this post was submitted on 06 Mar 2024
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memes

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dank memes

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submitted 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) by InevitableSwing@hexbear.net to c/memes@hexbear.net
 
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[–] SorosFootSoldier@hexbear.net 7 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (5 children)

Trying to remember memes before the internet and the taco bell chihuahua comes to mind. Maybe even Bill Clinton's cat? Oh I know "Where's The Beef?" THAT was for sure before the internet as some homes and universities were online in lik 1995 or w/e

[–] Wheaties@hexbear.net 7 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

The word OKAY

Early 1800s, colonial United States. Collage students made a game out of abbreviating phonetic misspellings of terms. There are others, but 'Okay' is the only one that stood the test of time. 'Okay' broke the language barrier. 'Okay' is standard vernacular across the world. 'Okay' stands for 'all correct'. All Correct --> Oll Korrect --> O.K. --> Okay

it's like a goddamn chain of tumblr reblogs. but across continents. across centuries

[–] SorosFootSoldier@hexbear.net 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

What's it abbreviated from?

[–] Wheaties@hexbear.net 4 points 8 months ago

All Correct --> Oll Korrect --> O.K. --> Okay

[–] Doombot1@lemmy.one 5 points 8 months ago

All your base are belong to us immediately comes to mind - that one was kinda right at the start of everything, and although quite a bit earlier, “Kilroy was here”

[–] InevitableSwing@hexbear.net 3 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

Maybe even Bill Clinton's cat?

This?...

---

I'll leave this here for the youngsters...

Socks (cat)

Socks Clinton (c. 1989 – February 20, 2009) was the pet cat of the Clinton family, the first family of the United States from 1993 to 2001. An adopted stray cat, he was the only pet of the Clintons during the early years of the administration, and his likeness hosted the children's version of the White House website. After Clinton left office, Socks resided with former Clinton secretary Betty Currie and her husband, owing to continuing conflicts with the Clintons' dog Buddy.

I entirely forgot about Buddy. Shame on me?

[Ninja edit: Without googling - I have no idea what Buddy looked like. I have no memory at all. Buddy, sorry buddy. Haha.]

[–] GinAndJuche@hexbear.net 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Have you heard the conspiracy theory about why the cat is named socks?

[–] InevitableSwing@hexbear.net 2 points 8 months ago

Nope. What is it?

[–] emizeko@hexbear.net 3 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Spuds MacKenzie

[–] Crucible@hexbear.net 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

The budweiser frogs are the one I think of, until like 2005 memes were just from commercials

[–] SSJ2Marx@hexbear.net 2 points 8 months ago

Yeah it has to be something everyone sees so Superbowl commercials used to be the biggest memes every year, although occasionally it'd be a line from a movie or something.

[–] SSJ2Marx@hexbear.net 4 points 8 months ago (1 children)

It's not pre "internet", but the earliest memes I remember were passed around in email chains. Stuff like dancing baby, the video of that office worker going ham on his computer, those websites with a gif some text and a sound file that spurred the creation of ytmnd.

[–] ashinadash@hexbear.net 2 points 8 months ago

Fax machines had their own meme cultures!