Memes Rule Everything Around Me: Jordan Peele’s ‘Us,’ Fat Tony’s Country Rap Mashup & More
Source: Monkeypaw Productions
A recap of memes from the month of March.
This month came the release of Us, the follow-up to Jordan Peele‘s critically-acclaimed directorial debut Get Out. The movie, which is centered around a family who is confronted by their doppelgangers, is already a critical and commercial success, expected to earn over $100 million domestically on Friday.
But Us‘ release has also brought about a handful of memes dedicated to the film, with the memes ranging from “out of context spoilers” to the fear of walking past a mirror and seeing your reflection.
#UsMovie out of context spoilers. pic.twitter.com/Hn3r2Hhb3b
— TraceeEllisSAUSE (@NegressElba) March 22, 2019
#UsMovie spoilers but I give you no context pic.twitter.com/PT9UHJe2qd
— Sheen Faulconer (@FaulconerSheen) March 24, 2019
https://twitter.com/blaquimoon/status/1108918384400519169?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1108918384400519169&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailydot.com%2Funclick%2Fus-movie-memes%2F
There were other Us memes as well, some of which were sort of spoiler-y and provide some hints as to what happens in the movie. Still, if anything, the ongoing memes centered around Peele’s movie shows just how much it’s resonating with people, with some social media users even dedicating lengthy threads to analyzing the movie.
This month has also found memes dedicated to the intersection of blackness and cowboy culture, with the latest meme to embody this being a video of Fat Tony mixing Brooks & Dunn‘s “Neon Moon” with Too Short‘s “Blow the Whistle.” The Houston rapper first shared the video on Twitter with the caption “Howdy, I’m hyphy,” the footage showing him seamlessly transition from a country to hip-hop classic.
howdy i’m hyphy
(1/2) pic.twitter.com/MhGXMTleZT
— Fat Tony (@fattonyrap) March 26, 2019
howdy i’m hyphy
(2/2) pic.twitter.com/c9B3fQmq4T
— Fat Tony (@fattonyrap) March 26, 2019
From there, countless other memes were made about the mashup.
He got a lil something for everybody🎶 pic.twitter.com/2a45kFH270
— Complex (@Complex) March 27, 2019
you: avengers is the most ambitious crossover event of all time
me, an intellectual:pic.twitter.com/yRtz2ioZzi
— Genius (@Genius) March 27, 2019
— ً (@ahbeoji) March 27, 2019
Even Brooks & Dunn acknowledged the mashup, tweeting the video from their account.
Now this is a #REBOOT. https://t.co/dX5pFmajSz
— Brooks & Dunn (@BrooksAndDunn) March 27, 2019
That a meme like this has come about when the “Yee Haw Agenda” phrase has hit its peak is serendipitous. Originally coined by Bri Milandro in September 2018, the “Yee Haw Agenda” has taken on a life of its own in the Internet, highlighting the cowboy aesthetics seen in recent pop culture.
the yee haw agenda is in full effect https://t.co/Q66gLgzN6N
— BRI (@BriMalandro) September 27, 2018
“It was just me having fun and going up for the looks, specifically by really fly black girls and boys in cowboy hats,” Milandro explained to Jezebel.
I need a fashion piece about how the black yeehaw agenda is chic and thriving pic.twitter.com/NUy6x8yw63
— Antwaun Sargent (@Sirsargent) February 2, 2019
Aside from Tony, Lil Nas X had also become a meme through his song “Old Town Road.” The song inspired the #YeeHawChallenge on TikTok, where users suddenly appear in cowboy clothing as soon as the beat drops. The song, a viral phenomenon, has since debuted on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, the Hot Country Songs chart, and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart simultaneously.
However, it has since been removed from the country chart, with Billboard stating the song’s inclusion on the chart was a mistake.
“…upon further review, it was determined that ‘Old Town Road’ by Lil Nas X does not currently merit inclusion on Billboard‘s country charts,” Billboard said in a statement to Rolling Stone. “When determining genres, a few factors are examined, but first and foremost is musical composition. While ‘Old Town Road’ incorporates references to country and cowboy imagery, it does not embrace enough elements of today’s country music to chart in its current version.”
Billboard‘s decision has since incited a discussion on Twitter about black artists being able to be accepted and played in other genres.
Aside from cowboy-related memes, there was also the popular journalist headshot meme. The meme, which is centered around a monkey in a professional pose, first came about through Twitter user Ruchira Sharma.
this is every journalist headshot pic.twitter.com/4SxZTgpn1k
— Ruchira Sharma (@RuchoSharma) March 19, 2019
From there, a handful of journalists, as well as people from other occupations and fields, joined in on the fun.
I feel SO incredibly seen. pic.twitter.com/EmpWDIQInr
— this is a kwanzaa feed (@clintonyates) March 19, 2019
I feel personally attacked. pic.twitter.com/WCRcWob0ZX
— Victoria M. Walker (@vikkie) March 19, 2019
Dammit pic.twitter.com/36fMrTMvix
— #Kujichagulia=Self-Determination #Kwanzaa (@FeministaJones) March 19, 2019
Those were some of the more notable memes of the month. Check out the honorable mentions below.
J. Cole’s GQ photo spread
Why is J Cole dressed like he bout to walk on water. pic.twitter.com/9w7BCC0AqC
— Dodzi (@BossDoneSaid) March 20, 2019
Me: my friend wants to talk to you
Her: where's your friend?
Me: over by them trees pic.twitter.com/rfch3YI3Op— Pascal Siakam fan. (@rapz_15) March 18, 2019
this caption tho 😂 pic.twitter.com/g1W22SBKOj
— 𝕄𝕒𝕥𝕥 𝕁. 🐉🍵 (@MattJ_33) March 19, 2019
City Girls’ “Where The Bag At”
https://twitter.com/FaggotTingzsz/status/1110002183469068288
Megan McCain’s “My Father”
https://twitter.com/ira/status/1108608016981458944
Lil Uzi Vert walking into a store
Going into Jiffy Lube for an oil change knowing they’re gonna tell me I need a new engine. https://t.co/Lp2PzDzO4z
— Matthew A. Cherry (@MatthewACherry) March 29, 2019
