0464: "RBA"

[Bulvox]

AHHH!!! Randall, stay out of my thread. Actually, on second thought, keep going to my thread.

and for those of you looking for the relevance in my thread, it's located here about halfway down.

[Mighty Jalapeno]

My wife once dumped someone by simply saying "Begone, you bore me now," and ignoring him.

...

What? It was the 90's, disaffected detachment was in.

[Syphon]

To all the people complaining about the /b/ness: Bel-Airing originated on &totse, not /b/.

[regularmike]

I thought for a minute that he dropped his drink because outside of the panel she picked him up and spun him around like those guys "who were up to no good". But I guess the Bel-Air part was already over by then.

[DreadArchon]

Wow, that went so far over my head. I mean, I guess it's funny, but... wow. Can't win 'em all, I guess.

[DJorgensen]

Shit.
My girlfriend almost did this to me, well minus the awesomeness of RBA, but same gist.
;_; *sobs a little*

[sje46]

To all the people complaining about the /b/ness: Bel-Airing originated on &totse, not /b/.

REally? I didn't even think totse was that big of a website. But I don't go on the forums. I like that website.

[lysandra]

I have no idea what the non-reverse Bel-air is. I've heard of the show, but never seen it.

For TRUE EXPERTS of Bel-Air though I challenge the COVERT BEL-AIR.

Well, read that way both the bible and most of Bill Shakey's works are CBA's --- as long as they contain most of the words in the correct order (interspersed with a page or two of plot). I think you need a stricter definition, e.g. each line has to appear in its entirity or at least half of it.

You might have a point. I did cheat a bit on mine by altering a few lines. I'll have to see what I can come up with tomorrow later today.

I have no idea what the non-reverse Bel-air is. I've heard of the show, but never seen it.

For TRUE EXPERTS of Bel-Air though I challenge the COVERT BEL-AIR.

Well, read that way both the bible and most of Bill Shakey's works are CBA's --- as long as they contain most of the words in the correct order (interspersed with a page or two of plot). I think you need a stricter definition, e.g. each line has to appear in its entirity or at least half of it.

It would be hilarious if someone used the Bible code software and found this in there

The hardest phrase to find in the bible from the song is probably going to be "I whistled for a cab and when it came near the license plate said, "Fresh" and there was dice in the mirror..." Especially KJV (King James Version)

"Verily this art a tale all about how thine life be twist turned upside-down and I wouldst like to take a moment just sit right there, I shalt tell thee all about how I became the Prince (of Peace) of a town called Bel-Air"

Sure, you might have to switch cab for chariot, but they way they usually do it allows you to skip around to find what you want.

[mookowg]

I have no idea what the non-reverse Bel-air is. I've heard of the show, but never seen it.

For TRUE EXPERTS of Bel-Air though I challenge the COVERT BEL-AIR.

Well, read that way both the bible and most of Bill Shakey's works are CBA's --- as long as they contain most of the words in the correct order (interspersed with a page or two of plot). I think you need a stricter definition, e.g. each line has to appear in its entirity or at least half of it.

You might have a point. I did cheat a bit on mine by altering a few lines. I'll have to see what I can come up with tomorrow later today.

I have no idea what the non-reverse Bel-air is. I've heard of the show, but never seen it.

For TRUE EXPERTS of Bel-Air though I challenge the COVERT BEL-AIR.

Well, read that way both the bible and most of Bill Shakey's works are CBA's --- as long as they contain most of the words in the correct order (interspersed with a page or two of plot). I think you need a stricter definition, e.g. each line has to appear in its entirity or at least half of it.

It would be hilarious if someone used the Bible code software and found this in there

The hardest phrase to find in the bible from the song is probably going to be "I whistled for a cab and when it came near the license plate said, "Fresh" and there was dice in the mirror..." Especially KJV (King James Version)

"Verily this art a tale all about how thine life be twist turned upside-down and I wouldst like to take a moment just sit right there, I shalt tell thee all about how I became the Prince (of Peace) of a town called Bel-Air"

Sure, you might have to switch cab for chariot, but they way they usually do it allows you to skip around to find what you want.

That reminds me! Who's up for making the master regex for a bel-air?

[TDuck]

(by the way, would it be too humiliating if I revealed the first time I ever heard about Rickrolling was on the "Rick Astley gets Rickrolled" comic?)

