Dat Boi
{{short description|Meme of a frog riding a unicycle}}
File:Dat Boi (resized 50%).jpgDat Boi is an Internet meme originating from the clip art website Animation Factory.{{cite web|url=http://www.avclub.com/article/read-inside-dat-boi-years-weirdest-meme-236739|title=Inside Dat Boi, the year's weirdest meme|work=The A.V. Club|last=Dart|first=Chris|date=May 13, 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.pridesource.com/article.html?article=76700|title=Deep Inside Hollywood|work=Between the Lines|last=San Vincente|first=Romeo|date=June 2, 2016}} It depicts a frog riding a unicycle. The meme garnered popularity on Tumblr in 2015 before gaining more recognition through Twitter in 2016.{{cite web|url=http://www.dailydot.com/lol/dat-boi-frog-unicycle-meme/|title=Say 'waddup' to Dat Boi, the unicycling frog meme|work=The Daily Dot|last=Klee|first=Miles|date=May 2, 2016}} It is usually accompanied by a person saying "here come dat boi".
History
According to Animation Factory employee Ryan Hagen, the frog GIF used in the meme was created by designer Josh Doohen.{{cite web|url=http://nymag.com/selectall/2016/05/the-strange-journey-of-dat-boi-the-years-best-meme-so-far.html|title=The Strange Journey of 'Dat Boi,' the Year's Best Meme So Far|work=New York Magazine|last=Feldman|first=Brian|date=May 12, 2016}}
The meme's name originates from an edited news screenshot.{{cite web|url=https://www.inverse.com/article/15300-what-is-dat-boi-and-why-is-it-so-sweet-an-exploration|title=What is 'Dat Boi,' and Why Is It So Sweet?: An Exploration|work=Inverse|last=Cook-Wilson|first=Winston|date=May 6, 2016}} The line of text often used in association with the image ("here come dat boi! o shit waddup!") was taken from memes involving "Here Comes Pacman", an animation based on the Pac-Man segment of the Bloodhound Gang song "Mope".{{Cite web|title=Here Comes Pacman|url=https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/here-comes-pacman|access-date=2021-08-19|website=Know Your Meme|date=21 September 2017 }}{{ref|a}} The frog image and its caption were first put together on Facebook, according to Vox.{{cite web|url=https://www.vox.com/2016/5/27/11789968/dat-boi-o-shit-waddup|title=Dat boi, explained|work=Vox|last=Lopez|first=German|date=May 27, 2016}} The Verge writer Chris Plante referred to the caption in a June article, stating that the Dat Boi image itself was "not enough" and should be paired with the caption.{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/6/8/11888752/dat-boi-dayenu|title=Be one with Dat Boi|work=The Verge|last=Plante|first=Chris|date=June 8, 2016}}
In May 2016, the "here come dat boi!" caption came under criticism after various Facebook users claimed to find it an "appropriation of African-American Vernacular English".{{cite web|url=http://www.papermag.com/dat-boi-1820277201.html|title=How the Racial Politics of Dat Boi Ripped Apart a Popular Facebook Group|work=Paper Magazine|last=Song|first=Sandra|date=May 25, 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.attn.com/stories/8700/frog-meme-dat-boi-causing-major-controversy|title=Viral Meme Dat Boi Ignites a Discussion About Racism|work=Attn|last=Tiven|first=Lucy|date=May 29, 2016}} As a result, certain Facebook groups discouraged use of the meme.{{cite web|url=https://www.inverse.com/article/16209-dat-boi-might-be-racist-and-it-s-ruining-a-facebook-group-for-dank-memes|title=Dat Boi Might Be Racist and It's Ruining a Facebook Group for Dank Memes|work=Inverse|last=Crosbie|first=Jack|date=May 26, 2016}}
Dat Boi was featured in The Guardian{{'s}} "Month in Memes" article for June 2016.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/global/2016/jun/08/the-month-in-memes-viral-comedy-june-2016|title=The month in memes: Dat Boi and a big-screen bow for Slender Man|work=The Guardian|last=Aroesti|first=Rachel|date=June 8, 2016}} Matt Furie, creator of Pepe the Frog, explained in a June 2016 interview with Comic Book Resources that he was "devastated" to find out that Dat Boi had "begun to overshadow Internet Pepe".{{cite web|url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/meet-pepes-daddy-matt-furie-talks-boys-club|title=Meet Pepe's Daddy - Matt Furie Talks Boy's Club|work=Comic Book Resources|last=Lorah|first=Michael|date=June 14, 2016|access-date=March 11, 2017|archive-date=August 21, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160821024724/http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/meet-pepes-daddy-matt-furie-talks-boys-club|url-status=dead}}
