Dat Boi

Dat Boi is an Internet meme originating from the clip art website Animation Factory.[1][2] The meme garnered popularity on Tumblr in 2015 before gaining more recognition through Twitter in 2016.[3] It is usually accompanied by a person saying "here come dat boi" to which they reply "o shit waddup!"

A still frame of the original GIF, created for the Animation Factory before becoming the "Dat Boi" meme.

History

According to Animation Factory employee Ryan Hagen, the frog GIF used in the meme was created by designer Josh Doohen.[4] Before becoming an Internet meme, the image was used in the textbook AP Physics 1 Essentials.[4]

The meme's name originates from an edited news screenshot[5] and the line of text often used in association with the image ("here come dat boi! o shit waddup!") was taken from a different meme featuring a computer-animated Pac-Man character.[5] The frog image and its caption were first put together on Facebook, according to Vox.[6] 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.[7]

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".[8][9] As a result, certain Facebook groups discouraged use of the meme.[10]

Dat Boi was featured in The Guardian's "Month in Memes" article for June 2016.[11] 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".[12]

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.[13]
• In May 2016, MTV News posted an image of Dat Boi, alongside other social media trends, onto its Instagram account.[14]
• Nintendo tweeted an image of its Slippy Toad character next to the Dat Boi frog on May 13, 2016.[15]
• The Twitter account for the restaurant chain Denny's tweeted an image of Dat Boi, calling the frog "Dat Busboi".[16][17]
• The Twitter account for Roblox, a computer game, retweeted a GIF featuring four avatars created in Dat Boi's likeness.[18]
• Kenyatta Cheese, co-founder of Know Your Meme, described Dat Boi as "a piece of culture" to the editors of Vice.[19]
• In an interview with PopSugar about viral trends, model Josh Ostrovsky mentioned the meme and admitted, "obviously I love Dat Boi".[20]
• The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union posted a "Dat Boi" meme to comment on the 2016 Australian federal election.[21]
• 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.[22]

See also

• Toad worship Chinese internet subculture

References

1. Dart, Chris (May 13, 2016). "Inside Dat Boi, the year's weirdest meme". The A.V. Club.
2. San Vincente, Romeo (June 2, 2016). "Deep Inside Hollywood". Between the Lines.
3. Klee, Miles (May 2, 2016). "Say 'waddup' to Dat Boi, the unicycling frog meme". The Daily Dot.
4. Feldman, Brian (May 12, 2016). "The Strange Journey of 'Dat Boi,' the Year's Best Meme So Far". New York Magazine.
5. Cook-Wilson, Winston (May 6, 2016). "What is 'Dat Boi,' and Why Is It So Sweet?: An Exploration". Inverse.
6. Lopez, German (May 27, 2016). "Dat boi, explained". Vox.
7. Plante, Chris (June 8, 2016). "Be one with Dat Boi". The Verge.
8. Song, Sandra (May 25, 2016). "How the Racial Politics of Dat Boi Ripped Apart a Popular Facebook Group". Paper Magazine.
9. Tiven, Lucy (May 29, 2016). "Viral Meme Dat Boi Ignites a Discussion About Racism". Attn.
10. Crosbie, Jack (May 26, 2016). "Dat Boi Might Be Racist and It's Ruining a Facebook Group for Dank Memes". Inverse.
11. Aroesti, Rachel (June 8, 2016). "The month in memes: Dat Boi and a big-screen bow for Slender Man". The Guardian.
12. Lorah, Michael (June 14, 2016). "Meet Pepe's Daddy - Matt Furie Talks Boy's Club". Comic Book Resources.
13. "Kids Pick the President: Make a Meme". Kids Pick the President. Viacom International. October 14, 2016.
14. "MTV News on Instagram". MTV News.
15. Pereira, Chris (May 13, 2016). "Nintendo's Weird Tweet Has Star Fox's Slippy Losing Out to a Frog on a Unicycle". GameSpot.
16. "Marketer MVPs of Social Media: Now Dat Boi Lifts Nintendo, but Victoria's Secret is Building a Streak". Advertising Age. May 19, 2016.
17. "Denny's on Twitter - May 6, 2016". Denny's. May 6, 2016.
18. "ROBLOX on Twitter - May 17, 2016". Roblox. May 17, 2016. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016.
19. "A Co-Creator of Know Your Meme Explains What the Hell a Meme Actually Is". Vice. May 26, 2016.
20. "How Does the Fat Jewish Find His Memes?". PopSugar. May 31, 2016.
21. McKinnon, Alex (May 16, 2016). "Australian Politics and the 'Dat Boi' Meme Have Finally Intersected, As Was Inevitable". Junkee.
22. "Massive Youth Voter Enrolment Sees Frog Meme Lead As Preferred Prime Minister". SBS. May 23, 2016.