Every few months, there seems to be a new internet joke that takes social media by storm. Many memes have come and gone over the years with some lasting longer than others. However, all memes inevitably fall off.
The short lifespan of memes can be attributed to their overuse. In the same way that overplaying a favorite song will eventually lead to resentment, seeing a meme too many times can have the same effect.
Junior Sophia Losche of Freehold says that less overuse and repetition can make a meme more enjoyable.
“It depends on how overused the meme is, like the ‘demure’ thing was something that everyone said, and then it got old immediately,” Losche said. “But when a meme is not too big, it stays longer.”
This idea remains true for people who have tried to monetize and pursue a livelihood from their internet notability.
One of the most notable memes of the year is Hailey Wench, an internet sensation known for the phrase “Hawk Tuah.” The phrase was clipped and spread across social media apps including TikTok, Instagram and Twitter, skyrocketing Wench’s fame. Then she tried to turn her brief moment in the spotlight into a lasting career.
Within two weeks of her meme blowing up, she launched a line of merchandise, making $65,000, signed to a management company The Penthouse and carried her fame to her own podcast, “Talk Tuah.”
Her next public appearance was at the Rock the South music festival in Cullman, Alabama. However, when she made her appearance, she was met with awkward silence. The crowd seemed to believe that her 15 minutes of fame was up. Although she continues to upload episodes of her podcast, her fame depended on her viral moment. Without anything to follow it up, her meme became overused.
However, there are examples of online personalities who have successfully used their memes as a launchpad for fame. Among them is Brittany Tomlinson, professionally known as Brittany Broski, who started out as the “Kombucha Girl” in 2019.
In August 2019, Tomlinson posted a video of herself trying out kombucha for the first time and making humorous facial expressions.
The panel shots from the video became a meme and went viral. Since then, she has made a lucrative career and leveraged her fame onto multiple social media platforms.
Following the success from her video, she signed onto a talent agency and began working on YouTube videos and collaborating with other celebrities. She eventually became the host of TikTok’s official podcast “For You” where she interviews other popular TikTokers.
Instead of recycling her meme, Tomlinson found success by leveraging her viral moment and growing her social media presence with the use of humor and new content.
Since memes are not long lasting, it can be difficult for the faces of them to stay relevant. However, by consistently expanding their social media presence, they can maintain fame without falling off.
