Meme Monday: The sacrificial Pop-tart

Happy New Year! Here's a meme you may have missed

It’s time for a special edition of the newsletter where I highlight a trending meme. If you’re new, you can subscribe here and follow me on X or Threads. Views are my own. Happy reading

Prologue

I woke up blissfully Friday and started going about my day. I dropped my puppy off for a haircut and grabbed some Dutch Bros coffee, as one does. Then, I checked my phone. What did I see? Videos, photos, and memes streaming in of a humanoid Pop-tart with unsettling, beady eyes. Why? Now, that’s a journey. 

What is the meme?

A Pop-Tart mascot with disturbingly intense eyes showed up at the Kansas State vs. NC State Pop-tarts Bowl last week. A mascot that the winners then toasted and ate on live television. 

You really have to see it for yourself. Here’s a highlight reel, too.

Who is in the meme?

A Pop-Tart that shall remain nameless for the sake of our own conscience.

When did the meme pop up?

Thursday, December 28. Enough to save 2024 from starting with cursed energy.

Where is the meme?

I saw it on Twitter and Threads. I wouldn’t be surprised if it ended up other places too. I should start caveating this section with the fact that I haven’t been on TikTok and Facebook much.

Why is the meme?

The capitalism-ication of professional sports has long been afoot. Capital One Arena this, SoFi stadium that. The Pop-Tarts Bowl, Duke’s Mayo Bowl. When has the branding gone too far? It just keeps getting stupider. Have we as a society advanced enough to be able to comfortably meme on our rampant consumerism or is this meming in itself a mirror for us to ponder the consequences of our actions? Like, the death of an anthropomorphic Pop-tart, for instance.