About

Hopemaxxing is a slang term using the -maxxing suffix to describe the act of maximizing your level of hope through a specified act. The term was popularized throughout April and May 2024 with the rise of the Superman 'Starman' meme, which saw edits of Superman imagery set to David Bowie's song "Starman" go viral, with some describing the edits as hope-filled and a way for them to "hopemax." It is sometimes used in relation to the term indomitable human spirit and is notably prevalent on the /r/hopeposting subreddit and in hopeposting memes in general.

Origin

The exact origins of the term "hopemaxxing" are unclear. The earliest apparent usage of the term was used on 4chan's /pol/^[1] board on January 4th, 2021, by an anonymous user writing, "Are you magaf--s still hopemaxxing on this Pence angle? It won't even be up to Pence lmao." The term spread to X^[2]^[3] over the course of the year.

On December 12th, 2022, the /r/hopemaxxing^[4] subreddit launched. On December 11th, 2023, a meme was posted to /r/hopeposting^[5] titled, "Hopemaxxing hard rn," garnering over 2,100 upvotes and becoming one of the earliest notable uses of the phrase in relation to a meme (shown below).

r/hopeposting. 5 mo. ago Roof43 Hopemaxxing hard rn you need to get yaypilled. you need to be teeheemaxing. you should be a smilecel. you should go :3 mode. millions must yippee ^_^

Spread

Superman Hopemaxxing

The term became increasingly popularized in early 2024, largely in relation to the Superman "Starman" memes, which are denoted by edits of positive Superman imagery sometimes accompanied by hopeful captions.

On April 10th, 2024, YouTuber^[6] BreadWheel posted a Superman edit titled "HopeMaxxing Superman || Starman," garnering over 279,000 views in a month (shown below, left). On April 25th, YouTuber^[7] Mr. Quintelius Galibert posted a video titled "Starman | Hopemaxing" that garnered over 95,000 views in two weeks (shown below, right).

Various Examples

Superman "Starman"

Superman 'Starman' refers to a series of Superman edits and videos that use the song "Starman" by David Bowie. The memes spread on video platforms like TikTok and YouTube in early 2024. Most of the videos were Slow Fade-In Irony videos or TikTok photo slideshows.