The Copypasta Meta
On November 8th of 2020, Tumblr user violetsandshrikes responded to an ask from an anonymous user revolving around jokes about a popular character pairing of two characters from the show Supernatural known as Destiel. The user assumed this ask was a copypasta based on the exaggerated dramatization of the post, but it turned out to be a genuine request.
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The post begins with an anonymous request to not make jokes about gay representation in the popular show Supernatural being poorly executed. The user initially responds by saying that copypastas are getting too advanced before realizing that the original ask was not a copypasta but was genuinely a point of discourse.
The key piece of work that this artifact is doing is acknowledging that there is a definite form to copypastas that allows them to be identified with an amount of certainty. It also acknowledges the goal in copypastas, emulating the speech of another group.
This is important because of how it acknowledges that copypastas are an internet form in and of themselves. Though they borrow from other sources, there are elements that clearly identify copypastas. These include overdramatization, vulgar or explicit language, and an attempt at emulating speech of a targeted group while making it apparent to the target audience that it is a joke.
Copypastas are inextricably tied with internet culture as a whole, and it is difficult to spend time on a forum of any kind without coming across some kind of copypasta. This is partially because of the way copypastas are used in interactions between internet communities. Often, they are used as attacks on another community, reinforcing stereotypes held about said community. The use of copypastas are important in the establishment and maintenance of simulated social worlds as described by Trevor Blank in The Last Laugh. Copypastas are versatile, being able to serve as barriers to outside forces, jokes for those inside, and attacks on the enemies of an online community.