Why thank you Mr. Ape for familiarizing me with a pop culture phenomenon I am glad I missed and never wanted to understand. I’m impressed with how educational it was while also trying to wipe it from my brain.
It's what I'm here for. Maybe once I start to make enough money off this project I'll start selling Ape-branded brain-bleach for anyone who wants to forget what they've seen. I don't fault anyone.
At least it was not just me. Like...that's it? And I'm not saying that my humour is so much more sophisticated(although it obviously is), but I would bet that I heard funnier one liners in conversations.
Despite all that she seems alright to me too. Interesting that Shaq came up even if for a moment because I remember that he was asked stupid questions too and he answered with something like "I'm a (former) basketball player. My opinion really shouldn't matter.".
Mentioning how short lived all this is, is also a nice touch. In 9gag in the past there were sometimes these calendar posts with the 'meme of the month'. Then it was two in a month...then for every week. We're approaching singularity and I don't know what will happen...hopefully it all resets back(proving the cyclical universe or Nietzsche's eternal return in a convoluted way) and everybody drops this memery...at least for a while. It was fun, but you morons started to take this seriously too.
I actually smiled on the 4th comment and onwards. There must be a name for this type of joke where you repeat it until it is funny(Morbius, Saddam Hussein, Antony(Manchester United) etc.) Glad that she at least know how to take a joke. Let her ride this wave of luck and have her happy ever after. Isn't that the dream itself?
In a way she resembles me to Hungary's own national hero András Arató(Hide the pain Harold). He also became some sort of celebrity, has a lot of requests(once he was asked to be Nikola Jurisic who stopped the Turks once on the castle days in his hometown and he couldn't hide his pride. It was almost too much wholesome for me.) can travel to a lot of nice places with his wife in his twilight years and that was also just a stupid(but much more robust) joke. Go on, live your best life for us too...
Shaq is a very interesting individual. He's one of the few superstars who's managed to keep a (mostly) clean rap and, even where he does have his blemishes, he's used his charisma to paper over them and enjoy a lucrative and sterling position in the American culture many years past his prime. He's a case study in how to perhaps not gracefully, but effectively ride out one's waning star-power. I hate to say it but half of his success is because he can just shut up and dance when he's told to dance and not complain about it or mouth off on matters not pertinent to him (compare and contrast Charles Barkley, while I'd be surprised if Shaq hasn't offered lip-service to certain liberal causes I'd also be surprised he isn't somewhat sympathetic to, Barkley routinely throws his hat into the culture wars and his reputation is worse for it) - there's something to be said for that.
I mentioned in another comment above that the memetic cycle has accelerated to the point that they die before they even have a chance to live - again, compare and contrast with memes from the early 2000's, which stuck around in the zeitgeist much longer. We're still talking about the Numa Numa Guy and people are still posting Advice Animal-format image macros; I highly doubt Hawk Tuah will have the same staying power because it used all of its cultural gas in the span of a week. It's interesting to see how fast the cycle goes these days, though I'm not sure there's much faster it can go without effectively making these memes... well, not memes, because they never spread far enough to actually achieve that name.
Also, funny you mention Andras Arato. From what I understand he was actually quite displeased his picture had become a meme and he was under the impression that, if he'd known it would, he would have never even become a stock photo model to begin with. I'm glad he leaned into it and is reaping the benefits of it. I always forget that he's Hungarian - I don't know why but something about the original images he's in just seem so distinctly American.
I'm sure he did some lip-service to some cause, but with decades behind his back we can at least assume his character. I don't care about almost any famous people(already assume the worst of them) but I would be actually disappointed if something came out about him.
I love Barkley too tough. I don't see the appeal of most American things but I do love the NBA and I watch them sometimes. (The live matches are mostly after midnight here so not that many.) He was always a more confrontative type and I know that sometimes he's called an Uncle Tom but I think he's too well respected. He does have that actual 'will to power' mindset that might not make people like him, but one can respect.(Didn't work against Jordan tough but that's another story).
The memetic cycle did get shortened a lot(one of my favorites is when my brother showed me 9gag and there was the "poop in the shower guy" ragecomic. The best part was that it looked authentic...this menace is really out there). I like to bash the theater kids and it might be not the best term for here, but too many people takes them too seriously. It's a joke. Most of the times it's just a joke. Don't see too much into it(I say this as someone who brought up Nietzsche and Saddam during a Hawk Tuah discussion.) As you mentioned, it very quickly gets lame and I could imagine an overload scenario where they won't even get to take off because they are immediately get negged. Saw discussions about how some memes might be controlled insertions and that can signal a progress into that direction.