If it would, then my face be red, too!
There's something very satisfying about going off to educate myself and then still finding the joke hilarious

[the beeno]

Not to start a war or anything, but what I come to xkcd for is the unpredictability. I think the only times I came to read a new strip with a vague notion of what was to come were during "Choices" and "1337", because otherwise, it's impossible to even guess what's coming up; today, it's a rickroll joke, next time, it might be a pop culture reference, and then, it's a really deep and thought provoking work of art. Perhaps there's a kind of "trial by fire" for new xkcd readers sometime, after which he realises it's pointless to demand anything from the comic.

Either way, it's wise to remember that today's comic is not about a 4chan meme - it's about subverting the meme and turning it into something else entirely.

(by the way, would it be too humiliating if I revealed the first time I ever heard about Rickrolling was on the "Rick Astley gets Rickrolled" comic?)

I have to say I agree, and that I disagree with the complaints so far - today's comic amused me even though I wasn't aware of the meme, and had the typical xkcd style of making my brain go "wtf?". As for humiliation, no, I first heard of rickrolling through xkcd too, along with many memes, which made me then go and research the phenomenon. This comic has actually done a good job of keeping me at least vaguely aware of such things, or making otherwise random seeming comments online suddenly make sense. Now, if only some way could be found of fusing Rickrolls and Barrel rolls....*then* my scheme to take over the world would be complete!

I have to disagree. xkcd is not a public service announcement for people behind the curve of the internet. It's a comic that has been, from its very beginning, about jokes that only a small audience can understand. Many of the older strips were shamelessly esoteric in their appeal to only programmers and mathematicians, and it was perfectly fine. No one had any quibble then; it was something that everyone who got the strips enjoyed. It was very much an added bonus that people got. Not only did we get the jokes that were indecipherable to the average human, but we had the satisfaction of knowing that there was an element of the comic that we appreciated because we already knew the subject matter. It's an accomplishment thing.
I'm not complaining about Randall's latest comics--it's the artist's right as creator to make the product whatever he pleases. But I do think that people are largely misunderstanding the larger point of the comics themselves. He's not creating a strip that includes a rickroll joke or a Bel-Air joke so that his readers who aren't 100% savvy to memes can learn them. And no one is begging you to go out and research what every forsaken internet meme signifies. It's a joke that lampoons a rather blaring internet phenomenon that was effectively everywhere a long time ago.
I suppose that what I'm trying to say with all this is that part of what makes webcomics fun, and part of what makes all of semi-underground culture fun, is the isolation factor. Metalheads would lose it if mainstream business people walked around listening to metal and making the rock symbol all the time. If there were a metalhead-themed comic strip (I'm sure there is, just don't send me links of it), the author wouldn't be trying to teach non-metalheads the point of metal. He (or she) would be making a product that was meant for people who will get the joke.
It's not to cast out everyone who doesn't get every punchline right away, or tell anyone to leave. It's just to say that the point here is not to inform people of memes; it's to make a joke with the meme considered to be prior knowledge.

[somdude04]

This comic is honestly the third time I have been reverse Bel'Aired. I've been had the normal way roughly 20 or so times, it's a bit of a regularity on the website I post on normally (Board 8 on gamefaqs, which uses the actually intelligent memes from 4chan). Every once in a while someone will do a RBA to start a topic.

It still works after the first time, as does a normal Bel'Airing, but that have to be weeks apart (and it likely wouldn't work off the internet twice).

[Jenner]

I have no idea what the non-reverse Bel-air is. I've heard of the show, but never seen it.

...

Just bear with me for a moment people, because, now this, is a story. I was taking a road trip with a friend to Virgina and he was telling me all about how he had been a boy scout in his youth and had gotten all the way up to eagle scout before his life got flipped and he realized he wanted to change his way of living but didn't know how to go about it. So he got all of his prerogatives turned upside-down and really began to re-contemplate his life. Overwhelmed by this moment of existentialness I told him, "If you'd like to take a minute, I'll still be here for you." This seemed to relieve him and it was good to provide him some support in his time of need, perhaps it was a mid-life crisis. Some time passed and we stopped to get gas. He got up before me and told me to just sit right there and that he'd pump the gas for me. So I did, when he returned to the car he told me that he'd finally reached his epiphany and then he apologized for yammering my ear off for all those hours and told me it was my turn. So, I told him all about how I became the prince of a town called Bel-Air.

