Copypasta
A copypasta is a block of text that is copied and pasted across the Internet by individuals through online forums and social networking websites. Copypastas are said to be similar to spam[1] as they are often used to annoy other users and disrupt online discourse.
History
The word "copypasta" was first used on Usenet groups in 2006.[2]
Etymology
The term "copypasta" is derived from the computer term "copy/paste", and can be traced back to an anonymous 4chan thread from 2006.[1][3]
Examples
Navy Seal
The Navy Seal copypasta is a lengthy, comically written, aggressive attack paragraph against a "kiddo", written in the voice of the stereotypical "tough guy", listing absurd accomplishments such as having "over 300 confirmed kills" and being "trained in gorilla [sic] warfare". This copypasta is often reposted as a humorous overreaction to an insult and is thought to have originated in a post on a 4chan message board from 11 November 2010.[4]
This copypasta is used in the manifesto of the perpetrator of the Christchurch mosque shootings.[5]
Bee Movie
The Bee Movie copypasta started in 2013 when users posted its entire script onto websites such as Reddit and Tumblr.[6] It was popularized when edits of the film were first uploaded to YouTube in late 2016.[7]
"A Drive Into Deep Left Field by Castellanos"
On August 19, 2020, during a Major League Baseball game between the Cincinnati Reds and Kansas City Royals, Reds broadcaster Thom Brennaman uttered a homophobic slur on a hot mic. Later in the broadcast, Brennaman apologized to listeners. Mid-apology, Nick Castellanos hit a home run, and Brennaman broke from his apology to deliver the play-by-play.[8] Brennaman said, "I pride myself and think of myself as a man of faith, as there's a drive into deep left field by Castellanos, it will be a home run. And so that'll make it a 4-0 ballgame." The moment became an internet meme as a copypasta. ESPN's Pablo Torre later said it "was like listening to the band play on as the Titanic was sinking. Except the band was also somehow the iceberg."[9]
See also
- Creepypasta, brief, user-generated, paranormal stories intended to scare readers
- Chain letter
- Faxlore, similar content circulated by fax machine
- Know Your Meme, a website and video series which researches and documents the history of copypastas and similar content
- Running gag, a recurring joke
- Snowclone, a cliché and phrasal template that can be used and recognized in multiple variants
- Shitposting, the practice of posting intentionally low-quality or provocative content to troll or solicit reactions from others
References
- ^ a b "What is Copypasta? - Definition from Techopedia". Techopedia.com. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
- ^ "Words We're Watching: 'Copypasta'". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
- ^ Jaquez, Sophia (12 December 2018). "My Favorite CopyPastas". The County Current. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
- ^ "The Honk Pill Troll Killer: Brenton Tarrant's Motives May Never be Known – if We're Not Careful". 28 March 2019.
- ^ Bergado, Gabe. "How Barry B. Benson Became an Internet A-Lister". Inverse. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
- ^ "The Best Prank on Facebook Right Now Involves the Entire Transcript of Bee Movie". Intelligencer. 2 December 2015. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
- ^ "Thom Brennaman resigns from Reds after being suspended for on-air homophobic slur". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
- ^ Lindbergh, Ben (29 March 2021). "How "A Drive Into Deep Left Field by Castellanos" Became the Perfect Meme for These Strange Times". The Ringer. Retrieved 6 July 2021.