There was a TV report with András Arató and he did say that he was not pleased with it but then some people found him and they were absolutely loving him for it so he thought that it's not all that bad. And also if you can't fight it, join it. (He did say that he would like if it was not used in bad ways but...internet, amirite?) His son still doesn't like it but with András we're talking about a 79 year old guy. It's not like he didn't serve his time. Sometimes he comes up in an ad or tv show (he was in Masked Singer too...lol), but it's not like he's overdoing it. He does get invited to a lot of places. (He was also an electrical engineer and earned his degree at the same place as me...it's a plus for me even if I hate that university)
I did not read this large wall of text, but as my eyes scan over it, I can't help but be impressed that you managed to mention Nietzsche and Saddam Hussein in a discussion of the Hawk Tuah girl.
People know about me that I can be all over the place when I start to talking about something so mostly I stay shut (this was an important lesson for me). I think that helped me not falling into the same predicament as our author(and now it's not completely off-topic). After the second monologue people would rather just not ask me.
But the comment form is great for this because I can see what I wrote/said and don't have to circle back. Here I mentioned Shaquille O'Neal, Nietzsche, Saddam Hussein, Hide the pain Harold(Parkour!) and it would be a jarring task talking:
"No, no just wait for it! This is all connected somehow." This style is off putting for some and I do have those moments when I see a wall of text that "not today".
Honestly, “The Man Behind the Screen” could be a great name for a wrestler with a techno/computer mastermind gimmick. Like Mr. Mahon with a cyber-twist. How would it work? I’m not entirely sure, but that’s probably why WCW never picked me up as a writer.
If you'll forgive me for running the risk of exoticizing your country, I have to say this whole story strikes me as the most American thing ever. It's all there, from the Southern culture, the brashness, the crassness, the ambivalence about sex and sexuality to the grifting, the extreme commercialization, the tawdry tourist trap aspect and of course the intense, white-hot hyperpolitization. Or if you prefer: this is the kind of thing that feels lifted right out of that 90s Sam and Max point and click adventure, haha. It feels very much of mid-2020s America, but with some details changed and a joke based around something other than sex, I could see this happening in the 1820s or 1920s too.
As for the unearned wealth aspect, I guess it's much tamer than many other examples. At least she deserves it more than people who simply inherited a big vault of cash, and her claim to fame is silly but ultimately harmless. It does show arbitrary much of what passes for "success" can be in our culture, though. Compare and contrast with someone like the "Rich Men North of Richmond" guy, who also struck that vein of pure dumb luck, but who also has genuine talent and something meaningful to say.
Another parallel I thought of was Roald Dahl and Wonka's golden tickets. Another instance of fabulous wealth and meaning landing in a random poor person's lap. Of course, in that story the protagonist does have to show some virtue and growth, and there's that 'meaning' aspect. He gets to inherit a whole craft and a place where something tangible is produced, but also needs to grow and change to meet it in turn. Meanwhile, Welch is stuck with her one lame comedy bit, which can never really grow into more.
Another thought here: is Welch the anti-JD Vance? Similar backgrounds, but otherwise took the most different routes to wealth and fame possible. The more I think about it, the more it fits...
It's okay - it really is a story that could only come from the bowels of Modern America. I agree there could be parallels to earlier eras, but I think the internet and it's ability to diffuse something that happened in Tennessee across not just America, but the world, in a matter of seconds accelerated the "memetic cycle", if you will. Memes as a concept have a scientific definition that's almost completely divorced from the general definition of an "internet meme" - you probably know this - but all ideas have a certain life-cycle to them. Notice how "memes" from the early 2000's lingered on for years in popularity (e.g. the general advice animal template) when, these days, they go almost as quickly as they come. Similarly, in the 1920's, a national trend could begin in New York and take months to trickle over to the west coast (and get warped along the way - it's why each region of the country has a different word for soda, sneakers, drinking fountains, etc.) I guess what I'm trying to say is that the sheer quickness that it lived, peaked, and effectively died is distinctly modern.
