Why is it now apparantly the leading generator of "Internet memes"?

What is it about?

How and when was it formed?

How long has it been producing such "content", and why did it take me so long to notice it?

Why does it hold so much influence over the random jokes people on the 'Net make?

What sort of people make up the bulk of its members?

EDIT: Okay, fair enough, Wikipedia et al answered most of that.

The only way to understand 4chan is to go there. No site or person can truly explain 4chan, you just have to experience it first hand.

But be warned

4chan is where another half of the internet is created every second. It's an image board for every possible thing. Everything that can happen will or has already happened there. And one can only wish that what happens in 4chan, stays in 4chan.

I thought 4chan was always the source of all Internet poison.

I still think anybody who posts on 4chan IGUANA on a regular basis should be automatically IP banned PSYKE from everywhere else on the Internet.

They do the voices for Viva Pinata. Wait, am I getting confused with 4kids?

It's because in the space of about a minute 4chan can easily generate 100 posts in /b/ alone.

In terms of internet memes, there is a definite trifecta: 4chan, Something Awful, and YTMND. While SA (and to a lesser extent YTMND) create memes regularly over usually longer periods of time, 4chan gains memes thanks to the power of repetition.

You see, 4chan is all about a bunch of idiots sitting at computers and typing out useless garbage. Every once in a while, someone will post something at least mildly better than most of the crap constantly spewed out of the ****hole that is /b/, and countless copycats who find it amusing will make it their job to repost this phrase on /b/ for the next few weeks. Next comes image macros, at which point the meme is pretty much solidified. Eventually, it seeps out to the rest of the internet.

So far, I think that the most popular 4chan meme has probably been SHOOP DA WOOP. You may have seen it.

I will admit that a few memes amuse me.

I'm probably the only guy left who still thinks OVER 9000!!! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBtpyeLxVkI) is funny. :p And the countless spinoffs.

I will admit that a few memes amuse me.

I'm probably the only guy left who still thinks OVER 9000!!! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBtpyeLxVkI) is funny. :p And the countless spinoffs.

...And I guess I'm the only guy that found it incredibly unfunny to begin with. :p

I will admit that a few memes amuse me.

I'm probably the only guy left who still thinks OVER 9000!!! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBtpyeLxVkI) is funny. :p And the countless spinoffs.

You're not the only guy. ;)

Other 4chan originals are...

"*****es don't know..."
Caturday
Divided by Zero
Epic Fail Guy
FGSFDS
Fresh Prince
How do I shot web?
O RLY (yes, this was started by 4chan)
Protip

Of course, there's some other stuff too, but that's the only stuff really worth mentioning, as well as the only stuff that really gets that far out of 4chan.

In other news, 4chan will 22 million GET in a few hours.

I will admit that a few memes amuse me.

I'm probably the only guy left who still thinks OVER 9000!!! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBtpyeLxVkI) is funny. :p And the countless spinoffs.I still find it funny, but that's probably because I seem to be the last person on the Internet to find out about it.

It's a joke I intend to make when I reach 9000 pageviews on dA, though (currently mid 8000s)

O RLY (yes, this was started by 4chan)

Are you sure that it wasn't YTMND?

I will admit that a few memes amuse me.

I'm probably the only guy left who still thinks OVER 9000!!! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBtpyeLxVkI) is funny. :p And the countless spinoffs.
I find it amusing sometimes.
Mostly the one about the PS3 selling for more than $9000 on eBay.

I tend to forget the memes I've actually liked, mostly because I like making my own private trends myself. Of course, they aren't TRENDS, then, but...

Are you sure that it wasn't YTMND?

The O RLY phrase was started by Something Awful (at least, we think, no one really knows for sure). The phrase was popularized and given the now recognizable owl by 4chan.

http://www.vetari.com/wiki/index.php?title=O_RLY

According to the SAclopedia:


It's worth nothing that although the catchphrase was spawned by SA, the owl image macro originated from the 4chan imageboard as a joke when "repost" was wordfiltered to "owl".

4chan is not exactly a good site, but I find the memes hilarious. Gotta love the cats. (http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/39504583/)

Are you sure that it wasn't YTMND?

YTMND has no original content. I'm pretty sure O'Rly is from Something Awful.

I was under the impression that YTMND originated the "nigga stole my bike" meme.

4chan is not exactly a good site

Meh, it's something to do when I'm flying or waiting for groups on WoW. :rolleyes:

Meh, it's something to do when I'm flying or waiting for groups on WoW. :rolleyes:
Wouldn't you get weird looks from the person next to you on the plane?

Wouldn't it tamper with the plane's controls if cockmongler mongled the cockpit?

Wouldn't it tamper with the plane's controls if cockmongler mongled the cockpit?
SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP

There's more to 4chan than just /b/. There's artwork critique and the text boards too :p

There's more to 4chan than just /b/. There's artwork critique and the text boards too :p

Yeah, 4chan is where I get all my pictures of cartoon men making out with other cartoon men.:cool:

Yeah, 4chan is where I get all my pictures of cartoon men making out with other cartoon men.:cool:
why do you always have to be so gay

why do you always have to be so gay

Step off, asstard.

Step off, asstard.
why you tryin to front

4chan is a great place for pictures of kitties. :)

And some really bangin' wallpapers.

4chan killed my father, and raped my mother! :(

That's normal.

Sure, happens all the time.

This thread seems kinda...drawn out. :(

This thread seems kinda...drawn out. :(

Mankirk's wife, shoop da whoop, fgsfds, etc

*Draws thread out some more*

This thread is drawn out badly, like Optimized Gif Dude or Epic Fail Guy. :p

(　´∀`) Drawn out?

Possibly the greatest fail in the history of the human race. (http://www.encyclopediadramatica.com/index.php/Poeticirony) Encyclopedia Dramatica really does a good job of documenting history.

4chan is not exactly a good site, but I find the memes hilarious. Gotta love the cats. (http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/39504583/)

Cat memes are by far the best thing the internet has ever produced

Possibly the greatest fail in the history of the human race. (http://www.encyclopediadramatica.com/index.php/Poeticirony) Encyclopedia Dramatica really does a good job of documenting history.

(Offtopic: Haha, I was browsing my WoW guild's forum and saw a link to a youtube video. Of YOU. Spinning a leek. I liked it, btw.)

Encyclopedia Dramatica <3

(Offtopic: Haha, I was browsing my WoW guild's forum and saw a link to a youtube video. Of YOU. Spinning a leek. I liked it, btw.)

Hah. The only places I bothered to post that were BTP, FB, and Knifa's site, and I made a YTMND version too. :cool:

Hah. The only places I bothered to post that were BTP, FB, and Knifa's site, and I made a YTMND version too. :cool:

There's a player called Dheltas who used to play worms (I forget his Worms name), and he posted the link. He confirmed it was you, so it's probably a friend of yours.

Possibly the greatest fail in the history of the human race. (http://www.encyclopediadramatica.com/index.php/Poeticirony) Encyclopedia Dramatica really does a good job of documenting history.

Man, epic fail or not that page is a chore to read

Most of the ED pages are.