How 9/11 became a meme

Sean Rameswaram of Today Explained from Vox opens the episode by reflecting on his personal memories of 9/11, describing them as filled with horror, shock, and devastation. He expresses surprise that, 25 years later, his social media feeds are filled with 9/11 memes that are ironic, irreverent, and often insensitive. He gives an example of a meme featuring pasta stacked to resemble the Twin Towers with M&M in the background and a caption that reads, "Never forgetti, mom's spaghetti." Rameswaram issues a trigger warning for the episode, as it delves into how jokes about the worst attacks in U.S. history have helped young people cope with and avoid the trauma.

The Evolution of 9/11 Memes

Whitney Phillips, an associate professor of information politics and media ethics at the University of Oregon, has been tracking 9/11 memes since 2008. She admits to laughing at some of them, explaining that the humor often comes from the shocking juxtaposition of a tragic event with something silly or absurd. Phillips notes that this doesn't necessarily mean people are laughing at the tragedy itself, but rather at the incongruity. She clarifies that while some people find this type of humor to be a visceral, embodied response, others experience disgust.

Rameswaram asks when people started trafficking in these memes, assuming it wasn't immediately after the event. Phillips corrects him, stating that folklorists were tracking humor in response to the attacks from day one. She provides examples of early 9/11 humor, including wordplay and text-based jokes. One example she recalls is a joke asking, "How do you make a big apple crumble?" followed by an image of the towers. Another joke involved Osama bin Laden announcing he would give up terrorism to become a TV chef, with his first program showing how to make a big apple crumble. She also mentions a meme from the early days about rebuilding New York's skyline, featuring five towers like fingers, with the tallest one flipping the bird.

As technology evolved, so did the memes. Phillips explains that with platforms like 4chan, GIFs became popular, featuring characters like Hulk Hogan or the Kool-Aid Man smashing through the towers. With the advent of short-form video and audio, memes centered on the juxtaposition of the towers with techno music or other incongruous audio. She highlights an AI-generated recap of 9/11 starring Super Mario, which Rameswaram describes as "bananas." Phillips explains that with each iteration of humor, what people are able to do with platforms shifts, and the jokes always reflect these new capabilities.