It's interesting you bring up the Rich Men North of Richmond guy - there's a lot of overlap to their stories, right down to the general area of the country they both come from, but most notably the hyper-politicization of both of them. From what I understand, that guy was relatively apolitical (a lot of people define him as a "hicklib" but, from what I read, he really just seems like an old school "Blue Dog" democrat that used to make up the majority of southern, rural, and often poor voters) and didn't like either major party using his music as a standard. I think the only reason Welch escaped that was because her blowjob joke was, at its core, truly apolitical in a way that Rich Men North of Richmond just wasn't and couldn't be, which prompted the guy who sang it to shy away from the limelight rather than try to extend his moment in the spotlight. I do think that he could have made more a career from it than Welch ever will of hers, though. I have my doubts "Tawk Tuah" will become the next Joe Rogan Experience, or even a new Call Her Daddy.
As for J.D. Vance... I can see the parallels, but I don't know enough about Welch's backstory to be sure. Maybe she talks more about it on her podcast - I'm not listening to all twenty something hours of it to find out - but she seems to be pretty tight-lipped about her past. I'm only assuming she might not have come from the best circumstances based on the fact she lived in a backwater village, worked at a minimum wage factory, and lives with her grandma and, so far as I heard, she hasn't talked about her parents or upbringing. But for all I know that could just be a choice she made and maybe she just doesn't talk about it out of respect for the rest of her family's private lives, rather than not talking about them because they aren't and haven't been present in her life.
The humour of the joke is lost on me too, and the fact that anyone would wear that merch. It strikes me as embarrassing. Good for Hailey getting her money, but wow the virality of Hawk Tuah is bleak stuff for culture-at-large.
I genuinely will never understand what would drive someone to want to wear a Hawk Tuah shirt either, but... like I said, the market will buy what the market will buy. The good thing is that the meme ran it's lifecycle so fast that it's probably considered cringe to wear almost the moment it was "cool", if it ever was.
Good article, I think we have said all that can be on the crass jokes of vulgar youth. A friend and I were remarking recently that this has to be the stupidest meme of all year, yet it has the most legs. People will remember Welch tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow...
I think that might be why it lasted in a way most other memes of '24 didn't - it's so stupid, it's so simple that there's a universality to it that anyone of any age or demographic can understand, while most of the other memes are steeped in so much zoomer humor and culture that they're basically impenetrable to anyone outside that demographic.
The most remarkable thing is her not exploding in a fame drunk mess.
There was a lot of eyes and diggers from various sides, but as you noticed, a fairly clean snoz.
The longer she goes on without such a thing, the more likely she never will.
That said...
Her podcast and the like...
Random people can be of aid to you, but there's lots of folks that it's all about contracts.
Being a made man or woman is never a thing to envy, and one can only hope for her own sake she didn't pay a price not worth paying.
It's a common thing for people to think they'd like fame and fortune, but with those dark birds an ordinary person can easily end up dead in a ditch or worse.
That's why if I ever win the lottery, I'm not telling anyone. There will be signs, but I wouldn't tell anyone. Once you get a modicum of clout or monetary success, there will inevitably be those that worm out of the woodwork to ride your coat-tails at best or, at worst, work you over. For her sake, I also hope she didn't pick up any parasites. At best, one can hope she manages a smooth decline into obscurity without them following her down and leaving her with nothing.
Hawk Tuah (meme on that thang) gets put in the exact same mental folder as the low-quality smut books that middle-aged women consume in vast quantities or Rick and Morty-themed vape accessories: a dreadful indicator of just how septic our culture has become, but also so pathetic that it's hard to dedicate any brain power towards the phenomenon beyond saying "eugh", and moving on with one's day. The name of the Saul Tuah (lawyer on that thang) girl's already completely fallen out of my brain
At least hawk tuahkraine (invade on that thang) is, as you pointed out, funny to joke about in a meta-ironic sort of way, coping mechanism though that may be
This was funny and informative and well written; it is interesting how much of a stir she caused and how quickly it flamed out. I saw the meme but didn’t realize how it all played out for her. Sometimes bad can do some good. I’m glad for her and I hope her life is improved and she lives well.
Why thank you Mr. Ape for familiarizing me with a pop culture phenomenon I am glad I missed and never wanted to understand. I’m impressed with how educational it was while also trying to wipe it from my brain.
It's what I'm here for. Maybe once I start to make enough money off this project I'll start selling Ape-branded brain-bleach for anyone who wants to forget what they've seen. I don't fault anyone.
At least it was not just me. Like...that's it? And I'm not saying that my humour is so much more sophisticated(although it obviously is), but I would bet that I heard funnier one liners in conversations.
