Wikipedia

Pepe the Frog

(Redirected from Kekistani)
"Frog meme" redirects here. For the image of a frog riding a unicycle, see Dat Boi.
"Feels good man" redirects here. For the documentary film, see Feels Good Man.

Pepe the Frog (/ˈpɛpeɪ/ PEP-ay) is a comic character and Internet meme created by cartoonist Matt Furie. Designed as a green anthropomorphic frog with a humanoid body, Pepe originated in Furie's 2005 comic Boy's Club.[2] The character became an Internet meme when his popularity steadily grew across websites such as Myspace, Gaia Online, and 4chan in 2008. By 2015, he had become one of the most popular memes used on 4chan and Tumblr.[3] Different types of Pepe memes include "Sad Frog", "Smug Frog", "Angry Pepe", "Feels Frog", and "You will never..." Frog. Since 2014, "rare Pepes" have been posted on the "meme market" as if they were trading cards.[4][5][6]

Pepe
Pepe the Frog in his original format
Publication information
First appearanceBoy's Club (2005)[1]
Created byMatt Furie

Originally an apolitical character, Pepe was appropriated from 2015 to 2016 onward as a symbol of the alt-right movement.[7][8][9] The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) included Pepe in its hate symbol database in 2016, but said most instances of Pepe were not used in a hate-related context.[10][11] Since then, Furie has expressed his dismay at Pepe being used as a hate symbol and has sued organizations for doing so.[12]

In 2019, Pepe was used by protesters in the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests. Despite being used in a political context, Pepe the Frog's use in Hong Kong is not perceived as being connected with alt-right ideology. Furie has welcomed the use of Pepe by Hong Kong protesters.[13]

Pepe remains a recognizable and familiar sight on social media platforms such as 4chan, Twitch, Reddit, and Discord, where images are modified into custom Pepe-based emoji.

Origin: Boy's Club

"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'."

–Matt Furie, 2015 interview with The Daily Dot[2]

Pepe the Frog was created by American artist and cartoonist Matt Furie in 2005. Its usage as an Internet meme came from his comic Boy's Club #1. The progenitor of Boy's Club was a zine Furie made on Microsoft Paint called Playtime, which included Pepe as a character.[14] He posted his comic in a series of blog posts on Myspace in 2005.[6][15]

In the comic, Pepe is seen urinating with his pants pulled down to his ankles and the catchphrase "feels good man" was his rationale.[16][17] Furie took those posts down when the printed edition was published in 2006.[6]

As an internet meme

Pepe was used in blog posts on Myspace in 2005 and became an in-joke on Gaia Online.[18][6][19] In 2008, the page containing Pepe and the catchphrase was scanned and uploaded to 4chan's /b/ board, which has been described as the meme's "permanent home".[6]

The meme took off among 4chan users, who adapted Pepe's face and catchphrase to fit different scenarios and emotions, such as melancholy, anger, and surprise.[2] "Feels bad, man", a sad variant of the frog's "feels good, man" catchphrase, also became associated with Pepe.[20] Color was also added; originally a black-and-white line drawing, Pepe became green with brown lips, sometimes in a blue shirt.[15][16] "Feels Guy", or "Wojak", originally an unrelated character typically used to express melancholy, was eventually often paired with Pepe in user-made comics or images.[17]

The "sad frog" variation entered usage on Tumblr by 2012.[6][18] That same year, the "Smug Pepe" variant emerged.[18] Versions of the meme appeared on Chinese social media, such as Baidu Tieba, as early as 2014. There, it has been known as shangxin qingwa (傷心青蛙), or "sad frog".[21][22] In 2014, images of Pepe were shared on social media by celebrities such as Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj.[6][16][23] As Pepe became more widespread, 4chan users began referring to particularly creative and unique variants of the meme as "rare Pepes". These images, sometimes as physical paintings,[24][25] were sold on eBay and posted on Craigslist.[2][6] 4chan users referred to those who used the meme outside the website as "normies" (or "normalfags").[6][18] Users from 4chan, Reddit, and elsewhere attempted to prevent mainstream usage of the meme by "making Pepe as shocking as possible".[20][18][6]

In 2015, Pepe was #6 on Daily News and Analysis's list of the most important memes and the most retweeted meme on Twitter.[26][27] The Daily Intelligencer called it Tumblr's "Biggest Meme of 2015".[3][18] According to Inverse, it was one of the most-reblogged memes on Tumblr in 2015.[28]

Use by the alt-right

As early as 2015, a number of Pepe variants were created by Internet trolls to associate the character with the alt-right movement. Some of the variants produced by this had Nazi Germany, Ku Klux Klan, or white power skinhead themes.[8][9]

