Forums / Discussion / Meme Research

Most of you regulars probably saw how we got 5 meme entries submitted for Youtube's LukeyWes1234 last night. First we started deadpooling them, then started hiding them since this was a brand new phenomenon and a blatant attempt at meme forcing.

Being that it was so new, we didn't want people saying "Oh, well he's in Know Your Meme so now it's official!" That tends to happen when noobs don't know how the Submissions and Confirmed sections work.

But the meme forcing is spreading outside of 4chan and Youtube, so I figured I'd unveil all 5 of the entries (they're all pretty worthless) and post links to his Youtube profile, the Digg thread, and the Daily Inquirer thread about him.

I've also got a few threads from /b/ saved and am following the story.

So far it looks like this:

The kid is 15, but looks 8. He makes unremarkable videos of himself playing with his Luigi toy, mentions that he's known as WeeGee, and a certain section of Anonymous decides that they will make him famous, just in time for the anniversary of Boxxy.

There have been threads about this kid all over /b/ in the last 24 hours or so, and there are definitely mixed feelings among anonymous.

In one corner you have the White Knights proclaiming that Lukey is the innocent little brother of /b/ who should be made famous to make his dreams come true, and that he should be protected at all costs. Some may legitimately feel that way, while others are just saying that to make people rage.

In another corner you have people saying "ruin this kid's life, make him have a breakdown".

In another corner you have people saying, "/b/ does it for the lulz, and here are no lulz to be had here."

And in another corner you have people saying, "I couldn't care about him one way or the other. It's not about him, it's about giving fame to someone who is unremarkable for the lulz, and getting on the nerves of other Youtube attention-whores."

It's not so much a civil war, and I could swear Boxxy becoming the most subscribed channel of the month took more than only 10,000 subscribers.

And so far it doesn't look like there's any chance of a DDoS attack. Lukey isn't tearing /b/ apart. Instead, a certain section of Anonymous is just trying really hard to declare him some sort of a king.

Now I'm not encouraging people to subscribe to his channel or Digg the article. It's a pretty blatant attempt at forcing a meme. By reading the threads (I've saved a few, I'll post later) you can see that it's not about this kid being particularly funny or talented. /b/ is just doing it for the lulz, calling attention to mediocrity just for its own sake.

Also, we hate it when people try to use Know Your Meme to force a meme.

But since they're already getting written about elsewhere, we might as well acknowledge that the meme forcing is happening.

I don't like this.
Meme forcing generally isn't funny.

I think we have to count this as a meme, as we did with Boxxy…

That would suck.

God damnit, we're becoming a weapon on 4chan :(

I don't know if it's there yet. 10,000 subscribers overnight is pretty cool. But it's now hueg like Bawksy.

Trendistic graph of Twitter mentions: not that big
http://trendistic.com/lukeywes1234

liek xbawkx heug. Anyway i think it will be short lived just as "kitty parkour" was/

If we do acknowledge this, we are giving someone exactly what they want.

Hide it again. Before it gets out of hand.
If it actually becomes a meme, it will actually be our fault.

I only unhid then because it had already been published on other places around the internet, and most of them are claiming they have no idea that it's /b/ behind this.

http://www.examiner.com/x-28317-Net-Buzz-Examiner~y2010m1d3-Lukeywes1234-is-the-hottest-internet-sensation-Sunday

http://abh-news.com/lukeywes1234recent-video-on-youtube-268.html

http://news.lalate.com/2010/01/03/its-lukeywes1234/

Forced meme is forced. Not a meme quite yet, but give it a week and it'll get there.

This was left on Chris Mennings wall, before I saw this discussion,

In regards to lukeywes1234:
Does it make sense to delete the first evidence of a meme on THIS website? I have seen a minimum of 5 different pages created to document what was happening. We were not RAIDING your site. Do you realize the traffic your site would gain if knowyourmeme.com was the CONCISE destination for lukeywes1234 info? Instead you shoot down contributing members to the community before they even have a chance to HELP DRIVE TRAFFIC. It should be considered fun and a challenge to spot these EARLY. I am clearly not a troll. My account and post history should tell you I have only made positive contributions to the site.
tl:dr give it a chance

Couldn't you for a chance consider that this meme was spreading SO FAST that the hivemind all knew this might be bigger than a lazy saturday on ebaumsworld?

I don't think any of us saw this as a raid, but I wouldn't call the early submissions evidence of a meme, just evidence of a lot of people getting all excited about "making a meme" while not understanding that memes spread due to genuine interest.

People dont realize we dont want pointless traffic, we want to give meme-curious people the info they want.

The subscriptions have really died down, he's only had about 1500 new ones all day, mostly from people saying "I've signed up with 5 accounts and am making more!"

Meanwhile his views are STILL not moving.

