History Main / DiscreditedMeme

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsonsMovie'': "He's not Spider-Pig anymore. He's Harry Plopper!"

* After creator of ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' Notch fell out of favor for various controversial statements, a ''Music/{{Vocaloid}}'' roleplay Twitter account responded to one of his posts by claiming, in-character, that Music/HatsuneMiku had created ''Minecraft''. This became popular quickly, as people saw it as absolving their love of the game and loved the absurdity of the game having been created by a fictional Japanese pop star robot, and it even became something of an AscendedMeme, with Creator/{{Mojang}} sticking a few Easter eggs in the code. However, it also became widely applied to other media with creators who had fallen out of favor with the fanbase for similar claims--with the biggest being ''Franchise/HarryPotter'', due to Rowling's many statements on social media that were seen as transphobic. The creator of the meme would go on to [[https://i.imgur.com/yF5AUga.jpg disavow it heavily,]] arguing that many of the UnfortunateImplications in ''Harry Potter'' are already baked into the narrative, and unlike Notch, who had well moved on from the game by the time his reputation fell off, Rowling still largely owns the franchise and receives money from consumers--separating the art from the artist doesn't work if you're still giving the artist your money.

* Franchise/StarWars
** Despite the popularity of "Slave Leia",over time, showing her in memes is seen as bad taste, implying that the fandom only likes the character because she is sexualized, instead of because she is a strong rebel leader.
** Although memes mocking Rey Skywalker used to be popular, over time, a certain sector of the fandom has grown tired of them, considering them to be over-exploited, in addition to considering them offensive to people with adoptive families.

* After creator of ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' Notch fell out of favor for various controversial statements, a ''Music/{{Vocaloid}}'' roleplay Twitter account responded to one of his posts by claiming, in-character, that Music/HatsuneMiku had created ''Minecraft''. This became popular quickly, as people saw it as absolving their love of the game and loved the absurdity of the game having been created by a fictional Japanese pop star robot, and it even became something of an AscendedMeme, with Creator/{{Mojang}} sticking a few Easter eggs in the code. However, it also became widely applied to other media with creators who had fallen out of favor with the fanbase for similar claims--with the biggest being ''Franchise/HarryPotter'', due to Rowling's many statements on social media that were seen as transphobic. The creator of the meme would go on to [[https://i.imgur.com/yF5AUga.jpg disavow it heavily,]] arguing that many of the UnfortunateImplications in ''Harry Potter'' are already baked into the narrative, and unlike Notch, Rowling still largely owns the franchise and receives money from consumers--separating the art from the artist doesn't work if you're still giving the artist your money.

** Spadinner jokes (jokes that involved lines from the infamous Phillips CD-I games) eventually were phased out once TheNew10s rolled in.

* Malevelon Creek was one of the first worlds to be available in ''VideoGame/{{Helldivers}} II'', and quickly earned a reputation for being, for [[BestLevelEver better]] or [[ThatOneLevel worse]], the fiercest of the starter worlds. It was a perpetually-dark, thickly-forest world occupied by the heavily-armed and tactical Automatons, and the combination of terrain and enemy made it both brutal and spectacular. (The other starter Automaton world, Ubanea, failed to gain the same reputation because its sunny days, rocky terrain, and clear lines of sight made it less difficult and less intimidating.) For all these reasons, it was nicknamed "Space Vietnam", a name that proved to be prophetic. As the fighting shifted to the Automaton Front, players who checked supply lines via third party apps realized that Malevelon Creek ''wasn't actually important'' in the grand scheme of things, and that even its fearsome reputation was inflated. (Troost, for example, took everything that made the Creek fearsome and added thick fog that could hide an entire Automaton tank.) Even so, many players were on it to [[PlayAlongMeme be part of the meme]] when they could have been trying to take planets that were actually part of the Major Order that would reward significant numbers of medals to the entire player base. Creekers went from beloved maniacs to being blamed for failures on the Automaton front, eventually leading to Arrowhead releasing a quick Major Order to liberate the Creek once and for all.

* On August 14 2013, Website/YouTube user [[https://www.youtube.com/user/seinfeldspitstain seinfeldspitstain]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LB871SVYMhI uploaded]] the [[MindScrew bizarre]] ''WebAnimation/JimmyNeutronHappyFamilyHappyHour'', which became his most popular video with over one million views. Two months later, the joke was declared dead by [[WebVideo/{{Seinfeldspitstain}} the author]] when [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zsj_CE587vU a sequel]] was uploaded where [[WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius Jimmy Nutrin]] is lying in a grave surrounded by characters, ending with the camera flying backwards and revealing that Jimmy is being buried in the "Dead Joke Cemetery". Even the Facebook page [[https://www.facebook.com/pages/Why-helo-it-is-i-jimbles-notronbo/494347110602837 Why helo it is i jimbles notronbo]] is tired of it after having the video repeatedly posted onto their page.