During the 2016 United States presidential election, the meme was connected to Donald Trump's campaign. In October 2015, Trump retweeted a Pepe representation of himself, associated with a video called "You Can't Stump the Trump (Volume 4)".[10][29] Later in the election, Roger Stone and Donald Trump Jr. posted a parody movie poster of The Expendables on Twitter and Instagram titled "The Deplorables", a play on Hillary Clinton's controversial phrase "basket of deplorables", which included Pepe's face among those of members of the Trump family and other figures popular among the alt-right.[30]

Also during the election, various news organizations reported associations of the character with white nationalism and the alt-right.[31][32][33] In May 2016, Olivia Nuzzi of The Daily Beast wrote that there was "an actual campaign to reclaim Pepe from normies" and that "turning Pepe into a white nationalist icon" was an explicit goal of some on the alt-right.[34] In August 2016, Clinton denounced the alt-right in a speech. During the speech, a 4chan user who was liveblogging the event on the site audibly shouted "Pepe!" at the request of another user.[35][19] In September 2016, an article published on Hillary Clinton's campaign website described Pepe as "a symbol associated with white supremacy" and denounced Trump's campaign for its supposed promotion of the meme.[36][37] In 2020, social scientist Joan Donovan said of the Clinton campaign's decision to describe Pepe as an alt-right symbol, "If it weren't for Hillary Clinton's campaign in 2016 trying to [...] name Pepe as a signifier of the Alt-Right, that kind of recognition probably wouldn't have taken hold [...] In doing so, they showed how much of a newbie they were at what it essentially meant to be online, which in turn created a wave of media attention on which the Alt-Right was ready to coast."[38]

In an interview with Esquire, Furie said of Pepe's usage as a hate symbol, "It sucks, but I can't control it more than anyone can control frogs on the Internet".[39] Fantagraphics Books, Furie's publisher, issued a statement condemning the "illegal and repulsive appropriations of the character".[40] The Anti-Defamation League, an American organization opposed to antisemitism, included Pepe in its hate symbol database but wrote that most instances of Pepe were not used in a hate-related context.[41][11] Writing in Time on October 13, 2016, Furie said that "I understand that it's out of my control, but in the end, Pepe is whatever you say he is, and I, the creator, say that Pepe is love."[42][43] The next day, the ADL announced that it had partnered with Furie to launch the #SavePepe (or "Save Pepe") campaign, an attempt to associate the symbol with positivity.[44][45][46] As part of that campaign, Furie collected hundreds of "positive or peaceful" versions of Pepe to store in an online "Peace Pepe Database of Love".[47][48] On October 17, 2016, Furie published a satirical take of Pepe's appropriation by the alt-right movement on The Nib.[49][50] This was his first comic for the character since he ended Boy's Club in 2012.[1]

In January 2017, in a response to "pundits" calling on Theresa May to disrupt Trump's relationship with Russia, the Russian Embassy in the United Kingdom tweeted an image of Pepe.[51][52] White supremacist Richard B. Spencer, during a street interview after Trump's inauguration, was preparing to explain the meaning of a Pepe pin on his jacket when he was punched in the face, with the resulting video itself becoming the source of many memes.[53][54]

On May 6, 2017, on Free Comic Book Day, it was announced that Furie had killed Pepe off in response to the character's continued use as a hate symbol.[55][56] However, in an interview with Carol Off on her show As It Happens Furie said that despite news of Pepe's death, he will eventually return: "The end is a chance for a new beginning ... I got some plans for Pepe that I can't really discuss, but he's going to rise from the ashes like a phoenix ... in a puff of marijuana smoke."[57][58] Soon thereafter, Furie announced his intention to "resurrect" Pepe, launching a crowdfunding campaign for a new comic book featuring Pepe.[59] In a July 2017 interview with The Outline, Furie spoke about the comic in which he "killed" Pepe the Frog. He said, "This comic was just kind of my own kind of art therapy and dealing with the fact that Trump got elected and the new twist on Pepe that ensued. I decided to lay him to rest. But really it was just a joke, and a way for me to deal with the weirdness that was happening."[60]

In June 2017, a proposed app and Flappy Bird clone called "Pepe Scream" was rejected from the Apple App Store due to its depiction of Pepe the Frog. The app's developer, under the name "MrSnrhms", posted a screenshot of his rejection letter on r/The Donald. The app is available on the Google Play Store.[61][62]

A children's book appropriating the Pepe character, The Adventures of Pepe and Pede, advanced "racist, Islamophobic and hate-filled themes", according to a federal lawsuit Furie filed. The suit was settled out of court in August 2017, with terms including the withdrawal of the book from publication and the profits being donated to the nonprofit Council on American-Islamic Relations. Initially self-published, the book was subsequently published by Post Hill Press.[63] The book's author, a vice-principal with the Denton Independent School District, was reassigned after the publicity.[64]

