If you're an internet denizen of a certain vintage, you're likely familiar with the "This Is Fine" meme's dynamic duo: the cartoon dog, and its signature phrase. The original comic, by artist KC Green, features the canny canine sitting in a room ablaze with flames, cheerfully stating, "This is fine." Cut to the present: scroll through your social media feeds, and you'll find plenty of instances where the dog's reassuring presence has been co-opted to depict situations far less Continental. Enter the "that one didn't age quite so well" GIF trend, a meme that, ironically, has aged roughly as well as a fine wine left in the sun.
At its genesis, this meme was a masterclass in paradox and bathos. It provided a neat visual shorthand for when reality fell far short of expectations or promises. A few examples: the constitutional divide over healthcare; the reality of Game of Thrones' final season; or the nightmarish realization that, yes, they did reboot your favorite childhood film.
Evolution of the Meme
The "that one didn't age quite so well" GIF initially relied heavily on the disconnect between public expectations and subsequent realities. However, as time passed, the meme began to stretch its legs, becoming something of a Rorschach test for users' personal disappointment and humor.
Today, you might find the GIF used to depict everything from the escalating environmental crisis to the most recent Oscar snub. It's become a meme that is less about specific instances of disillusionment and more about those feelings themselves.
From Political Satire to Pop Culture Purgatory
In its heyday, the meme served as a legitimately clever and effective tool for political satire, especially during the 2016 US elections. In the age of clickbait and misinformation, it served as a sharp rejoinder to the constant stream of controversies and broken promises.
But the meme's influence spread beyond politics. It's since been adopted by the pop culture melting pot, transcending topics and permeating discussions about everything from sci-fi to reality TV. Its themes of disappointment and disillusionment resonate strongly in an era characterized by short attention spans and even shorter timelines between hype and fallout.
From Insightful to Overused
If there's a flaw in the meme's ability to accurately diagnose societal disappointment, it might be overuse. Irony, upon which the meme is built, can become tiresome when overplayed. As users continually trotted out the meme, it began to lose its punch.
Akin to a once-sharp rejoinder now reduced to a reflexive reaction, the meme became less about nuanced commentary and more about beating a familiar rhythm. Which begs the question: is there still life in this old meme?
Rise of the 'That One Didn't Age' Alternatives
As the original meme's impact began to wane, it wasn't long before alternatives came along. With each new iteration, the meme's original power seems to be gradually recreated, if not sustained.
From the more obtuse "yeah, about that" vs. "24 hours later" pairing, to the blatant "in hindsight" vs. "in retrospect," these variations perform much the same job as their predecessor: drilling home the profound disconnect between expectations and reality.
Learning from the Past
The original "that one didn't age well" GIF meme, for all its sarcasm and memorability, hasn't left much of a footprint in the broader cultural consciousness. It's been overwhelmingly eclipsed by newer, flashier memes, squinting into the sun of temporal disillusionment.
But the meme did leave us with a certain sort of curiously sardonic wisdom. It's a reminder that, as time passes; our expectations about the future will inevitably shift. What we once deemed insuperable—and, conversely, what we first pegged as commonplace—often doesn't turn out as hoped or feared.
As we look to the future, then, it's worth remembering how quickly our collective humor and priorities can shift. So go ahead. Laugh, be disdainful, or simply marvel at how much everything has or hasn't changed. Just don't blame the dog.