Source: Twitter/@Solo_Kalin / Twitter
UPDATED: Tuesday, April 5, 2018:
Black Twitter is still good making memes go viral. The latest is the squat & squint meme, and it’s hilarious.
“Black Twitter” has no chill. Public relations gaffes become nightmares, and righteous indignation rains down on violators 140 characters at a time. When the right mix of a photograph, opportunity, and the collective snark of thousands meet, it’s meme time.
While they should never be meant to take the place of real activism, some issues are so insane you just have to enjoy the laugh and keep scrolling. The origins of “Black Twitter’s” favorite memes are hilarious, sometimes unknown, and even wholly unrelated to some of their uses. None of which makes them any less effective.
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Photo: Getty
Brother On The Phone
Martin Baker is a Missouri Republican congressional candidate, who for reasons that defy logic, was at a Darren Wilson rally. If you were a brother at a Darren Wilson rally, you’d already be losing at life but would also probably be on your phone with that same expression.
Michael Jordan Crying
On the court and in the boardroom, Michael Jordan was a cold hearted assassin out for blood. The latter half of his Basketball Hall Of Fame enshrinement speech reflected that demeanor, but before he could get ice cold, MJ was truly touched by the outpouring of support from his fam and teammates—hence the waterworks.
Bill Cosby Allegations
Ask and ye shall receive. In the midst of dozens of sexual assault allegations, Cosby asked fans to meme his comical Heathcliff Huxtable faces, and he got nothing but digital shade in return. You might want ponder that request before dozens of women accuse you of drugging them and trying to get all touchy-feely without consent.
Kevin Durant’s “You Da Real MVP”
No shame in KD doing what Derrick Rose and Isaiah Thomas did before him in terms of letting a few tears flow. While Durant’s praise of Westbrook and his Thunder teammates is genuine, the format was a bit cheesy. And when it’s time to praise a peer, the meme KD hates has to come out.
Keisha Johnson
Due to some revisionist history, Keisha “confused black girl” Johnson said she was nauseous and highly irritated when someone snapped this picture. Her meme is basically the WTF equivalent of John Wall’s “BRUH.”
Skeptical Third World Child
God bless Reddit. Someone who volunteered with the Student Global Health Alliance shared this on Reddit, and the rest was Internet magic. If someone from Sallie Mae is trying to convince you to give them your checking account info or a person tells you a child can be fed and vaccinated for a dollar a day, this is the meme for you.
Drake’s Day Care
When you make a melancholy album about going through chick’s phones, being forlorn about stardom and cupcaking strippers, this is what happens.
Lance Stephenson
There’s no good reason to blow in another man’s ear. During a playoff game, Lance thought he was getting in LeBron’s mind. He just ended up looking like ’Toine from “Men on Film.”
Beyond Scared Straight Alternative Lifestyle Unit
Decades from now, let’s hope a study shows incarceration rates plummeted thanks to A&E’s Beyond Scared Straight. Of the many meme-worthy moments this particular episode produced, the brother with his “jail wife” was the most shocking. This show was the best anti-prison PSA ever.
Also:
John Wall’s “BRUH”
Depending on who you ask, John Wall’s squad was either getting worked, or he was exaggerating a reaction by watching fellow ankle-breaker Kyrie Irving on the court. Either way, the result was Wall slumped in his seat, perfectly embodying that look we all have before letting out an exasperated, “Bruh.”
U Mad?
Cam’ron and Damon Dash on The O’Reilly Factor was legendary. Cam and Dame imitated Bill O’Reilly’s penchant for cutting his guests off mid-sentence and arguably executed it better than the curmudgeonly conservative. The final straw was Cam hitting him with, “You mad?”
Donna Goudeau
Going forward, we might just start calling this the “Suge Knight/legally blind defense” meme. P.O.P. hold it down. During this infamous soundbite, someone should have told Donna Goudeau about her Miranda Rights…namely the one to remain silent.
Ariana Grande Ducks For Cover
Despite being in her 20s, Ariana Grande looks 13. Maybe her performing at the 2014 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was a ploy to sex her up for an adult crowd. If so, that plan backfired when she got smacked by an angel wing on Elsa Hosk’s costumed and cowered in fear like a toddler.