Until September 2018, Social media service Gab used a Pepe-like illustration of a frog (named "Gabby") as its logo. The site is popular with the alt-right.[65][66]

In 2018, Furie succeeded in having images of Pepe removed from The Daily Stormer website.[12]

In January 2019, the video game Jesus Strikes Back: Judgment Day was released, which allows players to play as Pepe the Frog, among other figures, and murder various target groups including feminists, minorities, and liberals.[67]

In June 2019, Furie received a $15,000 out of court settlement in a copyright infringement case against Infowars and Alex Jones concerning unlicensed use of the image of Pepe the Frog on far-right themed posters. Furie stated that he would continue to "enforce his copyrights aggressively to make sure nobody else is profiting off associating Pepe the Frog with hateful imagery."[12]

Kek

"Kek", from "kekeke"/"ㅋㅋㅋ", a Korean onomatopoeia of laughter used similarly to "LOL", is the Korean equivalent of the English "haha". Since this is often used in StarCraft matches, Blizzard, Starcraft's developers, decided to reference it in World of Warcraft (2004): when a player of the Horde faction types "lol" using the /say messaging command, members of the opposing faction see it as "kek".[68][69] A common misconception is that "kek" originated as a variation of "lel", itself a variation of "lol".[70][71]

During the 2016 United States presidential election, Kek became associated with alt-right politics.[72][73][74][75][76][77] Kek is associated with the occurrence of repeating digits, known as "dubs", "trips", "quads", among other terms, in the sequential codes assigned to posts made on 4chan, as if he had the ability to influence reality through Internet memes.[78]

Online message boards such as 4chan first noted a similarity between Kek and Pepe.[79][80][81][82] The phrase is widely used[83] and 4chan users see Kek as the "'god' of memes".[84] The phrase then became associated with the Egyptian deity of the same name.[83]

"Esoteric Kekism" references the "Esoteric Hitlerism" of writer Savitri Devi.[85] Esoteric Kekism, also called "the Cult of Kek",[86] is a parody religion worshipping Pepe the Frog, which sprang from the similarity of the slang term for laughter, "kek", and the name of the ancient Egyptian frog god of darkness, Kek.[83] This deity, in turn, was associated with Pepe the Frog on internet forums.[83][80] The Internet meme has its origin on the internet message forum 4chan and other chans, and the board /pol/ in particular.[83][87] Kek references are closely associated with Trump and the alt-right,[96] and the Kek-Flag was spotted at the 2021 storming of the Capitol.[97]

Kekistan

 
 
Flag of "Kekistan" (top)[98] and the war flag of the Nazi-era German armed forces
 
Demonstrator holding a flag of Kekistan (2017)

Kekistan is a fictional country created by 4chan users that has become a political meme and online movement.[99] The name is derived from "kek" and the suffix "-stan", a common Central Asian country suffix. Since late 2016, the satirical ethnicity of Kekistani has been used by U.S.-based alt-right protesters opposed to what they view as political correctness. These "Kekistanis" decry the supposed "oppression" of their people and troll counterprotesters by waving the "national flag of Kekistan" (modeled after the Nazi war flag, with the red replaced by green, the Iron Cross replaced by the logo for 4chan, and the swastika replaced by a rubric for KEK).[99][100][101] This flag was prominently displayed at the 2017 Berkeley protest for free speech in mid-April,[102][103] and the Unite the Right rally in August 2017,[104][105] and was carried by supporters of Donald Trump during the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol.[106] Self-identified Kekistanis have created a fictional history around the meme, including the invasion and overthrow of other fictional countries such as "Normistan" and "Cuckistan".[100][107] Kekistanis have also adopted Internet personality Gordon Hurd (in his "Big Man Tyrone" persona) as their president and the 1986 Italo disco record "Shadilay" as a national anthem.[107] The record gained attention from the group in September 2016 because of the name of the group (P.E.P.E.) and art on the record depicting a frog holding a magic wand.[87]

Groyper

Main article: Groyper

A variation of Pepe known as "Groyper" or "Easter Toad" was used as early as 2015, and became popular in 2017.[108] Groyper is depicted as a rotund green, frog-like creature with its chin resting on interlocked fingers.[108][109] There is some disagreement around the specifics of Groyper: it has been described as a depiction of the Pepe character,[109] a different character from Pepe but of the same species,[110] or a toad.[108] The Groyper meme is the namesake for Groypers, a loose group of white nationalist activists and followers of Nick Fuentes.[108][109][111]

Use in Hong Kong protests

 
Pepe imagery displayed in the streets of Hong Kong during the 2019 protests

In August 2019, it was reported that various demonstrators at the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests were using Pepe as a "resistance symbol".[112][113]

