Pepe the Frog
what it means
Created as a laid-back comic character, adopted as a general reaction image, then appropriated by far-right groups — after which its creator publicly fought to reclaim it.
A cartoon frog used as a reaction image across the internet, with a complicated history.
the origin story
Created by cartoonist Matt Furie in his 2005 comic Boy's Club; spread on MySpace and 4chan from 2008.
By 2015 it was one of the most-used reaction images online. Its adoption by extremist accounts led the Anti-Defamation League to list it as a hate symbol in 2016, with the caveat that most uses are innocuous. Furie's campaign to reclaim it was documented in the film Feels Good Man.
in the wild
Someone posted the sad frog.
That's Pepe. It's complicated.
Why is a frog controversial?
Long story. The creator has spent years trying to take it back.
how to use it
- Discussing internet history and meme appropriation
- Explaining the reaction-image ecosystem
- Talking about Matt Furie's reclamation effort
- Without awareness of its far-right associations
- In professional or public communication
- In contexts where it will be read as a political signal
related terms
receipts
Community feedback
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