They Crucified The Minions

Summary

The video script discusses the enduring popularity of minions on social media, tracing their evolution from unironic to ironic and back again. It highlights a 2024 trend where minions are depicted as crucified, a concept originally created by artist America Cruz in 2021 as a satire of sincere minion memes. The script explores the cultural significance of minions, their malleability as stand-ins for various messages, and their appeal as a visual language, especially in Christian circles on TikTok, where they serve as a striking and culturally resonant symbol.

Takeaways

• 📅 The trend of posting about crucified minions on social media has been ongoing in 2024.
• 🔄 The script suggests a cycle of being unironic, ironic, and then unironic again in the portrayal of minions on social media.
• 🎨 The original design of the crucified minion by artist America Cruz was created to mock sincere minion memes but ended up becoming part of them.
• 🌐 The minions' popularity is attributed to their universal appeal and their ability to be used as stand-ins for various messages due to their inoffensive and easily recognizable nature.
• 🎬 The Despicable Me franchise's continued success ensures the ongoing presence of minions in media and culture.
• 🤖 Minions are described as sexless, yellow beings with an indecipherable language, making them versatile for different roles and messages.
• 🔑 The research article by Applegate and Cohen highlights the commodification of minions as a visual language and cultural phenomenon.
• 🏅 The minions' presence was even noted at the Olympic opening ceremony, showcasing their international appeal.
• 😄 The script ends with a call to action for viewers to suggest the next meme or topic for a lesson, engaging the audience.
• 😈 The degradation and humiliation of minions in memes can easily transition between ironic and unironic contexts due to their malleability.
• 📚 The crucifixion of minions in Christian circles on TikTok is seen as a striking and predictable use of the characters, given their history on social media.

Q & A

What is the main subject of the video script discussing?

The video script discusses the popularity and cultural impact of minion memes, especially those depicting a crucified minion, on social media platforms.

Why have minions become a recurring focus on social media?

Minions have become a recurring focus due to their ability to be shared with sincerity, their wide appeal from the 'Despicable Me' franchise, and their malleable nature as stand-ins for various messages.

What is the significance of the year 2024 in the script's context?

In 2024, the trend of posting about a crucified minion on social media continues, indicating the ongoing popularity and cultural relevance of minion memes.

Who is the original designer of the crucified minion meme mentioned in the script?

The original designer of the crucified minion meme is artist America Cruz, who created it in 2021.

How did America Cruz's original design relate to the sincere minion memes?

America Cruz's design was intended to make fun of sincere minion memes but ironically became a part of them in 2024.

What is the cyclical nature of minion memes mentioned in the script?

The script mentions that minion memes went from being unironic in the early 2010s, to ironic in the mid to late 2010s, and back to unironic in the 2020s.

What role do minions play in the research article by Applegate and Cohen?

In the research article, minions are analyzed as a form of visual language and commodification of culture, highlighting their role as stand-ins for various characters or mascots online.

Why are minions considered inoffensive and easily recognizable?

Minions are inoffensive and easily recognizable because they are sexless, have an indecipherable language, and take on personalities equal to their physical actions.

What is the significance of the Olympic opening ceremony reference in the script?

The reference to the Olympic opening ceremony indicates the international appeal and widespread recognition of minions beyond just children's films.

What is the script's perspective on the crucifixion of minions in Christian circles on TikTok?

The script views the crucifixion of minions in Christian circles on TikTok as a visually striking and almost predictable application of the characters, given their history on social media.

What does the script suggest for the future of minion memes?

The script suggests that as long as the 'Despicable Me' franchise remains popular, minion memes will continue to be a part of social media culture.

Outlines

00:00

📽️ The Evolution of Minion Memes

This paragraph discusses the enduring popularity of minions on social media and their transformation from unironic to ironic and back again. It highlights the trend of videos showing a crucified minion, which has been shared widely with a striking similarity in narration. The original design by artist America Cruz in 2021 is mentioned, which was intended to mock the sincerity of minion memes but has ironically become part of them. The paragraph also touches on the universal appeal of minions, referencing their appearance at the Olympic opening ceremony and their role as a stand-in for various characters and messages online.

Keywords

💡Minions

Minions are small, yellow, cylindrical creatures that first appeared in the 'Despicable Me' animated film franchise. They are known for their gibberish language and comedic antics. In the context of the video, they have become a cultural phenomenon and are used as a symbol in various social media memes, including those of a religious nature, as seen in the 'sincere minion' meme.

💡Social Media

Social media refers to websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or participate in social networking. The video discusses how minions have been widely shared on platforms like Facebook and TikTok, becoming a significant part of internet culture and meme circulation.

💡Sinister Memes

Sinister memes are a type of internet humor that involves dark or ironic themes. The video mentions 'sincere minion memes' as an example of this, where the minions are depicted in a crucifixion pose, which is an ironic take on the religious imagery but has also been adopted sincerely in some contexts.

💡Crucifixion

Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the victim is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until death. In the video, the crucifixion of minions is highlighted as a recurring theme in the memes, symbolizing the cultural malleability of these characters and their adoption into religious contexts.

