Mediaboss Marketing

Theres a veritable meme meltdown going on at the infamous imageboard 4chan, and it involves an odd-looking anthropomorphic frog named Pepe.

The chaotic site has been ground zero for countless Internet in-jokes, from Rage Comics to LOLcats and even Dickbutt. This time, however, members have returned to an old chestnut theyd long ago abandoned, acting out something like a mid-life crisis.

First appearing in Boys Club, a comic series by Matt Furie, Pepe the frog became an overnight sensation in early 2006. An image of Pepe saying feels good man epitomized various posts on board /r9k/, dedicated to low-key hangouts and original content.

Matt Furie/Boys Club

One great thing about 4chan is that it never turns off. Its members took this wide-eyed frog andremixedhim ad infinitum.

4chan took this wide-eyed frog andremixedhim ad infinitum.

Pepe evolved, with various iterations used to indicate anger, melancholy, or surprise. He accumulated a vast set of looks and has been altered to resemble characters from TV shows or reference other bits of pop culture.

With Pepes eventual mass prominence, though, he lost his underground cred. Hes been used by major pop stars, from Nicki Minaj to Katy Perry. Theres a Reddit board dedicated to Pepe as well. This didnt sit well with 4channers, who typically dispense with concepts once theyre embraced by the mainstream. Pepe was no exception.

That got us wondering: What does Pepes creator make of his runaway success? To find out, we caught up with Furie and asked him to shed some light on the phenomenon.

What was your inspiration?

My Pepe philosophy is simple: Feels good man. It is based on the meaning of the word Pepe: To go Pepe. I find complete joy in physically, emotionally, and spiritually serving Pepe and his friends through comics. Each comic is sacred, and the compassion of my readers transcends any differences, the pain, and fear of feeling good.

Was the comic commissioned?

Seeing a frog always takes my breath away and brings a genuine smile to my face. That is what I want every reader to experience each time they think about the Boys Club comica thrill of overwhelming beauty and joy!

Thoughts on Pepe becoming the mascot for 4chan?

Pepe offers you complete support, attention, and embraces how capable you are of birthing your own Pepe. As your God, my hope is to enhance your Pepe birthing experience by empowering you through it. Obey Pepe. Obey Me. Bow down to your leader. Worship me. Give me genital love or non-genital love. Both are wonderful.

But 4chan went crazy for Pepe, yes?

I believe that the most important thing I can do as an artist is to protect the voices of anonymous people on the Internet and help ensure that that those voices are honored. It is my job to help 4chan have the experience that they want without judgment or criticism. In the end, I want 4chan to feel they were supported by being heard, respected, and part of the decision-making process. Instead of promoting my own agenda, it is my goal to promote 4chan. Different things work for different people. Let me support you in the way you choose to draw Pepe.

What about people profiting off of Pepe?

I believe in supporting peoples decisions to profit off of Pepe in order to provide them with the most positive business experience possible. I strive to be an advocate for Pepe in both love and enterprise and hope to help business people to have an empowering and joyful experience while making an ocean of profits as limitless as the universe.

Pepe is now immortal on the internet.

Having Pepe is one of the most life-changing experiences I will ever have. While many may fear the frog, there is no need for anxiety, especially when you feel confident and supported by the 4chan communitythis is something my body was created to do, and I did it!

So, seven years after he first won their hearts, how have 4channers tried to resurrect and reclaim Pepe? By acknowledging him as a precious, antique memeand growing a fictional economy around his widespread allure.

The Pepe speculation boom started when a user started complaining about rare Pepes on /r9k/. The absurdity of modified frog images shared online falling under a rarity index was hilarious. And, as usual, 4chan just rolled with it.

The result: images of Pepe with watermarks reading RARE PEPE DO NOT SAVEbecause doing so would diminish their value.

4chan

4chan has since taken the odd cartoon frog to heights none thought imaginable. At this moment, you can findmassive collections of vintage Pepe imagesfor auction oneBay. And some have actually drawn bids.

eBay

Of course, some anti-capitalist vigilante posted a public file containing over one thousand Pepes, effectively crashing the Pepe economy. Its all part of a larger, self-negating game in which popularity and prestige are manipulated for sporta satire of virality, you could say.

How long will Pepes Renaissance last, and will his latest disgusting incarnationscollected under the banner poo poo pee peefinally turn his casual fans away from the meme? Perhaps. More likely, though, 4chans meta spin on what ranks among their most popular exports will just attract more disciples. In the end, Pepe is bigger than any of us.