As i and many others predicted, its already dieing.

This is awfully familiar. It seems resistance is the natural reaction.

Stop comparing lukeywes1234 to boxxy.

Compare him to Tay Zonday.

A forced meme is still a meme.
It's the power of a hivemind.

Open up the FIRST lukeywes1234 page, and lets start documenting the birth of an internet celebrity.

/b/ loves the forcing of the memes.

He's not vaguely popular anyway.

We need insight on his videos though.

The lukeywes1234 page is not being maintained with an ounce of dignity. Look at the data. I'm not saying I started the first lukeywes1234 page (I did, you can check), but I should atleast have an opportunity the edit the page.
Thanks

David Davidson

No, his videos aren't necessarily dying,

It's a common bug in youtube where his videos are actually getting so many views simultaneously that it causes a glitch that portrays a lack of views before it accumulates it's actual numbers.

(Run-On Setence)

It's kind of a Taboo internet sequence.

Will /b/ go into a civil war again?

Is this just a forced meme to replace Boxxy?

In case you were wondering why I take such a personal interest in this, consider the fact that this was all started by ONE PERSON who saw a something special in a fat kid desperate for hits and thought it'd be lulzy to post it in his favorite community. His community reacted.

No one knows where this is going to go, but its a new phenomenon. In less than 24 hours he is already the 2nd most subscribed channel on youtube for the last 30 days.

My name is David Davidson. I do not want credit for starting a meme, but I can tell you, and show you exactly how this all came to be. From the first screencap, the first thread.

There is a very specific order of events that led to this eruption. SPOILER: It started in 2009.

I'm listening.

Is this guy the same person as Dave Davidson?

Acknowledge that my page was created first, give my online persona the "FIRST!!!" and I will share my story.

It's only fair…

Childish…

Is it childish? Have you seen the lukeywes1234 page? That's childish. All I am asking for is a chance to document what really happened in a somewhat respected forum. This could die in a week. Or it could be looked back on years to come as a cultural phenomenon.

Why would the site want to turn away traffic? knowyourmeme.com/lukeywes1234 already on the front page of google, why not move it to the top with SOLID FACTS regarding the true origin?

I think they meant traffic from more new users who frequently post entries are just down-right….retarded.

I mean, if we do get traffic; we need to post a Welcome-Video to introduce people to what is a meme and what is not.

And that anything can become a meme, as long as it hits a huge popularity in internet culture. (except Milhouse)

Lurk moar before posting, please.

Okay Mister_Chef, your article is back up and ready for your editing.
https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/lukeywes1234-gets-his-50

Thanks Chris, could you please delete the existing page, /lukeywes1234, so I can change the title?

it might take off but for now we wait

For me I give a new potential "meme" a 2 week incubation period. If the meme hasnt passed a certain critical point of popularity by that time, then its not worth documenting.

If people are using KYM to define memes, I say we should use that to our advantage and define them ourselves.

Please note: THESE PICS ARE ORIGINAL. They are screencaps I took to start the FIRST lukeywes1234 thread on /b/. Once these get out, they will be everywhere.

/b/ raided lukeywes1234 on 12/31/2009 at approx 9:30cst.

lukeywes1234 posted a goofy video talking about how youtube was hacked and if you have any information, send HIM an email and he will talk to youtube.

CACHED PAGE OF ORIGINAL VIDEO REMOVED BY lukeywes1234 ON 1/1/2010

It was a video response to Shane dawsons video of the same topic. SHANE'S VID

I thought lukeywes1234 vid was quite lulzy, so I linked it in a thread using this screencap along with the text YOUTUBE GOT HACKED!!!
I sincerely hope he reposts that video, because it is funnier than anything he has on his channel now.

/b/ attacked.
the comments were filled with hate.

The first thread eventually 404'd.
A second thread was started with this screencap.

/b/ continued to attack. At this point there were atleast 100 negative comments, well over 300 views(the count cap).

/b/ wasnt holding back.

This screenshot was also used within the thread with the text WE'RE GONNA NEED TO GET THAT DONE. He had 11 subscribers at the time.

This all took place New Years Eve, 12/31/2009.

I had provided /b/ with some lulz, and had some lulz of my own. I then went out for New Years Eve, Thursday night and didn't get back home until Saturday afternoon. Yes, I was with a lady.

When I returned home, on 1/2/2010, lukeywes1234's youtube page was still in my browser when I brought my notebook out of standby. He had deleted the "youtube got hacked" video on 1/1/2010. I can only assume it was due to the hatred. And he only had 35 subscribers.

/b/ had moved on when I did.

He didn't deserve to see what was said about him in those comments. Luke is obviously just a kid being a kid. I did the only think I could to make myself feel better. I set a goal to get him his 50 subscribers. Just a few minutes of my time.

