This video features in a responsive display in the museum that presents the moments, stories and memes capturing the zeitgeist by going viral on the internet.
Covid-19 lockdowns prompted many people to get a puppy – but not everyone was ready for the energy bomb of a heeler in their life! This viral video uses the phrasal meme template “X, they said”, which allows people to substitute the X (in this case, heeler puppies) with whatever supposedly fun or simple situation happens to backfire on them. As Know Your Meme outlines, this meme template originated in Warcraft 2 with footmen who would say, “‘Join the army!’, they said. ‘See the world!’, they said… I’d rather be sailing.”
Of course, as this video from @MerielMyers's Twitter stream proves, the original viral stars of the internet - cats - can also use this meme template
Related works
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Our collection comprises over 40,000 moving image works, acquired and catalogued between the 1940s and early 2000s. As a result, some items may reflect outdated, offensive and possibly harmful views and opinions. ACMI is working to identify and redress such usages.
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How to watch
Collection
Not in ACMI's collection
Previously on display
3 December 2021
ACMI: Gallery 1
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
Curatorial section
The Story of the Moving Image → Moving Minds → MM-09. Catch of the Day
Object Types
Moving image file/Digital
Materials
Digital screen recording from @sandrastevenjenkins20's Tiktok feed