Demotivational Poster

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Meme
Synonyms:
Date Started: early 2000s
Related: Alignment Charts
See Also:
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Demotivational posters are a meme format that emerged in the early 2000s.

Origin and spread

Demotivational posters generally feature a large image with a thin coloured border on a black background. Below this image, in a serif font in the same colour as the border, there is a large single-word or short caption. Below this caption, in smaller, usually white text, there is a longer ironic or sarcastic sub-caption.

The meme format has its origins in novelty posters sold by Despair, Inc. beginning in the late 1990s.[1] These posters were created as a parodies of motivational poster designs sold by Successories, which became somewhat ubiquitous as innocuous décor in offices, waiting rooms, and similar settings from the 1980s onward.[1][2]

This format influenced other memes that emerged in the 2000s such as alignment chart memes.[3][4]

Gallery

External Links

References

  1. ^ a b Corinne Purtill , "Dorky motivational posters invented internet memes and changed the way we make fun of work", Quartz, 16 February 2018
  2. ^ "Treats for Your Inner Cynic", ABC News, 17 June 2008
  3. ^ "Warcraft Alignment Chart" by TheRabidArtist on DeviantArt
  4. ^ "Brawl Alignment Chart" by TheRabidArtist on DeviantArt