{LMFAO}} (or at least their marketing people) of doing this, especially with "Everyday I'm Shuffling", a repeated lyric, though [[RefrainFromAssuming non-indicative]] of the song's title.

* In May 2017, a mixture of trolls and right-wing types on Website/{{Twitter}} and other social media platforms (who were tired of seeing younger left-wing users compare current global politics to ''Literature/HarryPotter'') tried to parody the phenomenon by popularizing "Orcposting": screencaps from ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' with captions mocking multiculturalism and globalism (and left-wing politics in general) by drawing comparisons between Middle-earth orcs and refugees from the Islamic world. It briefly trended on Twitter and Website/FourChan before fading into obscurity.

* To try and ease the transition from ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'' to ''TabletopGame/WarhammerAgeOfSigmar'', Creator/GamesWorkshop released free army lists updating existing forces for the new game. Not only do these rules require players to shout faction warcries like "WAAAGH!!" or "For the Lady!" when activating certain units' special abilities, there are even wackier things such as a model who gets re-rolls if you have a more impressive mustache than your opponent, a formation that gets bonuses if you never crack a smile, and a model that will cost you the game if you for whatever reason kneel during the match. This has not helped an already thoroughly-BrokenBase, and [[http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?757634-News-on-WHFB-9th&p=19160961#post19160961 some have accused GW]] of taking a CargoCult approach to creating fun rather than creating a situation where fun can develop.

* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'': "FUCK YEAH, SEAKING!" initially started as one, but has since been accepted as a meme.

* In ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', in response to the sudden popularity of the [[AscendedExtra minor]] Horde character [[EnsembleDarkhorse Varok]] [[MemeticBadass Saurfang]] (whether this in itself is a forced meme or not depends on whether your find Creator/ChuckNorris "facts" funny or not), many Alliance players attempted to use the same meme to promote Alliance minor heroes, in hopes of recreating the Saurfang phenomenon.
** To date, they have tried this for Bolvar Fordragon initially, then Magni Bronzebeard when that didn't catch on, then Varian Wrynn (... with ''[[CreatorsPet disastarous]]'' results), then Magni's brother Muradin Bronzebeard, and in ''Cataclysm'' it was attempted again with Genn Greymane and [[http://www.wowpedia.org/Darius_Crowley Darius Crowley]]. To date, none of these characters have actually caught on, despite many of them being generally likable (or at least tolerable) by the ''entire'' playerbase. Although it has resulted in Blizzard giving many of these characters, Bolvar in particular, more prominent roles in the story. [[note]][[HilariousInHindsight Saying he could hold back all of the Scourge on his own is pretty much true now.]][[/note]]

* Lampshaded with ''VideoGame/SparkTheElectricJester'''s "[[https://steamtradingcards.fandom.com/wiki/Spark_the_Electric_Jester_-_Spurk Spurk]]"[[note]]a freeze-frame of Spark's face while riding on a rocket[[/note]], whose Steam card outright calls "a forced(d) meme". There's also a [[https://steamtradingcards.fandom.com/wiki/Spark_the_Electric_Jester_-_CG_Spurk CG]] variant.

** The ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' fandom itself has had a few forced memes trying to ride on the success of "What's in the box, Jack?", involving before-after reaction pictures of characters.

* From the pages of ''Webcomic/KeychainOfCreation'' (or rather, its forum): nooooo my scheme

* ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' seemed to be doing this with "sexy awesome," but the phrased hasn't been used in the comic in years (fans on the board still use it, though).

* In ''WebVideo/YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries'', Joey tries to force "Brooklyn Rage" into becoming a meme, only to be swiftly cut down by Yami (and his [[HypocriticalHumor "Egyptian Rage"]]). The funny thing is, ''it worked'': Brooklyn Rage became a meme, to the point where Wayne Grayson (Joey's official voice actor in the 4Kids dub) [[AscendedMeme cites "Brooklyn Rage" as his favourite Joey line]] despite him "never actually saying it in the show".

* The JournalRoleplay anon site Wankgate has "hi rebutle", a reference to an player named Rebutle, who was quite infamous in the Livejournal days of Journal Roleplaying. Where it once stood for essentially "You're taking this way too seriously", seeing it posted all over the place for these sorts of things has lost its edge and even had the page's mod getting tired of it.

* The ''Website/TheOnion'' video [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jis_CrJ4zUI Congress Debates Merits Of New Catchphrase]] Representative Cummings constantly uses the word "pronk", claiming that it's a legitimate term in his district.

** The B-plot of another episode focuses on Francine trying to do the exact same thing. With Klaus's help she actually finds one ("looks like things are getting too spicy for the pepper"), and waits for when the time is right to use it. When she does, Jeff likes it and it starts to catch on, but by the end of the episode its revealed that it was already an established catchphrase that even had its own T-Shirt and billboard advertisement.

* WebAnimation/{{YouTube Poop}}s basically exist as a concept to create forced memes through an ADHD approach to editing. Some do become small-form memes within their respective communities ([[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog PINGAS]], [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mama Luigi]], and "the [=JoJ=]" for instance) whereas most... most are just there to be purely bizarre and nothing else.

* Wiki/TVTropes.

** Also occurs in the ''naming'' of tropes. It's a very real debate in the forums, from time to time, whether the purpose of Wiki/TVTropes includes promoting specific fan-speak terms so as to become recognized across ''all'' fandoms.

** ''WebOriginal/KeitAi'' is a good example of a forced meme on 4chan that, through sheer repetition and memetic mutation, eventually became an actual meme acknowledged by Website/KnowYourMeme and Wiki/TVTropes themselves.