Become Ungovernable meme example depicting a penguin holding a machete.

Become Ungovernable

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Updated Jun 11, 2021 at 05:18PM EDT by Zach.

Added Jun 11, 2021 at 09:25AM EDT by Philipp.

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About

Become Ungovernable, or Be Ungovernable, is a slogan associated with anarchism and related movements. Starting in 2020, the slogan gained popularity as a caption for parody image macros in which people, animals or characters break social norms, often by abandoning practical approach for the sake of independent thought.

Origin

The slogan "become ungovernable" gained notable popularity online in late 2016 and early 2017, appearing in a number of blog articles about far-left and anarchist protests during that period.[1][2][3] On January 21st, 2017, at Oakland Women's March, protestors carried a sign reading "Become ungovernable," with the photographs shared online[4][5] and appearing in media (shown below, left and center). On February 4th, 2017, Tumblr[6] user sproutdistro posted a "Be Ungovernable" poster, which gained over 1,200 likes and reblogs (shown below, right).


UNG BVERNA LE aoNT OME 屬 MPEROR LITY BLACK AP JEFEND THEEARTH STAND UP SHOVP Eimate Mebilin OAKLAND NOV 21,7019 AY UNGOVERNABLE A7 UNCOVERNABLE BECOME NAS UR N TEN HAVE STOP SEINE Too Nuch PROTE TROVBI LEGISLATING VIVA UXER Lave GINS CE BOOY SCIE Resistan CE i8 LOVE IN ACTION ARE nithat OVE MPS TE bREROR DISSED Hur CICE ALITY TRUMP MAKES AMERIKKKA HATE AGAIN BE UNGOVERNABLE RESIST THIS TYRANNY AT EVERY STEP! Refuse to obey new laws • Refuse to pay taxes • Hide Immigrants • Smuggle refugees • Stop the wall • Stop the pipelines • Interfere with arrests • Reclaim public spaces BUILD NEW WAYS OF LIVING! Build community gardens • Workers co-operatives • Mutual defense groups • Solidarity networks • Shut down the cities • Empty the jails GROW A NE W WORLD IN THE RUINS OF THE OLD ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE WE'RE FROM THERE...

On September 4th, 2018, Facebook[7] page Vacate the State posted the earliest known image macro captioned with the slogan (authorship unconfirmed; shown below).



Prior to April 20th, 2019, the now-defunct Facebook page Just Another White Guy Who Likes Guns posted an edit in which the caption was combined with the image of Killdozer (shown below, left). On April 20th, 2019, Facebook[8] page Libertarian Party Tubular Caucus reposted the image, with the post gaining over 370 reactions and 130 shares in two years. In June 2019, an image macro of Killdozer captioned with the phrase gained spread[9] (shown below, center). On June 4th, 2019, Facebook[10] page Maki's 1911 posted a meme based on the macro (shown below, right).


When someone asks me about my political views BECOME UNGOVERNABLE JAWGWLG BECOME UNGOVERNABLE ORK Wife: Don't drink too much and start sharing your political ideas Me: don't worry babe Me a few drinks later: BECOME UNGOVERNABLE

Prior to January 2020, the now-defunct Facebook page Boogaloo Wholesale Store posted the first parody meme using the caption, a photograph of a Hershey's chocolate bar with a chunk cut out of it sideways (shown below). On January 10th, 2020, iFunny[11] user TheGuylam reposted the image, with the repost gaining over 30,900 smiles in one year.


BECOME UNGOVERNABLE alosi noithduh shT,OSS eshol HASH EYS HERSHEY'S HERSHEY'S HERSHEY'S EYSERSHEY'S ER HERSHEYS SHEYSHERSHEY'S HERSHEY'S HERSHEY Boogaloo Wholesale Store made with mematic

Spread

In May 2020, two parody Vaporwave memes that used the caption gained spread. On May 15th and May 19th, the Instagram[12] page chipotlecookie and the Facebook[13] page Masshole Moto made two earliest found reposts of the images (shown below, left and right).


become ungovernable BECOME UNGOVERNABLE

In the second half of 2020, the image of a man preparing to discharge a shovel from a longbow gaining particular popularity with multiple viral reposts.[14][15] In August 2020, an edited image of a penguin holding a machete went viral (shown below, left). On August 20th, 2020, Facebook page D'AAAAAWWWW made the earliest found post of the image.

Starting in February 2021, the Facebook[16] page Libertarian Candidates posted multiple parody Become Ungovernable image macros. For example, on February 10th, the page posted a meme that received over 1,600 reactions and 2,100 shares (shown below, center). The trend was also adopted by Instagram meme accounts. For example, a February 11th, 2021, post by Instagram[17] account shirtless_gatorade received over 47,700 likes in four months (shown below, right).


ВЕCOME UNGOVERNABLE BECOME UNGOVERNABLE Become @shirtlessgatorade Ungovernable

By April 2021, the format achieved significant popularity online with multiple viral posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Reject Modernity, Embrace Tradition

Reject Modernity, Embrace Tradition is a phrase originating from conservative and traditionalist image macros that has been used in memes to humorously point out the change to an object or place over time, positioning the earlier version as superior.


http:://pyrocynical.store Tik Tok 1025 REJECT MODERNITY $3000.0 belle delphine <3 aaua three thousand hyojin? never heard of her oooo00004coooo0o00o CRAZX GirvAWANTS TOKLLNE PYROCYNICAL PLAY OF THE GAME KEEMSTAR RS MANIPULATOR MLG EMBRACE TRADITION OBEY OBEY Reject Modernity Embrace Tradition REJECT MODERNITY CUESSSS DOMY EMBRACE TRADITION

Return to Monke

Return to Monke encompasses a series of memes closely associated with anarcho-primitivism that romanticize a simplistic archaic lifestyle, with apes (often referred to as monkeys or monkes) serving as a symbolic representation of that lifestyle. The meme often features intentionally simplified language and is closely associated with similar traditionalist memes such as Reject Modernity, Return to Tradition and Consume Product.


Man Destroys Monke Creates The advent and reification of human language and symbolic thought have been a disaster for the human species. TEDE THEIR GENERATION DESTROYED THE PLANET IT'S UP TO OUR GENERATION TO FIX IT

Various Examples


become ungovernable DOGS ONLY No SEAGULLS! NO DIUING. Become Ungovernable SHDD ON "BECOME ashirtlessgatorade UNGOVERNABLE
ВЕСОМЕ NO DOGS PLEASE UNGOVERNABLE ВЕСOME UNGOVERNABLE EASTMAN BELI FOODS RUUAER AROP OOKED HAM Become UNGOVERNABLE PLEASE DO NOT SIT HERE

Search Interest

External References

[1] Medium – Become ungovernable

[2] The Progressive Magazine – On Being Ungovernable for Good. Talking with Kali Akuno

[3] Cooperation Jackson – Here's How We Prepare to Be Ungovernable in 2017

[4] Flickr – beppesabatini

[5] Book View Cafe – A Tricoastal Woman: Rising Up

[6] Tumblr – sproutdistro

[7] Facebook – Vacate The State

[8] Facebook – Libertarian Party Tubular Caucus

[9] Facebook – Jeffy Boys Dankness

[10] Facebook – Maki’s 1911

[11] iFunny – TheGuylam

[12] Instagram – chipotlecookie

[13] Facebook – Masshole Moto

[14] Facebook – Libertarian Candidates

[15] Instagram – grapejuiceboys

[16] Facebook – Libertarian Candidates

[17] Instagram – shirtless_gatorade

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