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This is still the hardest hitting meme of the GameStop era

The GameStop era started when some people discovered a crack in Wall Street’s armor that could be exploited through Internet coordination. Ultimately, the system won, and most people lost. Yet the era revealed a lot of truths, educated people about stocks, and ultimately produced a lot of memes.

Of all the GameStop memes, this one still hits hardest. It reveals something poisonous underneath the surface. It tells you why the poison is happening. It invites you to make your own decisions. And it also:

  • Uses insider jargon. People are not dumb. They’re making desperate choices.
  • Shows the gap between generations. People live in different economic worlds. When we forget this, we lose empathy when it’s needed the most.
  • Is not funny. Most GameStop memes are funny. This one is not.

Martin Gurri makes the same point: Without unifying stories, we risk hurtling toward nihilism, benefiting no one.

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