![]() The meme also saw expanded use with alterations to the picture portion. Applied broadly, the Galaxy Brain format could be used by anyone to express their opinion about the relative rankings of browsers, game developers, titles within a series, politicians, or even abstract concepts such as behavior or ways of thinking. This was especially common on Reddit or 4chan, where discussion and criticism regarding topics such as video games or politics is commonplace. While the meme format was often used ironically as the original had been, it was just as often used to imply genuine superiority of one idea or object over another of similar nature. The flexibility with which the meme could be applied helped it gain traction and maintain usage after its conception and early peak. Apart from the components of the original image format, the video features an echoing voice attempting to pronounce the increasingly difficult words over background music provided by Richard Strauss’ iconic main title theme of 2001: A Space Odyssey. This basic form of the meme continued to proliferate and reach new audiences via other platforms such as YouTube, where the meme is posted in video format on Februby BagelBoy ( ). Having to deal with such individuals was also a relatable annoyance that served to catapult the meme in its early stages. In this way, the meme actually appeared to mock individuals who paid close attention to less popular grammar rules in speech and otherwise. For example, “Whomst” would often follow “Whom” and may continue all the way to “Whom’st’d’ve’nt” or beyond. Next to these ever-expanding brains would be nonsensical variations of who or whom that departed further from established English with every accompanying image. This, however, would be followed by one or more panels of progressively larger, brighter, and more complicated brains whose glowing neural connections overlapped with cosmic imagery of vast star systems, hence the name “Galaxy Brain”. This would be followed by an image with a normal or slightly enlarged brain with glowing areas indicating activity next to the word “Whom”, seeming to imply that individuals who correctly use “whom” in their everyday speech are superior to those who do not. ![]() The classic first image of the meme featured a skull with small, dull brain next to the word “Who”. The Expanding Brain meme actually began from a simple jab at grammar Nazis. Post by user janskishimanski on Reddit on Jan. ![]() Even today it can be seen in references from other memes or small, easily recognizable bits of its iconic glowing, blue brains. The “Galaxy Brain” or “Expanding Brain” meme saw its origin back in 2017, with one of its original forms being traced to a post on January 31st of the same year by user janskishimanski on Reddit under /r/dankmemes ( ). There are some, however, that stand the test of time. Any average meme will slowly drop in use, often being replaced by other new memes rather than intentionally shelved. Whether these outcries are ironic themselves or spawn from antagonists who never liked the original meme format, they are often fulfilled. If the meme persists for more than a week or two, there may already be parties calling for its discontinuation within the hypothetical “Meme Meta”. Within a day, there may be numerous combinations with other current memes or slight variations on the original format that still maintain its integrity. ![]() Today, a new meme concept may hit Reddit or some other online forum and be broadly applied within just a few hours. I believe this has become truer and truer with each year since the early 2000’s. One accurate measure of a meme’s impact is its duration of use and its sticking power in terms of online presence.
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