The socially awkward penguin is a very popular online meme... but why??
Why is it a penguin? Why is it a blue background? Why is the penguin looking to the left? Why is it on a square picture? Why don't I begin any of these questions differently? Why is awkwardness funny?
First off I love all your why questions. Secondly I've never seen this before, but i actually find it humorous that someone took awkward to a whole new level. I think blue is like ice, and ice and penguins go together, but i have no clue about why its a penguin also...first comment!
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ReplyDeleteThese are all mind blowing questions, Mark, thank you so much for making me question my core beliefs today.
ReplyDeleteI personally believe that the blue background symbolizes the cold, or chills, that you experience in awkward situations. While most animals in the world do not thrive in this kind of environment, the penguin does.
In addition, the waddle of the penguin is also extremely awkward in terms of mobility (they go really slow).
But what kind of impact does the image of the penguin have on the audience?? Perhaps we shouldn't be asking why he is looking to the left, but instead, why is it not looking to the "right"?? The penguin is wrong in his actions, he is incorrect. This brilliant play on the definition of the word "right" is not only obvious, it has a deep subliminal impact on the viewer.
I can't think of anymore things to say that sound legitimate, so I'm now just going to list buzzwords to get the conversation brewing....
Jesus, abortion, global warming, the death penalty, stem cell research, gay marriage, barack obama, nancy pelosi, casey anthony, and the octo-mom.
Hahahaha, Mark makes some legitimate points. The penguin is associated with cold, icy environments, just as people are often viewed as giving someone the cold shoulder for prematurely ending a conversation, and then continuing to walk near said person for an awkward amount of time.
ReplyDeleteAside from the allusions to figuratively and realistically cold environments, I also noticed that the penguin was facing toward the left. He could be looking slightly toward the left in order to make a physical connection with the audience, just as the penguin's message is meant for others to relate to.
The message, itself, poses some interesting reactions, as well. I, for one, have absolutely ended a conversation with someone prematurely within the past few weeks. The fact that someone made a meme out of this makes me wonder, though, how much this problem arises?
If this problem occurs so much that someone made a meme out of it, then what's causing people to end conversations too soon? With our generation so connected to technology, are we really starting to shy away from face-to-face conversation? Is the lifestyle of today's young adult so fast paced that one cannot stop and make proper conversation? Are we surrounded with so many ways to meet people and make friends that we take socialization for granted? Or is this simply an awkward situation that arises for no reason at all?
...I doubt that this penguin holds a deep philosophical meaning.
ReplyDeleteAs I looked over some of the notable examples, I became amused, because some of those situations have in fact happened to me. However, almost all of the examples are accidental in nature - and we all know that humans and accidents generally go hand-in-hand.
Given the increasing amount of searches for this penguin, it just means that many people have had these experiences as well. People like things that they can relate to. Therefore, the penguin serves to remind us that we are all not so different. It just does it in an amusing way.
I second Steve on the point of significance. But my view is much more drastic. I feel that the "Awkward Penguin" was just picture someone made by copying and pasting a penguin onto a blue background as part of a private joke.
ReplyDeleteSince the majority of human kind is not privy to the intricacies of the original inside joke, we have sufficed by creating numerous of our own inside jokes with this image.
The fact that these new inside jokes and that the image became so popular rapidly exemplifies what pre-teens, teens, and even college age kids do when they are bored. We story tell, make up new subjects to talk about that sometimes have no significance at all.
I agree with Steve as well that people enjoy the penguin because it provides fodder for jokes that almost anyone can relate to, but I think there's a bit more to that. As that website mentioned, the joke originated on 4chan, where a vast majority of internet 'memes' originate. So the question isn't really about why the penguin spread, but how is it that 4chan is so able to spread something like this?
