After watching this video, you won't laugh when you see these memes. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re diving into the dark side of internet culture as we count down our picks for the top 10 memes with the most unsettling or heartbreaking backstories.
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00:00I go through waves, like, I think last time I talked to you, Arthur, I was sick of them,
00:05but now I like drawing them again.
00:07Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're diving into the dark side of internet culture as
00:12we count down our picks for the top 10 memes with the most unsettling or heartbreaking
00:17backstories.
00:18The Ladbible posted an apology saying they got this very, very wrong.
00:23Mental health is no joke or laughing matter.
00:27Number 10, the best cry ever guy.
00:29You got your boys on the couch, you should be a very proud man.
00:33Very much so.
00:35During an emotional episode of A&E's Intervention, former boxing champ Rocky Lockridge broke
00:40down on camera, and that raw moment quickly became a viral meme.
00:45While many found his outburst hilarious, most had no idea about the heartbreak behind it.
00:51I still love you!
00:53Rocky once had a flourishing boxing career, even beating the undefeated Roger Mayweather.
01:09But everything fell apart when he turned to drugs, costing him his family, his home, and
01:14his once great life.
01:16The viral moment was actually his family pouring out their hearts while mending their broken
01:21relationship.
01:23Sadly, after reconnecting with them, Rocky died from a stroke in 2019.
01:28So while the internet was mesmerized by his loud wailing, behind the meme was a man at
01:33his lowest.
01:34So if I'm 50, how much longer do I last before the master call me her?
01:44Number 9.
01:45The Deflated Garfield Meme Sure, maybe the Garfield comic can get a little
01:58sad on occasion, but leave it to the internet to take things to a completely new level.
02:03In 2020, a panel from a 1993 Garfield comic strip showing a limp Garfield in the arms
02:10of his heartbroken owner, John Arbuckle, went viral on social media.
02:14This flat cat meme blew up as a go-to for all kinds of funny messages, but the original
02:20scene is far from amusing.
02:23John is devastated, holding what looks like a lifeless Garfield, which is actually a decoy,
02:28and desperately trying to wake it up.
02:31Yeah, what has become a punchline in meme culture is actually John panicking, thinking
02:36he'd lost someone dear to him.
02:44Number 8.
02:45Coney 2012 In 2012, a short documentary by Jason Russell,
02:57the co-founder of the non-profit Invisible Children, grabbed global attention, but not
03:02without its baggage of problems.
03:04This film aimed to expose the atrocities of the Lord's Resistance Army, and make
03:08its leader, Joseph Coney, infamous enough to be arrested.
03:20But when this film went viral, it attracted a lot of bad press, with critics slamming
03:26it for oversimplifying a serious issue.
03:28The backlash hit Russell real hard, and things got so wild that a video of him having a breakdown,
03:35half-naked on the streets of San Diego, circulated online.
03:40He was also later hospitalized.
03:42Now more than a decade later, Coney's no longer deemed a threat, and Russell's digital presence
03:47has all but disappeared.
03:58Number 7.
04:00The Nodding Guy Meme You've probably seen the meme of the bearded
04:08guy nodding, often used to suggest approval of some sort, whether sarcastic or honest.
04:14Seems harmless, right?
04:16Well, that's until you learn its unsettling origin.
04:19For years, people assumed it was comedian Zach Galifianakis, because of its striking
04:24resemblance, but it's actually taken from the 1972 film, Jeremiah Johnson.
04:36Robert Redford plays the titular character, famously known as The Liver-Eating Johnson,
04:42a ruthless mountain man who went on a revenge spree after his wife was murdered by the Crow
04:48tribe.
04:49He tracked down his enemies, and had a, let's say, a unique and gory way of handling their
04:54corpses.
04:55Bizarre, right?
04:57Suddenly that approving nod feels more chilling now that you know the backstory.
05:10Number 6.
05:12The Doge Meme Based on a 2010 photo of the dog, Kabosu,
05:21with their head turned and paws crossed, this meme became incredibly popular in 2013.
05:27The round-faced dog, paired with funny internal monologue captions, became a meme culture
05:32icon, and even made its way into cryptocurrency discussions.
05:46But behind the fame, Kabosu's story isn't as light-hearted.
05:50She was rescued from a puppy farm by Atsuku Sato, where she was set to be put down, and
05:55the iconic meme came from a simple photo Sato posted of the now-adopted dog.