Update Sept. 13, 2016, 10:18am: In a surprising turn of events, Pepe has been co-opted by the alt-right. Pepes appeared in Donald Trump propaganda, and a heckler was booted out of Hillary Clinton rally for yelling about Pepe. In fact, a post on Clintons official site proclaimed Pepea symbol associated with white supremacy.

However, creator Matt Furie believes that Pepes alt-right affiliation will soon pass. He told the Daily Dot:

Its just a phase, its not the first time Pepe has been reclaimed for evil, andno one will care about it come November. I predict that his sly, lovable, and charming status will be intact as early as next week.

Photo via Matt Furie/Know Your Meme | Remix by Jason Reed

Follow this link:
The story behind 4chan's Pepe the Frog meme - dailydot.com

New York Times

Zara Loses Its Skirt Over Pepe the Frog New York Times A miniskirt sold by Zara, printed with cartoon frog faces, became a subject of social media controversy because of the graphics' resemblance to Pepe the Frog. Digital activists have claimed another head. Or, rather, skirt. On Tuesday, Zara, the Spanish ... Zara Just Pulled This Skirt After People Said It Looked Like Pepe the FrogFortune Zara's 'Pepe The Frog' Skirt Is Just Wrong, Wrong, WrongHuffington Post ZARA, women's clothing boutique, pulls Pepe the Frog skirt after Twitter backlashWashington Times The Guardian -Daily Mail -Today.com all 38 news articles »

See original here:
Zara Loses Its Skirt Over Pepe the Frog - New York Times

BBC News

Patrick the wombat dies, and Zara criticised for 'Pepe' skirt BBC News Social media users mourn the loss of celebrity wombat Patrick, and Zara is criticised for marketing a denim skirt featuring a lookalike of the "hateful" Pepe the Frog meme. "Bucky-toothed heaven". The death of Australian "celebrity wombat" Patrick ... and more »

Read more:
Patrick the wombat dies, and Zara criticised for 'Pepe' skirt - BBC News

Investors realize that they put money into a $400 juice hugger.

@AndBrei, tweeting about the Juicero, a machine that squeezes pre-packaged bags of juice. The startup, Juicero Inc., was profiled in Bloomberg Technology because investors realized that the juice packs can be squeezed by hand just as well as by the $400 machine. At least two Juicero investors were taken aback after finding the packs could be squeezed by hand, Ellen Huet and Olivia Zaleski wrote. Bloomberg even tested the machine against hand squeezing and found that the Juicero which has received around $120 million in startup capital took two minutes to squeeze about what a human could manage in a minute and a half.

Spicer gets Gronkd.

@nfldraftupdate, reacting after Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski interrupted Sean Spicers White House press briefing to ask if he needed any help. The stunt, during the teams Wednesday visit to the White House, was very on-brand for Gronkowski, who is often called by his nickname, Gronk, and is known for his funny antics. Spicer, a Patriots fan from Rhode Island, didnt need any help, but appreciated the gesture.

Zara pulls skirt that may or may not look like Pepe the Frog.

@fermiparadox_, tweeting about the Zara denim skirt with a cartoon image on it that some people thought looked like the Pepe the Frog meme, which has come to be associated with white nationalists on the internet. Zara decided to pull the skirt from its website and stores.

The last piece youll ever need to read about Rachel Dolezal.

I couldnt escape Rachel Dolezal because I cant escape white supremacy. And it is white supremacy that told an unhappy and outcast white woman that black identity was hers for the taking.

Ijeoma Oluo, writing for The Stranger in what the outlet called the last piece youll ever need to read about Rachel Dolezal. Through interviewing Dolezal, Oluo realizes it is white supremacy that enabled her story to take place and be heard.

Kim Kardashian tweeted about losing weight from the flu and people got upset.

@Fly_Malcolm_X, disagreeing with people who thought Kim Kardashians tweet about the flu was in poor taste. Kim tweeted that the flu can be an amazing diet, but later deleted the tweet after Twitter users called her out.

See the rest here:
Trending: Gronk crashes Spicer briefing; this juice squeezer actually costs $400 - Washington Post

BERKELEY, Calif. The American far right alt-right figures, antigovernment movement leaders, and a conglomeration of conspiracists and extremists ranging from anti-feminists to nativists, all angrily voicing their support for Donald Trump came here Saturday itching for a fight. They found it.

