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500 Cigarettes Meme

Jul 18, 2024

500 Cigarettes Meme - Lecture Notes

Overview

  • Originates from The Orville, a parody of Star Trek by Seth MacFarlane.
  • Scene is from Season 2, Episode 11.
  • Became a meme sporadically over the years.
  • Gained mainstream success when made into a YouTube Poop by Reduced to Clear on May 21.
  • Phenomenon has grown exponentially since.

Concept

  • Two aliens discover Earth’s addictive cigarettes.
  • Comically smoke 500 cigarettes without knowing consequences.
  • Similar to “1 million beers” trend.

Themes and Commentary

  • Commentary on Humanity

    • Reflects on human tendency to overindulge in harmful substances.
    • Parallel to real-world addiction issues.
    • Highlights how addictive products, despite known dangers, are still heavily consumed.
  • Humor and Absurdity

    • Mundane object turned into excessive number.
    • Humor in unexpected, exaggerated numbers (500 cigarettes, 1 million beers).
    • Punchline: Ingestion of a ludicrous number would mean death but approached humorously.

Cultural Impact

  • Digital Culture Appeal

    • Scene’s tone and delivery fit well with meme culture.
    • B character’s exaggerated request for “so, so many cigarettes” is easily understood and humorously excessive.
  • Reflections on Addiction

    • Alien's ignorance to cigarette impact mirrors real-world addiction start.
    • Emphasizes human self-destructive behavior with addictive substances.
  • YouTube Disclaimer

    • Video does not endorse smoking.
    • Emphasized not to emulate smoking 500 cigarettes.

Predictable Viral Moment

  • Meme predictably rose to fame following trends like “1 million beers.”
  • Utilizes pre-existing footage from The Orville.
  • Adds new twist to “too much of one thing” meme theme.

Engagement

  • Presenter engages audience by asking what meme to discuss next.
  • Encourages likes, comments, and subscriptions to the channel.