Instagram Reels is a staple of our society–it took the world by storm on its release in 2020, coming into the digital world as a competitor to the popular video-sharing platform TikTok. Over the years many “memes,” cited by the Oxford Dictionary as “an image, video, piece of text, etc., typically humorous in nature, that is copied and spread rapidly by internet users, often with slight variations” have surfaced on the platform of Instagram. Many can think back to popular oldies, ie; The viral Smurf Cat accompanied by The Spectre by Alan Walker, an accomplished figure in the electropop genre of music. Have you, dear reader, ever felt like you were out of the loop? Or perhaps you have been confused by the evolution of said memes, how did they find their way onto your FYP (For You Page, if you didn’t know already), or into your DMS (private messages, if you also didn’t know already) by some confused or perhaps lesser friend? That’s what Keepin’ It Reel is all about!

The newest meme invading For You Pages globally is the “Cursed Plankton”, a hilarious twist on the iconic Spongebob character, Plankton.

The picture above is what a reeler (Instagram reels user) will typically see when viewing the meme. The meme is not only visual, as it is accompanied by a sort of moaning noise, adding a sense of horror that is immediately turned into laughter by the comfort and facial expression of a classic childhood cartoon character. The meme is usually accompanied by text, like “When you wake up thinking it’s 3 AM, but it’s actually 37 seconds before your alarm”, or “That feeling when you miss the Crescent Crier article”. The text blurbs add a sense of relatability that is a surefire way to ensure virality (something that will be touched on in a later issue).

Now, how did this iconic meme take the world (or just my FYP) by storm? Interestingly enough, the image has origins in a DeviantArt post by user Moopintot circa 2010, titled “Plankton”. The creepy effects of the image were created by blacking out his mouth and eyes, adding grain effects, and adding wrinkles. While the image was used in internet horror in the 2010s and early 2020s, it didn’t find huge popularity until October 2nd, 2024. TikTok user “planktongemento” posted a low-resolution version of the image above with the iconic moaning sound in an attempt at online horror. Users found it more comical than unsettling, with one user named “أروى الله يرزقها مفضلينها” writing “I Should cry or fart?”. Now, in December 2024, it has risen to the throne of reels. See y’all next time! Next Issue: How to Maximize Reels per Day.