Internet sensation discovered at the National Archives
A PARKA SQUIRREL, OR "SIKSIKPUK," THE ESKIMOS MAKE THEIR WARMEST WINTER PARKAS FROM THE PELTS OF THE PARKA SQUIRREL, 08/1973 (412-DA-7983)
Internet memes are a new phenomenon. What is an Internet meme? It’s a random, quirky, ‘thing’ that takes the Internet by storm and for the briefest of moments enters the American dialogue. Often times logging in millions of hits for no apparent reason, Internet memes are as whimsical as the Internet search itself. No one really knows where they come from or why a guy talking about a double rainbow draws us in. The simple fact is they do (please note this is an external link).
One Internet meme has logged over 24 million views on YouTube, and is a five second clip of a gopher turning his head to dramatic music. Spinoffs were made, YouTube links e-mailed, and now more people have watched “Dramatic Look” than watched the LOST Series finale (also an external link).
It seems that the Environmental Protection Agency captured the dramatic look long before YouTube subscriber Magnets99 did though, with the image above. This Siksikpuk was unavailable for comment according to its agent. For more on these EPA images, read our Prologue article on DOCUMERICA.
Posted by Rob Crotty on September 21, 2010, under News and Events.
Tags: american history, documerica, dramatic look, history of internet memes, history of memes, NARA, national archives, National archives and records administration, odd history, Pieces of History, prologue blog, Prologue magazine, random history, siksikpuk, squirrel, weird US history
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