I altered it a bit in places, but not bad for a first try.

You're doing it wrong.

Ah, references. And referees too.

Anyway, you're all wrong. It is, of course, a wrestling move.

Bah, yeah I already admitted I screwed it up! I'm working on a better one now, making sure I get the lyrics right

today's comic amused me even though I wasn't aware of the meme, and had the typical xkcd style of making my brain go "wtf?"

There's a Bel-Air meme?

Also, I was at ROFLcon, I went to the last Pannel, and barrel rolls still make no sense to me.

The "Do a Barrel Roll meme comes from the awesome game Starfox and Starfox 64, from the SNES and N64 respectively. In the game you play the titular roll of Fox McCloud, and you lead an "elite" unit of mercenaries or special ops which include your mentor, Pepe Hare, some androgynous character with an annoying voice, Slippy Frog, and some hot-headed cocky son of a bitch, Falco Lombardi (who is a falcon!). The game revolves around your exploits as you are hired/ordered by the good people of This Planet to WTFPWN the face of the evil people of That Planet Over There. The game would be an otherwise enjoyable rail shooter, deeply challenging and entertaining, if not for the fact that EVERYONE ELSE ON YOUR ELITE SQUAD IS COMPLETELY FUCKING USELESS AND INCOMPETENT. From Pepe, who constantly shouts unwanted advice at you, even when there is absolutely nothing going on, to Slippy who flies off recklessly to try to prove that its not a burden or liability to the team (ultimately reinforcing that fact when it gets in over its head and forces you to risk life and limb to rush in and save its worthless ass) to Falco who, like a typical hot-shot, challenges you to competitions to prove how awesome he is/how much better he is than you in THE MIDDLE OF A FUCKING WAR WHERE YOU'RE THE SOLE PROTECTOR OF THE ENTIRE GOD-FORSAKEN GALAXY. Invariably Falco will also get in over his head and force you to go through the same face palming rigors you go through for Slippy. The meme is created from such an instance where Pepe screams the advice "DO A BARREL ROLL" whenever you're being over-run by guys, being shot at, or sometimes FOR NO REASON AT ALL.



(I couldn't find a picture of him doing it in the game so this'll have to do.)

Here's a picture of someone performing a Barrel Roll in the game:



As always, Pepe's advice to do a Barrel Roll is unwanted, unhelpful and unnecessary as the barrel roll maneuver, unlike the Picard Maneuver, has no tactical advantage other than making you marginally harder to hit by the enemy AI and making you momentarily immune to incoming damage.

As such, whenever someone asks for help the default response is to advise the ailing poster to Do a Barrel Roll.

So, can anyone tell me what "/b/" stands for, what every other person seems to be using in this thread?

Firstly, sigh... I had this whole really good explanation typed out but it took me SO LONG to forumate it that I was auto-logged out of the forums and LOST IT ALL. SO, this time, it might be less funny re-writing it.

Now then! Since you're browsing this forum you've obviously seen Randall's Map of Internet Communities.


As you can plainly see 4chan is the start of the Great Meme current in the Bay of Memes.

