Memetic X Cleanup

Discredited Meme only allows in-universe examples and memes that the creator considers discredited.

Aren't we technically the creators?

Not if we weren't active when the memes were around. Plus some of them just aren't relevant because they relied on traditions we've abandoned, i.e. Troper Tales and Fetish Fuel. I'm really hoping for people who were active during that time to chime in with first-hand perspective.

Edited by mightymewtron on Jul 22nd 2020 at 5:02:36 AM

i was active on these forums around 2014-2016 (IIRC, i think i started browsing the forums around 2012-2013) before i took a break for reddit, Troper Tales was dead even back then

I was here when Troper Tales was a thing... It's filed next to "thinking I was exactly one cis boy" in the "things I was hoping not to think about again" folder.

Edited by wingedcatgirl on Jul 23rd 2020 at 7:20:18 AM

when did Troper Tales get killed btw? it seemed pretty dead even in the early 2010s, so i suspect it was a pre-2010 thing

Edited by MABfan11 on Jul 22nd 2020 at 1:32:47 PM

According to Timeline.TV Tropes, it and Fetish Fuel were killed on August 12, 2011.

Edited by jandn2014 on Jul 22nd 2020 at 7:43:43 AM

Fetish Fuel was gone before that, if memory serves.

Bringing up the following examples from The Flash:

• Memetic Badass:
  • A post explaining why "the motherfucking Flash" is the greatest hero ever began on Slashdot, and got reposted everywhere.
  • The Rogues. It helps that they each have a lot of epic CMOA achievements, but it's often noted how a bunch of Badass Normal bank robbers just trying to get by, somehow manage to challenge someone as powerful as the Flash, and have a much higher win/loss ratio than more serious threats like Vandal Savage.
  • Jesse Quick and a lead pipe. In an issue of Justice Society of America, Jesse manages to one-hit KO Zoom^note who, it should be stressed, is the fastest being in existence and can normally take on the entire Flash family unaided, with nothing but a lead pipe after pulling a I Am Not Left-Handed on him. It's since lead to jokes whenever her name comes up on discussions about the 'order' of who's fastest among the Flash speedsters, with the general agreement that if you give her a lead pipe, she can take down anyone.

• Memetic Loser: Barry Allen, especially thanks to adaptations, has increasingly became this. It comes down to a few points. Firstly, it is common knowledge (and not in a Common Knowledge way) that Wally West is the faster and more successful Flash but Barry was pushed because he's a Creator's Pet, and it's his fault why the New 52 happened, so all the Darker and Edgier misery the other heroes suffered is entirely because of him (Dr Manhattan retcon be-damned). Secondly, the TV series' over-reliance on the episodic formula of having Barry get beat up by the Monster of the Week once or twice, then during the climax have a pep-talk from his team mid-battle before he finally defeats them in a very anti-climatic way, has contributed to the popular perception that 'The Flash' is a whiny man-child who needs a pep-talk every week to do anything. Thirdly, the DCEU Flash, also Barry Allen, has so far only had a single prominent appearance in a highly contested and financially under-performing instalment, where he was depicted as the rookie of the team who's shown at one point literally tripping over his own feet, making him appear completely incompetent and idiotic, not helped by his neurotic nature.

• Memetic Mutation:
  • "IT WAS ME BARRY!" Used as the absurd punchline to some story told by Professor Zoom, usually to parody the idea of Zoom being responsible for every bad thing in Barry's life.
  • The "the motherfucking Flash" rant above is in itself a meme among Flash fans.
  • He could explode their heads with his pinkie! ^note  This phrase, and phrases like it, are often said in "Flash versus (x)" debates in reference to the fact that Speedsters tend to make things explode when phasing through them - Using the logic that in a death match any of the Flashes could win easily due to this ability.
  • Barry messing up timelines, often with disastrous affects. In-universe he only does this twice. Flashpoint is considered a definitive fuck up on his part in most circles, even though he was mostly trying to fix Thawne's meddling, but that doesn't matter to the fans. He's forever an (comedic) inconsiderate jerk who messes with timelines for lulz. NOT helped by his Arrow-verse counterpart, who has messed with the timeline on multiple occasion. In fact, Arrow-verse!Barry arguably caused the use of this meme to be taken Up To Eleven.

The examples on MemeticBadass.Video Games are a mess of gushing and ZCE.

... I mean, probably the other subpages are bad too, but that's the one I looked at today.

The Flash (more specifically, bloodlusted Flash) is still a Memetic Badass on battleboard forums and is usually a quick way to beat seemingly impossible opponents

Bringing up these examples from The Suicide Squad:

• Memetic Mutation:
  • Given Pete Davidson just looks how he always does in comparison to the other more creative designs, many joked that he’s playing himself. Like he always does.
  • Additionally, many were quick to say he’ll be the first character to die.
  • "Don’t get too attached" given many believe that the majority of these characters won't make it out alive.

