The screen is One weekly column devoted to everything that happens in the WIRED cultural world, from movies to memes, TV to Twitter.
It is said that Memes will die as soon as celebrities use them to appear on trend. Yes, this is an exaggeration. No, no one really knows who “they” are in this scenario, it’s probably just Internet. But it’s an unwritten rule that once something makes the leap from internet culture to celebrity culture, it happens. Or, like Note Vulture This week, “right now, the traditional activities of popularity are failing miserably” and they are jumping on viral trends to increase their influence. This is totally fine, but you can also feel like watching someone publicly perform your favorite karaoke song. You know, one of those times you nailed it.
The topic this time is the “That’s not my name” meme that recently surfaced TikTok. The premise is simple: In The Ting Ting’s 2008 song “That’s Not My Name,” people post pictures of themselves (or others) showing the altered selves that have earned their nicknames. surname. (Full disclosure: I discovered this on Cat TikTok, where people post pictures of their cats doing random things that get them called something other than Floofy or whatever. The fact that this has dominated my FYP for a week probably says more about me than the meme itself.Continued.) As paraphrased by Drew Barrymore and Christina Aguilerahowever, the meme has become a way to get listings off their IMDb or disc pages. It’s cute, but maybe a step or two has been left out of the trend’s intended purpose. Even if it’s fun to remember Barrymore is Fire starter.
Celebrities jumping on social media trends are not new or news. It’s been going on since the dawn of time—though it’s probably the same as 2012. Sometimes the results are brilliant, sometimes bad, but almost always, they miss the bottom line. They break the viral cycle. The best memes involving stars are the ones they don’t have on hand. That someone posted a Legit Blonde GIF reaction, not Reese Witherspoon reminding you on TikTok where she plays Elle Woods. When celebrities create their own memes, it’s like simulations have become self-aware. Fun but the effect is the same as watching Encanto and wondered if all those dances were included in the movie because of Disney hope they go viral. The Internet is like a vegan restaurant; everything needs to be organic.
But does this mean “That’s not my name” is over? Eh… that’s harder to guess. Chances are, people will switch to other hobbies and different trends, because something new is always going viral. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to get the meme back. Once celebrities monetize their millions of views, the meme can go right back to the proud cat mom and dad who made it so popular in the first place. And honestly, it should be. The internet often quickly leaves something behind once it’s gone too far, but sometimes a meme, even if it’s not “That’s not my name,” can deserve to be preserved outside. celebrity corruption period. Not doing so will also give more power to those who already have enough.
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