Item 3 – QAnon Meme
Collected From: Reddit/Originally posted on 4chan
Date Posted: 2020
Original Poster: Unknown
Collector: Alex Hunt
Analysis of Texture
This meme involves one of the most basic and well-known meme formats, as I believe there a number of different phone applications where anyone can make an image that looks exactly like this. In order to make such an image, the application will allow a user to upload an image before providing textboxes as the top and bottom of the selected image where a user can enter their desired text. Within this specific meme, there is another meme being referenced as well: The cartoon frog dressed in a military uniform is known as Pepe the Frog and originated in the early 2000s. It was originally created with the intention of being a funny, humanoid frog but has since morphed into a completely different symbol that I will touch on in the Context portion of this item. The red pill is also a QAnon symbol, inspired by the movie The Matrix. This pill looks as if it is being used as a missile in this mean, as Pepe the Frog is shown loading it into a gun. Though it seems like a fairly silly post, I believe it was also created with a sincere tone as well.
Context
Much like the previous meme, this image was posted onto one site originally (here, 4chan) before being copy and pasted to Reddit. This is done because many QAnon memes are flagged as being misinformation or instigators of violence, meaning they are taken down by the site where it was originally posted with the goal of preventing the spread of false statements. Reddit allows a lot of these memes to remain on their site due to the fact that these kinds of memes are typically posted in Reddit communities that are making fun of or attempting to debunk various aspects of QAnon. Since they are not spreading misinformation in this context, they are allowed to stay up without being flagged. Regardless, the initial intention of this meme was most likely to be a call-to-action directed towards QAnon supporters. It is basically stating that if Q instructs his followers to do something, they should do it without asking. I believe this
is why the allusion to the military is used, as soldiers are typically seen as being individuals who must follow their superior’s orders. The use of Pepe the Frog is done intentionally, as this once beloved meme has since morphed into a symbol of hate. Users of 4chan and 8chan began posting pictures of this frog in memes that conveyed anti-Semitic, racist, and white supremist views, slowly making this poor frog become associated with these egregious movements. It is used in this meme to convey such ideals, as this version of Pepe is meant to represent the followers of QAnon. The Red Pill is commonly associated with QAnon as well, as it has grown to represent the transition from non-follower to follower. In the context of QAnon, the Red Pill refers to a waking up out of the “simulation” that is “reality,” whereas “taking the red pill” allows one to “see the world as it really is” by believing the assertions Q puts forth. This meme was posted with the intention of conveying that posting/sharing QAnon memes is like metaphorically putting the Red Pill into a missile launcher and aiming towards those who do not currently subscribe to the movement.
Interpretation
This item is important to folklorists as it heavily involves elements of art and community. Without these two elements, interpretation of this meme would be impossible, and it would possess little to no significance in its implementation. Q’s posts have created a community that is so insanely complex that it possesses its own article detailing the slang used by members titled “Q-Speak” (Crimando, 2021). Pepe the Frog and the Red Pill are just two of these terms that have been coined by QAnon members, and they are used as a method of communication among those who understand them. Two seemingly mundane images, a frog and a pill, have now transformed into forms of lingual symbols that are capable of conveying meaning that is lost to those who do not belong to the community. I believe anyone outside of QAnon who scrolled by this image would be completely confused by what it means without digging further into the
ideology behind it. This meme demonstrates the strong communal bond that has formulated between members of QAnon, as they are now capable of implementing understood artistic elements into the memes they create. Any folklorist attempting to convey the extensiveness of this conspiracy community could use this image as a starting point because not only does it contain two symbols possessing importance among members, but it also enunciates the intentions of members. Q’s posts are meant to convince his audience to distrust pre-existing belief systems and ‘wake up’ to the ideals he asserts, and members are tasked with ‘waking up’ or spreading the word to those around them. This image depicts exactly that, as it briefly elaborates on how posting memes is a way that members can force the red pill down the throats of those who oppose or are oblivious to their goal.