Kamala Harris is Brat. Poor rural southern communities are Ethel Cain-core. Luigi Mangione is hot. Palestine’s treatment can be dumbed down “for the girls.” Why can nobody seem to take anything seriously anymore?
For a generation that grew up with the rise of “edgy” internet culture on social media, it really shouldn’t be a surprise that gen Z doesn’t take anything seriously.
Meme culture is an essential part of the internet, but has that resulted in the viral phenomenon of insincerity?
Pop culture and serious topics often fall victim to the younger generation’s tendency to find humor in everything. From Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign’s association with Charli XCX to repetitive comments on Instagram Reels referencing Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, it seems nothing is safe from turning into a meme.
An Irony Epidemic
“There is such a loss of sincerity and everything has to be a joke at all times,” alternative pop artist Ethel Cain said in a now deleted Tumblr post reposted by X user Ethelfiles. “I feel like no matter what I make or what I do, it will always get turned into a fucking joke.”
Ethel Cain, known offstage as Hayden Anhedönia, takes on a vulnerable tone in her work. Her popular album Preacher’s Daughter explores themes of religious trauma, the rural south, sex work, murder, and cannibalism.
Ethel Cain is a character that plays as the central antagonist of Preacher’s Daughter, who Anhedönia created with personal ties to her own life.
This of course doesn’t stop people on the internet from posting “aesthetic” photos of poor rural towns with their Shein camo pants on in an “ethical Cain vinnel” way. Because words don’t mean anything anymore.
The artist discusses her annoyance with the way people engage with things, like her work, expressing that we’re in some sort of “irony epidemic.”
A Lack of Depth in Pop Culture
Various examples from pop culture have fallen victim to Gen-Z’s notorious lack of earnestness.
“Me with my therapist after a hot girl summer,” Tik Tok user Troyjrobertson posted to the trending audio that states, ‘since ya got your degree, and you know every-fucking-thing.’ Others share celebratory videos about graduating, many decorating cakes with the phrase and posting it under the sound.
The sound comes from the gut-wrenching 2009 film Precious, which explores the life of a Black teenage girl facing extreme abuse from her mother. Even so, various excerpts from the film have continued to be utilized for humorous trends.
Clips of personal moments in pop culture follow the cycle of trending memes as well.
A clip of actor Tyrese Gibson crying dispersed into a number of trending audios on Tik Tok. Phrases like ‘my Shayla’ and ‘this is all I got’ became very recognizable memes. Some shared heartfelt moments appreciating their pets and loved ones, others joked about mundane situations.
The origin of the clip stems from a 2017 live stream of Gibson distraught over a custody battle over his daughter, Shayla.
“I was gonna make a funny video to this sound until I realized Shayla is his daughter he misses and wants to see and now I’m sad,” user Kayshmoneyy expresses in a Tik Tok. People often don’t even know where the source of their jokes come from.
Unseriousness in the Political Realm
Pop culture isn’t the only thing that the younger generation jabs at. Social and political issues quickly fall into the cycle as well.
For instance, Kamala Harris and Tim Waltz knew their audience when launching their campaign run, relying heavily on humor to attract younger voters to the polls. Harris’s famous line, “you think you just fell out of the coconut tree” and Charlie XCX’s Brat morphed into neon green hued edits that the campaign fed into.
Right, because the people in charge of federal and global impact are so relatable and “Brat”.
Tik Tok user Nikitadumptruck became infamous for her “bimbofied” or simplified explanation of the long history of Israel’s occupation in Palestine. In the viral video, she compares the decades-long humanitarian issue to a mean girl taking over a birthday party.
Although she had good intentions, her unserious demeanor faced scrutiny for being extremely tone deaf. Since then, the creator has removed the orignal post.
She makes educational content geared towards “the girls,” which apparently means girls can’t understand serious real-world problems.
The Objectification of Luigi Mangione
Luigi Mangione, alleged murderer of United Healthcare CEO Brian Robert Thompson, became an icon to thirst after.
X User LuigiCrave, a page dedicated to updates about Mangione, exclaimed that “Sex Symbol Luigi Mangione’s mugshot has been released!”
Mangione has been put on blast. The younger population treats him as a sex symbol and something to joke about rather than a young man at the forefront of a high-profile case that will forever change his life.
Guilty or not guilty, he’s still hot, right?
A Lack of Empathy
References to another trial have ransacked comment sections across platforms.
Rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is the central figure of an ongoing sex-trafficking trial, as well as in infectious jokes found within comment sections on various platforms. Baby oil, sexual assault and the phrase “nice try Diddy” appear under Instagram Reels even with content not pertaining to Combs in the slightest.
As victims testify and more disturbing information comes to the surface, those responsible for every comment and meme show no remorse. Extremely sensitive topics continue to take their turn in the meme spotlight.
What’s So Funny?
Surely there is a range of severity in offensiveness within meme culture, but nonetheless, the internet harbors them all. So, how did this come to be?
One defense could be the claim that some of these jokes are some kind of coping skill. Trending jokes and phrases like “recession indicator” certainly may lighten the impending sense of doom in a crashing economy. Marginalized communities might joke about experiences they’ve faced for a similar reason.’
But can the excessive jokes about Diddy’s trial really be excused as a coping skill? The answer is certainly leaning towards a no.
The Appeal of Hiding Behind the Screen
The separation of people through screens creates a barrier between human interactions. It’s a lot easier to be unserious and lack accountability when you aren’t speaking face to face.
Offensiveness isn’t anything new, but for perhaps the same reason cyberbullying is so easy to commit, the younger generation uses anonymity as a shield.
Popularity and engagement play a role as well. Rage bait and edgy content leads to higher exposure on social media platforms, benefiting them through increased engagement.
Additionally, we are constantly exposed to violence and intense news caked between memes and item reviews, just within the span of a few scrolls. This constant exposure could explain the desensitization.
Meme culture grew as the internet expanded, and gen Z was the first to have access from an early age. Of course, a chronically online generation interacts with the world a little differently.
Older generations claim young people are too sensitive, but in many cases, it appears to be the opposite. Our parents say it’s that damn phone, and they’re probably right.