/b/ is the name for the "Random" board on the infamous message board known as 4chan. 4chan has legendary status for normally being the epicenter of all memes on the internet because of /b/. Typically, all memes start on 4chan's /b/ board. Now you may ask me, "But Jenner, I've never heard of 4chan! How do these memes propagate and perpetuate through the internet? Well my friend, I'm glad you asked.
You see, over time, 4chan has be garnering quite a bit of notoriety. As such, a bunch of stupid fucktards regularly flood the image board in rabid attempts to mooch off of this awesomeness and be part of something this great for the attention and e-fame. Invariably, this involves their ardent "participation" in otherwise worthwhile discussion. These worthless newfags proceed to flood the image board with all sorts of quality content like Highschool drama, the lyrics to "popular" songs and other wonderful things. Memes on 4chan come in many flavors from completely innocuous to absolutely vulgar. (Note the lank of link, the nasty stuff on /b/ is so atrocious that I can't bear to link to it.) These memes often start as something marginally humorous the brave souls on /b/ then toy around with it until it becomes hilarious and epic. Trolls often troll more then one site on the internet, So ultimately the meme will be taken from 4chan and posted on a different thread so that person can pretend they're cool for great justice/the lulz. Then other people take these memes and alter them and post them someplace else until it becomes one great sepulcher of forum-flooding. Sometimes, these memes are so humorous and so viral that they eventually seep into common internet vernacular and mainstream media, IE Rickroll and Bruce Schneier and just like Bruce Schneier, who wrote a BOOK ABOUT IT, capitalistic fucks will be quick to opportunistically snatch up any and all valuable internet content and market it as their own. for ridiculously large amounts of cash. Like "Lolcats" ( ). In a reversal sometimes complete nobodies become ridiculously e-famous when the nice folks on /b/ take a lengthy interest in them or their "product". Invariably this lucky son-of-a-bitch will ultimately milk that shit for every cent he or she can get sucking on the life giving teet of Anon until a) they get really big headed about it. b) They sell out so hard not even Anon can save them, c) Anon gets bored of them, they are no longer entertaining, or d) they EXPLODE IN THEIR OWN SELF-OBSESSED FAIL. 4chan is often plagiarized by opportunistic bastards and there isn't really much 4chan can do about it since they're, well, anonymous. Now, as I said earlier, some memes get so popular they're used offline and in media. Anonymous usually views this with passing amusement and sometimes consider it a marginal victory until it gets so huge it's practically fucking everywhere. At which point it is quickly scorned, abandoned and otherwise denounced. As 4chan and it's contents become more and more popular the number of new people who show up to join the revelry increases exponentially. Continuing the cycle of quality posting and constructive feedback until the truly creative people get tired of it and go someplace else. Hope that clears things up for ya!

the constant editing is a result of me making sure I don't lose the post this time...

[Ioden]

I actually rickrolled my teacher in the middle of an essay. I was tempted to do a BA but I figured that the lyrics of NGGYU fit better.

Best part: I still got a B on it.

[sje46]

/b/ is the ghetto of the internet, the worst place to be. No, not the ghetto. Skid row? The place where all memes come from. Go to 4chan.com to see what I mean. Not safe for work, cuz there are some naked pictures. Or go to the wikipedia article.

Anyway, I was always confesd about Slippy's gender, but it's a dude!

What a good game.

[space_raptor]

I didn't get it till I read the thread, then I remembered that letter of "I witnessed a murder!", and I laughed.

[Babam]

If you want more info on the RBA

NSFW

Spoiler:

http://www.encyclopediadramatica.com/Bel-Air

[linguistic]

I was disappointed with this comic. I really hope this series doesn't continue where it's headed and just become an outlet for 4chan memes. Last weeks "You're doing it wrong" was forced, unrelated, didn't add to the comic, and truly unfunny, but at least it was just a sidebar. This week however the entire comic was centralized on a /b/ joke.

Don't get me wrong, I thought it was hilarious, but that's not what I come to xkcd for. I come here for computer, science, language, and nerd humor. If I wanted 4chan humor I would go to 4chan.

Sorry to rain on the parade, but I had to say something.

Needless to say, you were on the forums, registering your disgust within minutes?

Also, I'd have given you bonus points had your post lapsed into a Bel-air...

Don't get me wrong, I thought it was hilarious, but my mum got scared...

[Babam]

I was disappointed with this comic. I really hope this series doesn't continue where it's headed and just become an outlet for 4chan memes. Last weeks "You're doing it wrong" was forced, unrelated, didn't add to the comic, and truly unfunny, but at least it was just a sidebar. This week however the entire comic was centralized on a /b/ joke.

Don't get me wrong, I thought it was hilarious, but that's not what I come to xkcd for. I come here for computer, science, language, and nerd humor. If I wanted 4chan humor I would go to 4chan.

Sorry to rain on the parade, but I had to say something.

Needless to say, you were on the forums, registering your disgust within minutes?

Also, I'd have given you bonus points had your post lapsed into a Bel-air...

Don't get me wrong, I thought it was hilarious, but my mum got scared...

He's just taking it to seriously, I on the other hand browse /b/ alot and found this still funny, till I left /b/ on back home and my mom got scared
She said 'You're movin' with your auntie and uncle in Bel Air'

I begged and pleaded with her day after day
But she packed my suite case and send me on my way
She gave me a kiss and then she gave me my ticket.
I put my walkman on and said, 'I might as well kick it'.

