Have you ever stumbled upon a viral video or meme and wondered how it became popular? Buckle up because we’re about to take you on a wild ride through the surprising story behind one of the internet’s biggest sensations: /fwcm4nwuwyk. This seemingly random combination of letters and numbers may mean little to you now. Still, by the end of this post, you’ll have a newfound appreciation for just how unpredictable and fascinating online fame can be. So let’s dive into the madness that is /fwcm4nwuwyk!
The Idea Behind /fwcm4nwuwyk
The viral sensation that is /fwcm4nwuwyk began as an obscure Facebook page with just a few posts in early 2017. But, over time, the page grew exponentially, quickly rising to become one of the most popular memes on the platform.
What was behind this sudden rise to fame? To find out, we spoke with the creator of /fwcm4nwuwyk, who shared his story and how he created one of the most popular memes on the internet.
/fwcm4nwuwyk was first created by a guy named Alex Madrigal. According to him, the idea for the meme came about when he was scrolling through his Facebook feed and saw a post that said: “FWCMMVWXYK” (which is pronounced “five thousand twelve hundred ninety”). Intrigued by it, he decided to look into what it meant and discovered that it was an emergency alert code used by police departments all over America.
This discovery made Madrigal think about how funny it would be if someone used this code as a joke online, which is why he started posting jokes using it on his Facebook page. However, unlike other memes that typically take off online due to word-of-mouth marketing or viral trends, Madrigal’s /fwcm4nwuwyk only managed to gain traction after being featured on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah in December 2017.
Since then, /
How the Meme Became a Hit
The internet is a vast and ever-changing place, and one of its most popular memes is the “Crying Jordan” meme. The meme features an image of NBA player Michael Jordan crying, often paired with the caption, “Why does this happen to me?” The meme began circulating online in 2010 but didn’t take off until 2012.
The origins of the “Crying Jordan” meme are murky. Still, some believe it started as a reaction to a photoshopped picture of then-New Orleans Hornets player Chris Paul crying after being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. Regardless of its origin, the “Crying Jordan” meme quickly became popular on 4chan and other forums.
In 2012, YouTube user Matthias Goergen uploaded a video titled “Why Does This Always Happen To Me?” which featured several examples of the “Crying Jordan” meme in action. The video quickly went viral and helped spread awareness of the meme across the internet.
Since its inception, various users have repeatedly repurposed the “Crying Jordan” meme. Some versions feature jokes about Jordan’s career failures, while others poke fun at his appearance or personality quirks.
The Response to the Meme
In late January, a relatively obscure webcomic called For Whom The Bell Tolls began trending on social media. The comic is a dark and twisted take on the Robin Hood story, and while it wasn’t well known before its sudden popularity, the comic’s timing couldn’t have been better.
The story behind For Whom The Bell Tolls’ sudden fame begins with an innocuous meme that started circulating online in early January. The meme consists of a screenshot from one of the episodes of HBO’s Game Of Thrones with Jon Snow superimposed over comedian Kevin Hart’s face. Hart’s expression says, “I’m not black, but I play one on TV”, while Snow says, “I’m not white, but I play one on TV.”
While the meme itself is unremarkable, what made it popular was its accompanying caption, which read, “Now you know why no one hired him.” Many people interpreted this as a response to recent accusations of racism against movie star/director Woody Allen.
For Whom The Bell Tolls’ dark take on the classic story quickly resonated with fans of Game Of Thrones and other dark fantasy stories. While many people had already heard about the comic and were familiar with its content, its sudden widespread popularity was largely due to the meme.
The Future of /fwcm4nwuwyk
As the blogosphere continues circulating and popularising memes, one of the more obscure and under-the-radar Internet phenomena is /fwcm4nwuwyk/. Created in early 2017 by a user who goes by the name Kenzie, the account has amassed over 1.7 million followers and spawned dozens of spinoff accounts.
What’s behind /fwcm4nwuwyk/’s sudden buzz? A combination of factors includes clever content, creative memes, and striking visuals. Here’s a look at how it all started:
In January 2017, Kenzie created an Instagram account named @fwcmnwuwyk to post bizarre but funny images. “I just wanted to make people laugh,” she told Bored Panda. “I never intended for it to get this big.”
But soon enough, her posts started going viral. The first instance was a screenshot of a conversation between two friends in which one says they don’t want any children because they’re worried about them becoming robots (shown below).
Within 24 hours of posting, the image was shared tens of thousands of times on Twitter and Facebook. It also landed on various news sites worldwide, including Forbes and The Huffington Post UK.
To date, Kenzie’s most popular post is “Cat Facts,” featuring hilarious pictures of cats doing things that 99% of humans would find baff.
