What Does 'Milkshake Duck' Mean? The Meme Explained

Internet-isms have only evolved to be more random yet conceptually apt over time. The internet-born phrase Goblin Mode was accepted into popularly used dictionaries last year, Milkshake Duck was crowned Australia's word of the year as far back as 2018.

The term speaks to a peculiar tendency best studied on the internet; a person grows to agonizing levels of fame and adoration, only fans to find a major irrevocable flaw that causes their popularity to come crashing down. No one is perfect, and the prospect of getting "milkshake ducked" might turn off even the most fame-hungry internet users. Here's where the term originated.

Where Did The Phrase 'Milkshake Duck' Originate?

The phrase 'Milkshake Duck' can be traced back to a post, then called a "tweet," by Twitter (now X) user @pixelated-boat. On June 12th, 2016, the user used the phrase "Milkshake Duck" in to the internet's brief love affair with a new public person only to discover something distasteful about their past.

He wrote,^[2] "The whole internet loves Milkshake Duck, a lovely duck that drinks milkshakes! 5 seconds later We regret to inform you the duck is racist."

What's An Example Of Someone Getting 'Milkshake Ducked'?

An example of someone getting "Milkshake Ducked" involves the unveiling of the highly anticipated video game The Last Night in 2017. Soon after the game's release, Twitter users discovered that the lead developer had previously expressed support for GamerGate and was working on a game that "takes place in a future where 'progressivism' has spiraled out of control."

The lead developer's past statements led to concerns, and some felt that he represented a classic "Milkshake Duck" scenario. Various internet users, including @pixelated-boat thought it was funny that someone became an example of the concept around the one year anniversary of it's coinage, while the game developer under fire was forced to issue a clarifying statement.

How Did The Term 'Milkshake Duck' Spread?

In January 2018, the Australian dictionary Macquarie Dictionary announced that their Committee's Choice "Word of the Year" is Milkshake Duck, writing:

"The Committee's Choice for the 2017 Word of the Year is milkshake duck. This is an absolute winner! Even if you don’t know the word, you know the phenomenon. Milkshake duck stood out as being a much needed term to describe something we are seeing more and more of, not just on the internet but now across all types of media. It plays to the simultaneous desire to bring someone down and the hope that they won’t be brought down. In many ways it captures what 2017 has been about. There is a hint of tall poppy syndrome in there, which we always thought was a uniquely Australian trait, but has been amplified through the internet and become universalised."

The person who coined the phrase only had one thing to say in response to the news:

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For the full history of Milkshake Duck, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.