** Old memes don't die, they just become undead, [[http://xkcd.com/491/ and get recycled on]] Website/{{Twitter}}.

* ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged'' referenced the "over 9000" meme by having a bored Vegeta say the line (and this is after he ended up having his scouter on upside down and reading the power level as 1006, leading to Goku kicking Nappa's ass) and Nappa being disappointed by it. A later video celebrating Team Four Star's Website/YouTube account passing 9000 subscribers did it again, with Vegeta using the original "Over ''8000''" line with an annoyed Nappa telling him he didn't do it right.

* Website/{{Twitch}} briefly removed their famous [=PogChamp=] emote, which depicted the face of streamer Ryan "Gootecks" Gutierrez, on January 6th, 2021, after Gutierrez expressed support for the U.S. Capitol insurrection which happened that day. Before that, some users had previously wanted the emote removed because of Gutierrez sharing conspiracy theories regarding the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic and the 2020 U.S. election. Twitch initially changed the emote's face daily to that of other streamers before holding a poll that resulted in the emote being merged with the similar [=KomodoHype=] emote.

* [=JonnyRazer=] posted a Website/YouTube short asking his viewers to "[[{{Gaslighting}} gaslight]]" the internet by picking a spam comment to use on social media. In the same video, he says he'll reveal said comment on January 31st, but it was revealed on January 14th instead as "The Waffle House Has Found Its New Host" after support from the previous video. He told the viewers only to spam the comment until January 31st, and it worked, as the meme became discredited since February, [[https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/the-waffle-house-has-found-its-new-host--2 having its search interest go down to about 12% of what it was in the previous month]].

* ''Series/GameOfThrones'' fans frequently joked about Jon Snow's status as MrFanservice, and his tendency to do a ShirtlessScene. Creator/KitHarrington eventually said around Season 6 he'd be happy if people stopped talking about his hair and shirtlessness in interviews.

* WebAnimation/TheAmazingDigitalCircus: The "My name is Caine, I am your bitch." parody videos were disavowed by the show's creators for being shallow jabs at Creator/VivienneMedrano and the crude humor in her works like 'WesternAnimation/HazbinHotel''. [[Creator/TheAutarch Alex Rochon]], Caine's voice actor on ''Digital Circus'', [[https://x.com/AlexRochonVA/status/1732491744065827231?s=20 refused to dub any lines from it]] in his video ''Saying A Lot Of Things As Caine''. Even the original creator of the meme had to clarify that they did not mean it with malicious intent and that ''Digital Circus'' fans ought to stop harassing Viv.

* WebAnimation/TheAmazingDigitalCircus: The "My name is Caine, I am your bitch." parody videos became a source of controversy when some trolls used them to ridicule ''WesternAnimation/HazbinHotel'' creator Creator/VivienneMedrano for her profane sense of humor. [[Creator/TheAutarch Alex Rochon]], the voice Caine in ''Digital Circus'', [[https://x.com/AlexRochonVA/status/1732491744065827231?s=20 refused to dub any lines from it]] in his video ''Saying A Lot Of Things As Caine''. Even the original creator of the meme had to clarify that they did not mean it with malicious intent and called out ''Digital Circus'' fans who were using it to harass Viv.

* WebAnimation/TheAmazingDigitalCircus: The "My name is Caine, I am your bitch." series of parody videos poking fun at Creator/VivienneMedrano's crude sense of humor became a source of controversy. [[Creator/TheAutarch Alex Rochon]], the voice Caine's voice actor, [[https://x.com/AlexRochonVA/status/1732491744065827231?s=20 refused to dub any lines from it]] in his video ''Saying A Lot Of Things As Caine''. Even the original creator of the meme had to clarify that they did not mean it with malicious intent and that ''Digital Circus'' fans ought to stop harassing Viv.

** VideoGame/Pikmin4 had a short-lived "Moss is homophobic" meme, based on her squinty eyes and neutral expression calling to mind the "homophobic dog" meme from real life. People who didn't get the joke, IE, ''actual'' homophobes, starting using the meme unironically in their hate speech, resulting in the Pikmin fandom dropped the meme like they were holding a hot coal and flooding fanart spaces with Moss showing support of pride and LGBTQ+ to make it clear they do not approve of it being used seriously.

** VideoGame/Pikmin4 had a short-lived "Moss is homophobic" meme, based on her squinty eyes and neutral expression calling to mind the "homophobic dog" meme from real life. People who didn't get the joke, IE, ''actual'' homophobes, starting using the meme unironically in their hate speech, resulting in the Pikmin fandom dropped the meme like they were holding a hot coal and flooded fanart spaces with Moss showing support of pride and LGBTQ+.

** {{Video/Pikmin4}} had a short-lived "Moss is homophobic" meme, based on her squinty eyes and neutral expression calling to mind the "homophobic dog" meme from real life. People who didn't get the joke, IE, ''actual'' homophobes, starting using the meme unironically, the Pikmin fandom dropped the meme like they were holding a hot coal and flooded fanart spaces with Moss showing support of pride and LGBTQ+.

* ''Videogame/{{Pikmin}}'': As mentioned below in the Web Original folder, references to Steve the Trooper from LetsPlay/{{Chuggaaconroy}}'s Let's Play of the game isn't actively encouraged within the fandom nowadays, as the constant references to the infamous Red Leaf Pikmin [[FanMyopia became irritating for players who weren't familiar with the LP]]. As such, most references to Steve tend to be within LetsPlay/TheRunawayGuys and affiliated gamers' fandoms, with references made outside those circles highly discouraged.