06:00Sadly, Kabosu was diagnosed with cancer in 2022, and passed away in 2024.
06:06To honor her, a bronze statue of Kabosu was unveiled at Sakura Furusatu Square, forever
06:12immortalizing her.
06:14Number 5.
06:15Pepe the Frog Meme Originally created by artist Matt Fury in
06:292005, this hugely popular icon started out as a meme with all kinds of meanings.
06:35With a catchphrase attached to it, it could convey sadness, anger, or surprise.
06:53But during the 2016 American election, Pepe the Frog got tangled up with Donald Trump's
06:58campaign, and alt-right groups, forever altering its harmless meaning.
07:03Internet trolls began creating even more twisted versions of Pepe, turning what was once a
07:08funny-looking frog into a symbol of hate and racism, much to Fury's despair.
07:13He tried to kill the character off, distance it from the negativity, and bring back its
07:18positive vibe, but nothing worked.
07:21It's a real shame, because the quirky Pepe was never meant to represent something sinister.
07:38Number 4.
07:39Wentworth Miller Meme Being in the spotlight can be both rewarding
07:53and damaging, and for Prison Break star Wentworth Miller, it was the latter.
07:58In 2016, a meme comparing his images at different body weights went viral after being posted
08:04by the Ladd Bible.
08:06But what seemed like a cruel, fat-shaming joke became heartbreaking when Miller revealed
08:10the reason for his changed appearance.
08:13In a moving essay, he opened up about how he'd been taking a break from acting and
08:17battling depression, which led to his weight gain.
08:27So while the internet was laughing, he was struggling with serious mental health issues.
08:32Although the entertainment website later apologized, such a cruel post never should
08:36have been shared.
08:40Number 3.
08:41The Deez Nuts Guy Welvin Harris, better known as WelvinDaGreat,
08:53shot to fame with his viral Deez Nuts video, which gained over 45 million viewers.
08:58This breakout moment opened doors for him, leading to appearances on radio shows and
09:03hangouts with big names like DJ Khaled.
09:06Fans flocked to him, and he was living the high life… until things took a dark turn.
09:11Footage and images began to circulate online of Welvin being involved in altercations with
09:16strangers in public, as well as seemingly unconscious at a downtown train station in
09:20Los Angeles.
09:21His account was hacked, causing him to lose millions of followers, and he quickly lost
09:25his trending status.
09:26Even worse, disturbing videos of him being harassed or appearing homeless started popping
09:31up.
09:32At one point, it was even rumoured that he had died.
09:34However, in 2023, it was confirmed that he was alive and well… just not the famous
09:39Welvin anymore.
09:48Number 2.
09:49The Grumpy Cat Meme
09:58In 2012, a cat named Tartarsauce became an overnight internet sensation when a photo
10:04of her iconic scowl surfaced online.
10:07With her grumpy face and big bubble eyes, she quickly became a viral meme for humour
10:12and cynicism.
10:13She was so popular, she had millions of followers on Instagram, Twitter, and beyond.
10:25Fans lined up just to meet her.
10:27This feline celebrity even appeared on shows like The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and a waxed
10:33figure of her was showcased in a San Francisco museum.
10:37But behind that distinctive look, Tartar suffered from an underbite and feline dwarfism, which
10:43caused her perpetually grumpy appearance.
10:45How sad.
10:46To make things even sadder, Tartar passed away a few years ago, leaving feline-loving
10:51fans heartbroken.
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11:16Number 1.
11:17The Star Wars Kid
11:26Think a meme can't ruin a person's life?
11:28Just ask Ghislain Raza, who unintentionally became infamous.
11:32It all started in 2002, when 15-year-old Raza recorded a fun video of himself mimicking
11:38a lightsaber battle.
11:53But when that private moment fell into the wrong hands, it exploded online, turning his
11:57life upside down.
11:59Dubbed the Star Wars Kid by blogger Andy Baio, Raza became a target of widespread ridicule
12:05and cyber abuse.
12:06It got so intense that he dropped out of school and suffered serious mental health
12:11issues.
12:12His parents even sued those responsible for making the video viral, but ultimately settled
12:16out of court.
12:17Decades later, an older Raza channeled his experience into a documentary to shed light
12:23on the impact of taunting and tormenting.
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