If you were around the internet in the early 2010s, you might remember a viral meme that took the world by storm – “Do a barrel roll x200″. This phrase, accompanied by a simple command to type it into a Google search bar, caused the search engine to spin around in a complete 360-degree roll not once, not twice, but 200 times. But how did this seemingly innocent meme become such a phenomenon, and why did it capture the attention of millions of people around the world?
The origins of the “Do a barrel roll x200” meme can be traced back to a classic Nintendo game – Star Fox 64. Released in 1997, Star Fox 64 was a popular video game that featured a cast of anthropomorphic animals who pilot space fighters to save the galaxy from evil forces. In the game, the character Peppy Hare instructs the player to “do a barrel roll” to avoid enemy fire. The move became so popular that it became a catchphrase among fans of the game.
Fast forward to 2011, when an anonymous user on the website 4chan posted a screenshot of a Google search bar with the command “Do a barrel roll x200”. The user claimed that it would cause the search engine to spin around 200 times. While the claim was false – the command would only cause the search engine to do a single barrel roll – the meme quickly spread like wildfire.
Soon, people were sharing the meme on social media, creating parody videos, and even incorporating it into their everyday conversations. The phrase became so popular that it even made its way into popular culture, appearing in TV shows, movies, and music.
But why did the “Do a barrel roll x200” meme resonate with so many people? For one, it was simple and easy to understand – all you had to do was type a few words into a search bar. It also had an element of surprise and excitement – people loved seeing the search engine spin around in unexpected ways. And perhaps most importantly, it had a sense of nostalgia – for those who grew up playing Star Fox 64, the meme was a fun throwback to their childhoods.
Today, the “Do a barrel roll x200” meme may have faded into obscurity, but its legacy lives on. It remains a testament to the power of the internet to create and spread viral phenomena that capture the imagination of people around the world. And who knows – maybe one day, a new meme will come along that captures our attention just as much as “Do a barrel roll x200” did.
