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It’s been five years since Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” shook the world with its powerful message on gun violence, police brutality, and the African American experience. The music video, which has over 700 million views on YouTube, sparked a cultural phenomenon with its striking visuals, haunting lyrics, and memorable dance moves. But it also inspired a wave of internet memes, remixes, and parodies that spread across social media like wildfire. In this article, we’ll explore the history and impact of the “This Is America” memes, and hear from some of the people who helped make them go viral.

What are “This Is America” Memes?

Before we dive into the memes themselves, let’s first define what we mean by “This Is America” memes. Essentially, these are images, videos, or text posts that use elements from the original music video to create something new and humorous. Some of the most popular formats include:

• Reaction memes: These use still frames from the video to express a particular emotion or response to a situation. For example, the shot of Childish Gambino holding a gun and staring into the camera has been used to convey everything from “When you finally finish a big project” to “When you realize it’s Monday tomorrow.”
• Dance memes: These feature people or animals doing the iconic moves from the video, often in unexpected or absurd contexts. Some examples include a pug dressed as Gambino, a group of elderly women doing the dance in a park, and a baby doing it in a diaper.
• Remix memes: These take the original song and splice it with other music or sound effects to create a new, often comical version. One popular remix features the Seinfeld theme song mixed with Gambino’s vocals, while another uses the sound of a chicken clucking.

The Rise of the Memes

As with many internet phenomena, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly when and how the “This Is America” memes started. However, it’s safe to say that they began spreading shortly after the music video was released on May 6, 2018. Within hours, people were sharing clips and screenshots from the video with witty captions and commentary. By the next day, entire meme accounts had sprung up dedicated to the format.

One of the earliest and most popular examples of a “This Is America” meme was the “This Is Nigeria” video created by Nigerian rapper Falz. The video used the same beat and structure as Gambino’s song, but with lyrics and visuals that commented on the state of corruption and violence in Nigeria. The video quickly went viral and sparked a debate about cultural appropriation and homage.

The Impact of the Memes

While the “This Is America” memes were undeniably funny and creative, they also served a deeper purpose. By remixing and riffing on the original video, people were able to engage with its themes and messages in a more accessible and relatable way. They also helped to keep the conversation around gun violence and police brutality alive, long after the initial shock of the video had worn off.

As one Twitter user put it, “The ‘This Is America’ memes show that humor is a powerful tool for social commentary. We may not all be able to make music videos or write think pieces, but we can all make each other laugh and think at the same time.”

Responses from the Meme-Makers

To get a sense of what it was like to create and share “This Is America” memes, we reached out to a few of the most popular accounts from the height of the craze. Here’s what they had to say:

1. @ThisIsAmericaMemes

“We started the page almost as a joke, just to share some of our favorite memes that were popping up on our feeds. But then it started to blow up, and we realized that we had tapped into something bigger. We were getting DMs from people all over the world thanking us for making them laugh and think. It was pretty surreal.”

2. @ThisIsAmericaRemixes

“I’ve been a producer and DJ for years, so when I saw the ‘This Is America’ video, I knew I had to remix it. I added some trap beats and some samples from other songs, and it just took off. I think people liked that it was familiar but also new and exciting. Plus, the video itself was so visually striking that it lent itself to all kinds of remixes.”

3. @ThisIsAmericaDances

“I’m a dance teacher, so I loved the choreography in the original video. When I saw people starting to do their own versions of it, I knew I had to get in on the action. I started making videos of myself and my students doing the dance in different settings, and it just kept getting crazier and crazier. I think what people liked about it was that it was a way to express themselves and have fun, while also making a statement about the issues in the video.”

The Legacy of “This Is America” Memes

While the peak of the “This Is America” meme craze may have passed, the impact of the video and its message continues to resonate. In 2023, we’ve seen a renewed focus on police reform, gun control, and racial justice, spurred in part by the activism and awareness raised by movements like Black Lives Matter. And while memes may seem like a trivial or fleeting form of expression, they can also be a powerful tool for social commentary and change. As one Reddit user commented on a “This Is America” meme thread, “It’s amazing to see how something that started as a music video can inspire so much creativity and dialogue. This is America, indeed.”