Module5 Pepe the Frog
Pepe the frog has been the target of controversy ever since it became a symbol of the alt-right movement. However, Pepe wasn’t all that bad in the beginning of its creation.
Origin
Pepe the frog was originally created by cartoonist Matt Furie for his cartoon “Boy’s Club” depicting the lives of four slacker stoner friends and their daily shenanigans. Pepe in particular began gaining traction as a popular meme during the year 2008 when it began gaining recognition and more importantly being revolutionised by communities such as 4chan and Myspace into the popular Internet meme that it has now become.
Original
Examples of Pepe Remixes
Turn for the Worst
For quite a while Pepe was an Internet meme floating through the Web mindlessly evolving into many shapes and sizes. Although it was seen as a template for funny reaction memes, various message boards from the website “4chan” began changing the way the game was played. Instead of funny reaction memes, Pepe was being used to display the vulgarity and hate created by the cesspools dwelling within these anonymous message boards. Some examples being of Antisemitism, hate against racial minorities and much more. Example:
By 2016, Pepe had become the proud symbol of the controversial alt-right movement. Although there are Pepe memes floating around still about funny reaction memes, the negative influences on him are now over shining the good. People who are not well affiliated with the meme only see the negatives portrayed on TV or news websites. They do not see the enjoyment in these memes as they only see imprint of hate groups splattered all over its memes no matter how far away it tried to distance itself away from them.
Attempt at Redemption
The creator of Pepe, Matt Furie, tried desperately to save his beloved creation from becoming a symbol for hate speech. He launched a campaign called #SavePepe shortly following the Anti-Defamation League classifying Pepe as a hate symbol and tried to reverse this downward spiral of his creation. Instead of a symbol of hate, he wanted it to become a symbol of good but alas it was too late. The people were afraid of the symbol as it had become deeply ingrained in hate speech propaganda.
Death of Pepe
Furie’s campaign wasn’t enough to change the view about Pepe. With a sad and sorrow heart, Furie decided it was time to lay Pepe to rest with this one page comic he made.
Although Pepe has physically died, his spirit lives on in those who still enjoy his funny memes but more importantly those who would not dare let him go from their hate speech propaganda and ideas. Pepe has become almost like the equivalent of Jesus. Although he has fallen, his spirit lives on in those who choose to remember him.