And I must have caught /b/ in a good mood. I took a bevy of screenshots before posting, so that I could bump the thread with pics. This was the beginning.

FIRST SCREENCAP USED

SECOND CAP

IM GONNA MAKE SUPER MARIO BROTHERS MOVIE

That was the only thread I created on that day.

/b/ did the rest.

Proceed, by all means. So far I haven't seen any data that shows that a single one of his videos has gone viral. Just a whole lot of hype, 80k profile views, and lots of "king of /b/" motivationals. All of the related Lukeywes1234 videos have under 500 views a piece. I'm still not convinced that the meme is notable considering its small scale.

Guys, why are you giving me low karma since lukeywes1234 is the same as boxxy? think about it..

@meme checker,

This is not NEARLY the same as Boxxy. Boxxy was divisive. Most of 4chan was literally divided over loving or hating Boxxy. Overnight she got millions of views. Overnight she became the most subscribed user of the month.

It has been nearly three days, and Lukey's got 14,000 subscribers who don't even watch his videos. Believe me, I've seen videos gather over a million views in just a few days. This isn't happening here.

@Master_Chef, your screengrabs provide no proof that you started the first Lukey thread, nor that you started the meme. The link to the video that was supposedly deleted doesn't even give the typical "this video was removed" message. Instead, we're asked to just trust that you did it because you said so. You also provide no proof that you were responsible for Lukey's goal of 50 subscribers. We'll need to see some solid evidence.

Mr. Chef's writeup was too slanted in favor of Lukey, despite the total lack of any real data that would point toward this being a viral phenomenon.

I wrote up a new entry FOR the deadpool, illustrating why this is not a meme.
Article: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/lukeywes1234-is-objectively-not-a-meme

@Chris

CACHED PAGE

Come on bro, have a little faith….

The screengrabs I uploaded are the same ones used to start the first thread…look at the view counts.

I am the ONLY person to mention the ACTUAL video that led to his discovery. All I am trying to do is GIVE THE FACTS.

My Chrome history from 12/31/2009
Why would I take the time manipulate this?

As far as EVERYONE is concerned, this started on Jan. 2. I AM PROVING IT WAS ALL STARTED ON THE 31st.

That history shows that you visited Lukey's page, and /b/ but what we would need s a screenshot of the original thread.

You posted a lot of "Anonymous thinks Lukey is awesome" which isn't a fact. It's a sales pitch for your meme. If you look at the updated article, and read the associated links, you should get a clear picture that their was no general consensus, none of his videos have gone viral, and this has been an unremarkable non-meme.

You may have helped start it if you insist, but the fact of the matter is that it didn't go anywhere outside of a lot of hype.

Parking a meme entry is not permitted.
Using Know Your Meme to promote a meme before there is any actual record of genuine user interest is not permitted.
Forcing usually leads to failing. That's why we usually deadpool phenomena that are under 24 hours old, or videos that have under 10,000 views.

CHRIS

What we would need is a screenshot of the original thread?

Are you serious?

Will that make it a meme?

For what? So I can collect me some of that internet money?

I am simply providing a FACTUAL ACCOUNT of what happened with the evidence that I have.

How can you possibly say this hasn't gone anywhere yet? IT STARTED ON SATURDAY FFS

After the failed astroturf discribed in details, the failed forcing attempt.
I'm loving it, really…

the screenshot wouldn't prove that it's a meme but it would help the case that you started the trend.

But even if you provided that, it wouldn't change the fact that none of his videos have gained more than 2000 views, and that he has won no Youtube awards, and he has been falsely represented as being "Anonymous' little /b/rother" when we can only account for maybe a few hundred people actually being interested. Reading the actual threads paints a different picture. There's no civil war. There are a bunch of people trying hard to force a meme, and most of Anonymous is indifferent to the whole thing.

I am not arguing whether or not this is a meme. Time will tell.

I just wanted to document how this all started.

ITS FOR THE SCIENCE

Honestly? Why would I make this shit up? What could I personally gain from claiming responsibility? Do you think I want my IRL info attatched to this mess? What if the kid does an hero? This was first posted on 4cahn for teh lulz. Not to change a life.

The community for some reason picked it up and ran with it. How far they run will be determined, but I am not the one forcing it.

I'm not saying that you're making it up. I'm saying that you're providing materials that are less than convincing. Whenever you want to take credit for something, the burden of proof lies on you. We can't just take your word as proof.

Nowhere did I state that anyone was trying to ruin any lives, just that you can't assume that all of Anonymous acts under a unanimous motive.

Regardless, I have spent too much time analyzing a phenomenon that is far less than being a meme. This is exactly why no one should be motivated to be the first to call something a meme. The data so far only proves a very small amount of forced popularity, and nothing of genuine user interest.