ReplyDeleteThe answer is simple; 4chan exists for no other purpose but to perpetuate things using the incredible powers of anonymity and cyber-terror (yes, terror-- I'm getting there in a second). On the internet, a person can say absolutely whatever they want however they want about anything they want, and can remain anonymous because of it. The anonymity and the freedom of expression produces two effects; the 'troll' effect, and the more commonly known mob effect. The troll effect is that as soon as you remove accountability, people feel free to stalk, mock, attack, and destroy anything and anyone in their way, because they can. The mob effect means that everyone else without a proclivity towards leadership goes, "well hey! I should do that too!" and anyone with a mild superiority complex goes, "Hey, I can do that better!"
The troll effect takes a random picture and makes it into a joke, the mob effect produces thousands of copies of this joke. Then the massive population of 4chan begins to spread this joke to the far corners of the internet, posting it on blogs, social networking sites, forums, etc. This blog post is a representation of the third tier of expansion for a meme; the onlookers. The onlooker factor is the one where, random, more casual users see something appear in a wide variety of places, planted by the trolls and the mob, and become fascinated by it, integrating it into daily casual life, and perpetuating it to the harder to reach segments of the populace. This, my dear friends, is the tale of every meme and viral media in this internet age.
OH! And I promised I'd talk about cyber-terror... well, maybe another time. For now, i'll let you google the word "anonymous" and see what you find. It may scare you, be warned.
I think that Daniel gave really good insight as to how the picture spread and the means in which "trivial images" and the sort thrive online. Although the "how" is vital to the popularity and availability of the "Awkward Penguin" I feel that the "why" is equally if not the most important thing to consider when talking about the growing frequency and choice to use/view this penguin.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that you can simply explain how something came to be by chalking up its mainstream viewing to a troll or mob effect. Don't get me wrong they both play a key role on the internet and with spreading images, jokes, videos, etc. however, if you truly want to understand how it came to be you must dive deeper and look into why that specific image spread and not one of the other million images/ statements. There obviously must have been something appealing to the web community otherwise it would have "died" and not grown into what we all know as "Awkward Penguin."
As stated in comments/posts above people like things that they can relate to, but a penguin really? If you think about it there is actually validity to choosing a penguin rather than a dog, cat, monkey, etc. Think about the last time you went to the zoo and saw the penguins (if it has been awhile youtube it), their unique and quirky characteristics provide both entertainment and humor for a variety of audiences. They can't fly but flap their wings, they waddle and hop around, and from their mouth comes an amplified quack. These characteristics make the penguin stand out among its species and much like when we make or do something awkward we are set apart from others even if for a mere second. Our awkward habits tend to mirror those of the penguin in both the action and response from outside viewers. Just as we laugh or joke about the penguin, our awkward moments can provide humor to others and even ourselves.
Let's not forget that penguins are also pretty darn cute. If people can relate to something that's both unique and cute than chances are they are going to cling to it and in this case pass it along. The penguin, known for its awkwardness among the bird community, is a perfect candidate for depicting the awkward moments in our lives. Although this does not explain how it was spread so quickly, it is the reason it spread and the reason it continues to do so.
I agree with most of the above, especially what Steven said about the insignificance of this penguin. I don't think there is any deeper meaning to this than humor. Also, has anyone heard of awkward turtle, the hand motion some have begun to use during awkward situations. Do y'all think that they are common in anyway, besides the fact they are used in awkward situations.
ReplyDeleteI believe the color blue really shows off the awkward idea. Because when one is in an awkward situation, they get this cold feeling. The penguin itself is awkward, because it is just awkward that a bird cannot fly. I don't believe that there is really any further significance to this because it was just for humor and a way for people to come together about common awkward situations.
First off, Erika I have heard of awkard turtle as well as awkward palm tree and balloon. Second, I agree with everyone who says the penguin does not have a significant meaning other than humor. The penguin is really an awkward animal because it is a bird that cannot fly and it just waddles around on the ice. I went to the zoo this summer with friends and we probably spent a half hour watching the penguins because they are just that cute and funny to watch. We also took many pictures and videos since they are entertaining to look at.