Hong Kong protestors began to use depictions of Pepe the Frog as a symbol of liberty and resistance against the extradition bill and police brutality in the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests. New images of Pepe the Frog surfaced showing Pepe with an injured eye after a young female first aider had her eye injured by a projectile fired by police; the incident spurred a new protest campaign called "An eye for an eye". A sign with Pepe with an injured eye held by a young nurse with one eye covered gained international media attention.[114] Furie responded in an email with a protester, stating "This is great news! Pepe for the people!".[115][13]

In the Hong Kong context, Pepe the Frog is not perceived as being connected with far-right ideology.[114][116] Hong Kongers were also generally unaware that Pepe the Frog had been appropriated by the alt-right and white supremacists in the United States.[113]

Use in cryptocurrency

Main article: Rare Pepe

In a further iteration, Pepe has seen usage among cryptocurrency enthusiasts as a meme on Twitter and elsewhere. Amongst other icons, it was featured on a Fortune magazine cover dedicated to a special report about cryptocurrency.[117]

Documentary

A 2020 documentary, Feels Good Man, relates the story of Pepe's origins and co-option by the alt-right, and Furie's attempts to regain control over his creation.[118]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Priscilla, Frank (September 30, 2016). "The Strange Internet Journey of Pepe The 'Chilled-Out Stoner Frog'". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on January 30, 2019. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d Khan, Imad (April 12, 2015). "4chan's Pepe the Frog is bigger than ever—and his creator feels good, man". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on June 29, 2016. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
  3. ^ a b Hathaway, Jay (December 9, 2015). "Tumblr's Biggest Meme of 2015 Was Pepe the Frog". Daily Intelligencer. New York. Archived from the original on July 25, 2017. Retrieved 2017-09-14.
  4. ^ "We Asked The Art World How Much Rare Pepes Are Going For". BuzzFeed News. Archived from the original on 2018-08-21. Retrieved 2018-08-21.
  5. ^ "About US – Rare Pepe Directory". rarepepedirectory.com. Archived from the original on 2020-02-27. Retrieved 2018-08-21.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Kiberd, Roisin (April 9, 2015). "4chan's Frog Meme Went Mainstream, So They Tried to Kill It". Motherboard. Vice Media. Archived from the original on January 26, 2017. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
  7. ^ Mihailidis, Paul; Viotty, Samantha (2017-04-01). "Spreadable Spectacle in Digital Culture: Civic Expression, Fake News, and the Role of Media Literacies in "Post-Fact" Society". American Behavioral Scientist. 61 (4): 441–454. doi:10.1177/0002764217701217. ISSN 0002-7642. S2CID 151950124. Archived from the original on 2022-01-19. Retrieved 2022-01-19.
  8. ^ a b Demsky, Jeffrey (2021), Demsky, Jeffrey (ed.), "That is Really Meme: Nazi Pepe the Frog and the Subversion of Anglo-American Holocaust Remembrance", Nazi and Holocaust Representations in Anglo-American Popular Culture, 1945–2020: Irreverent Remembrance, Palgrave Studies in Cultural Heritage and Conflict, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 105–125, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-79221-3_7, ISBN 978-3-030-79221-3, S2CID 238951868, archived from the original on 2022-01-19, retrieved 2022-01-18
  9. ^ a b Miller-Idriss, Cynthia (2018-12-17). "What Makes a Symbol Far Right? Co-opted and Missed Meanings in Far-Right Iconography". Post-Digital Cultures of the Far Right. transcript Verlag. pp. 123–132. doi:10.1515/9783839446706-009. ISBN 978-3-8394-4670-6. S2CID 240030613. Archived from the original on 2022-01-19. Retrieved 2022-01-19.
  10. ^ a b "Pepe the Frog meme branded a 'hate symbol'". BBC News. September 28, 2016. Archived from the original on November 20, 2016. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  11. ^ a b "Pepe the Frog". Anti-Defamation League. September 27, 2016. Archived from the original on February 27, 2017. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
  12. ^ a b c Swinyard, Holly (June 13, 2019). "Pepe the Frog creator wins $15,000 settlement against Infowars". The Guardian. Archived from the original on May 13, 2020. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
  13. ^ a b "Pepe青蛙成逆權運動文宣〜網民去信告知原作者, 原作者: 「Pepe for the people!」". Holiday 假期日常 (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2020-02-28. Retrieved 2019-08-22.
  14. ^ Furino, Giaco (August 3, 2016). "Pepe the Frog's Creator Talks Making Zine History". The Creators Project. Archived from the original on October 11, 2016. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  15. ^ a b Mazur, A.J. (August 7, 2010). "Q&A with Matt Furie". Know Your Meme. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
  16. ^ a b c Collins, Sean T. (July 28, 2015). "The Creator of Pepe the Frog Talks About Making Comics in the Post-Meme World". Vice. Archived from the original on December 17, 2016. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
  17. ^ a b Haskell, Will (July 30, 2015). "This guy created the frog meme that's all over the internet — here's why he's 'kinda pissed off'". Tech Insider. Archived from the original on September 23, 2016. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