On social media, the organizers and supporters called it the Next Battle of Berkeley, a chance to gain revenge for an earlier event on the University of California campus that they believed had infringed on conservatives free speech rights: In February, a scheduled appearance by alt-right provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos was shut down by rock-throwing antifascist protesters.

So when several hundred of them gathered at a downtown park for a Free Speech event Saturday most from out of town, many from all around the country they came prepared to do battle with the same black-clad protesters, many of them wearing helmets, pads, and face masks of their own. The result was an inevitable free-for-all, with organized phalanxes on both sides lining up, occasionally erupting into fistfights, and then breaking down in a series of running melees that ran up Center Street into the heart of downtown.

By the days end, 11people were injured and six hospitalized. Police arrested 21 people on a variety of charges.

The rally had drawn wide attention among various right-wing factions leading up to the event. Perhaps the most noteworthy of them were the Oath Keepers, the antigovernment Patriot movement group closely associated with the Bundy standoff and various far-right conspiracist activities.

Stewart Rhodes addresses the crowd Saturday.

Were going [to Berkeley] because people are having their rights violated, Oath Keepers president Steward Rhodes told a North Carolina gathering the week before. So it could be argued that with the full support of the local politicians, thugs in the streets are beating people up and suppressing their rights to free speech and assembly. It could be argued that California is in a state of insurrection.

Various alt-right figures also became involved. Kyle Chapman, an Alameda County man who has gained recent notoriety as Based Stickman, the stick-and-shield-wielding defender of right-wing speech, came and was reportedly arrested. Canadian Lauren Southern, an alt-right pundit who came to notoriety by denying the existence of rape culture and by demonizing minorities, arrived wearing a helmet boasting a MAGA (Make America Great Again) sticker.

Nathan Damigo, a leader in the white-nationalist 'Identity Evropa' movement, taunts protesters.

Nathan Damigo, one of the key figures in the student-oriented white-nationalist Identity Evropa organization, was not only present, but acted as a provocateur throughout much of the day, egging on protesters and leading a group of young white men with fascy haircuts in confrontations on the street. Damigo was videotaped sucker-punching a young woman in black who was embroiled in the street brawls.

The rally was scheduled to begin at noon, but by 11 a.m. both sides were out in force, and the right-wing speakers, including Southern and Rhodes, began addressing the crowd from a tree-covered portion of the park. Meanwhile, hundreds of protesters gathered, separated from the Patriots by orange police cordons, enforced by some 250 officers. By around noon, the protesters began to march around the park.

Groups of right-wing activists formed lines to prevent black-clad antifascists from entering their space, even as the protest moved around the east end of the park and then congealed on Center Street, on its west side. It was there that the police cordons finally started breaking down, the two sides were milling as a mob, and fights began to break out. Objects ranging from plastic bottles to large rock to bagels were flying through the air. A trash bin was rolled down the street, and several bins of garbage were set afire.

The Pepe banners came out early and often.

Banners came out, including some featuring Pepe the Frog, the notorious alt-right mascot. One sign featured the anti-Semitic meme, Goyim Know.

Eventually, the mass of people moved a half-block to the intersection of Center and Milvia streets, where the two sides again faced off for the better part of an hour. Insults were shouted and chanted, threats were made, skirmishes erupted. Both sides appeared to be evenly matched.

That mob broke up when someone lit a large smoke bomb that obscured everyones vision for several minutes. In the fog, melees began breaking out, several of them running east up Center. Eventually the mob moved up the block to the intersection of Center with Shattuck, the main downtown boulevard.

The right-wing militants appeared to be attempting to head toward the Cal-Berkeley campus a few blocks further east, but the protesters stiffened their resistance and prevented them from getting much further beyond Shattuck. As participants began drifting away, the combatants remained mostly within a small half-block on Shattuck. Eventually, an organized phalanx of police moved in and broke up the crowd, and most participants went home.

Afterward, the alt-right was exultant, claiming victory: Chapman claimed that Berkeley got sacked, while the rallys original organizers, a far-right group called the Proud Boys, boasted: Today was an enormous victory! I could not be more proud or grateful for every one who attended the event! This was the turning point!

Post-election pro-Trump rallies in late February held around the country similarly provoked scenes of mob violence.

Read this article:
Far Right Descends On Berkeley For 'Free Speech' And Planned ... - Southern Poverty Law Center