Bringing up these examples from The Batman (2021):

• Memetic Mutation:
  • Batman's Badass Boast of "I'm vengeance" has recently been making the rounds on the internet.
  • "Robert Pattinson's Batman will have to find all 243 Riddler trophies to finish the movie" ^Explanation In reference to Batman: Arkham Knight, where you need to find all of the Riddler's trophies and solve all his riddles, to fight him, and unlock the true ending. This is due to The Riddler being presumably the main villain of the movie.
  • Batman beats up the Nostalgia Critic. ^Explanation Many have noticed that the thug Batman gives an extended beatdown to in the teaser bears a striking resemblance to Doug Walker, better known as the Nostalgia Critic. Many have clamored to this scene, especially after in recent years, Doug Walker became an Acceptable Target after allegations of mistreating his former employees came out and his videos suffering a decline in quality. Walker himself was quick to respond, making a Suspiciously Specific Denial that he's never even heard of Batman.

Wait, there’s memes of those movies already?

Edited by PlasmaPower on Aug 31st 2020 at 7:33:57 AM

Trailers are pretty naturally suited to spawning memes, TBH. Though all three have issues - the last two are both dependent on an outside reference, which is entirely possible but also sets off my fan myopia sensor, and the first is almost certainly not an example because Batman declaring "I am vengeance" goes back quite a ways.

Edited by nrjxll on Aug 31st 2020 at 5:40:21 AM

Bringing up the following example from Youngblood:

• Memetic Mutation: Rob Liefeld's Shaft! 7" tall, fully poseable! ^Explaination From an ad for an action figure of said character.

The biggest problem is that they spelled "explanation" wrong.

Even if it stays, the Nostalgia Critic one could stand to be a lot less complainy. (Especially because the channel took the meme in good humor anyway.)

Bringing up the following examples from Blade Runner 2049:

• Memetic Mutation:
  • A still image of Ryan Gosling's face after being accidentally punched by Harrison Ford◊ made the rounds on the internet. Both of their expressions were priceless, and thus, Hilarity Ensues.
  • The scene of the giant pink Joi hologram leaning down to talk to K has widely become ripe for photoshop fodder.
  • "CELLS" and "INTERLINKED" is popular on 4chan, specifically /tv/.
  • "Not even close to baseline" has become a new way of saying "feels bad man" on the internet.
  • Screenshots◊ of Agent K's violent Freak Out when he visits Ana Stelline's lab are very popular as a reaction image.
  • In the year following the movie's release, a screenshot of K screaming after failing his baseline test captioned with "I'M SO LONELY AND HORNY" has ascended in popularity.

Bringing up the following examples from Dune 2020, also is it just me or would the first two work better under Fan Nickname:

• Memetic Mutation:
  • The film is jokingly referred to as "Dunc" because a fan recreation leak of the official logo - approximated in Unicode as ᑐ ᑌ ᑎ ᕮ - missed the dot and lens flare that formed the middle line of the "E", making it look like ᑐ ᑌ ᑎ ᑕ.
  • Some have also jokingly read ᑐ ᑌ ᑎ ᕮ as "June".
  • The "What's in the box?" line in the trailer reminded some people of Se7en. Doubles as Narm.

I agree with you.

From YMMV.Chicken Little:

• Memetic Mutation:
  • Think "Numa Numa" and recall the early teaser commercials with Chicken Little dancing to "Dragostea din tei". Then have it come back to haunt you when you hear "Down" by Jay Sean, a Suspiciously Similar Song version of the Numa Numa song whose lyrics specifically allude to the story of Chicken Little.

I have no idea what the meme is here. Is this not a meme from the movie, but the movie referencing the meme? Because that's probably misuse, and otherwise it reads more like a misplaced Hilarious in Hindsight entry.

Edited by mightymewtron on Sep 16th 2020 at 12:25:41 PM

To me, Dragostea din tei doesn't sound like that song (it may have a similar chord progression). And the trailer only referenced the meme, which, for people who don't remember the golden age of viral Youtube in the '00s, is below.

Edited by ccorb on Sep 17th 2020 at 7:15:17 AM

Bringing up the following example from Dune 2020:

• Memetic Mutation: The All-Star Cast has led to jokes about Christian Bale playing Shai-Hulud.^note Specfically Bale "outdoing himself" with yet another dramatic physical transformation for a role.

Bringing up this example from Batman Begins:

• Memetic Mutation: After Game of Thrones started, it's now popular to yell at Batman for not letting Joffrey die.