  18. ^ a b c d e f Glitsos, Laura; Hall, James (2019-10-02). "The Pepe the Frog meme: an examination of social, political, and cultural implications through the tradition of the Darwinian Absurd" (PDF). Journal for Cultural Research. 23 (4): 381–395. doi:10.1080/14797585.2019.1713443. ISSN 1479-7585. S2CID 212792188.
  19. ^ a b Pollard, Tom (2018-02-13). "Alt-Right Transgressions in the Age of Trump". Perspectives on Global Development and Technology. 17 (1–2): 76–88. doi:10.1163/15691497-12341467. ISSN 1569-1500.
  20. ^ a b Hunt, Elle (2020-10-24). "Hunting Pepe?". New Scientist. 248 (3305): 31. Bibcode:2020NewSc.248...31H. doi:10.1016/S0262-4079(20)31884-4. ISSN 0262-4079. S2CID 242567242.
  21. ^ de Seta, Gabriele (December 2019). Bown, Alfie (ed.). "PEPE GOES TO CHINA". Tank. Dan Bristow. Archived from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  22. ^ de Seta, Gabriele (2019), Bown, Alfie; Bristow, Dan (eds.), "Pepe Goes to China, or, the Post-Global Circulation of Memes", Post Memes: Seizing the Memes of Production, Punctum Books, pp. 389–402, doi:10.2307/j.ctv11hptdx.20, ISBN 978-1-950192-43-4, JSTOR j.ctv11hptdx.20, S2CID 219826973, archived from the original on 2020-09-02, retrieved 2022-01-19
  23. ^ Notopoulos, Katie (May 11, 2015). "1,272 Rare Pepes". BuzzFeed News. Archived from the original on November 14, 2021. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
  24. ^ Blevins, Joe (October 28, 2015). "Read This: Could images of 4chan's 'sad frog' meme actually be worth money?". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on August 21, 2017. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
  25. ^ Bergado, Gabe (September 10, 2015). "The rare Pepe trade is booming on Craigslist". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on June 25, 2016. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
  26. ^ Nair, Roshni (December 27, 2015). "Best of 2015: 15 memes that won the internet". Daily News and Analysis. Archived from the original on March 15, 2020. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
  27. ^ "Here are the 10 most important memes of 2015, according to Tumblr". Irish Examiner. December 8, 2015. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
  28. ^ Sarner, Lauren (30 December 2015). "The Most Popular Tumblr Memes in 2015: Pepe the Frog, Left Shark, the Dress". Inverse. Archived from the original on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  29. ^ Resnick, Gideon (October 20, 2015). "4chan 4 Trump". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on May 30, 2017. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
  30. ^ Dickson, Caitlin (September 12, 2016). "Trump's son, adviser share image featuring white nationalists' favorite cartoon frog". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on November 10, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  31. ^ Sarlin, Benjy (August 25, 2016). "5 Things to Know About the 'Right'". NBC News. Archived from the original on January 5, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  32. ^ Dovere, Edward-Isaac (September 12, 2016). "Why Clinton's bad weekend won't rewrite the race". Politico. Archived from the original on March 13, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  33. ^ Kampeas, Ron (September 1, 2016). "Do alt-right's white identity politics sanction anti-Semitism?". J. Weekly. Archived from the original on May 25, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  34. ^ Nuzzi, Olivia (May 26, 2016). "How Pepe the Frog Became a Nazi Trump Supporter and Alt-Right Symbol". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on May 30, 2017. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  35. ^ Hathaway, Jay (26 August 2016). "4chan anon kicked out of Hillary's alt-right speech for yelling about Pepe the Frog". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on 30 October 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  36. ^ Chan, Elizabeth (September 12, 2016). "Donald Trump, Pepe the frog, and white supremacists: an explainer". Hillary for America. Archived from the original on September 15, 2016. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  37. ^ Revesz, Rachael (September 13, 2016). "Hillary Clinton attacks Donald Trump for posting Pepe the Frog meme". The Independent. Archived from the original on November 5, 2019. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  38. ^ Donovan, Joan (2020). "Deconstructing Disinformation's Threat to Democracy". The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs. 44 (1). The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy: 153–160. ISSN 1046-1868. JSTOR 48599286. Archived from the original on 2022-01-19. Retrieved 2022-01-18 – via JSTOR.
  39. ^ Miller, Matt (September 28, 2016). "Exclusive: The Creator of Pepe the Frog Is Voting for Hillary". Esquire. Archived from the original on September 24, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
  40. ^ "The Truth About Pepe the Frog". Fantagraphics Books. October 6, 2016. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