💡Despicable Me

Despicable Me is a popular animated film franchise that introduced the minions to the world. The video notes the franchise's impact on popular culture, suggesting that as long as the films remain popular, the minions will continue to be a prevalent theme in various forms of media and memes.

💡Meme

A meme is an idea, behavior, or style that spreads from person to person within a culture, often through the internet. The video discusses how minions have become a popular meme, being shared and adapted in various ways, including the 'sincere minion' meme that has been circulating on social media.

💡Ironic vs. Unironic

Ironic refers to something that is opposite to what is expected, often used for humor, while unironic implies sincerity or straightforwardness. The video explains the evolution of minion memes from being unironic in the early 2010s, to ironic in the mid to late 2010s, and back to unironic in the 2020s, showing the changing perceptions and uses of these characters.

💡America Cruz

America Cruz is mentioned as the original designer of the 'sincere minion' meme. The video suggests that Cruz's design was initially created to mock the trend of sincere minion memes but ended up becoming a part of it, demonstrating the unpredictable nature of meme culture.

💡Applegate and Cohen

Applegate and Cohen are presumably researchers whose work is cited in the video to explain the appeal of minions. Their research article, titled 'Communicating Graphically: Minions, Visual Language, and Commodification as Culture,' likely discusses how minions have become a commodified part of visual culture, contributing to their widespread use and recognition.

💡Commodification

Commodification refers to the process of transforming something into a commodity that can be bought and sold. In the context of the video, minions are described as being commodified, meaning they have been turned into a marketable product or symbol that can represent various ideas and messages, including religious ones.

💡Olympic Opening Ceremony

The Olympic Opening Ceremony is the event marking the beginning of the Olympic Games. The video mentions that a minion animation made it to such a ceremony, underscoring the international appeal and recognition of the minions, which further contributes to their use in global meme culture.

Highlights

Minions have been a consistent focus of social media posts due to their shareable sincerity.

A trend of posting about a crucified minion has been prevalent on social media in 2024.

The videos often use similar wording, suggesting a scripted narrative.

The original design by artist America Cruz from 2021 mocks sincere minion memes but has become part of them.

Minions' posting has oscillated between unironic and ironic over the years.

Despicable Me's continued popularity ensures the ongoing presence of minions in media.

Minions' appeal is international, as evidenced by their appearance at the Olympic opening ceremony.

People love minions because they can represent any character or mascot due to their design and language.

Minions are inoffensive, easily recognizable, and have become a globally famous children's character.

The malleability of minions allows for their degradation and humiliation in memes to be easily accepted.

The crucifixion of minions in Christian circles on TikTok is a striking application of their character.

Minions' history on social media is rich and saturated, influencing their use in various contexts.

The transcript discusses the cultural impact and commodification of minions as visual language.

Minions can stand in for iconic figures like Jesus Christ due to their universal appeal.

The transcript invites viewers to suggest the next meme for a lesson in the comments.

The transcript ends with a humorous reminder to like, subscribe, or face an unspecified consequence.

Transcripts

ah minions when have they never not been

the focus of posting given their

ability to be shared with complete

sincerity on social media by the wine

mums and Facebook ants of the internet

and in 2024 this situation is no

different as a trend wear and craters

sincerely post about a minion that is

being crucified with each video

utilizing almost exactly the same words

as if being read from a script has been

plaguing social media for months each

clip starts with the words there was

this animator that was messing around

when all of a sudden he created a minion

who died on the cross and you can that

he put a nail through his three-fingered

hands every iteration of this clip uses

similar words and imagery despite being

uploaded by different creators telling

Their audience that Jesus died for them

what's interesting is that the original

designed by artist America Cruz way back

in 2021 seems to make fun of sincere

minion memes and ironically became a

part of sincere minion memes in

2024 as such minion posting has gone

from unironic during the early 2010s to

ironic during the mid to late 2010s and

unironic back in the 20 20s it seems

that as long as Despicable Me continues

its reign as one of the most famous

franchises in the world there will be

minions to a company posters and

Facebook moms alike a minion animation

even made it to the Olympic opening

ceremony so it's clear that they have an

insane International appeal so why do

people love minions so much if they come

from a Kids film well this very question

is answered in Applegate and Cohen's

research article communicating

graphically mimus visual language and

commodification as culture minions are

sexless yellow balls of effect they

speak in an indecipherable language a

mix of many human languages and they

take on personalities equal to their

physical actions as such minions can and

do stand in for any character figure or

mascot one might encounter online in

this situation they are the perfect

standing for one of the most iconic

figures in modern culture Jesus Christ

it's really it's really true that anyone

can utilize minions as stand-ins for any

message they like they're inoffensive

easily recognizable and probably the

most famous children's m got the world

has seen in years as such the purposeful

degradation and humiliation of minions

in chit hosting such as ironic minion

memes where they crucified or destroyed

can swing into unironic territory with

ease given how malleable they are in

short the crucification of minions in

Christian circles of Tik Tok is a

visually striking yet almost predictable

application of despicable Me's most

famous characters given their rich and

saturated history on social media what

meme would you guys like me to give a

lesson in next let me know in the

comments below how remember like And

[Laughter]

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