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.