Shoop Da Whoop
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Content Warning: The following entry contains racist images, including depictions of blackface.
About
Shoop da Whoop, also known as I'M A' FIRIN' MAH LAZER!!, is an image macro and catchphrase series based on a frame from the anime series Dragon Ball Z of an edited, blackface depiction of the character Cell shooting a powerful laser stream.
Origin
On September 2nd, 1992, the Dragon Ball Z episode "Hour of Temptation" aired in Japan. In the episode, the character Cell fights Vageta and lets out a wide-mouthed scream (shown below, left).
While the origin of "Shoop da Whoop" is unknown, the website Encyclopedia Dramatica claims it originated from a flash animation called Syntax Error #2 posted in 4chan's /b/ board, which featured an image of the Dragonball Z character 'Cell' in blackface with the caption: "I'M A' FIRIN' MAH LAZER!!" (shown below, right). Sometimes, the phrase "I'M A' CHARGIN' MAH LAZER" is also used before the attack is unleashed.[1]
The earliest available version of the meme was posted by DeviantArt [2] art user CrabPope on October 19th, 2006 (shown below). Within 15 years, this image of Dragon Ball sprites edited for the meme received more than 9,000 views.
Spread
Over the next decade, variations of the meme spread from image macros to viral videos. On January 29th, 2007, YouTuber DominicFear (DFear Studios) uploaded the video THE LAZER COLLECTION, which popularized the Shoop da Whoop meme. The video reached more 11 million views before deletion (mirror below, left). Additional "Lazer Collection" videos were uploaded on YouTube, gaining more than 20 million views before deletion.
Inspired by "Lazer Collection," many other Youtubers jumped on the trend to make their own collections, usually reusing the "Curve – Hell above the water" soundtrack as an intro and tribute song (example below, right).
On December 21st, 2008, YouTuber Mannails published the video "Shoop da whoop." Within 13 years, the video received more than 3 million views (shown below).
Various Examples
Search Interest
External References
[1] Encyclopedia Dramatica – IMMA CHARGIN MAH LAZER (NSFW)
[2] DeviantArt – Chargin Mah Lazer Sprite
Top Comments
Tchefuncte Bonaparte
Apr 01, 2017 at 02:05PM EDT
BubbaLou
Aug 30, 2015 at 11:44PM EDT