Notable uses
- Meme-themed commercials and games based on the 2016 edition of Nickelodeon's Kids Pick the President featured both of the phrases associated with Dat Boi.{{cite web|url=http://www.kidspickthepresident.com/#meme|title=Kids Pick the President: Make a Meme|work=Kids Pick the President|publisher=Viacom International|date=October 14, 2016}}{{third-party inline|date=June 2019}}
- In May 2016, MTV News posted an image of Dat Boi, alongside other social media trends, onto its Instagram account.{{cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/BFFL3-LJcAu/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/BFFL3-LJcAu |archive-date=2021-12-24 |url-access=limited|title=MTV News on Instagram|work=MTV News}}{{cbignore}}{{third-party inline|date=June 2019}}
- Nintendo tweeted an image of its Slippy Toad character next to the Dat Boi frog on May 13, 2016.{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendos-weird-tweet-has-star-foxs-slippy-losing-/1100-6439793/|title=Nintendo's Weird Tweet Has Star Fox's Slippy Losing Out to a Frog on a Unicycle|work=GameSpot|last=Pereira|first=Chris|date=May 13, 2016}}
- The Twitter account for the restaurant chain Denny's tweeted an image of Dat Boi, calling the frog "Dat Busboi".{{cite web|url=http://adage.com/article/digital/marketer-mvps-social-media/304097/|title=Marketer MVPs of Social Media: Now Dat Boi Lifts Nintendo, but Victoria's Secret is Building a Streak|work=Advertising Age|date=May 19, 2016}}{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/DennysDiner/status/728661102406467585|title=Denny's on Twitter - May 6, 2016|work=Denny's|date=May 6, 2016}}
- The Twitter account for Roblox, a computer game, retweeted a GIF featuring four avatars created in Dat Boi's likeness.{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/roblox|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602131146/https://twitter.com/roblox|archivedate=June 2, 2016|title=ROBLOX on Twitter - May 17, 2016|work=Roblox|date=May 17, 2016}}{{third-party inline|date=June 2019}}
- Kenyatta Cheese, co-founder of Know Your Meme, described Dat Boi as "a piece of culture" to the editors of Vice.{{cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/i-asked-the-founder-of-know-your-meme-why-memes-are-funny/|title=A Co-Creator of Know Your Meme Explains What the Hell a Meme Actually Is|work=Vice|date=May 26, 2016}}{{third-party inline|date=June 2019}}
- In an interview with PopSugar about viral trends, model Josh Ostrovsky mentioned the meme and admitted, "obviously I love Dat Boi".{{cite web|url=http://www.popsugar.com/tech/How-Does-Fat-Jewish-Find-His-Memes-41443217|title=How Does the Fat Jewish Find His Memes?|work=PopSugar|date=May 31, 2016}}{{third-party inline|date=June 2019}}
- The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union posted a "Dat Boi" meme to comment on the 2016 Australian federal election.{{cite web|url=http://junkee.com/australian-politics-has-finally-intersected-with-the-dat-boi-meme-as-was-inevitable/78332|title=Australian Politics and the 'Dat Boi' Meme Have Finally Intersected, As Was Inevitable|work=Junkee|last=McKinnon|first=Alex|date=May 16, 2016}}
- Also during the 2016 federal election in Australia, SBS Comedy published a satirical article claiming that the "Dat Boi" frog had become the most popular candidate for Prime Minister of Australia among youth voters.{{cite web|url=http://www.sbs.com.au/comedy/article/2016/05/23/massive-youth-voter-enrolment-sees-frog-meme-lead-preferred-prime-minister|title=Massive Youth Voter Enrolment Sees Frog Meme Lead As Preferred Prime Minister|work=SBS|date=May 23, 2016|access-date=May 31, 2016|archive-date=May 28, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160528153720/http://www.sbs.com.au/comedy/article/2016/05/23/massive-youth-voter-enrolment-sees-frog-meme-lead-preferred-prime-minister|url-status=dead}}{{third-party inline|date=June 2019}}
See also
- Toad worship, Chinese internet subculture
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