LAUSR

In May 2016, a child climbed into the gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo in Ohio. The events that followed — namely the killing of a 17-year-old silverback gorilla named Harambe in order to protect the child — made national news. The story then took on a viral life of its own as a digital meme that turned the gorilla into a pop-culture craze. But Harambe’s position as an Internet phenomenon was a curious one. Despite exhibiting all the characteristics necessary for viral success and encouraging a polyvocal discourse, the Harambe Meme never became the enduring symbol of animal rights it was created to be. Instead, it was co-opted into a widely applicable element of digital humor. While it is difficult to determine what made Harambe the tool of choice for a months-long online joke, the meme’s success as a culture jam highlights the unpredictability of the Internet and underscores users’ ability to influence the fate of digital content.