“Doge” is most commonly associated with photos of dogs
(specifically - and for some fans strictly - Shiba Inus) often with superimposed
internal monologues in Comic Sans font. The term “doge” originated in a 2005
video of flash-animated character Homestar Runner, where the titular
protagonist referred to a friend as “doge” as a misspelled variant for the slang term
“dog” (meaning friend).
The meme began to spread in 2012 when
several Doge-dedicated Tumblr pages were created. These pages complemented and rode on the
increasing popularity of “Shiba Confessions,” another Tumblr topic. Doge
threads gradually began to pick up popularity on sites like 4chan and Reddit later in the year.
Searches for Doge have been relatively consistent and stable
since 2004 (mainly because doge is a Venetian term for “leader”) but experienced
a dramatic spike this last May. What makes the meme hilarious for most people
is how the interior monologues are written in incredibly basic – yet very
enthused and earnest – language (e.g. wow such describe, much definition).
However, that alone does not really explain the recent surge in Doge searches
following May 2013. It’s possible that once the spread of Doge left Tumblr and gathered
a following on sites like 4chan and Reddit it has only experienced a naturally
increasing popularity. Social media greatly facilitates such a dramatic growth,
as I discovered Doge on my Facebook newsfeed during a rapid-fire Doge status
posting session that several of my friends were engaging in. For a good week,
the Doge onslaught continued but with a participant count that had at least
tripled among all of our mutual friends.
Sources:
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