  41. ^ Smith IV, Jack (September 27, 2016). "Pepe the Frog meme is now on the ADL's hate symbol database. Feels bad, man". Mic. Archived from the original on October 28, 2019. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  42. ^ Furie, Matt (13 October 2016). "Pepe the Frog's Creator: I'm Reclaiming Him. He Was Never About Hate". Time. Archived from the original on 28 December 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  43. ^ Ohlheiser, Abby (8 May 2017). "Pepe the Frog became a hate symbol. Now he's just a dead hate symbol". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 26 December 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  44. ^ Mele, Christopher (17 October 2016). "Campaign Aims to Help Pepe the Frog Shed Its Image as Hate Symbol". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 17 January 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  45. ^ Cavna, Michael (26 October 2016). "Pepe the Frog's creator wants him to be a symbol of chillaxing again". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  46. ^ "ADL Joins With "Pepe" Creator Matt Furie in Social Media Campaign to #SavePepe". Anti-Defamation League. 14 October 2016. Archived from the original on 2 November 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  47. ^ Solon, Olivia (4 November 2016). "#SavePepe: cartoon frog's creator tries to take meme back from alt-right". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  48. ^ Mielczarek, Natalia (2018-03-14). "Chapter 8: Iconographic Tracking of Pepe the Frog Meme through the 2016 Presidential Campaign". In Kuypers, Jim A. (ed.). The 2016 American Presidential Campaign and the News: Implications for American Democracy and the Republic. Lexington Books. pp. 167–173. ISBN 978-1-4985-6512-7. Archived from the original on 2022-01-19. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  49. ^ Wade, Cameron (October 17, 2016). "Pepe the Frog Creator Matt Furie Pens New Comic Showing Pepe's Alt-Right Nightmare". Paste. Archived from the original on October 23, 2016. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
  50. ^ Powell, Austin (October 17, 2016). "Pepe the Frog creator's new Trump comic captures the horror of the 2016 election". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on October 23, 2016. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
  51. ^ Marcin, Tim (January 9, 2017). "Russian Embassy Posts Pepe The Frog Meme, A White Supremacist Hate Symbol, According To ADL". International Business Times. Archived from the original on March 21, 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  52. ^ Beauchamp, Zack (January 9, 2017). "The Russian government just tweeted an image of a white supremacist frog". Vox. Archived from the original on September 30, 2019. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  53. ^ Murphy, Paul P. (January 21, 2017). "White nationalist Richard Spencer punched during interview". CNN Politics. Archived from the original on April 22, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  54. ^ Amatulli, Jenna (January 23, 2017). "Pepe's creator comments on alt-right leader Richard Spencer getting punched". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on February 10, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  55. ^ "Pepe the Frog 'is killed off to avoid being a hate symbol'". BBC News. Archived from the original on October 22, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
  56. ^ Vincent, James (8 May 2017). "Pepe the Frog is officially dead". The Verge. Vox Media. Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  57. ^ "Pepe The Frog-Ugly Cute Memes Online - High Quality Custom Soft Stuff Toys Supplier". 2022-06-06. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
  58. ^ "As It Happens: Pepe lives! Artist Matt Furie says internet-famous frog will 'rise from the ashes'". CBC Listen. Archived from the original on May 10, 2017. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  59. ^ "Pepe the Frog rises from the dead, creator says". ABC News. June 27, 2017. Archived from the original on May 29, 2019. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  60. ^ Bishop, Rollin (7 July 2017). "Pepe's creator is on a mission to save his meme". The Outline. Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  61. ^ Koebler, Jason; Matsakis, Louise (June 9, 2017). "Pepe Is Banned From the Apple App Store". Motherboard. Vice Media. Archived from the original on June 21, 2017. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  62. ^ Tarantola, Andrew (June 9, 2017). "Apple deems Pepe 'objectionable' and bans the frog from its App Store". Engadget. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  63. ^ Wootson, Cleve R. (August 15, 2017). "An assistant principal wrote a children's book about alt-right mascot Pepe the frog. It cost him his job". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. Archived from the original on July 14, 2021. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
  64. ^ Deb, Sopan (August 30, 2017). "Pepe the Frog Cartoonist Stops Distribution of Children's Book". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 1, 2017. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  65. ^ Ellis, Emma Grey (September 14, 2016). "Gab, the Alt-Right's Very Own Twitter, Is The Ultimate Filter Bubble". Wired. Archived from the original on December 4, 2016. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
  66. ^ Weich, Ben (2018-10-29). "What is Gab? The alt-right social media platform used by suspected Pittsburgh shooter Robert Bowers". The Jewish Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2019-02-19. Retrieved 2019-05-20.