ReplyDeleteNow a days people are busy and stressed so they go on the internet and see something called "Awkward Penguin". They look at it and get a nice laugh. Many people have experienced one of these awkward situations and its always nice to laugh at yourself. People can relate easily to these images. Then people will send the "Awkward Penguin" to people who they think will find it funny as well. This could play a factor into why it spread so quickly.
I really don't see a significant connection between the color blue and awkwardness. They're may not even be a connection at all. Personally, I think the blue is just a nice background color because it really brings out the penguin. Blue generally does mean cold and penguins do come from a cold climate, but that is the only connection I see.
Well i agree with a lot of you that the blue could represent the cold feeling you get from awkward situations, and that penguins are in general a sort off awkward animal. I think it is on the square background just because it fits so nicely and encloses the awkwardness into one small picture that you cant escape just like awkward situations. And the penguin is looking to the left cause thats where the awkwardness is and he is watching because it is funny.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that the penguin isn't really used for any other purpose other than humor. I also think Hanna makes a good point with her idea that the square makes it seem like you can't escape the awkwardness of the whole situation like in actual life the awkward feelings seem to just linger and there is no way to get away from it. I don't think there is any major significance to the fact that the penguin is looking left other than that it just looks awkward and that just adds to the whole theme of the picture.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Hannah and Lauren. The Awkward Penguin is a humorous device that is used to depict those situations that we all get stuck in from time to time. The trapped moment where we just don't know what to do much like the penguin couldn't decide if it wanted to be a fish or a bird (this not being a conscious decision but rather a point that when we don't make decisions we look for lack of a better work awkward.The reason for it looking left is a mystery.It seems as if we are attempting to make "A joke a very serious thing" Winston Churchill. I think it is just humorous and supplies entertainment for most.
ReplyDeleteI also agree. I think the penguin is a very fitting animal to represent an awkward icon because in general penguins are just strange animals. I mean just look at the way they waddle. I think that the use of the box is to represent the feeling of being trapped. After an awkward happening everyone feels stuck and no one knows what to do, because opening up would be hard so we just box ourselves in. Often times it can be hard to relate with someone when they have not experienced a similar situation.
ReplyDeleteI first came across this meme on Reddit one day and laughed out loud in the library because the message for that particular awkward penguin was something that happens to me all the time. It seems like everyone has experienced one or more of these awkward moments in their life. Agreeing with the response of Lauren, the penguin is just a random animal that was chosen for this meme. The creator could have chosen mostly any animal and it wold have been just as funny.John also has a great point of the penguin being as awkward as the situations it mentions. The only other possibly funnier animal to use would be the platypus. It really is an awkward animal which seems to me to be just a hodge-podge of a lot of animals put together. Also as many have above, I totally agree with what Hanna said about the square box.It always seams that when you get put into an awkward position, you seem to become physically and mentally trapped there. You know you should just walk away or just stop talking but no matter what you do it always seems to keep its grasp on you and make the situation even more awkward then it already was. As for the penguin looking left, the only reason I could find was that the penguin was trying to look away from the awkward situation or try not to be a part of the situation. Truly, the penguin looking to the left was probably just the best image of a penguin that the creator could find.
ReplyDeleteI too, came across this meme on Reddit, and have been following it closely ever since. I think that the format of the meme (the square, blue background, the position of the penguin, etc.) follows closely with other picture/text based memes. I think the meme is popular because so many people relate to it, but few admit the awkward things they do in real life. The meme is sort of a release for the embarrassment that happens to us in our daily lives. Seeing that others have faced similar situations is a comforting feeling that relieves some of the awkwardness and leaves us feeling a little bit better about ourselves.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree what you guys are talking about. I 've experienced most of these awkward penguin moments listed above. These works contain a sense of self-mockery and humour to summarize our usual situation in daily life and also convey the instinctive reactions of people towards their living environment. The reason why choose penguin I guess is that penguin are so cute and human to the people, no like lions and snake, does not have special symbolic meaning. And the sea is the habitat of the penguin, so the blue background matches the character.
ReplyDeleteI think that is because Penguin is a very cute animial. People can feel more comfortable to share their embarrasing experience with this lovely animal.
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