** The 20 Minute [=YouTube=] Poop Challenge creators consider "Dirty Percy" to be this. It started in Round 3 when they pooped the ''WesternAnimation/ThomasTheTankEngine'' episode "Thomas, Percy and the Squeak," with the scene where Percy complains about being called "Dirty Percy" becoming a RunningGag. However, it quickly became overused to the point of annoyance The joke disappeared after Round 11 and future rounds would treat the joke with disdain. They also limit "The Station Joke" (referring to Gordon's crash in "A Better View For Gordon") in order to keep it from becoming this.

** Former pooper [=CamHead=] would consistently make "Brain Drain" jokes (in which a certain character forgets their lines, and Tigger from ''Series/TheBookOfPooh'' would proclaim that they had a brain drain) that his fans seemed to love, and that outsiders seemed to be either neutral, or critical of its repetitive, forced nature. Eventually, in April of 2022, Cam got exposed after allegations stating he participated in the grooming of minors were confirmed. Eventually, the entire YTP community detested and dunked on the Brain Drain jokes as a whole, and eventually became nonexistent in poops proceeding Cam's exposure.

* Many memes featured in [[YouTubePoop YouTube Poops]] can particularly age like milk, and that also includes inside jokes shared with the pooper and their audience.
** Pooper Creator/DurhamRockerZ posted "Hank of the Hill" which had a running gag of [[WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill Hank Hill]] saying "[[InherentlyFunnyWords Boggle!?]]" in a confused voice. [=DurhamRockerZ=] got so tired of being spammed with constant "Boggle!?" comments on his videos that he stopped making references to the gag.
** Spadinner jokes (jokes that involved lines from the infamous Phillips CD-I games) eventually were phased out once TheNew10s rolled in.
** Former pooper [=CamHead=] would consistently make "Brain Drain" jokes (in which a certain character forgets their lines, and Tigger from ''Series/TheBookOfPooh'' would proclaim that they had a brain drain) that his fans seemed to love, and that outsiders seemed to be either neutral, or critical of its repetitive, forced nature. Eventually, in April of 2022, Cam got exposed after allegations stating he participated in the grooming of minors were confirmed. Eventually, the entire YTP community detested and dunked on the Brain Drain jokes as a whole, and eventually became nonexistent in poops proceeding Cam's exposure.
** The 20 Minute [=YouTube=] Poop Challenge creators consider "Dirty Percy" to be this. It started in Round 3 when they pooped the ''WesternAnimation/ThomasTheTankEngine'' episode "Thomas, Percy and the Squeak," with the scene where Percy complains about being called "Dirty Percy" becoming a RunningGag. However, it quickly became overused to the point of annoyance The joke disappeared after Round 11 and future rounds would treat the joke with disdain. They also limit "The Station Joke" (referring to Gordon's crash in "A Better View For Gordon") in order to keep it from becoming this.

Compare DiscreditedTrope, DeadHorseTrope, CondemnedByHistory, NeverHeardThatOneBefore, TotallyRadical, SeinfeldIsUnfunny, PopularityPolynomial, ForcedMeme, DefiedTrope, HypeBacklash, and RunningGagged.

* ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'': The meme of [[MemeticLoser Ash Ketchum being a loser for never winning the Pokémon League]] became so big and widespread that ''Anime/PokemonTheSeriesSunAndMoon'' director [[WordOfGod Daiki Tomiyasu]] had to clarify and correct a lot of misconceptions surround it[[note]]Becoming a Pokémon Master upon winning the League, therefore winning the League means end of the show, etc.[[/note]] in [[https://cho-animedia.jp/anime/107460/ an interview leading up to the Alola League]]. He stated that a Pokémon Master is not about just winning the League but rather growing up and learning from experience. Then in the actual League itself, Ash wins the finals, [[BrokenWinLossStreak ending his League losing streak]] for good, and is declared the Alola Champion. And the final nail in the coffin of this meme? The follow-up ''Anime/PokemonJourneysTheSeries'' features Ash still as the main protagonist, and he is depicted as one of the best Pokémon trainers in the world, [[DefeatingTheUndefeatable winning against powerful opponents of Elite Four and Champion status]] [[spoiler:and ultimately triumphing over Leon to become none other than a '''''Pokémon World Champion''''']].

** Despite the popularity of "Slave Leia", in recent years, showing her in memes is seen as bad taste, implying that the fandom only likes the character because she is sexualized, instead of because she is a strong rebel leader.

* ''WebVideo/DougDoug'': Whenever Doug's friend Parkzer appears, Doug would often claim that Parkzer gives good advice because he's a cop and a lawyer, followed by Parkzer protesting that he's neither a cop nor a lawyer. However, in a late 2023 VOD, Doug announced that he's no longer going to do that joke or bring it up. He still thinks it's funny, but apparently some people were starting to think that Parkzer really was in those professions, which was starting to cause real issues in Parkzer's personal life due to laws against impersonating a police officer.