Took an arrow in the knee

You've probably heard about this one from a friend, stranger, office colleague, or worse, an offspring belonging to you. It starts when (insert person's name) reminisces about being somebody previously--skateboarder, track athlete, stage performer or simply an adventurer--that is, until they Took an Arrow in the Knee. Ridiculous. Ludicrous. Preposterous. You've probably used any of these. Or perhaps all of them. I mean, who in the world will play archer and injure anyone for real? And then you realize it's nothing really but a catchphrase that people got from a video game. But of course, parents didn't know that. And it has parents all over the place confused when they hear their children invoke the phrase. Before this gets any crazier, it's what everyone calls an Internet meme. And this one came from Skyrim of The Elder Scrolls series developed by Bethesda Game Studios, an adventure role playing game that's so enormous, (if you're playing it) you probably haven't finished it yet. Like yours truly.

So how come this meme caught on just like that? Well, I mentioned how this game is amazingly long. And like all lengthy games, there are zounds of repetitive stuff. The guards that roam the entire game world have, at one point or another, uttered the phrase. It was okay at first, then it got somewhat annoying. And since you continue to play it, annoying became stuck. Stuck became habit. You realize that later when you're already hanging out with friends, hours after closing the game console. Then you say it. Boom! Wildfire.Okay, let's dissect this piece a bit. An Internet meme isn't designed in the first place to be a meme. It has to catch attention first over the social web. Then it either gets vilified, ridiculed, commented, imitated, parodied or a combination of sorts. What's interesting about memes is their lasting effect. The potency of the catchphrases to be used as part of advertorials are strong--and it doesn't cost marketers anything to use it. The potential spread is likewise phenomenal. A known piece, one that sounds or looks familiar to the original, catches on pretty quick. In marketing parlance, this is known as viral marketing. And if you're after 'buzz', look no further. Here's an example, the source or applied usage of which, are found in a variety of places.

The preceding image is an edited version of the original meme--All Your Base Are Belong to Us. The phrase is an Engrish translation gone wrong that appeared in the introduction dialogue of Zero Wing, a 1989 16-bit game. The full dialogue is provided below for your enjoyment.


Captain: What happen ?
Mechanic: Somebody set up us the bomb.
Operator: We get signal.
Captain: What !
Operator: Main screen turn on.
Captain: It’s you !!
CATS: How are you gentlemen !!
CATS: All your base are belong to us.
CATS: You are on the way to destruction.
Captain: What you say !!
CATS: You have no chance to survive make your time.
CATS: Ha ha ha ha …
Operator: Captain !!
Captain: Take off every ‘ZIG’!!
Captain: You know what you doing.
Captain: Move ‘ZIG’.
Captain: For great justice.

My favorite meme is one coming from Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. During the Council of Elrond, Boromir delivers a line that will forever live in the hearts of most--okay some--netizens: One Does Not Simply Walk into Mordor. The phrase has been snowcloned (a phrase template, i.e. X is the new Y) into the most absurd forms. I wonder how Sean Bean (actor who played the character) feels about his face being in just about every backdrop? Here's one of the more notable ones.

Okay, it's a silly piece like everyone else. But that's the point isn't it? As citizens of the Internet, this and all its many forms have become a way of life. In fact, our collective silliness powers all web phenomena because we agree to be part of the folly. As long as the Internet is in the hands of humans, the Internet will always be dominated by content intended for human entertainment. It's being able to take part. In other words, It's the Community, Stupid! (Yup, another meme.)

And one more thing... Let's talk about this one soon.