Despite all that she seems alright to me too. Interesting that Shaq came up even if for a moment because I remember that he was asked stupid questions too and he answered with something like "I'm a (former) basketball player. My opinion really shouldn't matter.".
Mentioning how short lived all this is, is also a nice touch. In 9gag in the past there were sometimes these calendar posts with the 'meme of the month'. Then it was two in a month...then for every week. We're approaching singularity and I don't know what will happen...hopefully it all resets back(proving the cyclical universe or Nietzsche's eternal return in a convoluted way) and everybody drops this memery...at least for a while. It was fun, but you morons started to take this seriously too.
I actually smiled on the 4th comment and onwards. There must be a name for this type of joke where you repeat it until it is funny(Morbius, Saddam Hussein, Antony(Manchester United) etc.) Glad that she at least know how to take a joke. Let her ride this wave of luck and have her happy ever after. Isn't that the dream itself?
In a way she resembles me to Hungary's own national hero András Arató(Hide the pain Harold). He also became some sort of celebrity, has a lot of requests(once he was asked to be Nikola Jurisic who stopped the Turks once on the castle days in his hometown and he couldn't hide his pride. It was almost too much wholesome for me.) can travel to a lot of nice places with his wife in his twilight years and that was also just a stupid(but much more robust) joke. Go on, live your best life for us too...
Shaq is a very interesting individual. He's one of the few superstars who's managed to keep a (mostly) clean rap and, even where he does have his blemishes, he's used his charisma to paper over them and enjoy a lucrative and sterling position in the American culture many years past his prime. He's a case study in how to perhaps not gracefully, but effectively ride out one's waning star-power. I hate to say it but half of his success is because he can just shut up and dance when he's told to dance and not complain about it or mouth off on matters not pertinent to him (compare and contrast Charles Barkley, while I'd be surprised if Shaq hasn't offered lip-service to certain liberal causes I'd also be surprised he isn't somewhat sympathetic to, Barkley routinely throws his hat into the culture wars and his reputation is worse for it) - there's something to be said for that.
I mentioned in another comment above that the memetic cycle has accelerated to the point that they die before they even have a chance to live - again, compare and contrast with memes from the early 2000's, which stuck around in the zeitgeist much longer. We're still talking about the Numa Numa Guy and people are still posting Advice Animal-format image macros; I highly doubt Hawk Tuah will have the same staying power because it used all of its cultural gas in the span of a week. It's interesting to see how fast the cycle goes these days, though I'm not sure there's much faster it can go without effectively making these memes... well, not memes, because they never spread far enough to actually achieve that name.
Also, funny you mention Andras Arato. From what I understand he was actually quite displeased his picture had become a meme and he was under the impression that, if he'd known it would, he would have never even become a stock photo model to begin with. I'm glad he leaned into it and is reaping the benefits of it. I always forget that he's Hungarian - I don't know why but something about the original images he's in just seem so distinctly American.
I'm sure he did some lip-service to some cause, but with decades behind his back we can at least assume his character. I don't care about almost any famous people(already assume the worst of them) but I would be actually disappointed if something came out about him.
I love Barkley too tough. I don't see the appeal of most American things but I do love the NBA and I watch them sometimes. (The live matches are mostly after midnight here so not that many.) He was always a more confrontative type and I know that sometimes he's called an Uncle Tom but I think he's too well respected. He does have that actual 'will to power' mindset that might not make people like him, but one can respect.(Didn't work against Jordan tough but that's another story).
The memetic cycle did get shortened a lot(one of my favorites is when my brother showed me 9gag and there was the "poop in the shower guy" ragecomic. The best part was that it looked authentic...this menace is really out there). I like to bash the theater kids and it might be not the best term for here, but too many people takes them too seriously. It's a joke. Most of the times it's just a joke. Don't see too much into it(I say this as someone who brought up Nietzsche and Saddam during a Hawk Tuah discussion.) As you mentioned, it very quickly gets lame and I could imagine an overload scenario where they won't even get to take off because they are immediately get negged. Saw discussions about how some memes might be controlled insertions and that can signal a progress into that direction.
