this post was submitted on 18 Apr 2024
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Antique Memes Roadshow
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Rick Roll was one that came to mind for me, too. Looks like it dates back to around 2007.
Definitely not pre youtube (2005)
I was def getting Rick rolled before that.
If you remember anything specific, submit it here, because you'd be predating the earliest known usage.
It was over ICQ, IRC or msn messenger back when all I had was dialup. A lot of modern internet culture seems to be appropriated from the kind of old web ne’er-do-wells I hung out with on IRC back in the day. Didn’t think to keep records tbh. The original ‘rickroll’ was goatse or lemon party (nsfw, tbh I would not google those if you don’t know what they are).
I do remember getting Rick rolled with Never gonna give you up by a counter strike clan team member over ventrilo back in 2005. It must be 2004-05 because the clan I was in disbanded after Oct. 2005.
Rickrolling itself doesn't count, it has to be with that specific song. So your clan member was ahead of his time!
I mean, it’s still just a bait and switch. I never really got why doing it with Rick Astley was groundbreaking.
I'm interested in the oldest still-used internet memes, regardless of their quality. Bait and switching itself has existed forever.
Is linking a Rick roll a meme? I thought memes were reused images with text, guessing the definition is shifting. I saw someone calling numa numa a meme the other day.