this post was submitted on 07 Jan 2024
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Risa
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Star Trek memes and shitposts
Come on'n get your jamaharon on! There are no real rules—just don't break the weather control network.
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I have never interpreted this as making fun of Rick Astley, just a stupid joke to trick people into watching something. I totally agree, he is very talented.
The meme has been a huge benefit to him as well, his popularity skyrocketed with a generation that wasn't around when he was first popular and led to tons of listens and sales of his music, heck they even had him play at the Macy's day parade!
As I recall, I read an interview with him, and he didn't quite understand the meme, but he was thrilled it had blown up his popularity again and introduced so many new people to his music.
In the UK on the BBC One new year coverage he was the main act. That likely would not have happened this late in his career without the meme.
It was also the song he played immediately following the London fireworks coverage at about 00:10. Probably going for some record number of people rick rolled at once.
I guess we have different interpretations. It's always seemed like it was "tricked you into listening to that awful song!" to me. But maybe I'm the outlier?
Even if that was the original intention, it turned out to be a great benefit to him personally, so if that's what it was supposed to be, then I guess the jokes on them 😀
I'm really impressed that, given the chance to cash in on weird internet meme fame, he turned around and put out a bunch of genuinely good music.
Maybe it was originally but I kind of enjoy being rickrolled. I get to listen to a cool song.
I genuinely didn't get the meme at the beginning because I loved the song. I was like, "what's the joke?" And would listen to the whole song.
I think they're making fun of Rick Astley and just perhaps how dated this once popular song is. But jokes on them! I'm into that shit!