Question 12: Who Wants to be an Internet Nerd!
What Internet meme caused a global debate?
- Distracted Boyfriend
- Disaster Girl
- The Dress
- Success Kid
ANSWER
The Dress (CORRECT) The picture of a dress caused a global debate and probably destroyed friendships and tore families apart. The world was split over whether the image showed a dress with white and gold stripes, or blue and black stripes. News outlets all over the world had fun with this story including The BBC and Today.
This 2015 meme still intrigues us. Martha Stewart recently reignited the debate over “the dress” in December 2023 after posting a photo on Instagram.
Distracted Boyfriend (WRONG). The only possible debate is whether the girlfriend is going to stay with her boyfriend with the roving eye. This staged 2017 meme is fun at many levels and was voted by CNet as the #1 Meme for the Decade.
Disaster Girl (WRONG). Yes, that little girl’s smile did cause people to wonder – “Did she cause that fire?” – but she did NOT cause a global debate. This 2008 meme of Zoë Roth was named one of the top 15 memes of the decade by CNet in 2019. In 2021 Zoë Roth sold the meme as a NFT for $500,000.
Success Kid (WRONG) We really, really wanted it to be this little guy but this is not where the Success Kid wins. Little Sam Griner did make us wonder whether he just destroyed another kid’s sandcastle or successfully ate spaghetti while wearing a white shirt and didn’t get sauce on it – but it was really never up to debate. We simply rooted for his numerous successes.
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