Hello internet and welcome to Behind The Meme, where we take a look at the meaning and the origin of your favorite memes.
Today we have a look at Dank Memes.
Now how do I explain dank memes, let me tell you it is no easy task.
But the more and more I kept seeing the term in various comment sections across
YouTube, and saw numerous videos refer to Dank memes, I knew it was something
I had to try to explain.
The only problem is I think dank memes is something that's meant to not be explained.
But I'm gonna give it my best shot, okay, so first
we must understand what the word "dank" actually means. The word "dank" has two primary
definitions, the first meaning is something that's damp, musty, and cold, like a dungeon, or my heart on Valentine's day. The second definition
and the one that relates directly to dank memes, is a slang word used in marijuana culture to describe weed
that is sticky, stinky, and generally high-quality. It basically translates to good.
But as time has gone on, and the word has spread to people who don't typically smoke marijuana,
it has started to be used in the same way that cool or awesome would be used.
To sum it up,
it's a positive way to describe something.
So that brings us back to the term dank memes. If "dank" is a good word, that must mean that dank memes
translates to memes that are good, right?
Well yes, but no, you see, this is where it gets hard to explain, because dank memes started off with one definition,
but now has another. Dank memes started off as an ironic and
sarcastic way to describe online media and forms of memes that are overly used and have exhausted their comedic value.
So much so that they have become mainstream and
cliche. So basically the term dank memes was and is still used in a mocking way to refer to things that become popular and
mainstream.
It's a way to reject what the mainstream has taken away from internet culture.
It's basically the online equivalent of saying good one sarcastically when somebody messes up.
But the term now also has a second meaning, now with most internet terms and memes the popular ones spread quickly from person to person.
Some people start to use them without the full
realization of what the original meaning is.
The longer that this happens it sometimes causes the word or the meme to evolve into something else entirely.
Which brings us to today,
while some still use it in the ironic and
sarcastic way.
Others have began to use it in the actual way the word "dank" translates to, meaning something awesome or cool.
It has sprouted a whole series of vines and short video clips in which the emphasis seems to be on randomness.
Randomness to the point of it being almost genius.
The use of the term dank memes for this type of video is actually not sarcastic.
Many people do enjoy them, let me give you guys a taste.
Crazy stuff, right?
Dank memes also has a direct connection to the format of
MLG Parody videos here on YouTube, which is part of the reason why the term has spread so much.
The more Doritos, Mountain Dew, Snoop Dogg, and weed references, the more dank the video is.
So there are both meanings of the term, it's sarcastic yet serious,
good yet bad.
It all depends on the intention of the person saying it.
The craziest part about the term, is now that some people use dank memes in a serious way, the videos that they talk about
sometimes become very popular and overplayed which then allows the people who use dank memes in the
sarcastic way to come in and do their thing. It's like meme inception or something, I feel like my head is going to explode.
Well, there you guys have it. I hope you understand the term at least a little bit better, if you still don't, that's okay
too. We'll just keep acting like we do so we don't feel left out.
But hey, that's the internet for you, and on the internet, memes are king.
Thank you all so very much for watching.
Make sure to subscribe so you can catch my next video, and stay up-to-date on all your favorite memes.
Who knows you may learn about a meme you never knew about before. I'll catch you guys next time.