Inspector Javert

I really think the Slaughter-House Five theory deserves some mention as a plausible origin. The concept is precisely the same, at least.

Also, it might be worth mentioning that Reddit, on which this meme became popular, added two shirts based on this meme to their store.

http://store.xkcd.com/reddit/?#Jawsbackwardstshirt

http://store.xkcd.com/reddit/?#KarateKidbackwardstshirt

The first shirt is based on Jaws. The second shirt is based on the Karate Kid, which was inspired by this comment.

http://www.reddit.com/r/reddit.com/comments/7yxud/if_you_watch_the_movie_jaws_backwards_its_a_movie/c07t1di

Continued from above. From Slaughter-house Fivem

Over France, though, German fighters came up again, made everything and everybody as good as new. When the bombers got back to their base, the steel cylinders were taken from the racks and shipped back to the United States of America, where factories were operating night and day, dismantling the cylinders, separating the dangerous contents into minerals. Touchingly, it was mainly women who did this work. The minerals were then shipped to specialists in remote areas. It was their business to put them into the ground, to hide them cleverly, so they would never hurt anybody ever again. The American fliers turned in their uniforms, became high school kids. And Hitler turned into a baby, Billy Pilgrim supposed. That wasn’t in the movie. Billy was extrapolating. Everybody turned into a baby, and all humanity, without exception, conspired biologically to produce two perfect people named Adam and Eve, he supposed.

A possible origin of this meme is Kurt Vonnegut’s 1969 book, Slaughter-House Five, in which Billy Pilgrim watches a movie, except in reverse, and is accompanied by vivid descriptions of German fighters repairing American bombers by sucking bullets. From Slaughter-house Five,

American planes, full of holes and wounded men and corpses took off backwards from an airfield in England. Over France a few German fighter planes flew at them backwards, sucked bullets and shell fragments from some of the planes and crewmen. They did the same for wrecked American bombers on the ground, and those planes flew up backwards to join the formation. The formation flew backwards over a German city that was in flames. The bombers opened their bomb bay doors, exerted a miraculous magnetism which shrunk the fires, gathered them into cylindrical steel containers, and lifted the containers into the bellies of the planes. The containers were stored neatly in racks. The Germans below had miraculous devices of their own, which were long steel tubes. They used them to suck more fragments from the crewmen and planes. But there were still a few wounded Americans, though, and some of the bombers were in bad repair.

@Tomberry

Yes, I think this is a sub-meme of single-serving sites. But for consistency, I’d suggest that Hampster Dance also be added as a sub-meme of single-serving sites as well. Otherwise, this would seem… out of place.

I also need some research help.

I wrote,

In summary, it can be safely said that the meme gained significant notice at least by 1998, and has existed at least since 1997. The KnowYourMeme video for single-serving sites alleges that the meme has existed since 1995, though no reference can be found to it prior to January 1st, 1998.

KnowYourMeme alleges the meme is from 1995. I say it’s from 1997. Can anyone find any corroborating evidence for the 1995 claim?

A member supposedly found a Rickroll from 2001.

http://www.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/cbksu/hey_reddit_i_found_the_first_rick_roll_on_the/

He used Google search and ordered it by date, revealing a link from January 31st, 2001, showing a primitive Rickroll.

http://www.google.com/search?q=rick+roll&hl=en&tbs=cdr:1,cd_min:1995,cd_max:6/4/2010,sbd:1&prmd=vni&start=890&sa=N&cad=h

http://chodecircus.com/area51/

I fixed the headings. However, the links aren’t auto-linking as I expected them to. Help?

I got the idea that since Dmaule is still active online, someone should ask him about his role in witnessing this meme.

I need some editing help with the links, headers, and block quotes.

Mike Blount is doing an IAMA for Reddit!

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/blzgb/i_was_an_internet_meme_the_hello_my_future/

There was a picture which showed screencap of a /b/ post, saying “Welcome to /d/, the opposite of /b/. Girls, keep your clothes on and stayawhile.” or something like that. If anyone could find it, it’d be a welcome addition to this article.

Another new video! And this one is important!

Here’s Edward Khil, challenging The Internet to write lyrics to this song!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRefK6OyvHU

Also, this version is much better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3n0vBcW5fc&feature=player_embedded

This is getting major media coverage, and from the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Someone should mention this.