Kabosu, the Dog Behind the 'Doge' Meme, Has Died | Hacker News Reader

Kabosu, the Dog Behind the 'Doge' Meme, Has Died

ign.com

267 pointsdragonbonheur48 comments

This headline made me think about the power of internet memes in our modern times.

You can meme a shitcoin into billions of real USD, and you can meme a man into the Presidency of the USA.

That is real power.

Memes were always very powerful, the most popular meme just turned 2024 years old

I was thinking of these things as well, but was thinking how just one person, with one image and a caption can do so much today with internet amplification.

However, I suppose historical memes also started with just one person. But, the amplification took much more time.

I mean, computers gave us individual productivity gains. Sometimes, the productivity just sucks.

1414 years old by my count but generally agree

Not according to this? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_religious_groups#Largest...

Do explain

"Internet meme" is just the current label and form for "Simple, appealing, opinionated messaging".

It's always been a thing.

Yes, but the reason that I included the word "internet" was to indicate the virus-like reach a single person can have, and now just in hours.

True, in the past your compelling messaging would be filtered by multiple layers of delivery and effort, reinterpretation, etc.

Now your message can be worldwide before the first reader has time to form an thoughtful opinion.

'can have' is doing a lot of lifting. If me or you want to make a meme go viral, we likely cant do that, as proven by the overwhelming amount of people who try to make things go viral on a daily basis and fail to do so. Overwhelmingly, most people do not have that power.

It needs to be such a simple, obvious message that resonates with everyone to a point they themselves are encouraged to share it. It needs to pass the over-the-shoulder test, where someone simply glancing over your shoulder and seeing it can understand what it is and get value from it.

The author's intent doesn't matter, really, they don't have control over it at all. It is simply stumbling by accident into a message that /already/ resonates with a vast majority of people. Which is why it tends to be extraordinarily simple things like a 'cute/funny dog', a distracted boyfriend, a pop culture reference, etc.

It is more of a runaway experiment than real power though. You might end up with power if you accidentally get elected president of the US for example, could happen to everyone, but the memers are just throwing chaos at more chaos. With often entertaining or explosive results.

It is good evidence against a conspiracy like the Illuminati, but also a cold shower wake-up that nobody is truly in control.

probably relevant

"Dangerous memes | Daniel Dennett"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzGjEkp772s

When I read a history mentioning the "Doge of Venice" I now get a very odd image.

Thanks for this, never knew.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doge_of_Venice

Much sad, very mourn

Wow

Can someone explain what this kind of comment is meant to be and what is the history behind it? It looks grammatically incorrect, and I can't reorder the words to make sense either.

It's the application of the titular "doge meme" to a message expressing grief. The history behind it is the history of the doge meme itself:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doge_(meme)

The reply comment "wow" is also part of the doge meme, and the two comments together form another kind of a meta-meme, where one person writes an unfinished, but straightforward reference to something, and the reply commenter completes that - a traditional "call and response", also very popular in songs.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_and_response

Can we please start a fund to have Kabosu's remains sent to the moon? It's all she ever wanted.

How incredible is it that a single photograph of a single dog has had so much of an impact on culture?

I also have this weird feeling I can't quite describe. This dog had no way of knowing her likeness would be seen by billions of people in some way, shape, or form. She lived her entire life without knowing or even being able to comprehend how significant it was. I have no idea if doge memes will still be popular a decade from now, but when people look back at internet culture from this era they're going to see her image all over the place. Maybe they'll see the appeal too, or maybe they'll wonder how in the world we ever found this funny.

Amazing how Kabosu lived so long, especially having had cancer 17 months ago already.

This kind of stuff still makes me laugh: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/Do...

Yeah, 18 is like a cat's age, very rare for a dog. Shibu inus tend to live a bit longer than the typical decade or so most dogs do, but even for them, 18 is a long life.

Very cry, many nostalgia, much thank you.

Her name was doge and she was the goodest girl wow. Rip meme dog :’(

RIP in peace. Sleep tight space doge :(

Rest in peace sweet girl.

No way I am hearing this 4th time

Right? The news look fake, I heard this news a few months ago

That might be Cheems, another meme dog who died last year August.

The death notice is from the long standing and popular blog of かぼすママ, Kabosu’s owner. There’s a public funeral on Sunday.

According to know your memes[0] there was an April fools post several years ago claiming the doge dog died. Then last year Cheems(real name Balltze), another doge dog died. And there was the announcement that Kabosu had cancer several months ago.

[0]https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/doge

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40464490

much rip doge

18 years was an impressive run

Alas poor Kabosu. Still her $23bn memecoin will live on.

huh, I thought that happened years ago.

That was Cheems if I recall correctly

I just looked it up, you're right. Apparently there's even a third called Suki. I thought it was all the same dog.

RIP Kabosu.

ah, right, that was the one.

Such sad. Gave much happy to world x

It would be nice if we could get a black bar for Kabosu.

internet sad

love much

wow

Rest in peace.

Saw this earlier and it made me pretty sad. :(

I know it doesn’t 100% fit but… Black Bar?

For me she was a joyous milestone in defining internet culture.

Such dog, much sad

thank you, doge

such wow very sad

For a few days,

Elon Musk changed the X icon to a kabosu.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com