Back in 2015, the internet was abuzz with memes featuring Ken Kratz, a former district attorney in Wisconsin. Kratz had gained notoriety for his involvement in the prosecution of Steven Avery, the subject of the popular Netflix documentary series Making a Murderer. While the memes were initially humorous, they quickly became controversial and ultimately led to Kratz’s downfall.
Table of Contents
The Birth of Ken Kratz Memes
The first Ken Kratz memes began to appear shortly after the release of Making a Murderer in late 2015. Kratz was portrayed in these memes as a sleazy, corrupt prosecutor who was more concerned with winning his case than with seeking justice. Some of the more popular memes featured Kratz’s face superimposed on images of the devil, or included captions that mocked his appearance or personal life.
Despite the negative tone of many of these memes, they quickly gained popularity on social media, with users sharing them across platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit. Even celebrities like Alec Baldwin and Patton Oswalt got in on the action, sharing their own Ken Kratz memes with their followers.
The Controversy Begins
As the popularity of Ken Kratz memes continued to grow, they began to attract more attention from mainstream media outlets. Some journalists and legal experts began to question whether the memes were fair or accurate portrayals of Kratz, or if they were simply mean-spirited attacks on a public figure.
One of the main criticisms of the Ken Kratz memes was that they often included personal information about Kratz, such as his phone number or home address. Some users even went so far as to make threatening comments or send harassing messages to Kratz and his family.
The Fallout
Ultimately, the controversy surrounding Ken Kratz memes proved to be too much for the former prosecutor. In early 2016, Kratz resigned from his position as a prosecutor, citing the negative media attention and personal attacks he had received as a result of the memes.
Since then, Kratz has largely stayed out of the public eye, although he has occasionally spoken out in interviews or on social media about his experience with the memes. Many of his former colleagues and supporters have criticized the memes as unfair and damaging to Kratz’s reputation, while others have defended them as a form of free speech and a legitimate critique of a public official.
Responses from People Who Know It
“The Ken Kratz memes were a perfect storm of social media and true crime fandom gone wrong,” says legal expert and author Brian Stelter. “They started out as a way for people to express their frustration with the criminal justice system, but quickly devolved into something much uglier.”
“As someone who knew Ken Kratz personally, I can say that the memes were completely unfair and inaccurate,” says former colleague and fellow prosecutor Tom Fallon. “Ken was a dedicated public servant who worked tirelessly to bring justice to victims and their families.”
“I think the Ken Kratz memes were a reflection of a larger cultural trend of online shaming and cancel culture,” says social media researcher Sarah Roberts. “The internet can be a powerful tool for holding people accountable, but it can also be a place where misinformation and harassment thrive.”
The Legacy of Ken Kratz Memes
Five years after the height of the Ken Kratz meme craze, it’s clear that they had a significant impact on both Kratz and the broader conversation around true crime and justice. While some may argue that the memes were a form of public accountability for a public official, others see them as an example of the dangers of social media and online harassment.
Regardless of one’s opinion on the matter, it’s clear that the Ken Kratz memes will forever be a part of internet history, a cautionary tale of the power and pitfalls of online outrage.