First class, yo this is bad
Drinking orange juice out of a champagne glass.
Is this what the people of Bel-Air Living like?
Hmmmmm this might be alright.

But wait I hear there're prissy, wine all that
Is Bel-Air the type of place they send this cool cat?
I don't think sow
I'll see when I get there
I hope they're prepared for the prince of Bel-Air

Well, the plane landed and when I came out
There was a dude who looked like a cop standing there with my name out
I ain't trying to get arrested
I just got here
I sprang with the quickness like lightening, disappeared

I whistled for a cab and when it came near
The license plate said fresh and it had dice in the mirror
If anything I can say this cab is rare
But I thought 'Now forget it' - 'Yo homes to Bel Air'

I pulled up to the house about 7 or 8
And I yelled to the cabbie 'Yo homes smell ya later'
I looked at my kingdom
I was finally there
To sit on my throne as the Prince of Bel Air

[marianne]

Not to start a war or anything, but what I come to xkcd for is the unpredictability. I think the only times I came to read a new strip with a vague notion of what was to come were during "Choices" and "1337", because otherwise, it's impossible to even guess what's coming up; today, it's a rickroll joke, next time, it might be a pop culture reference, and then, it's a really deep and thought provoking work of art. Perhaps there's a kind of "trial by fire" for new xkcd readers sometime, after which he realises it's pointless to demand anything from the comic.

Either way, it's wise to remember that today's comic is not about a 4chan meme - it's about subverting the meme and turning it into something else entirely.

(by the way, would it be too humiliating if I revealed the first time I ever heard about Rickrolling was on the "Rick Astley gets Rickrolled" comic?)

I have to say I agree, and that I disagree with the complaints so far - today's comic amused me even though I wasn't aware of the meme, and had the typical xkcd style of making my brain go "wtf?". As for humiliation, no, I first heard of rickrolling through xkcd too, along with many memes, which made me then go and research the phenomenon. This comic has actually done a good job of keeping me at least vaguely aware of such things, or making otherwise random seeming comments online suddenly make sense. Now, if only some way could be found of fusing Rickrolls and Barrel rolls....*then* my scheme to take over the world would be complete!

I have to disagree. xkcd is not a public service announcement for people behind the curve of the internet. It's a comic that has been, from its very beginning, about jokes that only a small audience can understand. Many of the older strips were shamelessly esoteric in their appeal to only programmers and mathematicians, and it was perfectly fine. No one had any quibble then; it was something that everyone who got the strips enjoyed. It was very much an added bonus that people got. Not only did we get the jokes that were indecipherable to the average human, but we had the satisfaction of knowing that there was an element of the comic that we appreciated because we already knew the subject matter. It's an accomplishment thing.
I'm not complaining about Randall's latest comics--it's the artist's right as creator to make the product whatever he pleases. But I do think that people are largely misunderstanding the larger point of the comics themselves. He's not creating a strip that includes a rickroll joke or a Bel-Air joke so that his readers who aren't 100% savvy to memes can learn them. And no one is begging you to go out and research what every forsaken internet meme signifies. It's a joke that lampoons a rather blaring internet phenomenon that was effectively everywhere a long time ago.
I suppose that what I'm trying to say with all this is that part of what makes webcomics fun, and part of what makes all of semi-underground culture fun, is the isolation factor. Metalheads would lose it if mainstream business people walked around listening to metal and making the rock symbol all the time. If there were a metalhead-themed comic strip (I'm sure there is, just don't send me links of it), the author wouldn't be trying to teach non-metalheads the point of metal. He (or she) would be making a product that was meant for people who will get the joke.
It's not to cast out everyone who doesn't get every punchline right away, or tell anyone to leave. It's just to say that the point here is not to inform people of memes; it's to make a joke with the meme considered to be prior knowledge.

Ah, well the problem is I kinda emphasised the wrong thing in my post - I emphasised something that has always impressed me about xkcd, that it seems able to teach me about new things in general that I might not otherwise be aware of (memes or otherwise) - however, my real point (buried in there) was that whether on an obscure topic or not, this comic still seemed to have the typical xkcd sense of humour about things, and as others have said, the typical twisting/subversion of the subject matter. In other words, it still "felt" like an xkcd comic I have a bad habit at times of starting off meaning to talk about one thing then getting distracted by a subtopic and expanding that til it's ended up talked about more than the "main" topic of what I was trying to say. Oh well!