There was a TV report with András Arató and he did say that he was not pleased with it but then some people found him and they were absolutely loving him for it so he thought that it's not all that bad. And also if you can't fight it, join it. (He did say that he would like if it was not used in bad ways but...internet, amirite?) His son still doesn't like it but with András we're talking about a 79 year old guy. It's not like he didn't serve his time. Sometimes he comes up in an ad or tv show (he was in Masked Singer too...lol), but it's not like he's overdoing it. He does get invited to a lot of places. (He was also an electrical engineer and earned his degree at the same place as me...it's a plus for me even if I hate that university)
I did not read this large wall of text, but as my eyes scan over it, I can't help but be impressed that you managed to mention Nietzsche and Saddam Hussein in a discussion of the Hawk Tuah girl.
Or maybe a wall of text deserves a wall of text in response.
This comment on a comment would have lost nothing if you'd left out everything preceding 'it,'.
Nah. It's alright.
People know about me that I can be all over the place when I start to talking about something so mostly I stay shut (this was an important lesson for me). I think that helped me not falling into the same predicament as our author(and now it's not completely off-topic). After the second monologue people would rather just not ask me.
But the comment form is great for this because I can see what I wrote/said and don't have to circle back. Here I mentioned Shaquille O'Neal, Nietzsche, Saddam Hussein, Hide the pain Harold(Parkour!) and it would be a jarring task talking:
"No, no just wait for it! This is all connected somehow." This style is off putting for some and I do have those moments when I see a wall of text that "not today".
oh ok
It's all good. I was thinking that myself too. "Damn Achernar...you did it again!"
(Although the Saddam one is only the meme with the red figure.)
A forbearing reply sir!
Ape ain't got time to hawk tuah. He's too busy ook ook, typing this thang.
No, I won't apologize. Even to myself, though I desperately want me to.
Just for this one, player, you're going one on one with the Undertaker tonight.
The Boulder is over his conflicted feelings, and ready to bury him in a Rockalanche!
Honestly, “The Man Behind the Screen” could be a great name for a wrestler with a techno/computer mastermind gimmick. Like Mr. Mahon with a cyber-twist. How would it work? I’m not entirely sure, but that’s probably why WCW never picked me up as a writer.
People like her are overdue a break. As a warrior caste they've given America a lot more than they've ever received.
Maybe *but maybe* with Trump they'll collectively get something approaching their due.
If you'll forgive me for running the risk of exoticizing your country, I have to say this whole story strikes me as the most American thing ever. It's all there, from the Southern culture, the brashness, the crassness, the ambivalence about sex and sexuality to the grifting, the extreme commercialization, the tawdry tourist trap aspect and of course the intense, white-hot hyperpolitization. Or if you prefer: this is the kind of thing that feels lifted right out of that 90s Sam and Max point and click adventure, haha. It feels very much of mid-2020s America, but with some details changed and a joke based around something other than sex, I could see this happening in the 1820s or 1920s too.
As for the unearned wealth aspect, I guess it's much tamer than many other examples. At least she deserves it more than people who simply inherited a big vault of cash, and her claim to fame is silly but ultimately harmless. It does show arbitrary much of what passes for "success" can be in our culture, though. Compare and contrast with someone like the "Rich Men North of Richmond" guy, who also struck that vein of pure dumb luck, but who also has genuine talent and something meaningful to say.
Another parallel I thought of was Roald Dahl and Wonka's golden tickets. Another instance of fabulous wealth and meaning landing in a random poor person's lap. Of course, in that story the protagonist does have to show some virtue and growth, and there's that 'meaning' aspect. He gets to inherit a whole craft and a place where something tangible is produced, but also needs to grow and change to meet it in turn. Meanwhile, Welch is stuck with her one lame comedy bit, which can never really grow into more.
Another thought here: is Welch the anti-JD Vance? Similar backgrounds, but otherwise took the most different routes to wealth and fame possible. The more I think about it, the more it fits...
It's okay - it really is a story that could only come from the bowels of Modern America. I agree there could be parallels to earlier eras, but I think the internet and it's ability to diffuse something that happened in Tennessee across not just America, but the world, in a matter of seconds accelerated the "memetic cycle", if you will. Memes as a concept have a scientific definition that's almost completely divorced from the general definition of an "internet meme" - you probably know this - but all ideas have a certain life-cycle to them. Notice how "memes" from the early 2000's lingered on for years in popularity (e.g. the general advice animal template) when, these days, they go almost as quickly as they come. Similarly, in the 1920's, a national trend could begin in New York and take months to trickle over to the west coast (and get warped along the way - it's why each region of the country has a different word for soda, sneakers, drinking fountains, etc.) I guess what I'm trying to say is that the sheer quickness that it lived, peaked, and effectively died is distinctly modern.