  67. ^ EDT, Alfred Joyner On 6/3/19 at 5:55 AM (June 3, 2019). "Anger over "sick" video game that allows you to play as Donald Trump gunning down migrants, feminists and Antifa". Newsweek. Archived from the original on March 2, 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  68. ^ Sarkar, Samit (September 14, 2017). "Bungie explains how Destiny 2 armor resembling hate symbol made it into the game". Polygon. Archived from the original on May 20, 2019. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  69. ^ "Wew, lad: Everyone hates this meme that simply refuses to die". The Daily Dot. September 12, 2016. Archived from the original on May 18, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  70. ^ "Mosque Arson Suspect Left Social Media Hints of Anti-Muslim, Anti-Semitic Views". The Southern Poverty Law Center. Archived from the original on 2019-03-27. Retrieved 2017-03-12.
  71. ^ "Alt-right trolls Pennsylvania with billboard of Trump Pepe". The Daily Dot. October 6, 2016. Archived from the original on May 12, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  72. ^ Moomaw, Graham (February 16, 2017). "In Charlottesville, GOP candidate for governor Corey Stewart allies with alt-right-inspired blogger who wants to protect 'glorious Western civilization'". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Archived from the original on November 9, 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  73. ^ Mardell, Mark (September 22, 2016). "Naked Nigel, the God Kek and modern politics". BBC News. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  74. ^ King, James (November 22, 2016). "Cucks & Kek: Racism's Old Guard Reaches Out To An Online Generation". Vocativ. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  75. ^ Lock, Colm (December 1, 2016). "Harambe and the magic of memes". The Mancunion. Archived from the original on February 24, 2021. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  76. ^ Harkinson, Josh (October 27, 2016). "Meet the White Nationalist Trying To Ride The Trump Train to Lasting Power". Mother Jones. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  77. ^ Hathaway, Jay (November 7, 2016). "Trump Fans Unleash Last-Minute Flood of Pepe the Frog Memes". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on November 14, 2021. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  78. ^ Spencer, Paul (November 18, 2016). "Trump's Occult Online Supporters Believe 'Meme Magic' Got Him Elected". Motherboard. Vice Media. Archived from the original on January 25, 2017. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  79. ^ Singal, Jesse (May 30, 2016). "4chan Isn't Sure Whether It's Excited the Times Wrote Up Its Anti-Semitism". New York. Archived from the original on September 24, 2018. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  80. ^ a b Menegus, Bryan (January 4, 2017). "Trump Supporters Outraged By Slight To Pepe Meme". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  81. ^ Posner, Sarah (February 24, 2017). "CPAC's Flirtation With the Alt-Right Is Turning Awkward". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 26, 2017. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  82. ^ Hathaway, Jay (February 15, 2017). "The alt-right is trying to co-opt that dumb purple bird on Facebook". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  83. ^ a b c d e Burton, Tara Isabella (February 14, 2017). "Apocalypse Whatever". Real Life. Archived from the original on May 26, 2019. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  84. ^ Hine, G. E.; Onaolapo, J.; De Cristofaro, E.; Kourtellis, N.; Leontiadis, I.; Samaras, R.; Stringhini, G.; Blackburn, J. (October 11, 2016). "Kek, Cucks, and God Emperor Trump: A Measurement Study of 4chan's Politically Incorrect Forum and Its Effects on the Web". Social and Information Networks. arXiv:1610.03452. Bibcode:2016arXiv161003452E.
  85. ^ Smith, Blake (December 17, 2016). "Writings of French Hindu who worshipped Hitler as an avatar of Vishnu are inspiring the US alt-right". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  86. ^ "How an ancient Egyptian god spurred the rise of Trump". The Conversation. March 7, 2017. Archived from the original on May 26, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  87. ^ a b Broderick, Ryan (January 25, 2017). "Trump Supporters And Neo-Nazis Are Using Secret Chatrooms To Harass Shia LaBeouf". Buzzfeed News. Archived from the original on November 14, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  88. ^ "The Emerging Racists: The Challenge of Covering the Radical Right". The Southern Poverty Law Center. December 19, 2016. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  89. ^ King, J.J. (September 14, 2016). "Steal This Show S02E02: 'The Platform Is You'". TorrentFreak. Archived from the original on April 5, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  90. ^ Kestenbaum, Sam (February 17, 2017). "In Elaborate Joke, Internet Provocateurs Turn 'Trash Bird' Into Nazi Icon". The Forward. Archived from the original on August 9, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  91. ^ Goldberg, Michelle (February 23, 2017). "Alt-Right Facts". Slate. Archived from the original on October 12, 2018. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  92. ^ Bruet-Ferréol, Quentin (November 17, 2016). "Les trolls de 4chan sont persuadés d'avoir fait élire Donald Trump". Slate (in French). Archived from the original on August 8, 2017. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  93. ^ Nunez, E. J. (November 2, 2016). "Alt-right is a new, evolving movement". The Cougar. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  94. ^ Dickson, Caitlin (November 23, 2016). "What 'alt-right' really means: a glossary of terms". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  95. ^ Colon, David (December 8, 2016). "More Swastikas Surface In Hell's Kitchen, Newtown Creek Nature Walk". Gothamist. Archived from the original on November 5, 2017.