As for barrel rolls, one of the funniest implementations of that I've seen... well, I'm not sure about other countries but here in Britain certain of the lower quality TV channels have a habit of putting on, real late at night, these odd quiz shows where the only contestants are the insomniac viewers, who call a premium rate phone number for the chance of answering a question and winning a cash prize. While not recieving calls, the host is continually talking about how you should CALL NOW, and how easy the question is, and that you should CALL NOW, and what he'd do with the money, oh and to CALL NOW!! - Really irritating, cheap tacky void-of-content crap, basically. But on Youtube I found a video of some guys ringing one of these shows, getting put through, giving their name as "Peppers" (in a pretty good impersonation of his voice), and when asked the answer by the host, repeatedly stating "Do a Barrel Roll!". Confused host asks them what they're saying, giving them chance to repeat it a few more times until the host realises that it's some kind of prank, the joke of which he doesn't understand. Might seem a little childish, but given how annoying and crappy those late night quizzes are, it amused me greatly. Actually, just found a link to it - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-b6YaEoH0s - if anyone wants to see

[fatmanforprez]

What is wrong with me, I tried like 4 times to make the curve match the rhyme before giving up and deciding that it just wasn't going to fit. Had it fit this would have been one of my all time favorite comics. As is it is an abortion that I have to stare at and try to be something but disgusted.

It doesn't help that now i feel I have to come up with a rhyming RBA, and use it properly.

[SteamPunk]

In the 11th grade, I Bel-Aired my French teacher (who was really from France) with the national Anthem of France. In French. So I'm pretty sure that I, like, win. Or something.

[sje46]

In the 11th grade, I Bel-Aired my French teacher (who was really from France) with the national Anthem of France. In French. So I'm pretty sure that I, like, win. Or something.

You definitely win.

I worship you.

Did it rhyme?

[Sprocket]

My wife once dumped someone by simply saying "Begone, you bore me now," and ignoring him.

...

What? It was the 90's, disaffected detachment was in.

I knew there were reasons I loved you.

[Lazy Tommy]

haha, that was perfect. i wish i would get dumped like that.

all i ever get is "stop fucking my sister!"

Yeah. That's a real cool thing to share. That's awesome. Good first post. Really.

I was joking, geez. Lighten up

I know that you were kidding. I think it's awesome that you cheated on your girlfriend with her sister and you are bragging about it. That is grand.

Hey, sje46... are you complimenting panicxmb on his sense of humor, or flaming him?
Seriously, if those replies of yours were meant to be in good fun, you might want to add a smiley to that kind of thing in the future.
Saying "I know you were kidding" and then following it up with something that sounds like heavy sarcasm, on the same line no less, is a mixed message at best and pretty damn rude at worst.

[sje46]

haha, that was perfect. i wish i would get dumped like that.

all i ever get is "stop fucking my sister!"

Yeah. That's a real cool thing to share. That's awesome. Good first post. Really.

I was joking, geez. Lighten up

I know that you were kidding. I think it's awesome that you cheated on your girlfriend with her sister and you are bragging about it. That is grand.

Hey, sje46... are you complimenting panicxmb on his sense of humor, or flaming him?
Seriously, if those replies of yours were meant to be in good fun, you might want to add a smiley to that kind of thing in the future.
Saying "I know you were kidding" and then following it up with something that sounds like heavy sarcasm, on the same line no less, is a mixed message at best and pretty damn rude at worst.

No, it was pretty heavy sarcasm, but I wouldn't say I'm flaming. I just don't think that that's a thing to brag about, and have that sunglasses smile. (It seems misogynistic). I know I sounded a little rude.

(however if he tells me that it never happened, then I would forgive him and call it a bad joke, and be his friend.)

[AnalogyShark]

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/4021/xkcdwz7.jpg

Just outta curiousity, where did this picture come from? I'm new to the forum if it's been discussed before, but I can't seem to find it. And mildly creeped by whoever made it if it was made with any real intent beyond humor.

[Monika]

So, can anyone tell me what "/b/" stands for, what every other person seems to be using in this thread?

Firstly, sigh... I had this whole really good explanation typed out but it took me SO LONG to forumate it that I was auto-logged out of the forums and LOST IT ALL. SO, this time, it might be less funny re-writing it.

