The Hurricane Beryl Meme: How a Weather Event Became the Internet’s New Favorite Joke
In recent weeks, the internet has been abuzz with a new meme that has taken the world by storm – literally. Hurricane Beryl, a category 1 storm that made landfall in Guatemala on July 3, has become the unlikely star of countless memes and jokes.
The storm, which was expected to bring heavy rain and strong winds to Central America, seemed to strike a chord with internet users who were more interested in making jokes about it than preparing for its effects. And as the storm’s trajectory shifted, bringing it closer to the East Coast of the United States, the memes only got more creative.
The Birth of a Meme
The first memes started appearing on social media shortly after Hurricane Beryl’s formation, with users poking fun at the storm’s relatively weak status. “Hurricane Beryl: Because you couldn’t even get a decent tan this summer,” tweeted one user. Others joked about the storm’s slow movement, labeling it “Hurricane Take-Me-Somewhere-I’ve-Never-Been-Before-Beryl.”
But it was a tweet from user @dancranney that really set the meme off, asking: “Who else is excited for Hurricane Beryl to make landfall in Florida and be immediately forgotten by everyone?” The tweet quickly gained traction, and soon #HurricaneBeryl was trending on Twitter.
The Meme’s Rise to Fame
As the storm drew closer to the East Coast, the memes only got more creative. Users started Photoshopping images of Beryl onto other weather phenomena, like tornadoes and blizzards, with captions like “Hurricane Beryl: Because who needs a category 5 when you can have a whisper?”
Others used Beryl to poke fun at the storm’s impact on travel plans, with memes showing planes and airports being “cancelled” due to the storm’s “existence.” And of course, no meme would be complete without a shoutout to Fortnite, with one user Photoshopping a “dancing” Beryl into a battle royale game.
Why the Meme Has Stuck
So, why has the Hurricane Beryl meme stuck with internet users? According to memes experts (yes, those are a thing!), it’s all about the perfect storm of factors:
- Relatability: Who hasn’t been stuck in a summer slump, wondering what to do with themselves after the excitement of summer vacations has passed? Hurricane Beryl became a symbol of that feeling – a weak, wispy storm that nobody really knew what to do with.
- Absurdity: The meme’s creators took a serious weather event and turned it into a joke, pitting the severity of the storm against its actual impact. It’s a perfect pairing of opposite extremes, resulting in a humorous and attention-grabbing meme.
- Timing: With the storm’s slow movement and relatively weak status, there was a sense of inevitability – Hurricane Beryl was going to make landfall, but what would happen after that? The meme capitalized on that uncertainty, creating a sense of drama and anticipation.
The Meme’s Legacy
As Hurricane Beryl continues to make landfall and dissipate (spoiler alert!), the internet will likely move on to the next big thing. But for now, the meme has left its mark on the world of internet humor. And who knows? Maybe next summer, when the weather gets hot and stormy again, Hurricane Beryl will be back, ready to make waves and bring laughter to the masses.
