Dat Boi
.jpg)
Dat Boi is an Internet meme originating from an "Animation Factory" animation of a unicycling frog.[1][2] The meme garnered popularity on Tumblr in 2015 before gaining more recognition through Twitter in 2016.[3]
History
According to Animation Factory employee Ryan Hagen, the frog GIF used in the meme was created by designer Josh Doohen.[4] Before becoming an Internet meme, the image was used in AP Physics 1 Essentials,[4] a textbook published in 2013.
The meme's name originates from an edited news screenshot[5] and the line of text often used in association with the image ("here come dat boi! o shit waddup!") was taken from a different meme featuring a computer-animated Pac-Man character.[5] The frog image and its caption were first put together on Facebook, according to Vox.[6]
In May 2016, the "here come dat boi!" caption came under criticism after various Facebook users claimed to find it an "appropriation of African-American Vernacular English."[7][8] As a result, certain Facebook groups discouraged use of the meme.[9] The Verge writer Chris Plante referred to the caption in a June article, stating that the Dat Boi image itself was "not enough" and that "it must say something."[10]
Dat Boi was featured in The Guardian's "Month in Memes" article for June 2016[11] and was referred to as "perhaps truly timeless" by Vocativ.[12] Matt Furie, creator of Pepe the Frog, explained in a June 2016 interview with Comic Book Resources that he was "devastated" to find out that Dat Boi had "begun to overshadow Internet Pepe."[13]
Notable uses
- Meme-themed commercials and games based on the 2016 edition of Nickelodeon's Kids Pick the President featured both of the phrases associated with Dat Boi.[14]
- In May 2016, MTV News posted an image of Dat Boi, alongside other social media trends, onto its Instagram account.[15]
- Nintendo tweeted an image of its Slippy Toad character next to the Dat Boi frog on May 13, 2016.[16]
- The Twitter account for the restaurant chain Denny's tweeted an image of Dat Boi, calling the frog "Dat Busboi."[17][18]
- The Twitter account for Roblox, a computer game, retweeted a GIF featuring four avatars created in Dat Boi's likeness.[19]
- Kenyatta Cheese, co-founder of Know Your Meme, described Dat Boi as "a piece of culture" to the editors of Vice.[20]
- In an interview with PopSugar about viral trends, model Josh Ostrovsky mentioned the meme and admitted, "obviously I love Dat Boi."[21]
- The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union posted a "Dat Boi" meme to comment on the 2016 Australian federal election.[22]
- Also during the 2016 federal election in Australia, SBS Comedy published a satirical article claiming that the "Dat Boi" frog had become the most popular candidate for Prime Minister of Australia among youth voters.[23]
References
- ^ Dart, Chris (May 13, 2016). "Inside Dat Boi, the year's weirdest meme". The A.V. Club.
- ^ San Vincente, Romeo (June 2, 2016). "Deep Inside Hollywood". Between the Lines.
- ^ Klee, Miles (May 2, 2016). "Say 'waddup' to Dat Boi, the unicycling frog meme". The Daily Dot.
- ^ a b Feldman, Brian (May 12, 2016). "The Strange Journey of 'Dat Boi,' the Year's Best Meme So Far". New York Magazine.
- ^ a b Cook-Wilson, Winston (May 6, 2016). "What is 'Dat Boi,' and Why Is It So Sweet?: An Exploration". Inverse.
- ^ Lopez, German (May 27, 2016). "Dat boi, explained". Vox.
- ^ Song, Sandra (May 25, 2016). "How the Racial Politics of Dat Boi Ripped Apart a Popular Facebook Group". Paper Magazine.
- ^ Tiven, Lucy (May 29, 2016). "Viral Meme Dat Boi Ignites a Discussion About Racism". Attn.
- ^ Crosbie, Jack (May 26, 2016). "Dat Boi Might Be Racist and It's Ruining a Facebook Group for Dank Memes". Inverse.
- ^ Plante, Chris (June 8, 2016). "Be one with Dat Boi". The Verge.
- ^ Aroesti, Rachel (June 8, 2016). "The month in memes: Dat Boi and a big-screen bow for Slender Man". The Guardian.
- ^ Byrne, Brian Patrick; Reznik, Tal; Markovitz, Leon; Kelly, Kaitlyn (June 5, 2016). "How the Internet Reached Peak Meme". Vocativ.
- ^ Lorah, Michael (June 14, 2016). "Meet Pepe's Daddy - Matt Furie Talks Boy's Club". Comic Book Resources.
- ^ "Kids Pick the President: Make a Meme". Kids Pick the President. Viacom International. October 14, 2016.
- ^ "MTV News on Instagram". MTV News.
- ^ Pereira, Chris (May 13, 2016). "Nintendo's Weird Tweet Has Star Fox's Slippy Losing Out to a Frog on a Unicycle". GameSpot.
- ^ "Marketer MVPs of Social Media: Now Dat Boi Lifts Nintendo, but Victoria's Secret is Building a Streak". Advertising Age. May 19, 2016.
- ^ "Denny's on Twitter - May 6, 2016". Denny's. May 6, 2016.
- ^ "ROBLOX on Twitter - May 17, 2016". Roblox. May 17, 2016. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016.
- ^ "A Co-Creator of Know Your Meme Explains What the Hell a Meme Actually Is". Vice. May 26, 2016.
- ^ "How Does the Fat Jewish Find His Memes?". PopSugar. May 31, 2016.
- ^ McKinnon, Alex (May 16, 2016). "Australian Politics and the 'Dat Boi' Meme Have Finally Intersected, As Was Inevitable". Junkee.
- ^ "Massive Youth Voter Enrolment Sees Frog Meme Lead As Preferred Prime Minister". SBS. May 23, 2016.