Now then! Since you're browsing this forum you've obviously seen Randall's Map of Internet Communities.


As you can plainly see 4chan is the start of the Great Meme current in the Bay of Memes.

/b/ is the name for the "Random" board on the infamous message board known as 4chan. 4chan has legendary status for normally being the epicenter of all memes on the internet because of /b/. Typically, all memes start on 4chan's /b/ board. Now you may ask me, "But Jenner, I've never heard of 4chan! How do these memes propagate and perpetuate through the internet? Well my friend, I'm glad you asked.
You see, over time, 4chan has be garnering quite a bit of notoriety. As such, a bunch of stupid fucktards regularly flood the image board in rabid attempts to mooch off of this awesomeness and be part of something this great for the attention and e-fame. Invariably, this involves their ardent "participation" in otherwise worthwhile discussion. These worthless newfags proceed to flood the image board with all sorts of quality content like Highschool drama, the lyrics to "popular" songs and other wonderful things. Memes on 4chan come in many flavors from completely innocuous to absolutely vulgar. (Note the lank of link, the nasty stuff on /b/ is so atrocious that I can't bear to link to it.) These memes often start as something marginally humorous the brave souls on /b/ then toy around with it until it becomes hilarious and epic. Trolls often troll more then one site on the internet, So ultimately the meme will be taken from 4chan and posted on a different thread so that person can pretend they're cool for great justice/the lulz. Then other people take these memes and alter them and post them someplace else until it becomes one great sepulcher of forum-flooding. Sometimes, these memes are so humorous and so viral that they eventually seep into common internet vernacular and mainstream media, IE Rickroll and Saladin's Mom and just like Saladin's Mom, who wrote a BOOK ABOUT IT, capitalistic fucks will be quick to opportunistically snatch up any and all valuable internet content and market it as their own. for ridiculously large amounts of cash. Like "Lolcats" ( ). In a reversal sometimes complete nobodies become ridiculously e-famous when the nice folks on /b/ take a lengthy interest in them or their "product". Invariably this lucky son-of-a-bitch will ultimately milk that shit for every cent he or she can get sucking on the life giving teet of Anon until a) they get really big headed about it. b) They sell out so hard not even Anon can save them, c) Anon gets bored of them, they are no longer entertaining, or d) they EXPLODE IN THEIR OWN SELF-OBSESSED FAIL. 4chan is often plagiarized by opportunistic bastards and there isn't really much 4chan can do about it since they're, well, anonymous. Now, as I said earlier, some memes get so popular they're used offline and in media. Anonymous usually views this with passing amusement and sometimes consider it a marginal victory until it gets so huge it's practically fucking everywhere. At which point it is quickly scorned, abandoned and otherwise denounced. As 4chan and it's contents become more and more popular the number of new people who show up to join the revelry increases exponentially. Continuing the cycle of quality posting and constructive feedback until the truly creative people get tired of it and go someplace else. Hope that clears things up for ya!

the constant editing is a result of me making sure I don't lose the post this time...

Thank you

[SirMustapha]

The Encyclopaedia Dramatica destroys my eyeballs.

[Forbidden]

In the 11th grade, I Bel-Aired my French teacher (who was really from France) with the national Anthem of France. In French. So I'm pretty sure that I, like, win. Or something.

Oh my God this is hilarious! It is pretty hard to Bel-Air a French guy with La Marseillaise, because it's all old French and odd sentences (and I know what I'm talking about, I'm a froggy). Pretty good job there, pal. Do you still remember your text? I'd be happy to read it.

[juliusdavies]

Definition:
Now this is the story all about how my life got flipped, turned upside down and I'd like to take a minute just sit right there. I'll tell you how I became the "Reverse Bel Air" - a story that starts with the first few lines of the lyrics to "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," but suddenly changes to something shocking, unforgettable, and unrelated to the Prince of Bel Air.

Usage:
That dude posted about the Fresh Prince of Bel Air on a forum but he RBA'd (Reverse Bel Aired) into a discussion about his gf.

Editorial Note:
I'm liking how the definition of an RBA can be an RBA.

[vish]

yes, i see this also contains her spirit form

http://xkcd.com/159/
http://xkcd.com/215/
http://xkcd.com/420/
http://xkcd.com/439/
http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/4021/xkcdwz7.jpg

OH my God, I never realized that.