It's interesting you bring up the Rich Men North of Richmond guy - there's a lot of overlap to their stories, right down to the general area of the country they both come from, but most notably the hyper-politicization of both of them. From what I understand, that guy was relatively apolitical (a lot of people define him as a "hicklib" but, from what I read, he really just seems like an old school "Blue Dog" democrat that used to make up the majority of southern, rural, and often poor voters) and didn't like either major party using his music as a standard. I think the only reason Welch escaped that was because her blowjob joke was, at its core, truly apolitical in a way that Rich Men North of Richmond just wasn't and couldn't be, which prompted the guy who sang it to shy away from the limelight rather than try to extend his moment in the spotlight. I do think that he could have made more a career from it than Welch ever will of hers, though. I have my doubts "Tawk Tuah" will become the next Joe Rogan Experience, or even a new Call Her Daddy.
As for J.D. Vance... I can see the parallels, but I don't know enough about Welch's backstory to be sure. Maybe she talks more about it on her podcast - I'm not listening to all twenty something hours of it to find out - but she seems to be pretty tight-lipped about her past. I'm only assuming she might not have come from the best circumstances based on the fact she lived in a backwater village, worked at a minimum wage factory, and lives with her grandma and, so far as I heard, she hasn't talked about her parents or upbringing. But for all I know that could just be a choice she made and maybe she just doesn't talk about it out of respect for the rest of her family's private lives, rather than not talking about them because they aren't and haven't been present in her life.
The humour of the joke is lost on me too, and the fact that anyone would wear that merch. It strikes me as embarrassing. Good for Hailey getting her money, but wow the virality of Hawk Tuah is bleak stuff for culture-at-large.
I genuinely will never understand what would drive someone to want to wear a Hawk Tuah shirt either, but... like I said, the market will buy what the market will buy. The good thing is that the meme ran it's lifecycle so fast that it's probably considered cringe to wear almost the moment it was "cool", if it ever was.
Excellent essay.
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed.
Good article, I think we have said all that can be on the crass jokes of vulgar youth. A friend and I were remarking recently that this has to be the stupidest meme of all year, yet it has the most legs. People will remember Welch tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow...
I think that might be why it lasted in a way most other memes of '24 didn't - it's so stupid, it's so simple that there's a universality to it that anyone of any age or demographic can understand, while most of the other memes are steeped in so much zoomer humor and culture that they're basically impenetrable to anyone outside that demographic.
The most remarkable thing is her not exploding in a fame drunk mess.
There was a lot of eyes and diggers from various sides, but as you noticed, a fairly clean snoz.
The longer she goes on without such a thing, the more likely she never will.
That said...
Her podcast and the like...
Random people can be of aid to you, but there's lots of folks that it's all about contracts.
Being a made man or woman is never a thing to envy, and one can only hope for her own sake she didn't pay a price not worth paying.
It's a common thing for people to think they'd like fame and fortune, but with those dark birds an ordinary person can easily end up dead in a ditch or worse.
That's why if I ever win the lottery, I'm not telling anyone. There will be signs, but I wouldn't tell anyone. Once you get a modicum of clout or monetary success, there will inevitably be those that worm out of the woodwork to ride your coat-tails at best or, at worst, work you over. For her sake, I also hope she didn't pick up any parasites. At best, one can hope she manages a smooth decline into obscurity without them following her down and leaving her with nothing.
'We have heard you dine well these days, so we've come for dinner'
So cried the cannibals.
Hawk Tuah (meme on that thang) gets put in the exact same mental folder as the low-quality smut books that middle-aged women consume in vast quantities or Rick and Morty-themed vape accessories: a dreadful indicator of just how septic our culture has become, but also so pathetic that it's hard to dedicate any brain power towards the phenomenon beyond saying "eugh", and moving on with one's day. The name of the Saul Tuah (lawyer on that thang) girl's already completely fallen out of my brain
At least hawk tuahkraine (invade on that thang) is, as you pointed out, funny to joke about in a meta-ironic sort of way, coping mechanism though that may be
This was funny and informative and well written; it is interesting how much of a stir she caused and how quickly it flamed out. I saw the meme but didn’t realize how it all played out for her. Sometimes bad can do some good. I’m glad for her and I hope her life is improved and she lives well.