Pepe the Frog
Pepe[Note 1] the Frog, emojified as đ¸ and formerly known as "Feels Good Man", is a green anthropomorphic frog used as an Internet meme. The character was created by artist Matt Furie in his comic Boy's Club.[1] In 2008 its popularity steadily grew across Myspace and Gaia Online,
Frogs, clowns and swastikas Alt-right |
Chuds |
Rebuilding the Reich, one meme at a time |
Buzzwords and dogwhistles |
v - t - e |
While originally without political associations, in 2015 he became associated with the alt-right, white nationalism, and Donald Trump (though it doesn't mean everyone using or liking this meme is a nationalist).[4] Hillary Clinton's campaign condemned both Donald Trump and his son for posting images of Pepe on Twitter.[5]
The Anti-Defamation League has listed Pepe as a hate symbol, but noted that most instances of Pepe were not used in a hate-related context.[6] Matt Furie tried getting his frog back,[7] but with little success. In May 2017, he killed off the character,[8] but Pepe could not be so easily and permanently slain, and has returned to us.[9] Matt Furie later launched his #SavePepe campaign on Kickstarter and social media to fund a new Boy's Club issue and to reclaim the character.[10] Furie has since taken legal action against various websites as well as prominent alt-right figures such as Richard Spencer, Mike Cernovich and Baked Alaska for appropriating Pepe.[11] In 2019, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones settled a copyright violation lawsuit with Furie, after Jones used Pepe without permission on a promotional poster.[12]
Some claim that Pepe is the incarnation of the ancient Egyptian god Kek (also known as Kuk[Note 2] or Keku), and worship him as such as part of another 4chan in-joke called the "Cult of Kek",[13] which has been defined by the "experts" at Wikipedia as a parody religion.[14] The connection between Pepe and Kek has been endorsed by the neoreactionary philosopher Nick Land,[15] and by Davis Aurini.[16]
As a result of widespread Digital Millennium Copyright Act take-downs instigated by Furie's attorneys in 2017 (including against The Daily Stormer),[17][18] the alt-right appear to have a newer fascist frog mascot named Groyper. The character is derived from Pepe but is fatter and more grotesque in appearance.[19]
Re-cooptation
Since 2019, Pepe was repurposed by the certain sections of the progressive, anti-authoritarian protests in Hong Kong as a symbol of their struggle to maintain the one country, two systems that had been agreed upon when Britain return Hong Kong to China,[20] although this was not supported by all protesters due to its prior association with the alt right.[21]
Take a peep at these Pepes
Alt-right and pro-Trump Pepes
- Border wall Pepe.
- Example meme portraying Pepe as the Egyptian god Kek.
- Concentration camp guard Pepe.
By Matt Furie
- The original drawing of Pepe, by Matt Furie
- Pepe's Funeral, by Matt Furie, 2017
See also
Notes
References
- Khan, Imad (April 12, 2015). "4chan's Pepe the Frog is bigger than everâand his creator feels good, man". The Daily Dot.
- Kiberd, Roisin (April 9, 2015). "4chan's Frog Meme Went Mainstream, So They Tried to Kill It". Motherboard. Vice Media.
- Hathaway, Jay (December 9, 2015). "Tumblr's Biggest Meme of 2015 Was Pepe the Frog". New York Magazine. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
- Olivia Nuzzi, How Pepe the Frog Became a Nazi Trump Supporter and Alt-Right Symbol, The Daily Beast, 26 May 2016
- Elizabeth Chan, Donald Trump, Pepe the frog, and white supremacists: an explainer, Hillary for America, September 12, 2016
- Anti-Defamation League, Pepe the Frog, Hate on Display⢠HATE SYMBOLS DATABASE
- #SavePepe: Campaign aims to reclaim Internet frog from hate groups CNN, 18 October 2016.
- Pepe the Frog creator kills off internet meme co-opted by white supremacists
- Pepe the frog rises from the dead, creator says
- Pepe the Frog's creator can't save him from the alt-right, but he keeps trying anyway
- Pepe the Frogâs Creator Goes Legally Nuclear Against the Alt-Right
- Scott Newman, Alex Jones To Pay $15,000 In Pepe The Frog Copyright Infringement Case. NPR, 11 June 2019.
- Cult of Kek, Know Your Meme
- See the Wikipedia article on Parody religion. Archive.
- Kek, xenosystems.net.
- Pepe, Kek, and the Rise of an Elder God
- To save Pepe the Frog from the alt-right, his creator has invoked copyright lawâs darker side: Matt Furie has issued DMCA takedowns against alt-right websites using Pepeâs likeness. The fair use implications are troubling by Aja Romano (Sep 21, 2017, 11:40am EDT ) Vox.
- Neo-Nazi Site Daily Stormer Takes Down Pepe Images After Getting Copyright Claims From Its Creator: The Daily Stormer has removed all images and references of the famously chill frog after getting DMCA notices from Matt Furie. by Matthew Gault (Jul 10 2018, 7:24am) Vice.
- The Far Right's New Toad Mascot Is a Fatter, More Racist Pepe the Frog by Aaron Mak (Dec. 4 2017 5:48 PM) Slate.
- Pepe the Frog Means Something Different in Hong KongâRight? Pepe is popping up all over Hong Kongâon walls, in forums, in sticker packs for appsâas a symbol of resistance against an authoritarian state. by Emma Grey Ellis (08.23.2019 03:22 PM) Wired (archived from December 2, 2019).
- Facing down the Hong Kong protestsâ right-wing turn Zoe Zhao. Lausan, March 28, 2020.