Megan. Is that Randall's (ex?)girlfriend?

Do we have a recurring character here?
I applaud you.

this
http://xkcd.com/260/
too, is her

[thebandit]

This isn't Megan. Megan had longer hair. This is the other, newer girlfriend (now ex-girlfriend) with shorter hair.

[vsync]

So... I feel dumb.

Why is the glass on the floor and they are in the other room?

[Monika]

So... I feel dumb.

Why is the glass on the floor and they are in the other room?

I think she walked out, he then began to understand, was shocked, dropped the glass, and ran after her to ask her if she was serious.

[vish]

http://xkcd.com/230/

but this was Megan !
that's why she left (taking the proof with her)

[Encarnacion]

Speaking of Bel-Airs, i made this for some other thread:

Spoiler:

Now, this is a story all about how
My life got flipped-turned upside down
And I liked to take a minute
Just sit right there
I'll tell you how I became the "Encarnación" of a town called Porvenir

In west Phoenix born and raised
On the playground was where I spent most of my days
Chillin' out maxin' relaxin' all cool
And all playin' some fútbol outside of the school

When a couple of gangs
Who were up to no good
Started making trouble in my neighborhood
I got picked on a little and my mom got berserk
She said 'We're movin' away closer to your daddy's work'

I begged and pleaded with her day after day
But we packed our suit cases and went on our way
My parents gave me love and a house with a picket.
I signed up for school and said, 'I might as well kick it'.

First class, yall this is nice
Swimming in the backyard with tea on ice.
Is this what the people of East Valley living like?
Hmmmmm this might be alright.

But wait why is this place so plain, so "white"?
There are some different cultures here, right?
I didn't see any
So I took to learning español
Fell in love with México with my heart and soul

Well, went to an orphanage in Baja, looked a lot like Rome
There was a God who got me calm and telling me I'm home
I ain't trying to get called
Not looking for a career
But hey, whatever you say Lord, and I think I like it here...

I went back there, finished up with school
Learned the trickses of childcare and picked up many a tool
If anything I can say this job is rare
But I thought 'Now forget it' - 'It's beyond compare'

I joined the place about a couple months back
Just looking for Nacho Libre- but don't have to be Jack Black
I looked at the job
I was finally here
To work here as the "Encarnación" of a town called Porvenir.

your turn?

[Jorpho]

I pondered an appropriate place to post this, and this thread came to mind.

Spoiler:

"Birthed and reared in West Philadelphia, the days of my childhood and early youth were spent in the wildernesses just beyond our village, where my companions and I passed many an hour roaming free and frolicking, oftentimes playing ball sports in the proximity of the schoolhouse. I recall a certain occasion on which two wastrels came upon us, interrupted our pursuits, caused a general ruckus, and incited a fray. Upon my honour, had I not been bested by these mongrels, no doubt my loving mother would not have laid her heavy hand and decided my future in such an immovable manner as she then did. Her words, as I recollect, were 'Get thee to Bel Air forthwith, where you will live with your aunt and uncle in peace, and whence you will return only when you have become a man, noble as any other.' Alas! What choice had I, but to summon a cab and depart from that dear childhood home? How strange it was to see that the approaching buggy appeared to be painted with nonsensical lettering and festooned with the symbols of gambling and sin. Yet I disregarded it and considered it a rarity. 'To Bel Air, if you please' said I to the cabbie as together we heaved up my trunk. At perhaps seven or eight of the clock, after some hours of evening travel, the buggy came to a halt at the entrance of a grand house. After bidding the driver farewell, I regarded my new lodgings. Here would I be educated. Here would I learn my place in the family. Here would I reign, in a sense, as the new prince of Bel Air."

http://www.mcsweeneys.net/links/lists/10filson.html

[KShrike]

Awwwwwwwwww.............. I am at dissapoint!!!!!!!!

I saw the letters "RBA", and being a speed runner I thought of "Reverse Bottle Adventure", a glitch that is heavily exploited in Zelda Ocarina of Time to finish the game extremely quickly.

Especially since Reverse Bottle Adventure was quite known among the speed gamer community. Darnit, Randall!


Even worse is that none of you brought it up. I guess the speedrunning culture IS that small....