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Moments from the Super Bowl Halftime Show have been fodder for memes since memes were invented.
All the way back to the 2004 show with Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction, to the 2015 performance of Katy Perry featuring the now-iconic "Left Shark," memes have been spilling from the yearly game.
The Weeknd's performance did not disappoint.
One particular moment, where The Weeknd's close camera work gave the audience the feeling that he got lost backstage during the show, is receiving the attention.
π₯π₯π₯ @TheWeeknd #PepsiHalftime #SBLV https://t.co/QCFlAPcionβ NFL (@NFL) 1612747928.0
Immediately, this moment received the meme treatment.
Me trying to find the bathroom at the club after 6 or 7 #PepsiHalftime #SuperBowl https://t.co/T2tleRUbR7β Dj 112 (@Dj 112) 1612748988.0
What my coworkers see on zoom meetings when I think my camera is off #PepsiHalftime #SuperBowl https://t.co/J8I9bmk4XIβ Meggy (@Meggy) 1612748969.0
4 year old me in the grocery store looking for my mom. #PepsiHalftimeΒ #SuperBowl https://t.co/sdum3jHGuiβ Tyler Roney (@Tyler Roney) 1612749417.0
me immediately after someone gives me specific directions https://t.co/XtAsYjHw91β Alyssa Limperis (@Alyssa Limperis) 1612751401.0
Entering an apartment where I know a dog lives https://t.co/31MhCFu2kxβ push push π΄ (@push push π΄) 1612749013.0
my camera roll when I take my iPad back from a toddler https://t.co/g0OqJLFpPHβ π¨πππππ πΎππππ β’ π¬ππππππππππ (@π¨πππππ πΎππππ β’ π¬ππππππππππ) 1612748839.0
Memes are an interesting form of communication in that they quite literally depend upon a collective unconscious understanding of the image being memedβwhich is similar to how petroglyphs and hieroglyphics first gave rise to written language in the ancient world.
The understanding of the frantic, lost moment The Weeknd has backstage is universal, which is why we can all understand how to best use it as a meme.
what my pizza rolls see from inside the microwave https://t.co/GavZzw7cQRβ Ryan Schocket (@Ryan Schocket) 1612747884.0
Looking for the mute button when it's my turn to talk on the zoom call https://t.co/EllhARqlFxβ Joe Simons (@Joe Simons) 1612749931.0
When I hear my cat somewhere in the house start to gag and I try to get to it before it barfs on something nice https://t.co/kObXW4YuZVβ pat tobin (@pat tobin) 1612752801.0
My dad on FT asking for IT help https://t.co/XhPU4IpWIAβ Slade (@Slade) 1612748801.0
Additionally, the style of the close-camera work gives the impression The Weeknd is in a very tight space that is getting smallerβsomething that overly dramatizes the moment of familiarity with being lost.
Trying to take make the $25 admission price worth it when they tell you the museum is closing in 5 minutes. https://t.co/n1vohfeotbβ Felipe Torres Medina (@Felipe Torres Medina) 1612752018.0
me scrolling thru all of the weeknd memes trying to find good content https://t.co/ko30bQWQzSβ Nick Brophy (@Nick Brophy) 1612757077.0
Me checking my phone every two seconds to see if people have posted more of The Weeknd memes yet https://t.co/sGhj5Q0gycβ Sableye (@Sableye) 1612756175.0
Me trying to get away from all The Weeknd Memes. https://t.co/rHvMDAc1qBβ TemetTheBassGuru (@TemetTheBassGuru) 1612776173.0
Me looking for my car at the AMC Burbank 16 parking garage: https://t.co/voz8V21gTkβ Americana at Brand Memes (@Americana at Brand Memes) 1612748802.0
The Weeknd may have now unseated Bernie Sanders as top meme for 2021. As the year goes on, several more memes will take the throne.
Isn't living in the 21st century fascinating?