_0-26_screenshot.jpg){kind=icon}
_0-26_screenshot.png "Kernkraft 400"){kind=icon}
Kernkraft 400
This submission is currently being researched & evaluated!
You can help confirm this entry by contributing facts, media, and other evidence of notability and mutation.
About
"Kernkraft 400" is a 1999 techno song by German music project Zombie Nation. The song became a popular chant for sport stadiums worldwide. In May 2018, it gained popularity in memes on iFunny, used to accompany images depicting accidental racism or misfortunate events.
Origin
On March 15th, 1999, German music project Zombie Nation released Kernkraft 400 as a single (music video shown below, left).[1] The same year, Zombie Nation released "Kernkraft 400 E.P." EP that contained the "Kernkraft 400 (Sport Stadium Chant Remix)"[2] which added the vocals of a crowd chanting along to the melody (shown below, right).
Following its release, the song gained popularity in sports, particularly among hockey teams and its fans, being both played after goals were scored and chanted by fans.[3]
On April 18th, 2018, ESPN[4] posted an article titled "Rob Gronkowski buys minority stake in horse named after him." On the same day, an unknown iFunny user posted a screenshot showing the cropped headline reading "Patriots: Rob Gronkowski buys minority," accompanied by "Kernkraft 400 (Sport Stadium Chant Remix)." The original post[5] has since been removed (reupload[6] shown below).
Spread
The format did not see popularity until early May 2018, when multiple iFunny[7] started using the song to accompany posts featuring accidental racism, often based on cropped headlines. For example, on May 8th, 2018, iFunny user SIDEWINDERMOKEFISH posted a meme that received over 1,800 smiles in three years (shown below, left). On May 9th, iFunny[8] user Chargers posted a Lego Yoda meme that received over 5,500 smiles in the same period (shown below, right).
In the following years, the meaning of the format expanded to include generally misfortunate situations, similar to Images Preceding Unfortunate Events meme. For example, on July 3rd, 2018, iFunny[9] user Saigon_2015 posted a meme that received over 1,700 smiles in three years (shown below, left). On October 31st, 2019, Instagram[10] user thi.ccmemes posted a Fred the Fish Mopping meme that gained over 61,400 views and 15,200 likes in two years (shown below, right).
Various Examples
Search Interest
External References
[1] Wikipedia – Kernkraft 400
[2] Discogs – Zombie Nation – Kernkraft 400 E.P.
[3] Wikipedia – Kernkraft 400
[4] ESPN – Rob Gronkowski buys stake in horse named after him
[5] iFunny – Removed post
[6] YouTube – Rob Gronkowski buys minority
[7] iFunny – SIDEWINDERMONKEFISH
[9] iFunny – Saigon_2015
[10] Instagram – thi.ccmemes
Recent Videos 18 total
Recent Images
There are no images currently available.