  96. ^ [88][89][90][91][92][93][94][95]
  97. ^ "Photos: Scenes from U.S. Capitol as rioters storm building". The Washington Post. January 6, 2021. Archived from the original on February 5, 2021. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  98. ^ Neiwert, David. "What the Kek: Explaining the Alt-Right 'Deity' Behind Their 'Meme Magic'". Southern Poverty Law Center. Archived from the original on 2017-05-19. Retrieved 2019-02-15.
  99. ^ a b Wilson, Jason (May 23, 2017). "Hiding in plain sight: how the 'alt-right' is weaponizing irony to spread fascism". The Guardian. Archived from the original on May 20, 2019. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  100. ^ a b Neiwert, David (May 8, 2017). "What the Kek: Explaining the Alt-Right 'Deity' Behind Their 'Meme Magic'". Southern Poverty Law Center. Archived from the original on May 10, 2017. Retrieved May 11, 2017.
  101. ^ Woods, Baynard (May 8, 2017). "Democracy in Crisis: Populism, Belonging, and Inside Jokes at Trump's Reality Show Rally". Washington City Paper. Archived from the original on March 17, 2020. Retrieved May 11, 2017.
  102. ^ "kekbanner.jpg". Southern Poverty Law Center. Archived from the original on July 18, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  103. ^ Lenz, Ryan (May 1, 2017). "The Battle for Berkeley: In the name of freedom of speech, the radical right is circling the Ivory Tower to ensure a voice for the alt-right". Southern Poverty Law Center. Archived from the original on October 26, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  104. ^ "Deconstructing the symbols and slogans spotted in Charlottesville". The Washington Post. August 18, 2017. Archived from the original on August 20, 2017. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
  105. ^ Porter, Tom (August 13, 2017). "Here's a guide to the white nationalist groups involved in the Charlottesville demonstration". Newsweek. Archived from the original on October 20, 2021. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
  106. ^ Simon, Mallory (2021-01-09). "Decoding the extremist symbols and groups at the Capitol Hill insurrection". CNN. Archived from the original on 2021-05-16. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
  107. ^ a b Spector, Zeke (2017-11-03). "Meet Big Man Tyrone, the president of Kekistan (not a real country)". Vice News. Archived from the original on 2019-05-24. Retrieved 2017-12-20.
  108. ^ a b c d Mak, Aaron (December 4, 2017). "The Far Right's New Toad Mascot Is a Fatter, More Racist Pepe the Frog". Slate Magazine. Archived from the original on May 22, 2020. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  109. ^ a b c Coaston, Jane (November 11, 2019). "Why alt-right trolls shouted down Donald Trump Jr". Vox. Archived from the original on November 12, 2019. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  110. ^ Kupfer, Theodore (November 14, 2019). "Why Donald Trump Jr. Was Heckled by 'America First Nationalists'". National Review. Archived from the original on May 23, 2020. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  111. ^ Mogelson, Luke (January 15, 2021). "Among the Insurrectionists". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on January 18, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  112. ^ Caldwell, Don (16 August 2019). "Activists Adopt Pepe Memes in Hong Kong Protests". Know Your Meme. Literally Media Ltd. Archived from the original on March 20, 2020. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  113. ^ a b Ko, Christina (August 17, 2019). "How Pepe the Frog became face of Hong Kong protests – despite cartoon being a symbol of hate in US". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on December 21, 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  114. ^ a b Victor, Daniel (2019-08-19). "Hong Kong Protesters Love Pepe the Frog. No, They're Not Alt-Right". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2020-05-02. Retrieved 2019-08-22.
  115. ^ 向樂高 (2019-08-20). "青蛙Pepe曾被指極右象徵 今常見香港示威現場 創作者咁回應..." 香港01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Archived from the original on 2020-02-15. Retrieved 2019-08-22.
  116. ^ Bourke, India (3 October 2019). "Hong Kong protesters transform alt-right Pepe the Frog into pro-democracy symbol". Hong Kong Free Press. Agence France-Presse. Archived from the original on 5 December 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  117. ^ "August/September 2021 magazine cover art by @pplpleasr1". Fortune. pplpleasr1. 29 July 2021. Archived from the original on 6 November 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2022 – via Twitter.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  118. ^ Allen, Nick. "Sundance 2020: Spree, Feels Good Man | Sundance | Roger Ebert". www.rogerebert.com. Archived from the original on 2020-02-04. Retrieved 2020-02-15.

Further reading

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pepe_the_Frog&oldid=1254003297#Kekistan"